Nature conservation in forests

• 1892 - dr. Leopold Hufnagel decides that part of the forests of Rog massive should remain virgin forest (the beginning of organized nature protection in forests in Slovenia);
• in 1947, in order to limit excessive use of forests, the clear-cutting system of forest management was prohibited;
• in the fifties and sixties dr. Dušan Mlinšek puts into practice a way of working with the forest, which, taking into account the natural conditions, requires forestry to work simultaneously in achieving the economic, ecological and social functions of the forest. Forest management focuses on the forest as an ecosystem, its preservation and close-to-natural development, as well as quality management and sustainable use of all the goods and services that forest owners and the public expect from the forest. In doing so, natural processes and structures are imitated while constantly controlling the effects;
• in the early eighties of the 20th century, forests which are particularly important for research from the point of view of their state, development and protection of biodiversity were excluded from management. In 2005, most of these forests were protected as forest reserves by government regulation;
• upon joining the European Union, in order to fulfill the conditions for inclusion, Slovenia had to define a network of areas that would ensure "a favourable state of populations of all European important species and habitat types", called the network of Natura 2000 areas;
• in 2017, the Snežnik-Ždrocle Forest Reserve and the Krokar Primeval Forest were also included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

According to legislation in the field of forestry, forests must be managed in such a way as to ensure sustainable, close-to-natural and multifunctional forest management in accordance with the principles of environmental protection and natural values, permanent and optimal functioning of forests as an ecosystem and the realization of their functions.

This also lays important foundations for the conservation of nature in forests. The concept of nature conservation is concretized in forest management through forest management plans, which, through goals, strategies, guidelines and measures for various fields (e.g. cutting, silviculture, protection), enable the integration of the concept of nature conservation into forest management and coordination with other aspects and uses of forest area. The plans are also the basis for deciding on the implementation of concrete measures in forests, necessary to ensure specific aspects of nature conservation (e.g. preservation of habitats of endangered species). An important basis for the preparation of plans and the inclusion of nature conservation content in forest management plans are the nature conservation guidelines prepared by the Institute of RS for Nature Conservation.

In Slovenia, there are several types of areas important for biodiversity conservation, for which guidelines and measures are defined in forest management plans. The table below shows nature conservation areas, ecologically important areas (EPOs) and natural values, which often overlap with each other.

Natura 2000 is a European ecological network intended for the conservation of biodiversity. Natura 2000 areas in Slovenia cover 44.6 % of forests.

Protected areas are concentrated areas of nature, where living and non-living factors intertwine, and where human activities and interventions are consistent with natural conditions. They cover 14.7% of Slovenia's forests.

Natural values ​​are the most valuable parts of nature or our most important natural heritage. They are defined on 15.3% of the forest area.

Ecologically important areas (EPOs) are areas of habitat types or larger ecosystem units that significantly contribute to the conservation of biodiversity. They cover 53.1% of forests and mostly overlap with Natura 2000 areas.

In addition to the areas mentioned above, other areas are also very important: quiet zones (9.1%), forest reserves (0.8%) and areas without management (0.8% of forest areas).

Many measures and guidelines that are part of regular forest management contribute significantly to the preservation of biodiversity. Such measures primarily include forest tending (silviculture) and protection measures, which must be carried out in such a way as to restore the natural tree species composition and stand structure and preserve biodiversity by implementing measures to prevent harmful biotic and abiotic factors.

In forest management, additional guidelines and measures are taken into account, intended directly to conservation of habitats of plant and animal species:

• preservation of rare ecosystems, forests in urban and agriculture landscape, small forest remnants;
• preservation of meadows inside large forest complexes;
• preservation of specific habitats relevant for the animal species (habitat trees, dens, nesting places, water sources, riparian vegetation, diverse forest edge, fruit trees, minority tree and shrub species)
• planned leaving of dead wood biomass in forest;
• leaving certain forest areas for natural development;
• preservation of water sources;
• improving the state of minority forest habitat types;
• adjust the time of harvesting on the areas of quiet zones, wild grouse habitats, nesting sites of protected and endangered species etc.

• The consequences of climate change, which are manifested in increasing average temperatures, increasingly higher temperature extremes and more frequent natural disturbances (ice breaks, windbreaks, droughts, pest attacks, faster spread of non-native invasive species), have a strong impact on Slovenian forests. The main challenge in forest management in Slovenia will be adjusting the tree species composition and stand structure.
• The protection of large forest areas, important for maintaining the resilience and diversity of populations and the connections (corridors) between larger forest complexes, is crucial for the preservation of biodiversity and gene flow at the landscape level. It is particularly important to prevent further fragmentation of forests.
• Improving data on animal species to implement measures in areas where the measures will have the greatest impact on improving the living conditions of the species.
• Coordination of conflicting goals in the forest area (recreation and tourism, forest management, preservation of biodiversity).
• Due to the large share of private forests, it is crucial to provide funds for measures that are key to preserving biodiversity.