Silviculture study tour in Czechoslovakia
Watershed management in Yugoslavia
ECE timber committee
World eucalyptus conference
Shelterbelts and arid-zone forestry in the U.S.S.R.
A study tour conducted under the Technical Assistance Program on the silviculture and management of pure and mixed forests opened in Prague on 2 July and closed on 17 August 1956: 35 participants from 20 countries, including many from Asia and Latin America, took part in the tour and technical discussions, as well as 40 representatives of Czechoslovakian forest administration and research.
The object of the tour was to study the problem of the silviculture of pure and mixed forests, the consequences of monoculture and measures to prevent and correct the bad effects of such monocultures. The problem of retarded growth of second and third generations of pure spruce forests, development of heavily podsolized, unhealthy soils under them, and the concurrence of serious disease, insect and climatic injuries in such forests, is common to a member of European countries where for the past two centuries, spruce had been planted on sites where spruce did not occur naturally. A similar problem faces countries in other regions developing planting programs of pure species.
The forests of Czechoslovakia, with their interesting history dating back to the early 18th century and in some cases to the middle 17th century, and their many examples of 35- to 40-year-old efforts mainly in Bohemia and Moravia to correct the obvious bad consequences of monocultures on "off-site" forests, provides an excellent laboratory to observe and discuss the problem, its remedies and prevention. The participants discussed with interest how this problem related to conditions in their own countries. The European foresters, particularly those from Austria, France, Germany, Switzerland and Yugoslavia, had much to offer as to remedial possibilities with emphasis on the economic aspects. The discussions drove home the point, so important in planning reforestation programs, of choosing the proper species for each available soil and climatic condition. This was of great value, as expressed by the participants from Latin America and Asia, to countries now engaged in initiating or expanding their forest planting work. The importance of careful research into the ecology of natural forests, field trials of exotic as well as native species, the study of the effects of such silvicultural methods as early and frequent thinnings, cleanings, use of nurse trees and ameliorating broadleaved species, and particularly various methods of obtaining natural regeneration, was stressed throughout the tour.
Prof. H. Leibundgut, Director of the Institute of Silviculture at the Technische Hochschule at Zürich, served as FAO co-director of the tour and Dr. K. Cermak, Director of the Czechoslovakian Forest Research Institute, acted as co-director on behalf of the Czechoslovak Government. M. A. Huberman represented the Forestry Division of FAO.
A detailed report of the tour has been prepared containing the discussions, the reports of working groups and the country papers which were submitted by most of the participants prior to the tour.
Under the chairmanship of J. Messines, of France, the Working Party of the European Forestry Commission on Torrent Control and Protection from Avalanches, held a third session and study tour from 29 July to 10 August in Yugoslavia.
Erosion control works in high mountain areas were inspected in the Republics of Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia, while at the technical meetings, discussions took place on the protection against sedimentation of large reservoirs. In many countries, sufficient attention is still not paid to erosion control in upper watersheds in relation to other protection works, in the working party recommended that before large public works are undertaken for irrigation and hydroelectric power, governments should always consult the services responsible for soil conservation and watershed management. It also recommended that, co-ordinated by the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO), further research be undertaken to obtain data on the influence of various kinds of vegetative cover on the water regime, the efficiency of the various techniques for the correction of torrents and the utilization, conservation and restoration of soils and other related matters. In this connection, it is to be noted that the program of work of the Forestry Division envisages the publication in 1957 of a basic study on "forest influences".
On the general subject of conservation and utilization of soils in high mountains, it was agreed that stable soils and unstable soils must in many cases be treated quite differently and that in many instances the latter are not capable of withstanding any disturbance of the vegetative cover. Soil conservation practices recommended, included reforestation and revegetation with the aid of banquettes and other methods of increasing infiltration of water into soils. An interesting point was a recommendation that plants having aromatic or medicinal values be considered for use in revegetation because of their economic value.
The report of the Working Party will be available shortly. It will be referred to the full European Forestry Commission next May for endorsement.
Member countries represented were Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Switzerland, Turkey and Yugoslavia. At the invitation of the Yugoslav Government, observers also attended from Romania and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. T. François, Chief of the Forest Policy Branch, Forestry Division, represented the Director-General of FAO and served as technical secretary; other FAO staff members present were Clark E. Holscher, of the Forestry Division, and John Blackmore, of the Agriculture Division.
The ECE Timber Committee, which is serviced by a joint ECE and FAO staff, held its fourteenth session in October 1956. Record participation included for the first time delegations from Byelorussia, Portugal and Spain.
The Committee noted a distinct weakening in the sawn softwood market in 1956, with a sharp drop in the volume of European trade. This weakening was most pronounced in the United Kingdom and the northern countries, less marked in continental western Europe, while in central and eastern Europe-notably the Mediterranean area-the demand remained steady enough to absorb the supplies available.
The lower volume of trade sprang primarily from stock liquidation compelled by tighter credit; consumption had not been seriously affected.
Import requirements in 1957 were expected to be slightly up on the current year. Export prospects were slightly down, with reductions in Finland, Sweden and Austria, and maintained export availabilities in the U.S.S.R. and eastern Europe. Canadian exports, sharply down in 1956, might recover should European demand so warrant. The Committee concluded that prospective supplies were reasonably well in balance with export requirements and that, provided no serious recession in constructional and industrial activity intervened, stable conditions should prevail in the European sawn softwood market in 1957. So far as small-sized roundwood was concerned, supply and demand for 1967 appeared to be better matched than in recent years.
Following the consideration of the pulpwood market, the Committee heard a Secretariat statement drawing attention to certain changes which had occurred in recent years in the continent's net trade balance in pulp and paper. It requested the Secretariat to circulate to delegates for their information a note setting out the points made.
An innovation at this session was a survey of the European sawn hardwood market, with particular reference to oak and beech. Oak and beech sawnwood production and trade now play an important part in the timber economies of many member countries, and the Committee requested the Secretariat to undertake regular appraisal of the sawn hardwood market and to maintain this item on the Committee's agenda.
The Committee expressed satisfaction with the first draft of a study of trends in the utilization of wood and its products in housing, and requested the Secretariat to prepare a final version of this study; delegates undertook to supply the necessary material. The Committee also requested the Secretariat to give priority to further sector studies, suggesting that precedence be given to a study of trends in the utilization of wood in packaging.
Seven countries took part in private meetings arranged at the request of certain delegations to discuss special import/export problems arising between them. Positive results flowing from similar contacts established at the thirteenth session were reported.
The Committee received a report on the work of the Joint ECE/FAO Working Party on Forestry Statistics, and decided that this working party should continue in existence until it had completed consideration of the problems allotted to it. The Committee also noted with satisfaction the progress made by its Working Party on the Standardization of General Conditions of Sale for Timber and by the Joint ECE/FAO Committee on Forest Working Techniques and Training of Forest Workers.
Finally, the Committee closely reviewed its program of work and made a number of changes designed to concentrate efforts and establish priority. It pressed for a practical start on a project concerned with the collection, transport and utilization of forest and sawmill waste.
During the period 17-30 October 1956 some 90 participants from 26 countries gathered at FAO Headquarters to discuss the numerous problems of growing and utilizing eucalypts.
Among the discussion papers presented either by the author or by another speaker were the following:
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1. The Value of Eucalypts | |
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"World-wide, particularly Australia" |
D.A.N. CROMER, Australia |
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"Mediterranean countries" |
A. MÉTRO, France |
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"Tropical Africa" |
R. PIERLOT, Belgian Congo |
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"East Africa" |
A. L. GRIFFITH, East Africa |
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"Latin America" |
C. M. FLINTA Argentina |
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"Asia" |
SUKHUM THIRAWAT, Thailand |
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"Eucalyptus trees in the United States" |
WOODBRIDGE METCALF U.S.A. |
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2. Problems Basic to Planting | |
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"Round-up of research in the past five years and future needs" |
A. MÉTRO, France |
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"Ecology-standard site descriptions" |
A. DE PHILIPPIS, Italy |
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" Dendrology and identification" |
N. HALL, Australia |
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"Site-species trials" |
J. ELORRIETA, Spain |
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"Eucalyptus genetics" |
L. D. PRYOR, Australia |
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3. Establishment, Management and Protection of Eucalyptus | |
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"Round-up of successful methods and research needs" |
A. Y. GOOR, Israel |
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"Nursery and planting techniques" |
E. DA SILVA REIS GOES, Portugal |
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"Background factors influencing the occurrence and treatment of Eucalypts woodland in Australia" |
M. R. JACOBS, Australia |
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"Thinnings and regeneration" |
FAO STAFF |
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"Yields and rotations" |
FAO STAFF |
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"Protection" |
G. W. CHAPMAN, FAO Forestry Adviser Iraq |
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4. Protection for Farming and Soil Stabilization | |
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"Round-up of successful methods and research needs" |
A. DE PHILIPPIS, Italy |
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"Eucalypts in the protection of agriculture" |
R. KARSCHON, Israel |
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"Soil stabilization" |
A. MONJAUZE, Algeria |
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5. Utilization | |
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"Round-up of industrial uses and research needs including obstacles to wider use" |
S. A. CLARKE, Australia |
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Commentaries on above: |
G. GIORDANO, Italy; |
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"Physical and mechanical properties" |
J. D. BOYD and R.S.T. KINGSTON, Australia |
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"Sawmilling, machining, peeling, grading and utilization of residues" |
R. F. TURNBULL, Australia |
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"Seasoning" |
G. W. WRIGHT, Australia |
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"Durability of Eucalypts timbers and their preservative treatment" |
N. TAMBLYN, Australia |
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"Chemical utilization" |
H. E. DADSWELL and R. C. McK. STEWART, Australia |
Following discussion in plenary session under the chairmanship of Mr. G. J. Rodger, Director-General, Commonwealth Forestry and Timber Bureau, Australia, four working parties were created under the leadership of A. Metro, A. Y. Goor, A. de Philippis, and S. A. Clarke, to examine in detail the topics 2 to 5 respectively listed above.
The highlights of the discussion and the recommendations of each working party were incorporated into the final report, which was adopted by the Conference at its closing meeting on 23 October. As regards the organization of future work with eucalypts, the Conference recommended that:
(a) FAO's Regional Forestry Commissions should set up working parties on the model of that created by the Mediterranean Subcommission;(b) Interested Member Governments should set up national working teams consisting of representatives of the sectors concerned from production to consumption, or appoint permanent correspondents to the regional working parties;
(c) The Director-General of FAO should ensure the coordination of the work of the various regional parties, and eventually organize another world conference after a certain lapse of time.
In view of the importance of eucalypts in tropical zones and the difficulties encountered in their utilization, the Conference requested the Director-General of FAO to examine the possibility of organizing a Working Party on Eucalypts for Tropical Africa, in consultation with other appropriate organizations such as the Commission for Technical Co-operation in Africa South of the Sahara (CCTA).
A representative of Spain extended an invitation to hold a future World Eucalyptus Conference in that country, while the representative of Brazil expressed his country's desire also to serve as host for a forthcoming conference.
The officers of the Conference were, in addition to the chairman, Mr. G. J. Rodger; vice-chairmen: Professor Pavari, Director of the Forest Research Institute, Florence, Italy, and Mr. A. Navarro Sampaio, Brazil. Rapporteur, Dr. H. F. Mooney, United Kingdom.
An annex to the final report of the Conference lists 30 country reports which were submitted by Member Governments, with some 20 bibliographies. Copies can be requested direct from the originating authors or governments.
From 24-30 October, a study tour organized by the Italian Government took the participants through the eucalyptus plantations of the Società Terra Apuliae in the provinces of Foggia and Matera, and to nursery and planting operations in several parts of Sicily, principally in the vicinity of Piazza Armerina and Catania. Prior to this tour visits had been made to Eucalypts planting work in the vicinity of Tivoli, the shelter-belts in the Agro Pontino, and the interesting experimental fields and laboratories of the Ente Nazionale per la Cellulosa e la Carta.
Under the United Nations Technical Assistance Program, FAO made arrangements in 1956 with the Ministry of Agriculture of the U.S.S.R., to hold a seminar followed by a study tour on forestry problems, particularly the role of forests, tree planting and shelterbelts in the utilization and protection of semi-arid and arid zone soils. D. T. Kovalin, Chief Forester, and K. Z. Gubaidullin, Forest-Inspector for Central Asia, both of the U.S.S.R. Ministry of Agriculture, acted as chief adviser and co-director, respectively, and A. Metro, Conservator of Forests, France, was appointed co-director for FAO. T. François and M. Andersen represented FAO and its Forestry Division.
Twenty-four participants, most of them occupying senior positions in their national forest services, were nominated by their governments, as follows: Chile, 1; Egypt, 1; France (overseas), 2; India, 1; Iran, 2; Israel, 2; Lebanon, 1; Pakistan, 1; Peru, 1; Sudan, 2; Tunisia, 2; Yugoslavia, 3, and the U.S.S.R., 5.
The seminar was conducted in Moscow, opening on 21 August in the presence of Mr. Petrov, Vice-Minister of Agriculture. The following lectures were given:
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"Forest and forest management in the U.S.S.R." |
V. T. TSEPLYAEV |
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"Protective afforestation" |
G. I. MAKYAKIN |
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"Irrigated afforestation" |
K. Z. GUBAIDULLIN |
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"Afforestation on sands in the European part of the US.S.R.". |
I. S. MATIUK |
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"Erosion control in flat-country regions of U.S.S.R." |
I. D. BRAUDE |
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"Forest seeds and raising planting stock" |
D. P. ISHIN |
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"Designing and land survey in land and forest reclamation in the U.S.S.R." |
N. A. NAGOVITSYN |
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"Mechanization of work in forest shelterbelts" |
M. I. CHASHKIN |
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"Research and experimental work in forest management" |
A. P. BUKSHTYNOV |
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"Research and experimental work in land and forest improvement" |
P. D. NIKITIN |
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"Shelterbelt plantings" |
V. I. MATIAKIN |
A. Métro lectured on afforestation for the protection and utilization of arid and semi-arid zone soils in North Africa, and the participants reported on the situation in their respective countries.
The study tour, which lasted from 30 August to 1 October, took the party to Leningrad, Kharkov, Kiev, Kherson, the Crimea, Western Caucasus and several sites in Uzbekistan. Visits were paid to all important forest research establishments, forest schools, arboreta and botanical gardens along this route as well as to numerous forest districts (leskhozes), shelterbelt establishments, sand fixation plantations and mountain afforestation works. Except for the tundra, the study tour traversed all the major forest types of European U.S.S.R. and Central Asia: the coniferous forests (taiga), the broadleaved belt, the forest steppe, the steppe, the semi-desert and the desert. Mountain forests were inspected in the Crimea, Caucasus and Uzbekistan.
In the establishment of shelterbelts, both the so-called State forest belts which, for instance, follow the courses of the Don and the Donetz rivers for hundreds of kilometers, and the field protective belts on the lands of the collective farms (kolkhozes) and State farms (sovkhozes), practically all phases of work are mechanized. Research on the effects of shelterbelts confirms in principle the results obtained elsewhere in the world, but the very large scale of the work in connection with the special soil, terrain and climatic conditions give the shelterbelts of the U.S.S.R. a particular note. The increase in the yield of agricultural crops in the steppe region, when grown under adequate shelter, is 10 to 25 percent in favorable years (precipitation above average, fewer storms), 20 to 80 percent in average years, and 50 to 100 percent and more in dry years. (These figures are for spring wheat in the Timashevskoye experimental fields.)
The fixation of sands in the semi-desert areas of Uzbekistan presents features not to be seen elsewhere. A type of forest is being created, based on the indigenous Haloxylon aphyllum (black saxaul) which attains a height of 7 to 9 meters in 25 years, with 40 cubic meters per hectare, including branches. Species of Salsola and Calligonum together with screens are used for fixing the moving sands, and the Haloxylon is sown or planted simultaneously or later. During the 30 years of sand fixation work in Uzbekistan, 242,000 hectares have been sown or planted, 222,000 hectares during the last nine years. The work is being increasingly mechanized, and sowing from aircraft and motor vehicles now accounts for 50 percent of the area.
There is considerable public support in the U.S.S.R. for afforestation work, both for protective purposes and to yield timber and other products. This makes it the easier to justify the very considerable investment funds which are required, and in itself carries a lesson for many countries.
A vast amount of technical information was collected during both the seminar and study tour, and that relating to shelterbelt planting, sand fixation, desert afforestation and other protective tree planting was of the greatest interest. Participants were able to make direct comparisons and draw useful conclusions for work in their own countries.
