Správa národního parku Podyjí

Management of the forests in the national park is one of the basic tasks for the NP Administration and this involves maintaining near-natural communities and supporting their spontaneous development. The level of preservation of the Podyjí forest communities within the realms of the European hill country level is unique, especially when we consider that this territory has been influenced and modified by human activity for much longer than highland or mountain forests which lie at higher elevations.  

However, we can also find forest stands here which are very different from their natural condition. The main task for forest management in Podyjí NP is to work to correct the tree species composition, stand structure (vertical completeness of the forest stands) and texture (horizontal differentiation into individual development stages) in the modified forest stands so that they become closer to the model for potential natural vegetation (i.e. the vegetation that would grow here, given the current climate and locality conditions, and if man had never intervened in the area).  

Forests cover 5430 ha (85% of the NP) on the territory of Podyjí NP in 4 altitudinal vegetation zones (1^st – 4^th levels and azonal pinewoods). These forests can be divided into 83 forest types and form an extremely varied mosaic at the crossroads of the Hercynian and Pannonian vegetation provinces. According to the Act on Forestry (Act No. 289/1995 Coll.) the forests on the Podyjí NP territory are included in the category of special purpose forests. Part of the forests on the steep slopes of the river valleys is included in the category of protection forests.