Source: National Forest Service of Hungary, 1997
STATE OF FORESTS
Living wood stock by age classes in
1997 (million m3)
(see data)
Source:
National Forest Service of Hungary, 1997
Before human activities expanded, 70 % of
Hungary was covered by forest. In 1920's the forested area was only 12 % of
Hungary. Today the amount stands at just 18.5 %. The long-term aim is to reach
a target forest cover of 26 %. Living tree stock per hectare is 167 m3,
with average yearly tree growth of 6.6 m3.
Most trees are in the age-group category of 21-30 and 31-40. Fast-growing
tree species like Black locust, Willow and Poplar account for a high proportion
of this age group. 16.8 % of all living tree stocks belong to short turnover
species (where cutting maturity is under 40 years), 18.0 to medium turnover
ones (cutting maturity is 40-70 years), and 65.2% to long turnover species (cutting
maturity is over 70 years).
Distribution of forests in Hungary
Source: National Forest Service of Hungary, 1997
Trend of harvested wood,
annual increment |
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Source: National Forest Service of Hungary, 1998 |
There are forests where priority is given to silviculture, however there
are others where are forests of special importance, and can be utilized only
under strict limitations. The overall increment from 1986 to 1997 increased
from 10,9 to 11,6 million m3, while the cuts remained under this
level. In 1993-94 there was an especially low level of cuts, but even in the
10-year average, cut tree is 64 % of the yearly growth. Within this 10-year
period the living forest stands increased from 275,4 (in 1986) to 314,6 million
m3; (in 1997). 201,5 K ha area was non-renewed forest cuts, and 196,2
K ha were reforested.
As a result of the privatization which took part in Hungary over the past decade, profit-oriented methods forced the plantation of quick growing species. Mostly black locust tree and non-natural poplar clones are planted. Valuable indigenous oak and beech tree stands have also been replaced by them; the proportion of oak and beech species is gradually decreasing in the Hungarian forests. At the end of the 1970's there was a program for pine plantation. After it had finished, the proportion of area occupied by pine (Pinus nigra and P. sylvestris) species has become continuously smaller and smaller. Some of native poplar genotypes occupy an increasingly large area. This could be an indication that forestry is developing in a more natural direction.
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Nearly 330,000 ha of forest is designated as
protected (ca. a half of the total protected area), which is 19 % of the territory
covered by forests, and 70,000 ha (4 %) of that is strictly protected, and 12,000
ha (0,7 %) is proposed for the Forest Reserves Network .
