Making sure that forests are our allies in mitigating climate change impacts In the past 50 years the forest area and the growing stock in Slovenia have mostly been increasing. Forest area amounted to 1.181.943 hectares in 2014 and the growing stock was 346,074,368 m 3 or 293 m 3 /ha. The amount of biomass in forests is growing, so forests (and forest soils) in Slovenia are alsocarbon dioxidesinks. The tree structure of forests has also changed. Spruce forests have become less resistant to pests and natural disasters butthe tree structure of Slovene forests is characterised by the downward trend in the share of conifers (54% in 2014) on account of the upward trend in the share of non-conifers. Due to climate change, natural disasters in Slovenia became more common, which leads to more damage to forest trees due to pests, disease, snow storms, windfall and ice storms. Infographic 1: Tree structure of Slovene forests, 2014 &copy;SURS Source: Slovenian Forest Service Chart1: Growing stock and sanitary fellings, Slovenia &copy;SURS Source: Slovenian Forest Service Protecting forest water resources acting as filters and sponges One of the future challenges for Slovene forests is protection of forest water resources , for which higher quality of drinking water compared to other land use is characteristic. Forests are not only water consumers, but also water&rsquo;s natural filter and reservoir. If there were no forests, there would be a lot more avalanches, landslides and torrential events, and probably the local climate would be much different. We have to manage forest ecosystems so that forests work as sponges. Forests are thus filters and sponges, and forest mechanisation and obtaining of raw wood categories can lead to chronic pollution of water resources. Increase the use of forest resources Increased use of forest resources, i.e. processing and use of wood, can additionally contribute to Slovenia&rsquo;s transition to a low-carbon society; however, there is a condition: rational and efficient system of obtaining, processing and using wood in the entire forest wood chain. The share of export in total production of raw wood categories (logs, pulpwood, industrial roundwood, wood fuel) in Slovenia has grown significantly in recent years; the highest value of 47% was achieved in 2014. So, only 53% of domestic raw wood was available for consumption in Slovenia. In the 2010&ndash;2020 period the quantity of logs processed in Slovenia could be increased by 70% from 1,125,000 m 3 to 2,100,000 m 3 . 1) Forests in Europe and the world are faced with similar challenges, so cooperation between all stakeholders will be very important for designing sustainable management of still extensive forest areas in the world. Did you know? ...that since 2000 the growing stock in Slovenia has increased by 32%? ...that a hectare of forest in Slovenia in aboveground and underground wood mass stores on average 9 tons of CO 2 per year? ...that in the opinion of experts young forest absorbs 11-times as much carbon from the air as old forest? ...that in the past 200 years conifers in Europe replaced non-conifers on as much as 633,000 km 2 of area and that they store 3 billion tons of greenhouse carbon less than in 1750? ...that in the opinion of some researchers, conifers absorb more sunlight and emit less water, so they can have an impact on global warming? ...that sanitation removal represents on average 30% of total removal in Slovenia? ...that one drop of mineral oil pollutes 25 litres of water to such an extent that it is unhealthy to drink? 2) ...that one litre of oil poured down the drain makes a slick on a hectare of water surface? 3) ...that in the production of raw wood categories in 2014 the share of exports was 47%, the highest ever? ...that according to environmental and other experts, Slovenia has a potential to generate at least 10,000 new jobs in the wood processing industry? 1) Humar, M., Kutnar, A., Piškur, M., 2013. Razvojne priložnosti slovenske lesnopredelovalne industrije. V: Šoštarič
Poskrbeti, da bo gozd zaveznik pri blaženju podnebnih sprememb Površina gozdov in lesna zaloga sta se v zadnjih 50 letih v Sloveniji večinoma povečevali. Površina gozdov je v letu 2014 znašala 1.181.943 hektarjev, zaloga lesa paje dosegla 346.074.368 m 3 ali 293 m 3 /ha. Količina biomase v gozdovih narašča, zato so gozdovi (in gozdne prsti) v Sloveniji tudi ponor ogljikovega dioksida. Spremenila se je tudi drevesna sestava gozdov. S smreko precej spremenjeni sestoji pri nas so postali slabše odporni proti škodljivcem in naravnim ujmam, za slovenske gozdovepaje značilen trend zmanjševanja deleža iglavcev na račun povečevanja deleža listavcev (delež iglavcev je v letu 2014 pomenil 54% gozdov).Ujme so v Sloveniji zaradi podnebnih sprememb čedalje pogostejše, v gozdovih pa je zaradi tega čedalje večji tudi obseg poškodb gozdnega drevja zaradi škodljivih žuželk, bolezni, snegolomov, vetrolomov in žledolomov. Infografika1: Drevesna sestava gozdov v Sloveniji, 2014 &copy;SURS Vir: Zavod za gozdove Slovenije Grafikon 1: Lesna zaloga in sanitarni posek, Slovenija &copy;SURS Vir: Zavod za gozdove Slovenije Varovati gozdne vodne vire, ki so filter in goba Eden izmed prihodnjih izzivov za slovenske gozdove je tudi varovanje gozdnih vodnih virov , katerih kakovost pitne vode je večja kot pri drugih rabah tal. Gozdovi niso le porabniki vode, ampak so tudi njen naravni filter in rezervoar. Če gozda ne bi bilo, bi bilo plazov, usadov in hudourniških pojavov še veliko več, kot jih je sedaj, zelo verjetno bi bilo drugačno tudi lokalno podnebje. Z gozdnimi ekosistemi je treba gospodariti tako, da bo ta kar najbolje deloval kot goba. Gozd je torej filter in goba, gozdna tehnika in pridobivanje gozdnih lesnih sortimentov pa lahko povzročita kronično onesnaževanje vodnih virov . Povečati rabo gozdnih virov Intenzivnejša domača predelava in raba gozdnih virov lahko dodatno prispevata k prehodu Slovenije v nizkoogljično družbo, vendar je osnovni pogoj za to premišljen sistem njegovega pridobivanja, predelave in rabe v vsej gozdno-lesni verigi. Delež izvoza v skupni proizvodnji gozdnih lesnih sortimentov (hlodovina, les za celulozo, drug okrogel industrijski les in les za kurjavo) je v Sloveniji v zadnjih letih precej naraščal, najvišjo vrednost pa je dosegel v letu 2014: 47%. Za nadaljnjo potrošnjo je tako ostalo na voljo le okrog 53% doma posekane lesne surovine. V obdobju 2010&ndash;2020 bi lahko količino doma predelane hlodovine povečali za 70% oziroma s 1.125.000 m 3 lesa na 2.100.000 m 3 . 1) Pred sorodne izzive so postavljeni tudi gozdovi v Evropi in po svetu , zato bo v prihodnje zelo pomembno sodelovanje med vsemi deležniki za oblikovanje trajnostnega gospodarjenja z za zdaj še obsežnimi gozdnimi površinami po svetu. Ali ste vedeli &hellip; &hellip; da se je od leta 2000 lesna zaloga v Sloveniji povečala za 32%? &hellip; da 1 hektar gozda v Sloveniji v povprečju letno v nadzemni in podzemni masi akumulira 9 ton CO 2 ? &hellip; da po mnenju strokovnjakov mlad gozd vsrka kar 11-krat več ogljika iz ozračja kot starejši gozdni sestoj? &hellip; da so iglavci v Evropi v zadnjih 200 letih izpodrinili listavce na kar 633.000 km 2 površine in da skladiščijo 3 milijarde ton toplogrednega ogljika manj, kot so ga leta 1750? &hellip; da po mnenju nekaterih raziskovalcev iglavci absorbirajo več sončne svetlobe in oddajajo manj vode, zato lahko vplivajo na segrevanje ozračja? &hellip; da je sanitarni posek v Sloveniji v povprečju 30% celotnega poseka? &hellip; da ena kaplja mineralnega olja onesnaži 25 litrov vode do te mere, da je nezdrava za pitje? 2) &hellip; da en liter olja, izlitega v kanalizacijo, naredi madež na 1 hektarju vodne površine? 3) &hellip; da je bilo v 2014 izvoženih kar 47% proizvodnje gozdnih sortimentov? &hellip; da imamo v Sloveniji po mnenju okoljskih in drugih strokovnjakov danosti za vsaj 10.000 novih delovnih mest v dejavnosti predelave lesa? 1) Humar, M., Kutnar, A., Piškur, M., 2013. Razvojne priložnosti slovenske lesnopredelovalne industrije. V: Šoštarič