Are there tropical rainforest in Croatia?

Answer 1

Current Status and Trends in Forest of

CROATIA

ABSTRACT

Private forests account for about twenty percent of

the total forested area in the Republic of Croatia.

Private forest owners mainly belong to the older

rural population. In view of the global situation,

forests worldwide attract special attention. The

Kyoto Protocol will prevent any neglectful attitude

toward forests by the participating countries and

oblige them to care for their health and apply

sustainable management. Non-government sectors,

such as associations, initiatives and various forms

of non-institutional societies are becoming more

and more powerful. The management of natural

resources is a particularly sensitive area, and so is

interference with human rights and the rights of

private ownership. Former big forest owners in

Croatia are demanding restitution of their forests in

natural form. This paper deals with policy

implications on rural development as a result of the

changing nature of small-scale forestry and the

external support of small-scale forestry.

Key words: forest policy, private forests, status,

trends, management

1. INTRODUCTION

Private forests cover around twenty percent of the

total forested area in the Republic of Croatia,

amounting to approximately 500 thousand

hectares. Half of these are on the littoral coast.

Consisting of about 1.5 million land parts, these

areas are managed by almost 600 thousand owners.

The size of the average forestland property is 0.76

ha. The estimated wood mass in private forests is

about 80m3

/ha, with growing stock manifesting a

downward trend. This is considerably lower than

the wood mass in national forests, which amounts

to around 190m3

/ha. Private forest owners mainly

belong to the older rural population. Many of them

do not manage their forest property, or they live a

long distance away from their forests. There is

almost no government support to private forestry,

and neither is there any related scientific research.

The majority of forestry experts are not specialized

in the management of small forest estates. Younger

forest owners do not show much interest in

working and investing in forests. So far, not one

single forest owner in Croatia has been reported to

earn his living solely (or largely) from his forest,

nor has any forest owner successfully managed his

own forest.

Moreover, all public services (financed by

forest owners), costs, taxes and forest financing are

supplied by "Hrvatske sume"Ltd., an enterprise

whose primary function is national forest

management. Private forest owners and the

Croatian public receive very little information

about forestry. There is no forest-related education

and no communication between government

bodies and forest owners. Management plans for

private forests are not being renewed, while valid

plans entail only 8% of the entire area. Logging is

carried out within the limits of the allowed volume

of the necessary assignment, without following any

management guidelines and prescribed

silvicultural activities. Such a situation does not

stimulate forest owners to develop interest in their

forest property; on the contrary, it leads to further

devastation and decrease in the growing stock in

private forests. Management is based on the

principle of one-time consumption of the most

Current status and trends in forests of Croatia

Answer 2

No.