Šumarski list, Vol. 135 No. 13, 2011.
Uvodnik
INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF FORESTS IN THE LIGHT OF THE 50th ANNIVERSARY OF CLOSE COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE CROATIAN FORESTRY SCIENCE AND PROFESSION
Boris Vrbek
; Hrvatski šumarski institut Jastrebarsko
Sažetak
It is well known that forests are the most valuable renewable natural resource anda common goodof exceptional interest for the Republic of Croatia.
Nature is uniquein terms of its diversity, resourcesand beauty,which is particularlyprominent in Croatia as it owes its exceptional geographic and biological diversity to the intense interweavingof Mediterranean, sub-Alpine, DinaricandPannonian bio-geographiceffects within a relatively small area. Sustainable management and preservation of the natural structure and biodiversity of forests, as well as the permanent maintenance of stability and quality of economic and generally beneficial forest functions are the key principles of Croatia’s forestry.
While human activity has significantly affected the natural composition of forests in the majority of countries, this is not the
case with Croatia - here it has been almost completely preserved,owing precisely to the close collaboration between the forestry science and profession. This scientific and professional symposium marked the 50thanniversary of unbroken cooperation and was also dedicatedto the International Year of Forests, declared at Croatia’s proposal by the United Nations GeneralAssembly in its session held on 20 December 2006.
Forestry is a science, a profession and an artof managing and preserving forests and habitats, i.e. the entire forest ecosystem, for the purpose of providing permanentbenefitsfor the society, environment and economy. This statement, which gives a summarized definition of forestry, has been developed as a result of the multi-annual development of forestry and forestry science which has been undergoing continuous development in Croatia and this part of Europe. Unlike the majority of other scientific fields, Croatia’s forestry science and profession started developing at the same time as in the central Europe, for the justified fear of forest degradation and disappearance as a result of the uncontrolled exploitation.
Having stated the historical data on the development of Croatia’s forestry, we should put a special emphasis on the forestry experts’ activities aimed at establishing educational and scientific forestry institutions. They have laid down the foundations for today’s scientific and highereducation institutions to which the Croatian Forest Research Institute belongs.
The Croatian Forest Research Institute has entered its66thyear;today it is a modern institute comprising a number of buildings, laboratories, state-of-the-art equipment, a plant nursery and numerousfieldtrial facilities. The fact that a large number of young, highly qualified scientists work at the Institute is crucial toguarantee its survival, bright future and top-quality work.
The papers presented in this special edition provide an insight into the activities of the Croatian Forest Research Institute and numerous and diversescientific areas its scientists are engaged in.
Croatian Forest Research Institute, Boris Vrbek, PhD
Chairman of the Scientific Council
Ključne riječi
Hrčak ID:
72310
URI
Datum izdavanja:
14.10.2011.
Posjeta: 942 *