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The health status of beech forests is good and they are of high vitality. It is <strong>de</strong>termined by the site<br />
conditions, incl. climatic and pedologic, insects and fungal background, the age of the stand and<br />
management. In general, beech forests are weakly attacked by insect pests.<br />
20-year investigations of International Co-operative Programme ‘Forests’ indicate that in comparison<br />
with other main tree species in the country the state of European beech is the best one (MEW, MAF,<br />
UF, FRI, 2006).<br />
The following diseases are of significant practical importance: wood rots, caused by wood-<strong>de</strong>stroying<br />
fungi Basidiomycetes, as well as stem and branch canker, caused by the fungus Necrotia ditissima.<br />
Some abiotic factors such as windbreaks and ice breaks, although rarely, cause significant damages.<br />
In November 200 , about 500,000 m3 wood mass, mainly from pre-mature stands (60 – 80 years<br />
old) were broken and fell due to windbreaks and ice breaks in Balkan range beech forests (the State<br />
Forestry Etropole, Botevgrad and Vitinia) within the altitudinal range of 00 – 800 m up to 1,100<br />
– 1,200 m.<br />
The felling with preliminary natural regeneration is the basic management way of forests in Bulgaria<br />
especially during the first half of the 20th century (Vachovski, Dimitrov 2003).<br />
In the pure beech stands shelterwood felling and group-selection system are usually applied, the<br />
number of the phases and their duration <strong>de</strong>pending on the regeneration.<br />
In the mixed beech stands, especially with species with contrast ecological requirements, as those by<br />
beech, fir and spruce, the single tree selection system is the most suitable.<br />
The clearcutting in the high-stem forests has been forbid<strong>de</strong>n by Forestry Law since 1992.<br />
When the regeneration with beech at some site conditions is missing or is insufficient and no<br />
additional natural regeneration is expected, only afforestation with beech seedlings is reliable and<br />
applied during the last 3 – 4 <strong>de</strong>ca<strong>de</strong>s. The area afforested with beech reached 2,6<strong>52</strong> ha in 198 and<br />
after that followed a significant reduction of afforestation with this species – 1,46 ha (1990), 309 ha<br />
(1994), 121 ha (2000), 4 ha (2005).<br />
The production of beech seedlings – 1,250,000 in the year 2000, 5,0 0,000 (2002), 2,000,000 (2008)<br />
– is realized most frequently in a traditional way – in open nurseries or in temporary nurseries un<strong>de</strong>r<br />
the canopy of beech stands preliminary thinned to <strong>de</strong>nsity of 30%.<br />
Beech timber production reached 2,990,000 m3 (139.2% of the growth) in 1960, after that <strong>de</strong>creased<br />
to 2,26 ,000 m3 (110.4% of the annual increment) in 19 0, to 1,1 5,000 m3 ( .5%) in 1980, to<br />
5,000 m3 (61.1%) in 1990 (Garelkov et al. 1995). During the period 2000 – 2005 the average<br />
wood harvesting of beech was about 1,100,000 m3 of which 810,000 m3 in high-stem beech stands,<br />
250,000 m3 in coppice and 40,000 m3 in reconstructed beech stands, the ratio of the main fellings<br />
being 64% (Kostov, Rafailova 2009).<br />
GeNe-PooL coNservaTIoN<br />
The most reliable method for conservation of beech gene pool is in situ. It inclu<strong>de</strong>s genetic resources<br />
of genus Fagus in the three national parks – Central Balkan, Pirin and Rila, in seven natural parks, in<br />
reserves, and all approved seed production stands.<br />
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