Polana Biosphere Reserve (Hukavsky grun) - Slovakia

Permanent research site Polana Biosphere reserve (Hukavský grúň) site is located in central Slovakia, in the east part of territory of Polana Protected Landscape Area , where forest ecosystems as well as rural cultural landscape of the highest volcanic mountain in Slovakia is protected. The site is situated in 850 m a.s.l with annual mean temperature 5.5 °C and annual precipitation 860 mm. Tree species composition of this site is made up by beech (70 %), norway spruce (19,6 %) and the rest is composited by fir, maple and ash. The age of this forest stand is 90 – 120 years. The research site was established in 1991 and from the beginning research has focused on the individual components of the forest environment and the forest ecosystem (trees including the rhizosphere, soil, air quality), their relationships (the influence of the atmospheric deposition ande on the woods), the cycle of elements and substances (nutrition, litter, biochemical processes), physiological processes, phenology and tree growth , their vitality and ecological stability, as well as practical forestry issues such as natural and artificial regeneration. So there was a very wide range of detection, measurement and evaluation. This area was in 1995 integrated with the ICP Forests system of permanent monitoring areas (PMA). Close to the forest monitoring plot is a series of other 7 permanent research areas (PRA), as a base for comparison close-to-nature mixed forest stand development and stands of individual tree species.