For the twenty-ninth time, “Hungarian forests open their gates wide”

András Mocz said: A significant part of Hungary, almost a quarter, is covered with forest tree species and shrubs and this event series serves to learn about this biome. The knowledge will be imparted by foresters, nature conservation experts, and hunters – he added. This week, schoolchildren and families will visit the forest and learn about the life, wildlife, and work of foresters. They can experience the role of farmland, see logging machines, the work of forestry workers, the “forest landscape” – he detailed.

In recent decades, it has been evident throughout the world, including in Hungary, that forests are vulnerable. As an example, he mentioned that in the southern Great Plain region, in the Homokhátság, certain tree species can no longer withstand the effects of climate change and the lack of water in forest soils. The main reason for this is that the water balance of the forest soil has changed, the groundwater level has dropped, there is less water that can be absorbed in the root zone, and certain tree species – such as Scots pine – have already started to dry out in these regions – he informed.

András Mocz said: the task of the Forest Climate Adaptation Forum, which was established this summer, is to develop a practical action plan and to provide for the procedures and opportunities that will ensure the forest for future generations.

He also said that the national afforestation program includes afforestation of the inner areas of settlements. Some of the tree plantings and afforestation carried out in the outer areas concern agricultural areas, where farmers and landowners use alternative land use options and plant forests. The “newborn forest” was also included in this program by state forestry. As a result, tens of thousands of hectares of new forests were established in Hungary, and were also established with the help of the rural development program, he explained.