Under the Department of Forests, the IoF was founded as Nepal Forestry Institute in 1947 in Singha Durbar. However, it was relocated to Bhimphedi in 1957, then to Hetauda in 1965, before being incorporated into TU from 1972. The current head office of the institute, usually referred to as the dean's office, is housed at Pokhara Campus.The IoF implements forestry-related academic programs through its two constituent campuses, located in Pokhara and Hetauda. The current dean of the institute is Bir Bahadur Khanal Chhetri, and he is backed by two assistant deans, presently Jit Narayan Sah and Mahendra Singh Thapa.
Interpopulation variation was investigated using seed samples originating from twenty-six European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) populations across the Balkan Peninsula, a part of the species' distribution range characterized by high ecological heterogeneity in key climatic factors, such as temperature (5.8-10.6 degrees C), precipitation (648-1632 mm), and elevation (185-1410 m a.s.l.). The statistical significance of intrapopulation differences was confirmed by analysis of variance (ANOVA) for all seed traits analyzed: seed weight (g), length (mm), width (mm), thickness (mm), eccentricity and flatness indices, and germination capacity (%). Multivariate principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to examine seed traits in relation to environmental variables of the maternal site, such as mean temperature and precipitation in September and October (the seed maturation period), revealing distinct patterns of relationships among the variables studied. Seed traits were significantly positively correlated with mean temperatures of the maternal site in September and October, indicating that temperature during the seed-filling period affects seed mass. Germination capacity was associated with precipitation during the same period, though the correlation coefficient was not statistically significant; a shorter vector length in the PC biplot suggests a weaker contribution to population separation. Elevation of the site of origin showed a significant negative correlation with temperature, precipitation, and seed traits. Agglomerative hierarchical clustering analysis identified three distinct population clusters. Higher temperature and precipitation values did not necessarily result in higher seed trait values or higher germination percentages. The population with the highest seed mass exhibited the lowest germination capacity (32%) during seed maturation under the lowest precipitation. Conversely, the population characterized by the lowest seed mass showed a higher germination rate of 68% in environments with high precipitation. These results provide valuable insights into the reproductive ecology of European beech, suggesting that other factors beyond those analyzed here may have a more substantial influence on seed germination. The variation in seed traits across habitats that are either drier and hotter or colder and wetter, along the elevation gradient of the studied populations, paves the way for future research and breeding efforts to enhance the species' survival and reproductive success amid anticipated climate change scenarios.
The transition from pure to mixed-species forest stands is increasingly promoted to enhance ecosystem stability and multifunctionality. The growth conditions may influence the physical and mechanical properties of wood. This study evaluated wood density in pure and mixed stands of silver birch, Norway spruce, and Scots pine in Lithuania and analyzed its relationships with tree allometric parameters. Nine study plots representing pure (100%) and mixed (70/30%) stands were established under comparable site conditions. Wood density at breast height was assessed using resistance drilling (IML Resi PD500), and the increment core samples were analyzed with the LIGNOSTATION (TM) system. The mean values of wood density for silver birch differed by 11%, depending on the wood density determination method used. Differences between pure and mixed stands were insignificant and generally did not exceed 6%-10%. No consistent trend that was attributable to species mixing was identified. The combined data from pure and mixed stands indicate that the mean wood density, converted from microdrilling measurements, was highest in silver birch (546 kg m-3 +/- 1.87 kg m-3), followed by Scots pine (476 kg m-3 +/- 1.85 kg m-3) and Norway spruce (437 kg m-3 +/- 1.66 kg m-3). Resistance drilling showed a moderate relationship with the core samples' wood density (R2 = 0.59), supporting its suitability as a semi-nondestructive method. Diameter at breast height was the only tree parameter that was consistently significant across all predictive models. The combined model for all species explained up to 43% of wood density variation, while species-specific models had lower explanatory power. Overall, the results indicate that species mixing has a limited effect on wood density under the studied conditions and is unlikely to substantially alter wood quality in terms of wood density.
Sustainability constitutes a strategic priority not only at the level of practical implementation but also within the framework of legal regulations and policy-making processes. Within the scope of this study, the forest-related legal frameworks of selected countries from Asia and Europe have been examined. To ensure consistency and objectivity in the analysis, a set of evaluation criteria was established, with particular attention paid to their international recognition and legitimacy. In this context, the criteria developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization and Forest Europe were adopted. Based on these internationally accepted standards, the forest legislation of the selected countries was assessed and analyzed using the EFLD (Environmental and Forest Law Department) scoring methodology to determine the extent to which sustainability is integrated into their legal systems. Six criteria were defined and evaluated separately for each country based on the overall average. It was concluded that T & uuml;rkiye and Kazakhstan's forest legislation aligns with sustainability criteria compared to other countries' legislation, Lithuania and Iran's forest legislation is close to the overall average, and Poland's forest legislation requires more explicit and progressive provisions in terms of sustainability.
Seedling emergence constitutes a critical recruitment step, and early growth relates to plant competitive ability. Understanding their drivers has implications for forestry and forest ecosystem conservation, restoration, and adaptation to climate change. We seeded 6984 acorns in an experiment with 97 cases at 45 sites in 15 European countries, encompassing 12 oak species. We tested whether the quality of the acorn batch, site-level weather and soil characteristics, year of seeding, and species' mean specific leaf area (SLA) affected the emergence and early growth of seedlings after the first summer. Germination potential and acorn dry weight, measured under controlled conditions, were positively associated with emergence and early growth. Seedling emergence was negatively associated with the mean monthly temperature and cumulative winter precipitation, and it was higher in the seedling cohort that was spared from the 2021 drought. Additionally, seedling emergence was positively related to soil nutrient concentration and negatively to increasing soil pH, but not to water-holding capacity, and growth was unrelated to soils. Species-level SLA was not related to either response. The four main study species -Quercus cerris, Q. ilex, Q. petraea, and Q. robur- responded similarly to weather but not to soil conditions. We conclude that, at a continental scale, and assuming that species establish within their current distributions, (a) oak seedling emergence and early growth are associated with acorn quality rather than species identity or SLA, (b) they are highest at sites with low winter precipitation and temperature, (c) emergence is reduced in dry years, and (d) soil properties play a secondary role at this early recruitment stage.
Somatic embryogenesis (SE) represents the most efficient and scalable technology for the mass clonal propagation and genetic improvement of superior conifer genotypes, which is crucial for meeting global wood demand and supporting forest adaptation to climate change. Despite its immense potential, SE in the genus Pinus still faces major limitations, including low initiation frequencies, restricted explant availability, and pronounced genotype dependence. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the factors influencing SE in Pinus species, with a specific focus on two ecologically vital Tertiary relicts endemic to the Balkan Peninsula: Pinus peuce (Macedonian pine) and Pinus heldreichii (Bosnian pine). For these species, traditional vegetative propagation methods are difficult or ineffective, making SE the priority approach for clonal propagation. Detailed studies on these species revealed that SE induction is highly dependent on the explant type and developmental stage. Successful embryogenic tissue formation was achieved only from whole megagametophytes containing immature zygotic embryos, within a narrow developmental window spanning 4–10 weeks post-fertilization. Furthermore, medium composition, particularly reduced ammonium concentration, proved critical for P. heldreichii success. These findings underscore the need for continued, species-specific optimization to overcome current bottlenecks and realize the full potential of SE for the conservation and sustainable clonal forestry of these high-value pines.
