Organizational structure

At present, the scientific activities of the department focus on the issues of the water cycle, biogeochemical cycles, primary and secondary production of forest ecosystems. With its project partners, the department participates in resolving issues of global change, such as stress reaction of trees, the re-introduction of large carnivores, and the study of population ecology of arthropods and small mammals. The department also manages the Rájec – Němčice ecosystem station, which is used for the FFWT educational and scientific activities.

Currently, the main topics of the department include the development, degradation, protection and adaptation of soil in relation to the current state and development of the environment and global climate change. Other topics include the optimization of the soil environment in relation to the current problem of forest loss, remediation of land in urbanized areas, or the role of archaeological findings / sites and related pedological and geological data in exploring the historical use of the landscape.

Currently, the department develops the area of precision forestry which combines elements of forest management with a link to applied geoinformatics technology, where modern geoinformation technology plays an important role. Precision forestry within forest management on the GIT platform is an approach with a number of multidisciplinary overlaps developing classical and non-contact methods of forest surveying, mathematical-statistical processing of biometric data, forest growth and production science, and differentiated adaptable forest management.

The department currently deals with the issues of landscape engineering and landscaping with a focus on conservation and the support and development of natural landscape functions. Thematically, attention is paid to the issues of forest access, landscape and spatial planning, evaluation of forest function, revitalization of river systems, integration of construction into the landscape, landscape recultivation, design of tertiary roads, and regulation of small streams.

Teaching activities of the department currently focus on the areas of forest and timber economics and policy, forest valuation, management and marketing, financial management, applied information technologies and systems. Research activity is oriented towards economic optimization of ecological forest functions, increasing profitability of forest management in the Czech Republic and the economic-ecological appreciation of forests as renewable natural resources.

The department provides courses in the areas of general and specialised botany, dendrology, phytocoenology, forest typology, landscape ecology, nature and landscape conservation, geobiocoenology and ecophysiology of woody species. In recent years, the department has also developed the challenge of agroforestry in the subtropics and tropics. The department manages herbaria, a xylotheque (with around 80,000 specimens), as well as arboreta (Křtiny, Řícmanice and Habrůvka), all of which contribute significantly to teaching and research.

The department currently provides courses for most of the study programmes of the faculty and also for selected study programmes of other faculties of the university. Teaching focuses both on the classical introductory elements of university mathematics and selected advanced elements. Research activities focus on differential and difference equations and e-learning. In addition to teaching, the department staff also provide support and consultation to students and faculty staff in the application of quantitative methods outside mathematical disciplines.

Students gain knowledge of production technologies, historical development and furniture production, typology, ergonomics, construction and sizing of furniture, as well as production technologies for upholstered furniture. Attention is also paid to other materials used in the production of wooden and non-wooden furniture (plastics, adhesives and paints), including their application in furniture production, testing, standardisation and metrology. In the field of research, the department closely cooperates with the accredited Furniture Testing Institute.

The department focuses on problems of structure and identification of wood, dendrology, processes of wood formation, its physical and mechanical properties, modelling of wood behaviour, processes of wood degradation, wood protection and conservation, drying and modification of wood, development of composite materials based on wood, structural carpentry, timber structures and wood-based structures. The department also has a woodwork pavilion which serves for creative learning. Scientific research and educational activities are developed in the Josef Ressel Research Centre in Útěchov.

Teaching, research and other professional activities are conducted in the following areas: forest entomology, forest phytopathology, mycology, stress ecology, forest protection, zoology and wildlife management. At present, research focuses primarily on damage to forests due to biotic and abiotic factors. Within ecosystem research, the relationship between forest ecosystems and wildlife and the impact of synusia of cambio-xylophagus insects (bark beetles) on the stability of forest stands is also covered.

The department deals with the problems of engineering and technology in all main sectors in forest management, especially in forest regeneration, forest logging and timber transport, now also in the tropics and subtropics. Other areas of departmental activities cover e.g. energy efficiency of machinery and construction, including thermography and calculation of energy parameters of buildings. The department also pays attention to ergonomics and safety at work. The most recent thematic area within the department is that of arboriculture.

The department focuses on the issues of artificial and natural forest regeneration, cultivation of forest stands (from polyfunctional forestry and purpose-built forest to intensive forestry or agroforestry), the transfer, transformation and conversion of forest stands, rhizology of forest tree species, genetics and cultivation of forest trees. The department also deals with adaptation measures, especially in relation to ongoing climate change.

Provides services for testing, standardization and certification of windows, doors, wooden and wood-based boards, wood-flooring elements, wood for building construction, laminated materials based on wood, adhesives and furniture. It is divided into two workplaces: the Furniture Testing Lab in Brno and the Testing Lab for Construction and Joinery Products in Zlín.

The centre is under the professional supervision of the Department of Wood Science and Wood Processing Technology. Laboratories for teaching and research are located here, focusing on wood as a renewable raw material. Newly-developed technologies, materials, semi-completed products or fully-completed products can be thoroughly examined and modified by means of special equipment in the JRRC laboratories.

The laboratory focuses on complex research into diseases of woody species, currently on pathogens of the Phytophthora genus. The laboratory is equipped to enable processing of soil samples, isolation of pure cultures of pathogens of woody species and their analysis through modern methods of molecular biology based on analysis of DNA and RNA.