We present short videos illustrating traditional methods of forest care, which today are experiencing a renaissance in the applied protection of forest habitats and open landscapes. These practices help maintain the status quo but also promote the diversity of biologically valuable sites.
A significant decrease in biodiversity in forests occurs not only due to improper management, e.g. the monocultures planting, or an excessive amount of game and eutrophication of the landscape, but also due to a deviation from traditional methods of forest care, which were quite common at the beginning of the 20th century. Thanks to these methods man kept the forests sparse, heterogeneous and poor in nutrients. This created an environment favorable for the existence of many types of organisms.
The videos were created as part of the international project "Application of traditional knowledge to halt biodiversity loss in woodlands" which was supported by the Norwegian Funds 2014-2021 and the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic. Our partners in the project were the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, the Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences and the Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences.