Czech university forest faces severe drought and thinning plan

Director Tomáš Vrška of the Školní lesní podnik Křtiny, a forest owned by Mendel University between Brno and Blansko, said the current drought is plainly visible. Leaves of birch and linden are yellowing, some trees are shedding foliage, and bark on sunny beech is cracking while new plantings are drying out.

Vrška linked the dry years to climate change, noting that average temperatures in Brno have risen by two degrees over 60 years while rainfall totals remain unchanged and are distributed less evenly. "If higher temperatures were combined with increased precipitation, trees would grow without problems," he warned. He explained that less frequent rain leads to runoff and insufficient water infiltration.

To adapt, Vrška proposes reducing tree density from the traditional 150 trees per hectare to about 80, allowing each tree to share a smaller water volume. "In a less dense stand, trees grow wider rather than taller, develop thicker trunks and larger crowns, and can cool more easily during heatwaves," he said. The thicker lower trunk also improves mechanical stability and root development. He emphasized that this management change does not decrease timber growth or supply for wood processing companies, preserving the economic value of the forest.