INTRODUCING the Forest Management of Gyulaj Forestry & Hunting Co.
Forest Management
The Gyulaj Forestry & Hunting Co. (Gyulaj Co.
or Gyulaj Erdeszeti es Vadaszati Zrt. in Hungarian language) manages the state lands
and estate on more than 23.000 (~ 56.850
acres) hectares in the South- West Hungarian Tolna County. On this state
property we run 3 different forestries, forestry offices. All of these have
different and unique natural features.
The history of the local forest management and the background of the Gyulaj
Co’s present forest management is strongly related to the famous,
well-possessed Hungarian noble landowner families, the Esterhazy- and Apponyi-
families. The Duke Esterhazy- family was interested in 20 different townships mainly
in the Tamási- Dombóvár- Ozora lane and the Count Apponyi- family was
interested in 23 different townships mainly in the Western part of Tolna County
around Hőgyész and Lengyel villages. Both families established great quality local
forest and wildlife management in their properties. Especially the Duke
Esterhazy- family was famous of their worldwide known wildlife management and
great hunting results. The Eastern part of the county, around our Pincehely
Forestry’s present territory there was no
proper, well- organized forest management. At that time on this territory
of ours there were only coppice woodstands with weak quality sites.
Our managed forest
land area include 4 big, different forest tracts and some smaller forest
covered areas and. The estimated growing stuck (GS) is around 3.6 million cubic
metre or stere. Altogether we manage ~ 21.000 hectares (~51.900 acres) forest covered areas. 71% of our forests, namely 14.000 hectares (~ 34.600 acres) forest land area have productive and economic primary
function.The parent rock is mainly
loess. On this parent rock the evolved soil type is one of the most important
forest soil types, the brown forest soil. Beside this soil type on our area
other soil types also can be found such as sandy soil, skeletal soil and
alluvial soil types as well as lessivated brown forest soil.
On our hilly areas the main and most important stand-
forming tree species is the turkey oak (Quercus
cerris) and the black locust (Robinia
pseudoacacia), but most of the forest stands are formed by other oak
species in more than 14% rate. The managed forest land area gives a really diverse
picture. In small area near to the South-Western Mecsek mountains some extrazonal
beech stands and a little more North some pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) stands in the deeps valleys with excess water
effect can be found as well. Beside these stands more mixed tree stand types
are also can be found such as hornbeam- oak stands or mixed turkey oak- oak stands.
In other parts of our managed territory the main tree stand is the mixed or
pure, unmixed turkey oak (Quercus cerris)
stand. This tree stand type gives the biggest portion of our forest land area. On
the top of the hills and on the steep slopes mainly mixed downy oak (Quercus pubescens), manna ash and lower
quality black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)
stands there are.
On our flat sandy soil areas the main tree stand types
are the pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) stands,
fen common alder (Alnus glutinosa) stands
and on a bigger area mainly the mixed or pure, unmixed scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and black pine (Pinus nigra) stands as well as grey poplar
(Populus x canescens) and black
locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) stands.
At the river Danube’s flood plain we have different soft (mixed widow- poplar)
and hardwood (mixed oak- ash- elm) tree stand types as well as euramerican hybrid
poplar stands. In a fewer percentage but we also have some black walnut (Juglans nigra), red oak (Quercus rubra) and silver lime (Tilia tomentosa) stands too.
Within our area we proudly manage more than 2.400
hectares (~6000 acres) nature
conservation land.
The
total numbers of Gyulaj Zrt.’s employees is ~105. But because of the
seasonal character of our activities in some months the foretsries give
job for much more people.
We are proud that in 2002, Gyulaj Zrt. was qualified for the ISO 9002 and KIR 14001 certifications.