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OAKS Prague – forestation

In contact with the forest. This is a strong characteristic of the Oaks Prague golf course. The course is practically surrounded by forests, although most of it is situated on former agricultural land. Typically, forests in the area are monocultural European spruce plantations. However, the Central Bohemian Region has an indigenous forest type that is more suitable for the habitat: the oak-hornbeam forest. Hornbeam and oak are the dominant species for this type, complemented with other species such as lime, maple, etc. This is the desired format for the Nebřenice forests. This type of woodland is more resistant to harsh climate, droughts and pests. Multi-species deciduous forests are at home in the region, and if they were replaced with coniferous forests in the past, it was purely for economic reasons. This is why the Oaks Prague projects aims at a gradual transformation of the local forests into oak-hornbeam forests. The same type is used for newly forested areas.

Forestation

Together with vegetation planted at the golf course, newly forested areas account for a significant part of the site’s greenery. In accordance with the zoning plan, new forests, located on the edges of the golf course as well as inside, are planted to compensate for parts of existing forests that gave way to the golf course. In total, the newly forested areas are more than double the size of the lost forests (around 7 ha). The new forests surround the site and are composed of full-grown trees, which is not usual forestry practice. It is more common to use young plants for forestation. However, the golf course design required a well-developed green backdrop, which is why bigger trees were used. Smaller trees are added in some areas, and shrubs are planted along the edges to serve as ecotones – transition areas between different biotopes, characterized by higher biodiversity. The selection of species for the newly forested areas is based on the oak-hornbeam forest type, and the same species are used for the golf course itself. Together, the new forests and the vegetation of the golf course make an organic whole, the only difference being that the golf course vegetation is sparser. Planting density is higher in the forest areas, with large trees spaced typically 5–7 m apart. However, an irregular planting pattern is required to avoid an artificial appearance of the site.

A total of 1400 trees will be planted in the forested areas. Similarly to the golf course plantations, the woody plants in the newly forested areas have a protective white coating to prevent sun scald and a special coating to protect them from browsing by wild animals. Both types of coating allow for sufficient air supply and eliminate the need to build enclosures around individual trees or whole areas.

Forest maintenance

The local forests need virtually constant maintenance. There are forests of different ages. The younger ones need thinning, while reforestation of felled areas is necessary in the older ones. Much like other forests in the Czech Republic, the Nebřenice forests have been heavily affected by the European spruce bark beetle. As a result, large numbers of spruce trees have dried up and died. Such trees have to be felled and the clearings have to be reforested. Only species typical for the more suitable and more resilient oak-hornbeam forest type are now used for these reforestations.