Abstract: The article presents an analysis of the press discourse on forests that took place in the public sphere in Poland, in 2023. The research method applied in this paper is historical discourse analysis, developed by a research team led by Ruth Wodak, which is embedded in the critical paradigm, in the tradition of critical discourse analysis (CDA). The aim of the study is to identify the main threads in the public debate on forests, the groups presenting their visions of nature, and the forms of presentation of their views. The description and presentation of the strategies used by the actors allows for an examination of the power relations reproduced in the discourse, provides tools for a better understanding of the dynamics of environmental disputes, and helps to reflect on the ways in which public debate is conducted. The article presents the results of an analysis of 102 press articles on forests that appeared in 2023 in the national edition of Gazeta Wyborcza and in the weekly Do Rzeczy. The search was conducted using the Polish keywords: “forests”, “foresters”, “State Forests”. All articles published between January 1 and December 31, 2023 that substantially addressed forest−related issues were included in the analysis. Each of the newspapers presented represents a different discursive profile: the thematic threads that appear in them are emphasized and presented differently. The analysed titles feature actors of discourse such as the State Forests organization and its employees, members of non−governmental organizations, politicians shaping the country’s forest policy, as well as members of opposition parties. Representatives of the scientific community also appear in a small number of cases. Both the national edition of Gazeta Wyborcza and the weekly Do Rzeczy, despite their involvement in local conflicts, such as the dispute over the management of forests that are remnants of the former Carpathian Forest, do not present the voice of local communities, which are underrepresented in the discourse due to insufficient cultural capital. Insufficient cultural capital is understood here as a limited stock of linguistic competencies, knowledge, and interpretative codes that condition the ability to fully participate in public debate and to be represented in media discourse. The actors dominating a given medium assume the role of symbolic elites exercising direct control over available knowledge, the form and content of discourse, and decide what and how it is presented and what is left unsaid. The discursive strategies of denomination and evaluation, argumentation, and representation used in newspapers serve to present the arguments of their side, create symbolic divisions, and build closed rhetorical communities that reproduce their own views. The message formulated by the press is strongly polarized, and the discourse lacks a common language and emphasis on universal values. An analysis of the content on forests in newspapers shows that the topic of nature and forest management in the broad sense has become a tool of political dispute rather than a substantive discussion on the shape of forest ecosystem management in Poland. As a result, this discourse does not foster the building of a social consensus created within the framework of a democratic and dominance−free public debate.
Key words: CDA, critical discourse analysis, discourse, forests, media, press, State Forests

Abstract: The aim of the study was a multi−aspect analysis of horse−drawn skidding in the Polish part of the Carpathians and how this method is perceived by foresters, horse loggers and the local commu− nity. The data was collected in 2023 through community interviews and anonymous surveys. The results showed that approximately 45% of mountain forest districts in Poland, covered by Regional Directorates of State Forests (RDLP) in Katowice and Kraków, used horse−drawn skid− ding. Over 28% of the forest districts where this method was not used indicated a willingness to introduce it, particularly in areas that are difficult to access and in areas with a high proportion of natural regeneration. Over 78% of Forest Service employees considered horse−drawn skidding to be less harmful to the environment than mechanical skidding. However, these respondents also felt that public perception of this form of work was not unequivocally positive and that the future of the horse logger profession was uncertain, primarily due to low wages and a lack of interest from the younger generation. Horse loggers shared a similar opinion: 33% of respondents in this group expressed concern that the profession of horse loggers is unattractive to young people, and over 74% expressed concern that the profession will disappear or likely disappear over time. This situation could be improved by subsidies (e.g., for dying professions), which, according to over 74% of horse loggers, would make the job profitable. Over 94% of horse loggers believed that horse skidding is less harmful to the environment than mechanical skidding, and nearly 44% believed that their profession is perceived positively or fairly positively by society. The majority of local community representatives also considered horse−drawn logging to be more environ− mentally friendly than mechanical methods and assessed this profession positively. Around 55% of respondents favoured the use of horses over machinery in mountain forestry work. Horse− drawn skidding was considered beneficial for the forest and the environment, as well as an important part of cultural heritage that should be preserved. Over 77% of respondents backed the idea of adding the horse logger profession to the list of endangered professions, despite con− sidering timber skidding to be one of the most demanding jobs involving horses.
Key words: animal transport of wood, horse logger, sustainable development, timber extraction, tradition

Abstract: Peatlands are among the rarest and most valuable ecosystems due to their high biodiversity and crucial ecosystem service functions, particularly carbon sequestration and water regulation. However, during the twentieth century, many peatlands were extensively drained for agricultural and forestry purposes. Therefore, their hydrological regimes were profoundly and permanently altered leading to degradation of the peat deposit and substantial transformations of the vegetation cover including forest ecosystems established on organic soils. This study examines the long−term dynamics of structural changes in a sixty−year−old forest stand composed of Betula pubescens and B. pendula located on a degraded fen peatland in the Bagno Wizna I nature reserve (Narew River valley, north−eastern Poland). In addition to assessing stand disintegration, the study evaluates the practical applicability of various remote sensing techniques for chronosequence analysis and the investigation of environmental dynamics. The research was conducted using multi−temporal remote sensing data acquired from airborne laser scanning (ALS) and low−altitude unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) surveys combined with relevés (phytosociological sample plots). The Individual Tree Detection (ITD) method was applied to quantify changes in stand structure. Between 2011 and 2023, the number of detected trees decreased by more than 22%, while total canopy area declined by approximately 30% indicating substantial stand degradation. In contrast, mean and maximum tree height slightly increased reflecting selective mortality and structural reorganisation. Such patterns represent a natural and expected process of stand development, but in this case, they are likely amplified by long−term disturbance conditions under which the stand developed. The spatial pattern of decline was heterogeneous with more pronounced canopy loss observed in the forest interior than near reserve edges. Furthermore, phytocoenotic analyses revealed a decline of more than 50% in floristic species diversity over the past two decades accompanied by the disappearance of several characteristic fen species. No natural tree regeneration was recorded. The ground layer dominated by nitrophilous herbaceous species, particularly Urtica dioica, likely suppresses seedling establishment and contributes to the interruption of forest continuity. A chronosequence of disturbance processes was reconstructed suggesting that hydrological regime alteration, groundwater instability, and species composition not fully adapted to site conditions are the primary drivers of stand decline. The study confirms the effectiveness of multi−temporal LiDAR−based ITD for monitoring structural transformations in forests developing on degraded peatlands and highlights the importance of hydrological monitoring and restoration−oriented management in such ecosystems.
Key words: degraded fen peatland, drainage melioration, environmental remote sensing, forest degradation, hydrological regime; swamp forest

Abstract: The aim of this study was to analyse and compare the costs of nursery production depending on the applied production technology (bare−root/field, tunnel, and container systems), as well as to assess the statistical significance of differences in cost levels among these technologies. The study was based on accounting data from the years 2018−2024 obtained from the State Forests Information System (SILP). The analysis covered 55 nursery holdings operating under three production technologies. The cost structure was examined by type of expense, while direct costs were analysed according to cost centres (CC). Differences between production technologies were assessed using the Kruskal-Wallis test, followed by Dunn’s post−hoc test with Bonferroni correction. Within the cost structure of nursery production, services (46.5−59.8%) and material consumption (26.1−29.5%) were the dominant components. The highest share of depreciation was observed in the container production system (15.9%). Over the analysed period, production costs exhibited a clear upward trend, while the level of seedling production remained relatively stable. The highest average production costs per unit of production area were recorded in the container system (on average 18 517 PLN per are), followed by the tunnel system (7 705 PLN per are), and the lowest in the field system (1 876 PLN per are). The Kruskal−Wallis test indicated statistically significant differences between the analysed production technologies (p<0.001). The obtained results demonstrate that both the structure and the level of nursery production costs are strongly determined by the applied production technology, as well as by the share of labour and infrastructure maintenance costs in the production process.
Key words: cost analysis, forest nurseries, nursery production costs, nursery production economics, labour and infrastructure maintenance costs, production systems, silvicultural costs

Abstract: Seedling production in forest nurseries constitutes a fundamental component of forest management, determining the implementation of reforestation and afforestation as well as influencing the quality of future forest stands. The aim of the study was to analyse unit seedling production costs of major forest−forming species in the State Forests National Forest Holding (Poland) and to assess their variation depending on production technology, species, and regional conditions. The study was based on accounting data from the State Forests Information System (SILP) for the years 2020−2024, and costs were calculated using the full−cost accumulation (process costing) method. Statistical significance of differences was assessed using the Kruskal−Wallis test with Dunn’s post−hoc comparisons. The results indicate significant variation in unit production costs depending on the applied production technology. The highest costs were recorded in containerized production, while the lowest occurred in bare−root (field) production; tunnel production was characterized by the greatest variability. Production costs also differed by species, with the highest values observed for oak and beech and the lowest for pine. In most cases, an increase in production costs was observed over the period 2020−2024. In several comparisons, production technology significantly differentiated cost levels, whereas in containerized production a higher degree of cost standardization among species was observed. Regional analysis revealed variability in production costs among Regional Directorates of the State Forests. These differences were not statistically significant in the bare−root system, whereas significant regional differences were identified in the container system. The results confirm that unit seedling production costs are primarily determined by production technology and species, while regional variation is more pronounced in container production.
Key words: economics of forest seedling production, forest nurseries, process costing, production costs, production technology, silvicultural costs, State Forests National Forest Holding

Abstract: The invasive black cherry Prunus serotina poses a significant threat to European forest ecosystems, altering species composition and hindering native regeneration. Traditional control methods, including mechanical removal and chemical herbicides, are often costly, labour−intensive, or environmentally restrictive. This study evaluates a novel, behaviour−based approach to suppress P. serotina regeneration by directing wild boar Sus scrofa foraging activity using maize Zea mays as a food attractant. Experiments were conducted across six forest compartments in the Jarocin and Poddębice Forest Districts of Poland, with 180 plots assigned to maize treatment or control. Maize application aimed to concentrate rooting and trampling behaviour in plots heavily populated with P. serotina seedlings. Over a four−week intensive monitoring period, seedling density and survival were recorded, alongside wildlife activity using motion−triggered cameras. Maizetreated plots exhibited rapid and substantial reductions in seedling density, with mean retention dropping to 38.5% at the study endpoint, whereas control plots showed no significant change. Statistical analysis confirmed highly significant differences between treatments. Effectiveness varied spatially, correlating with local wild boar abundance; the Poddębice Forest District, with higher S. scrofa density, experienced near−total seedling suppression, whereas lower boar presence in Jarocin led to more moderate reductions. These findings demonstrate that food−based behavioural targeting can harness natural foraging patterns to enhance invasive species management. The method offers an environmentally neutral, low−labour alternative that targets early life stages of P. serotina. While context−dependent and limited by factors such as wild boar density and habitat features, this approach provides a promising addition to integrated control strategies. Future research should assess long−term persistence, optimal timing of attractant deployment, and potential integration with conventional control.
Key words: black cherry, directing animal behaviour, food−based attractants, invasive species management, Sus scrofa, Zea mays