There are three basic attitudes to the forest management within protected areas: (1) non-intervention management (forest spontaneous development), (2) near-natural management emulating with selective tree cutting and (3) deliberate management supporting particular species or species communities being important from nature-conservation point of view. The research plots were established with aim to demonstrate first and third type of management.
In terms of forest management in protected areas, systematic management of forests is a key practice at low altitudes in the environment of the original oak forest. The management aim consists in maintain light stands where oaks and other tree species of natural composition may naturally regenerate. Examples in the demonstration objects (plots) show small-area clear-cut to coppicing re-establish, lightening (selective cutting), pasturing, edge effect (secondary steppe - forest ecotone) and wood debris importance in oak forests. Localities were selected in southern Moravia (mainly Natural Reserve Děvín at PLA Pálava, NP Podyjí), Central Bohemia (PLA Czech Karst) and eastern Bohemia (Natural Monument Sítovka).
Two localities were selected at Bohemian Forest (Šumava Mts.) in mountain (climax) Norway spruce forests under influence of the bark beetle gradation. At each locality two parallel plots exists: one without any management and second with sanitation clear-cut.
Basic research was carried out at these plots in many fields: vegetation, tree-layer structure, soil oribatid mites, epigeig beetles, macromycetes and soil organic matter.