IN2WOOD Mentoring - Afforestation in the Kolubara Basin - January 2011

The IN2WOOD knowledge regions started the year 2011 with a very interesting field  visit in the Kolubara Mining Basin in Serbia. On invitation of Dr.Vera Lavadinovic....

Head of the Tree Breeding and Genetics Department of the Institute of Forestry Belgrade, IN2WOOD partners from Zvolen, Styria and North Rhine-Westphalia met representatives of the Serbian Forest Enterprise JP Srbijašume  and the Mining Basin Kolubara in Beograd to discuss cooperation potentials.  In focus of the three days visit: Recultivation and afforestation of mining lands.

At the first day, an initial meeting was held at the Institute of Forestry. The “Institut za šumarstvo” was established 1946. Land reclamation, afforestation and biomass production are the main research activities of the Institutes Departments connected with the Kolubara mining basin, the target of the IN2WOOD visit.

The open cast mine Kolubara is located 60 km southwest to Belgrade and covers 550 sq. km, with 50 sq km in active exploitation. Annually, 30 million t of lignite are produced – the rich deposits being remnants of the Pannonian Sea vegetation. About 70% of the coal in Serbia is dug in Kolubara and used in 3 steam power plants for the production of 52% of the electric energy.

While the active mining process is going on, reclamation and recultivation have started in parallel as early as in the late sixties. The Kolumbara mine basin is therefore not only distinguished by it’s geobiological characteristics, but also by the wealth of knowledge and experience gained through the long-term cooperation of research and practice: The Institute of Forestry (Belgrade), the State Enterprise Srbijašume and the Environmental Management, Mining Basin Kolubara, State Ltd. Company have worked together for more than 30 years. After complete revitalization, the whole area will amount to 13.000 hectares. The fascinating lunar landscape of the mining fields together with the carefully kept, highly biodiverse recultivated forests attract industrial tourism and recreational activities: fishing, hunting, mushroom collecting) and seasonal bee keeping.

The IN2WOOD delegation started the field visit of Kolubara at the old nursery. The nursery is operated by the company “Kolubara Services” in an area of 50 ha on deposoils, integrating very interesting species experiments and experimental short rotation plantation. Field experiments comprise a network of sampling plots for various applications and species (“Target Tree Concept”) monitoring for biological efficiency and costs, as well as for the calorimetric (heating) values for individual species. In addition to the mine reclamation, short rotation plantations underneath electric conduits are currently carried out as research projects.

The next stop led to a view of the mining field D (“small pit”) and its operational buildings, passing through an area where the road and already reclaimed deposits will be removed to create a corridor connecting old and new mine fields. The ratio between the removed upper layers (minespoils) and exploited coal is 1:2-3.

On the way to the last halt, recultivation areas with poplars and black alder where demonstrated. The growth is satisfactory on clayey and loamy deposoils, which keep water well and make it available by capillary action. After crossing reclaimed landscapes comprising forest belts, meadows, plowed fields and orchards (e.g. an experimental apple orchard), the large, more recently opened minefield F Tamnava West  - “Big Pit” came into view. Here, the extraction goes deeper, large tracts of temporary deposits wait for their final placement after the extraction of coal is terminated in the mining field. Recultivated ash fields fed by the local power station are planted mostly with poplars, but also alder and other broadleaved species. Several lakes are used for fishing, one of them even has a fish-serving restaurant next to the shore. The local fauna includes ducks, pheasants, hairs, foxes, wild boars and golden jackals. Hunting therefore belongs to the attractions of the Kolubara recreational area.

Since the majority of woodlands established on minespoils are older than 20 years, several long term observations could be made: All tested species grow well in the area when planted on appropriate sites besides 3 exceptions: Pinus strobus, which grows rapidly until the age of 25 but then declines,  Acer and Fraxinus spc. lag behind expectations. At the beginning of the reclamation, black locust (Robinia) prevailed. This species is now used less frequently, due to its invasive nature and limited used of its wood for poles and firewood. Since 1980’s, mixed broadleaved-coniferous stands are planted, pure coniferous stands are avoided to keep the fire risk low. Fires used to be kept under control in the area thanks to well organized monitoring and an effective fire prevention system.

A last stop showed recently reclaimed areas and “work in progress” including the new riverbed and dam for the Kolubara river. The river is flowing above the level of surrounding deposits. A sightseeing point with an amphitheatre is under preparation for visitors. Here, a campus for visitors is planned, mostly for school-age children and for “industrial tourism”.

Thanks to the perfect preparation, the openness and the long-standing scientific and practical experience of the Serbian hosts, the visit to Serbia opened up cooperation possibilities for the IN2WOOD partners. In North-Rhine Westphalia, the recultivation of coal mines in the Ruhr Area and open cast mines in the Rhineland is an important topic for structural change and new forms of use between culture and biomass production. These regional similarities are an ideal prerequisite for a deepened knowledge exchange. In Styria, a very important business focus is on the production of high quality forest seedlings for a sustainable forestry (Lieco Company - www.lieco.at).

First ideas for cooperation comprise:

- Exchange of specialized personnel,
- Exchange of plant material,
- Common testing and experimental design (Mr. Hassel, Forst und Holz NRW)
- Biomass logistics, recreation, harvesting technologies for difficult terrains

Before the IN2WOOD Mentoring Workshop at the LIGNA HANNOVER 2011 (30.6.-3.6.), another meeting is planned to deepen the knowledge exchange and start cooperation projects.

Participants:

Top Row (from left): 
Milorad Veselinović, Land Reclamation Specialist, Deputy Director, Institute of Forestry
Nebojsa Todorović, Environmental Manager, Technological Development Dept., RB Kolubara d.o.o. Lazarevac   / Mining Basin Kolubara, State Ltd. Company 
Christof Hartmann, IN2WOOD, Landesbetrieb Wald und Holz, North-Rhine Westphalia, Germany
Aleksandar Vasiljević, Director for Technological Development, JP Srbijašume /Public Enterprise Serbian Forests 
Roman Longauer, IN2WOOD, National Forest Centre, Zvolen, Slovakia

Bottom Row (from left):
Dragana Dražić, Biomasss and Land Reclamation Specialist, Institute of Forestry
Roland Oberwimmer, Coordinator of IN2WOOD, Wood Cluster Steiermark GmbH, Austria
Vera Lavadinović, Head of the Forest Tree Breeding and Regeneration Departement, Institute of Forestry

Presentations: