Krkonoše National Park launches project to revive rare silver fir tree
The administration of the Krkonoše National Park have launched a project to bring back the rare silver fir to the local forests. For the first time ever, they’ve begun collecting grafts from these majestic trees to protect them and preserve their genetic diversity for the future.
Abies Alba, commonly known as the European silver fir, is a large evergreen coniferous tree native to the mountains of Europe, including the Krkonoše Mountains in north-eastern Czechia. Once widespread in the region, its numbers have sharply dropped in recent decades due to factors like soil acidification, air pollution, climate change, and pests.
Radek Drahný, a spokesperson for the park, explains:
“Historically, our forests were made up of about 70% conifers and 30% deciduous trees. Today, we’re at about 85% of conifers, with the Norway spruce making up 77%. The silver fir, which used to make up around 15%, is now down to only 0.46%. Our goal is to get that number up to about 1.5% in the near future.”
Silver firs are not just beautiful trees; they play a crucial role in maintaining the health of the ecosystem. They help protect the soil from drying out and erosion, stabilize water flow in streams, and support a rich biodiversity. With the decline of the silver fir, the ecosystem has suffered, and the forest’s natural balance has been disrupted.
To restore the population of the silver fir, park officials have launched a project focused on preserving the silver fir and enhancing its genetic diversity. Over a hundred silver firs were selected from higher altitudes, with factors like tree height, crown shape, and health taken into account. From fifty of these trees, foresters harvested around 1,500 grafts from the branches high in the treetops. Mr. Drahný describes the process as both difficult and physically demanding:
“This was one of the most visible and challenging tasks in the whole project. We hired a tree climber, who had to scale each of the 30-meter-tall trees to collect the fertile branches. It’s a tough job because the climber must be careful not to damage the tree. The trees are valuable, and we want to ensure nothing harms them. Once collected, we transport them to the nursery for the cultivation of seedlings.”
The seedlings will be used to create a seed orchard, with the first ones expected to be planted back into the wild in three years. However, Mr. Drahný emphasizes that the long-term success of the project will take much more time:
“Our primary goal is to create the seed orchard. But this is just the beginning. As you know, a forest doesn’t grow in a year—it takes a century. We’ve only just begun, and a lot of hard work lies ahead.”
