INTRODUCING the Forest Management of Gyulaj Forestry & Hunting Plc.
The Gyulaj Forestry & Hunting Plc. (Gyulaj Plc. or Gyulaj Erdeszeti es Vadaszati Zrt. in Hungarian language) manages the state lands and estate on more than 23.000 (~ 56.850 acres) hectares in the South- West Hungarian Tolna County. On this state property we run 3 different forestries, forestry offices. All of these have different and unique natural features.
The history of the local forest management and the background of the Gyulaj Plc’s present forest management is strongly related to the famous, well-possessed Hungarian noble landowner families, the Esterhazy- and Apponyi- families. The Duke Esterhazy- family was interested in 20 different townships mainly in the Tamási- Dombóvár- Ozora lane and the Count Apponyi- family was interested in 23 different townships mainly in the Western part of Tolna County around Hőgyész and Lengyel villages. Both families established great quality local forest and wildlife management in their properties. Especially the Duke Esterhazy- family was famous of their worldwide known wildlife management and great hunting results. The Eastern part of the county, around our Pincehely Forestry’s present territory there was no
proper, well- organized forest management. At that time on this territory of ours there were only coppice woodstands with weak quality sites.
Our managed forest land area include 4 big, different forest tracts and some smaller forest covered areas and. The estimated growing stuck (GS) is around 3.6 million cubic metre or stere. Altogether we manage ~ 21.000 hectares (~51.900 acres) forest covered areas. 71% of our forests, namely 14.000 hectares (~ 34.600 acres) forest land area have productive and economic primary function. The parent rock is mainly loess. On this parent rock the evolved soil type is one of the most important forest soil types, the brown forest soil. Beside this soil type on our area other soil types also can be found such as sandy soil, skeletal soil and alluvial soil types as well as lessivated brown forest soil.
On our hilly areas the main and most important stand- forming tree species is the turkey oak (Quercus cerris) and the black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), but most of the forest stands are formed by other oak species in more than 14% rate. The managed forest land area gives a really diverse picture. In small area near to the South-Western Mecsek mountains some extrazonal beech stands and a little more North some pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) stands in the deeps valleys with excess water effect can be found as well. Beside these stands more mixed tree stand types are also can be found such as hornbeam- oak stands or mixed turkey oak- oak stands. In other parts of our managed territory the main tree stand is the mixed or pure, unmixed turkey oak (Quercus cerris) stand. This tree stand type gives the biggest portion of our forest land area. On the top of the hills and on the steep slopes mainly mixed downy oak (Quercus pubescens), manna ash and lower quality black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) stands there are.
On our flat sandy soil areas the main tree stand types are the pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) stands, fen common alder (Alnus glutinosa) stands and on a bigger area mainly the mixed or pure, unmixed scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and black pine (Pinus nigra) stands as well as grey poplar (Populus x canescens) and black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) stands. At the river Danube’s flood plain we have different soft (mixed widow- poplar) and hardwood (mixed oak- ash- elm) tree stand types as well as euramerican hybrid poplar stands. In a fewer percentage but we also have some black walnut (Juglans nigra), red oak (Quercus rubra) and silver lime (Tilia tomentosa) stands too.
Within our area we proudly manage more than 2.400 hectares (~6000 acres) nature conservation land.
The total number of Gyulaj Plc’s employees is ~105. But because of the seasonal character of our activities in some months the foretsries give job for much more people.
We are proud that in 2002, Gyulaj Plc. was qualified for the ISO 9002 and KIR 14001 certifications.
