At 16.6 million m³, the 2023 harvest volumes was 31% below the ten-year average (2013 to 2022) of 21.7 million m³ © Source: Czech Statistical Office (CZSO), Holzkurier forecast (2024-2025) © Timber-Online.net
In the years from 2018 to 2022, 133.9 million m³ of damaged wood accumulated in the Czech Republic. This corresponds to 94% of the 141.8 million m³ which were harvested in those five years. In 2019, the volume of damaged amounted to 30.9 million m³ (99%) and was therefore only 300,000 m³ lower than the total harvest volume. In 2020, 33.9 million m³ of damaged wood were harvested (98%), while only 600,000 m³ can be attributed to planned, regular logging.
In the ten-year period from 2013 to 2022, the average logging volume was 21.7 million m³, while an average of 17.2 million m³ of damaged wood accumulated in this period. Spruce accounted for 13.8 million m³ or 83% of the total logging volume in 2023 (16.6 million m³). The share of hardwood in the overall harvest volume is negligible.
Bark beetles caused around half (5.6 million m³) of the 11 million m³ of damaged wood which accumulated in the Czech Republic last year. 31% or 3.4 million m³ were damaged by abiotic factors such as windthrow and windsnap, while 2 million m³ can be attributed to other factors. In 2020, the record year in terms of damaged wood, the share of beetle wood was 26.2 million m³ or 77%. Abiotic factors accounted for 6.5 million m³ or 19%.
As for 2024, it is expected that 7 million m³ of damaged wood will be harvested in the Czech Republic, the total harvest volume being estimated at 16 million m³.
