The new look at the forest economy takes into consideration maximum protection of forest ecosystems, first of all. The purpose of the research was to estimate the influence of wood harvesting and skidding technologies on forest environment, particularly on soil and remained stand. The traditional wood harvesting and skidding technology (compact sawing machine, tractor with winch) was more friendly for soil environment than the newest technology (harwarder). Decrease of the negative influence of engineering wood harvesting and skidding process on forest environment is possible through application of both technologies and technical means correctly selected for the purpose. Besides, the operator’s practice is of a significant meaning.

The research concerned the behaviour of a wild boar population in a large (7,500 ha) contiguous forest complex. The results obtained through telemetry include the size of home ranges, daily home ranges, and movement rates of the individuals observed. The separation of female and male home ranges was revealed. The researchers established that the wild boars were most often to be found in Scots pine stands in fresh mixed broad-leaved forest habitats.

In the paper three cases are presented and analysed, which show innovations in the use of woody biomass for the production of heat and woody fuel (pellets). In two of the firms analysed woody biomass boilers were installed, and in the third case a technological line for the production of pellets was assembled. The analysis was made based on information acquired during interviews conducted in the companies. Pro-innovative people, who acted as “innovation motors” in the companies contributed greatly to the success of the innovative undertakings. The financing of the innovations was the most important problem in the realization of the undertakings, and a possibility to use public funding played a significant role. The successfully implemented innovations contributed to an increase in competitiveness of the companies, which allowed to use locally available woody biomass resources and to reduce the emissions of pollutants and CO₂ to the atmosphere.

Wild boar causes damage to the field crops in the Zielonka Game Investigation Centre for nine months a year. The most susceptible crops include rye, cereal mixes, oats, triticale, wheat, maize and potato. The reduced damage area (the damaged part of a manipulation area) in the research period varied from 8.42 ha in 2006 to 20.42 ha in 2005. The annual average reduced damage area was 14.42 ha.

The authors analysed selected biometric features of the wild boars harvested in the Zielonka Game Investigation Centre in 2004-2007, including the carcass weight, body length and height at the withers, with regard to age and sex. Some population attributes were also analysed, including age, sex and social structure.

The stomach content of 74 wild boars harvested in the Zielonka Game Investigation Centre in 2005-2007 were analyzed. According to the hunting management schedule and the cycles of forest and farmland food occurrence, three research seasons were selected and compared with respect to the trophic behaviour of wild boar. As many authors claimed, the animals extraordinarily tended to eat mainly the feed supplied to the forest. Such a disruption in the natural use of the food niche in the forest environment, resulting from an irrational feeding policy, interferes with the natural trophic role of this species.

Quinine fungus (Laricifomes officinalis) is a typical monophagic species decaying in Central Europe nearly exclusively hardwood of trees from Larix genus. The main reason of these narrow trophic preferences is probably the specific chemical composition of Larch wood and, especially, the lack of some phenolic compounds that might play an important role as natural inhibitors of Quinine fungus growth. To improve this theory five different phenolic compounds selected basing on results of previous investigation and quantity analysis of phenolic compounds in wood of 25 different tree species were tested in laboratory conditions. They were as follows: 3’,5’-dimethoxyacethophenone, furanone, 2,6-dimethoxy-4(propenyl)phenol, syringe aldehyde and 1,4-buthanodiamine-2,3-dimethoxy N,N,N’,N’tetramethyl. Wood samples saturated by solutions of this substances were exposed on the mycelium of L. officinalis. Results of this experiment compared with the range of control sample’s decay showed that all the tested phenolic compounds caused the decrease of the range of wood decomposition by L. officinalis. It means that they work as natural growth inhibitors of this fungus and probably are one of the reasons of its specific trophic preferences.