TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY IN ZVOLEN

 ARBORETUM BOROVA HORA

          

THE ARBORETUM BOROVA HORA  

is a research and development workplace of the Technical University in Zvolen. Its collections serve pedagogical, scientific and research work as well as cultural activities mainly in the area of forest dendrology. There are collected the tree species which originally grew in natural forests of Slovakia . Searching for  significant populations and rare forms of tree species in Slovakia is the Arboretum`s most valuable task. These species are propagated generatively and vegetatively, and are filed in archives as a precious gene pool.  

In 1981 the Arboretum Borova Hora was declared a Protected Area and it was a declaration of the value of its collections. This was done because of protection of   samples of the genetic wealth of the tree species composition in Slovakia , the wide individual variability of single tree species, but also for the purpose of scientific, research, instructional, cultural and educational activities.  

The date, March 30, 1965 is considered the beginning of the Arboretum Borova Hora, when the first planting began on its territory. At present the area of the Arboretum is 47.84 ha.  

The Arboretum Borova Hora is situated 3 km north of the centre of Zvolen. It spreads out on the south-western spurs of the Zvolen uplands, which is one of the geo-morphological units of the Zvolen basin. The territory has an upland character with an altitude range from 290 m to 377 m. The prevailing inclination of the slopes is to the north or north-west (81 %), a smaller percentage is to the south or south-west (10 %), the west or north-west (3 %) and plane (6 %). The slope of the terrain in some places is at least 50 %.   

COLLECTIONS OF THE ARBORETUM BOROVA HORA  

The collection of the Arboretum can be divided into three parts: the collection of tree species, the collection of roses and the collection of cacti. At present all of them fit well into the overall purpose of the Arboretum - the rescue and preservation of gene pools.  

Collection of tree species  

The main, most important and most valuable collection is that of tree species. The primary purpose of the arboretum is collection of the indigenous tree species in their morphological and ecological variability. With regard to significantly deteriorating conditions of the environment, the collection of tree species in the arboretum is receiving greater importance. It contributes significantly to gene pool rescue and preservation of the indigenous dendroflora.  

In rescuing the gene pool, the main attention is devoted to the endangered taxa. The effort of the arboretum is aimed at saving the maximum possible variation of our tree species which include interesting populations of protected and endangered species, together with other indigenous tree species, plus the preservation of various morphological deviations.  

At present the collection of tree species in the Arboretum consists of nearly 1500 taxa.

 

 

 

 

Collection of Roses  

The collection of roses in the Borova Hora Arboretum contains a wide range of the most important varieties on the territory of Slovakia . It was established in 1965 simultaneously with a collection of the tree species.  

The collection of roses in the Borova Hora Arboretum represents an extremely valuable base for further breeding. Many of the older varieties, mainly the garden roses of Rudolf Geschwind, are resistant to unfavourable conditions of the environment. These are the roses which deserve even a greater attention than the recent varieties. They could be suitably utilized in creation of the aesthetically pleasing environment.  

At the present the collection of the arboretum encompasses 610 varieties of roses, out of which 310 are varieties of bed roses, 150 are varieties of garden roses, 60 are varieties of trailing roses and about 90 are varieties of miniature roses.

 

 

 

 

Collection of Cacti  

With regard to a special orientation of the tree species collection, the collection of the cacti was arranged in such a way as to point out the variability of individual  species  and groups of species. At the beginning, it featured only a general character, later, however, it became specialized in cacti from Mexico and the USA encompassing mainly the genera Mammillaria und Echinocereus.  

At present, the collection is represented by nearly 100 genera with approximately 600 taxa.

 

 

 

 

MAIN ACTIVITIES 

 Educational work    

One of the principal aims of the arboretum is the educational activity aimed mainly at the forest dendrology. Students of the Faculty of Forestry and the Faculty of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of the Technical University make use of the collections in the course of their study programmes as well as within the practical training. It goes without saying that the collections and the total area are being utilized for training and experimental work by some other special departments of the Technical University providing the instruction of other special subjects.  

Scientific and research work  

The scientific and research work is aimed mainly at the investigation of variability of the indigenous tree species. With regard to the fact that the Forestry Research Institute in Zvolen is aimed at the main economically important tree species, the investigation of the arboretum has been orientated towards the other tree species. In addition, the problem of utilising the accumulated tree species collection has been solved. 

Cultural and educational activities  

Within the cultural and educational activities, the Borova Hora Arboretum of the Technical University is aimed at special-interest activities for the general public. The arboretum has been made accessible to the groups of visitors or to individual visitors offering a special guidance to them. 

The technical staff provides professional consulting activities to the public concerning the greenery growing in gardens and houses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

University