This is located in central Slovakia within "Kremnické vrchy" mountains, 6 km to northwest of the Badín village, or 10 km to southwest of the regional centre town Banská Bystrica. It occupies a forested slope to northeast of mountain Laurín, 1.025 m above the see, in the height between 700 - 850 m aside the Badín valley.

    The reserve is protected since 1913 year on area 30.70 hectares and additional buffer zone 23.75 hectares.

    The aim of the protection is to preserve an example of climax stage forest ecosystem in beech vegetation zone.

    Geological substrate contains pyroclastic minerals, e.g., tufites and aglomerates of pyroxenic andezites. Climate is cold, the average annual temperature is between 5.6 and 6.0° C, and humid with average sum of precipitations between 850 and 900 mm. Soil is slightly acid, rich as to mineral substances, brown forest type.

    The reserve belongs to beech forest vegetation zone with dominant Fagetum typicum association. The species composition of herb layer is not rich, nor motley. The most abundant herbs are Dentaria bulbifera, Galium odoratum, Galeobdolon luteum, Geranium robertianum, Mercurialis perennis, Oxalis acetosella and in wet habitats Impatiens parviflora, Petasites albus. Less abundant, or scattered are Anemone nemorosa, Salvia glutinosa, Sanicula europea, Senecio nemorensis, Athyrium filix - femina, Dryopteris cartusiana, Dryopteris filix - mas and others.

    Dominant tree species are fir (Abies alba), beech (Fagus silvatica) and recedent are maple (Acer pseudoplatanus), ash (Fraxinus excelsior) and elm (Ulmus glabra). There is conspicious an absence of spruce (Picea abies). "Badínsky prales" virgin forest is located out of native distribution of spruces. This species was introduced to growth in the surrounding artificially.

    This virgin forest has presented all three stages of development of the growths typical for european forests of that type. There are apparent stages of self - restoration, optimum and decaying. But they are not presented proportionally and the phase of selective structure is missing there. Stages and phases of development are presented mosaically and contribute to a multilayer structure of the growth.

    At present time there is conspicuous declining abundance of fir, but growing one of beech. Fir achieves here an age 350 - 400 years, while beech 210 - 230 years. That means, during one development cycle of firs two generations of beechs can develope there. The rapid decline of firs from the upper layer is caused by a wide range air pollution, as supposed. But fir is vital in lower layers of growth, so it´s permanent decline is not expected.

    During 1947 year the hurricane had damaged 6 hectares of growth in western part of the reserve. The broken woody matter was exploited. The stripped area was not afforested artificially and thus natural restoration was alloved. The initial stage of the succession had dominant willows (Salix caprea) with additional aspen (Populus tremula) and birch (Betula verrucosa). The next temporary stage had scattered occurrence of beech, maple and fir. Now there is apparent their expansion and increasing abundance. That means, the climax stage of ecosystem is restoring itself.

    All visitors of virgin forests are admiring the majesty of big, thick trees. This reserve has not plenty of extra - dimensional trees. The biggest living fir is 46 m tall with stem diameter 148 cm. The most high one achieved 49.5 m with woody matter volume 29 cubic metres. Few dead and fallen down firs were up to 51 tall with stem diameter 162 cm and volume 32 cubic metres. Beechs achieve the height 45 m, stem diameter 108 cm and volume 26 m3 .

    The store of woody matter in the whole reserve was 750 cubic metres per hectare in 1977 year.

    The fauna of this virgin forest is not investigated completely yet. There occur red deer, roebuck, wild pig, brown bear, lynx, wild cat, fox, marten, mice, voles, shrews, besides 28 species of - nesting mostly - birds. Few endangered species of reptiles and amphibians inhabit this habitat, besides many remarkable and scarce species of insects, artropods, snails depending on decaying wood, moss, fungi and leaf litter.

Translation to english by

RNDr. Ján Kleinert

Ing. Július Burkovský