DEPARTURE OFA MAN WHOSE EDITORIALSHIP LEFT A PERMANENT AND UNERASABLE TRACE IN OUR JOURNAL

Po prvi puta, nakon 41. godine uređivanja i skrbi o “Šumarskom listu”, staleškom glasilu Hrvatskog šumarskog društva, cijenjeno i duboko poštovano ime profesora emeritusa, dr. sc. Branimira Prpića, silom prirodnih zakona zauvijek odlazi iz kruga našeg uredničkog odbora, seleći se na stranice Hrvatske znanstvene i stručne šumarske povijesti te u trajno sjećanje brojnih generacija šumarskih stručnjaka i znanstvenika, ne samo iz Hrvatske. U 135 godina trajanja i redovitog izlaženja našega lista, profesor Prpić najdugovječniji je njegov urednik, od osnutaka časopisa davne 1877. godine. Glavnim urednikom “Šumarskog lista” imenovan je 1970. godine i neprekidno obnaša ovu važnu ulogu sve do pretprošle, 2010. godine. Godinu dana nakon njegove posljednje aktivne godine uredništva našega lista, profesor Branimir Prpić preminuo je u Zagrebu, 1. siječnja 2012. godine. Na stranicama našega glasila profesor Prpić javlja se u “Riječi glavnog urednika” od 1975. godine, kada je ovu rubriku i osmislio. U početku povremeno, a s prvim brojem “Šumarskog lista” 1994. godine redovito potpisuje uvodnu rubriku našega staleškog glasila.Teme su različite, od usko specijalističkih, do onih toga trenutka aktualnih za šumu i šumarsku struku, pa možemo reći da su u određenom smislu zrcalo povijesti šumarstva u razdoblju od posljednjih 40-ak godina. Da bi mogao meritorno pisati o tako raznolikim temama struke, sa zaključcima i porukama koje je struka prihvaćala kao misao vodilju, čovjek mora imati ogromno znanjei iskustvo, što je on svakako imao. Sakupljao je znanje i iskustvo dugi niz godina, od rada u šumarskoj praksi nakon diplome, asistenta na Šumarskome fakultetu Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, docenta, izvanrednog profesora, redovitoga profesora do profesora emeritusa, obnašajući dužnosti predstojnika Zavoda za uzgajanje šuma, Zavoda za istraživanje u šumarstvu, prodekana i dekana. Ekologiju šuma kao samostalan predmet, naslijedivši tu materiju od akademikaAnića, predavao je od šk. god. 1968/69.godine, kada većina današnjih “eksperata”iz toga područja još nije niti krenula tražiti korijen riječi ekologija. Detaljnije o tome segmentu njegovoga nastavnog i znanstvenoga rada i djelovanja, zapisano je u tekstu kojega smo objavili povodom dodijeljene mu Nagrade za životno djelo – Državne nagrade za znanost u 2010. god. (Šum.list br. 9–10/2011). U tome napisu posebno smo se osvrnuli na tekstove s temama iz ove rubrike. Njih možemo podijeliti u nekoliko cjelina, ovisno o području šumarstva koje tretiraju. Naravno, ponajprije su to ekološke teme, kao što su propadanje šuma i stabilnost ekosustava o kojemu ovise i slatkovodni ekosustavi,izvorišta pitke vode i dr., jer su svi brojnim čimbenicima povezani sa šumom. Posebna tema su mu općekorisne funkcije šume, koje je razvrstao u tri osnovne grupe – ekološke, socijalne i socijalno-ekološke te predložio način utvrđivanja njihove novčane vrijednosti. Kako se društvo odnosi prema tim funkcijama šume, svjedoci smo ovih dana kada se finacijska sredstva namijenjena za očuvanje tih vrijednosti ponovo smanjuju, i to za 50 %, a svrstavaju se u parafiskalne namete. Laici to smatraju bespotrebnim nametom, a kvazi poduzetnici trljaju ruke, jer oni kao nisu dužni to plaćati, a za jedne i druge nije sporno da moraju imati čisti zrak, dovoljno pitke vode, mjesto za rekreaciju, hladovinu u vrućim danima, ljepši krajolik (možda bi im ljepši bio ljuti kamenjar), zaštitu od erozije i da ne navodimo na njegov prijedlog ostale od 15 taksativno u Zakonu o šumama navedenih općekorisnih funkcija šume. Svojim radom na uređivanju Šumarskoga lista postavio je visoke standarde, postigavši i njegovu citiranostu svim relevatnim biotehničkim svijetskim časopisima. Profesor Prpić je svim generacijama hrvatskih šumara bio uzor, učitelj i prijatelj, stručna te moralna podrška kolegama koji su mu se obraćali,spreman uvijek nesebično pomagati. Vjerujemo da će šumarska struka znati cijeniti njegov doprinos razvojui da neće zaboraviti nego širiti barem osnovne postulate struke, koje je on na temelju znanstvenih i stručnih saznanja zagovarao. UredništvoFor the first time, after the 41 years of editorship and care for the “Jornal of the Forestry Society of Croatia”, deeply honored and widely respected name of professor emeritus dr. sc. Branimir Prpić, is leaving its long lasting place within the journal’s editorial board and moving everlastingly into the written pages of Croatian forestry and science. His name and personality are cherished in the memories of generations of foresters and scientists, not only in Croatia. During the 135 year long period of the existence of our journal, professor Prpić steered the journal in the role of the editor-in-chief for the longest time since it’s founding back in 1877. He was appointed as an editor-in-chief of the “Journal of the Forestry Society of Croatia” in 1970 and in the uninterrupted row of years he had this position until 2010. One year after his last active year as an editor-in-chief professor Branimir Prpić died in Zagreb on January 1, 2012. On the pages of our journal, professor Prpić writes the column “A word from the Editor” which he introduced in 1975. In the beginning intermittently, but starting with the first issue in 1994, he writes and signs this column regularly, until his latest active years. The themes he treated were varied, ranging from strictly specialist to those which reflected the current moment in forestry and the forestry profession. In a way, his column mirrored the history of forestry during the past 40 years. In order to write with authority about such different topics and complement them with conclusions and messages which the profession wholeheartedly adopted as its mission, Professor Prpić had to possess vast knowledge and experience, which he certainly did. He had acquired and stored the knowledge and experience over many years of work, first as a practicing forester after graduation, and thenat the Faculty of Forestry of the University of Zagreb as junior researcher, assistant professor, associate professor, full professor and finally emeritus professor. He also held the posts of Head of the Department of Silviculture, Head of the Department of Research in Forestry, Vice Dean and Dean. Inheriting the course of Forest Ecology from Academician Anić, he taught it as an independentsubject from the academic year 1968/69, when the majority of present-day “experts”in this field did not have the least idea what the word ecology meant. This segment of his teaching and scientific work and activity was treated in more detail in the text published on the occasion of his receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award within the National Award for Science in 2010 (Forestry Journal No. 9–10/2011). In the said publication we made particular reference to the articles treating the topics from the column A Word from the Editor. These articles can be divided into several units, depending on the field of forestry which they deal with. These are, first of all, ecological topics, such as forest decline and ecosystem stability on which fresh-water ecosystems depend,e.g. sources of potable water, since they are all connected with forests by a number of factors.His main focus of interest wason non-market forest functions, which he classified into three basic groups: ecological, social and socio-ecological, and for which he proposed a method of determining their monetary value. We are currently witnessing the way in which the society treats these forest functions: the financial means intended for the preservation of these values are again being reduced by 50% and are being classed into parafiscal taxes. Those not familiar with this topic consider the money invested into these functions an unnecessary tax, while quasi entrepreneurs are rubbing their hands with satisfaction for not having to pay for them. Yet, neither doubt their right to clean air, sufficient potable water, places for recreation, shade in hot days, beautiful scenery (or perhaps they find bare stone land a prettier landscape?), protection from erosions and the other 15 non-market forest functions listed in the Forest Law. His editorship of the Forest Journal set high standards, owing to which the articles published in this magazine are being cited in all the relevant biotechnical journals in the world. Professor Prpić was an ideal, a teacher and a friend to all generations of Croatian foresters. He selflessly offered both specialist and moral support to all the colleagues who turned to him for help. We are absolutely certain that the forestry profession will show fullappreciation of his contribution to its development and that it will continue to expand on the fundamental postulates of the profession which Professor Prpić advocated using his scientific and specialist knowledge. Editorial Boar