The report highlighted the systematic preference of forestry companies to cultivate fast-growing conifers rather than traditional deciduous trees at a cost to the country's biodiversity.

"Czech forestry workers have stuck to the lines and options chosen under communism, which consists of producing a maximum number of cubic metres of wood," said Josef Fanta, Emeritus Professor at the University of Amsterdam during a news conference here.

Forests cover around a third of the Czech Republic, which gained its freedom from the Soviet Union in 1989.

Fanta is one of the six authors of a report entitled "Position of Scientists and Specialists on the Protection of Czech Forests" which has been sent to the Ministry of Agriculture.

"A burning issue in the 1980s, the problem of sulphur oxide emissions and and other pollutants has lost some of its edge, but the state of Czech forests has not seen any notable improvement," said Jakub Hruska of the Czech Geological Service.

The study also attacks the overpopulation of certain wild species, stemming, they say, from pressure from "the hunting lobby."

The goal of the experts is to have some impact during the elaboration of a new forestry law, with the report supported by 230 signatures, including those of four directors of institutes of the Academy of Sciences.

The study is aimed at "breaking the silence" which reigns over forestry management, explained Fanta. "Nowhere else in Europe is there such an atmosphere of complete silence and an absolute lack of debate," he added.

Czech forests cover around 26,000 square kilometres (10,400 square miles). In 2003, timber production accounted for around 15.15 million square metres (1.630 billion square feet) with production valued at 29 billion koruna (911 million euros, 1.30 billion dollars), according to figures from the Czech Statistical Office.

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