On 30. 5. 2011, wecelebrated the important 70-th anniversary of our colleague doc. Ing. Ferdinand Tokár, DrSc. F. Tokár was born in the village of VeFke Chrásf any, district Zlaté Moravce. Having finished his gymnasium studies in Zlaté Moravce, ne continued at the former University College of Forestry and Wood Technology (today Technical University) inZvolen. His first working place, occupied immediately after the graduation, the Forest Enterprise Partizánske (1963-1964), offered him an opportunity to implement the accumulated knowledge in silvicultural practice. In years 1965-1993, F. Tokár worked as a scientific worker at the Arboretum Mlynany - Institute of Dendrobiology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. From 1.1. 1994 up to the retirement, he acted as a senior research worker at the Institute of Forest Ecology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS) in Zvolen, Branch for Woody Plants Biology in Nitra - as the Head of this Branch.

The main focus of his scientific work was put on ecology and production in exotic woody plants. This was the topic of his PhD (at that time CSc., 1974) and later Doctor (DrSc 1998) dissertation thesis, both defended at the Faculty of Forestry at the University in Zvolen. At the same University, he presented his habilitation work and obtained the title of doc. (Associate Professor, 1998) in the study branch Silviculture 41-07-9. He was working with the following model species: European chestnut (Castanea sativa MILL.), red oak (Quercus rubra L.), black nut (Jugions nigra L.) and black pine (Pinus nigra ARNOLD). F. Tokár has been acknowledged for an important and valuable input to improvement of the structure, production and tending (phyto-technique) of forest stands and to research on biomass of selected exotic woody plants grown in varied stand types (monocultures and mixed stands differentiated by the species composition). For this purpose, F. Tokár had established 27 permanent research plots in SW Slovakia and provided systematic evaluation of the data assembled on these plots. His summarised works represent a novel scientific knowledge concerning ecological demands and production of exotic woody plants in Slovakia. This knowledge has been applied with success in forest management practice (cooperation with the Forest Enterprises TopoFcianky, Levice, Palárikovo), fruit farming (established 103 ha of fruit orchards with European chestnut in the surroundings of Modry Kamen), expert opinion practice (selected Department's bodies). The gained knowledge means a noticeable contribution in area of production ecology and silviculture: concerning these commercially important exotic woody plants in our country.

Doc. Ing. Ferdinand Tokár, CSc. is the author of 4 monographs, 131 original scientific works, and 59 works in area of science communication. He has elaborated 86 papers published in proceedings from symposia and conferences in Slovakia and in abroad. He was the coordinator or a vice-coordinator of one international project (COPERNICUS), 14 final reports and 6 VEGA projects.

During his scientific and research work at the SAS, F. Tokár was serving several leading functions: at the Arboretum Mlynany - Institute of Dendrobiology SAS as the Head of the Branch of Woody Plant System and Ecology; and in years 1990-1993 as the Chair of the Scientific Board of this institution.

Inyears 1990-1993, he was a member of the Board of Scientific Workers SAS. After the delimitation of the Institute of Dendrobiology SAS, F. Tokár was performing as the Vice-Director of the Institute of Forest Ecology SAS and the Head of the Branch of Woody Plants Biology in Nitra.

In years 1994-2004, he was a member of the Scientific Board of the Institute of Forest Ecology SAS, and a member of the Certification Commission of the Institute of Forest Ecology SAS. Inyears 1997-2002, he was a member of the VEGA Commission of the Ministry of Education and SAS SR for Agricultural, Forestry and Veterinary Sciences. He was a member of the Commission for Defence of PhD dissertations in the branches 15-23-9 Forest Ecology, 41-07-9 Silviculture and doctoral dissertations in the branch 41-07-9 Silviculture. In the years 1994-2004, he was the Editor-inChief of the scientific journals Folia oecologica and Acta dendrobiologica. In 1995-1998, he was a member of the SAS Commission of Presidium SAS for Communication and Press; in years 1996-2000, a member of the Scientific Collegium for Agricultural, Forestry and Veterinary Sciences SAS; and since 1. 7. 2004, a member of the Scientific Collegium of SAS for Biological and Ecological Sciences. He was actively participating in several scientific societies (Botanical Society SAS, Ecological Society SAS, Society for Agricultural, Forestry, Food and Veterinary Sciences SAS).

The results and efforts of F. Tokár were awarded by the Presidium SAS in 1996 with the "Honorary Silver Medal of SAS for Merits in Biological Sciences" and in 2009 with the "Honorary Medal for Merits in Biological Sciences". The life-long work of doc. Ing. Ferdinand Tokár, DrSc. was appreciated by the Society for Agricultural, Forestry, Food and Veterinary Sciences SAS in Bratislava by awarding the Juraj Fándly medal in year 20 1 1 .

We wish our colleague doc. Ing. Ferdinand Tokár DrSc. firm health, optimism, good cheer and vigour in communicating the fruits of his work to the coming generation.

In name of all colleagues

Author affiliation:

Gabriela Juhásová

Institute of Forest Ecology

of the Slovak Academy of Science in Zvolen

Head of the Branch of Woody Plants Biology

in Nitra

Akademická 2

949 Ol Nitra

Slovak Republic

E-mail: gabriela.juhasova@savzv.sk