The Pitești Research – Development and Experimentation – Production Station was established in 1976 as a subsidiary of the Institute for Research and Development in Forestry (ICAS), with the aim of carrying out research, development and experimentation – production activities for the Southern Carpathians and Subcarpathians. In its structure, the Mihăeşti Experimental Base was included, which was administered, since 1942, by the Institute for Research in Forestry (ICEF), where the aim was to apply and generalize research results in forestry practice.

In 1979, the construction of the current headquarters began, which was commissioned in 1980 and renovated in 2005.

The Research-Development and Experimentation-Production Station is a mixed subunit having in its structure:

• a research laboratory;
• a development section (forest management);
• a National Forest Inventory office (IFN);
• Experimental Base Mihăești.

The personnel structure of the resort is as follows:

• Research laboratory: 1 scientific researcher grade III, 1 research assistant, 1 sub-engineer, 1 technician grade I;
• Development Section: 7 technological development engineers first degree, 2 technological development engineers second degree, 18 technological development engineers third degree, 2 technological development engineers, 10 engineers, 7 technicians first degree, 2 technicians second degree, 1 technician third degree, 3 technicians, 1 biologist, 5 programmer help analysts, 1 chief accountant, 1 cashier, 1 driver, 1 janitor;
• I.F.N. office: 1 technological development engineer first degree and 2 engineers;
• Mihăești Experimental Base: 10 positions with higher education, 23 positions with secondary education, 9 positions with basic studies (forestry school) and 4 positions with general studies.

The Research-Development activity is carried out in the clusters intended for the Research Teams: “Dendrometry, forest management, forest monitoring and inventory” (E1), “Forest ecology” (E2), “Genetics and tree improvement” (E3), “Silvotechnics and ecological reconstruction” (E5), having the following research directions and objectives:

• Evaluation of the action of climatic factors, atmospheric pollution, pests and pathogens on forest ecosystems;
• Ensuring the sustainable management of forests and other categories of forest vegetation and their contribution to mitigating the effects of climate change and other stress factors;
• Conservation and monitoring of the biological diversity of forests and their associated ecosystems.

The I.F.N office carries out the national forest inventory within the territorial limits of Argeș and Vâlcea counties

The Mihaesti Experimental Base ensures:

• The sustainable management of the forest fund and the application of research results;
• Carrying out experiments in the mentioned directions;
• Sustainable management of the hunting fund from the administration;
• Production of forest and ornamental seedlings.

Research-Development activities consist of:

• Continuation and development of long-term inter- and transdisciplinary ecological research on the state of forest ecosystems under the action of climate change and risk factors;
• Developing knowledge of destabilizing biotic and abiotic factors and their action on forest ecosystems and establishing integrated countermeasures, including risk assessment, of the impact of the main invasive biotic agents in forest ecosystems and crops in order to establish adaptive management solutions;
• The development of integrated innovative solutions, models and methods in order to develop the forest management system for a sustainable, climate-smart forestry adapted to current societal challenges;
• The development of methods and models for establishing the value of ecosystem functions and services offered by forests, adapted to the Romanian system of classification and their functional zoning;
• Elaboration of methods to optimize silvicultural treatments and arboretum care and management;
• Evaluation of the specific, structural and functional diversity of natural and quasi-natural forests;
• Identification of natural habitats and species of flora in forest ecosystems and development of measures to protect them;
• Assessment and mapping of the types of forest ecosystems valuable from the point of view of biodiversity;
• Foundation of the management of protected natural areas.

Infrastructure :

• Equipment and instruments for investigations and measurements: forestry clubs, hypsometers, telemeters, GPSs, total stations, relascopes, vertices, etc.;
• Modern devices and equipment for: monitoring the state of forest ecosystems (Level II), in situ monitoring of greenhouse gases;
• Modern apparatus and equipment for the realization of forestry arrangements in the GIS system;
• 49 long-term experimental areas (451.15 ha) in which activities are carried out regarding: the application of treatments with a continuous period of regeneration (woodland gardening), silvicultural operations, the acclimatization of some exotic and native species, the improvement of forest species, intensive monitoring of the state of ecosystems , the study of biomass (monitoring and forecasting) and 1088.37 ha where the application of treatments with a long regeneration period (quasi-horticulture) is experimented;
• In the entire area of the Mihăești Experimental Base (8364.42 ha), since 1964, forest management has been carried out on the basis of an experimental arrangement established according to naturalistic principles (experimental farming series), unique in Romanian forestry;
• The Mihăești Arboretum (65.05 ha), founded in the period 1895-1901), where long-term experiments are carried out regarding the acclimatization, expansion in culture and ecological compatibility of exotic forest species, natural regeneration for various exotic and native species, oak acclimatization pedunculate, genetic improvement of spruce;
• 2 nurseries intended for the production of forest and ornamental saplings, with a total area of 2.40 ha.

Research Services:

• Establishing conservation measures for natural habitats and the flora of forest ecosystems;
• Establishing methodologies for the identification, assessment and classification of rare, threatened or vulnerable forest habitats;
• Identification and assessment of endangered, vulnerable or rare Romanian forest habitats, including forests with high conservation values;
• Drawing up management plans for protected natural areas;
• Identification and evaluation of monumental trees in Romania;
• Development of IT applications specific to the forestry sector;
• Specialized documentation on the forecast of harmful insects.

Development Services:

• Design and technological transfer for forest management works;
• Elaboration of pedo-stationary studies and ecological reconstruction projects;
• Development of appropriate assessment studies, environmental impact and environmental reports;
• Topographic measurements and the creation of geospatial databases, maps and site plans in digital format;