Predicting global change mitigations based on environmental variables, like temperature and water availability, although yielding insightful hypothesis still lacks the integration of environmental ...responses. Physiological limits should be assessed to obtain a complete representation of a species' fundamental niche. Detailed ecophysiological studies on the response of trees along the latitudinal gradient are rare. They could shed light on the behaviour under different light intensities and other studied traits. The forests of the Dinaric Mountains and the Carpathians represent the largest contiguous forest complexes in south-eastern Europe. In uneven-aged Carpathian (8 plots) and Dinaric Mountain (11 plots) forests, net assimilation (A
) and maximum quantum yield (Φ) were measured for beech and fir in three predefined light intensity categories according to the indirect site factor (ISF%) obtained by the analysis of hemispherical photographs in managed and old growth forests, all located above 800 m a.s.l. The measurements were carried out under fixed environmental conditions in each light category per plot for three consecutive years. Data from the last 50-year average period from the CRU TS 4.01 dataset were used for the comparison between Amax, Φ, and climate. The highest Φ for beech were observed in the central part of the Dinaric Mountains and in the south westernmost and northwesternmost part of the Carpathians for both beech and fir, while they were highest for fir in the Dinaric Mountains in the northwesternmost part of the study area. The Φ-value of beech decreased in both complexes with increasing mean annual temperature and was highest in the open landscape. For fir in the Carpathians, Φ decreased with increasing mean annual temperature, while in the Dinaric Mountains it increased with higher temperature and showed a more scattered response compared to the Carpathians. Short-term ecophysiological responses of beech and fir were consistent to long-term radial growth observations observed on same locations. The results may provide a basis and an indication of the future response of two tree species in their biogeographical range to climate change in terms of competitiveness, existence and consequently forest management decisions.
•The CSI methodology measures the terrestrial landscape permeability for ecological connectivity at macro-regional scale.•Sensitivity and plausibility analyses provide insights for its ...application.•Different levels of detail and data processing minimally affect CSI results.•The CSI can support nature protection, connectivity conservation measures and landscape planning at macro-regional scale.
Over the past decade, ecological connectivity has entered the political agenda, especially within the European transnational context. This evolution has driven the development of structural ecological connectivity and landscape permeability methodologies, such as the Continuum Suitability Index (CSI) presented here, which considers a range of anthropogenic factors that impact ecosystems. Numerous international and national projects have adopted the CSI to assess terrestrial landscape permeability on the macro-regional scale and prioritize areas for the implementation of ecological conservation and restoration measures. Although the CSI methodology has been applied several times, its sensitivity to individual factors, plausibility and ability to maintain consistency and robustness across different data sources and levels of spatial data precision have remained largely unexplored. Here, we presented the conceptual aspects of the CSI methodology, incorporating the outcomes from a literature review and expert workshops, and examined the CSI results for three projects spanning the Alps and Dinaric Mountains. Five key factors—namely, land use, population pressure, landscape fragmentation, environmental protection and topography—were identified as pivotal for analyzing landscape permeability and thus ecological connectivity. Notably, among these factors, population pressure exhibited the highest sensitivity, while fragmentation exerted the least influence on CSI outcomes. When comparing the CSI factors with data on the presence of red-listed species, the environmental protection indicator emerged as the most influential factor. Furthermore, our investigation comparing the different projects indicated that the chosen level of detail and data sources had minimal impact on the CSI results. Collectively, these analyses highlight CSI's adaptability and considerable potential as a versatile and straightforward applicable tool for an initial assessment of ecological connectivity at the macro-regional scale.
Much of our understanding of natural forest dynamics in the temperate region of Europe is based on observational studies in old-growth remnants that have emphasized small-scale gap dynamics and ...equilibrium stand structure and composition. Relatively little attention has been given to the role of infrequent disturbance events in forest dynamics. In this study, we analyzed dendroecological data from four stands and three windthrow patches in an old-growth landscape in the Dinaric Mountains of Bosnia and Herzegovina to examine disturbance history, tree life history traits, and compositional dynamics. Over all stands, most decades during the past 340 years experienced less than 10% canopy loss, yet each stand showed evidence of periodic intermediate-severity disturbances that removed >40% of the canopy, some of which were synchronized over the study area landscape. Analysis of radial growth patterns indicated several life history differences among the dominant canopy trees; beech was markedly older than fir, while growth patterns of dead and dying trees suggested that fir was able to tolerate longer periods of suppressed growth in shade. Maple had the fastest radial growth and accessed the canopy primarily through rapid early growth in canopy gaps, whereas most beech and fir experienced a period of suppressed growth prior to canopy accession. Peaks in disturbance were roughly linked to increased recruitment, but mainly of shade-tolerant beech and fir; less tolerant species (i.e., maple, ash, and elm) recruited successfully on some of the windthown sites where advance regeneration of beech and fir was less abundant. The results challenge the traditional notions of stability in temperate old-growth forests of Europe and highlight the nonequilibrial nature of canopy composition due to unique histories of disturbance and tree life history differences. These findings provide valuable information for developing natural disturbance-based silvicultural systems, as well as insight into maintaining less shade-tolerant, but valuable broadleaved trees in temperate forests of Europe.
The Alps and the Dinaric Mountains are European biodiversity hubs and still show one of the lowest levels of landscape fragmentation in Europe, although some parts of the two mountain ranges are ...subjected to heavy human-related pressures. The aim of the present study was to analyse the current state of landscape connectivity and identify the most important geographical areas for preservation of unimpeded movement of species and the flow of natural processes from northern Italy to northern Greece, using the Continuum Suitability Index (CSI) in combination with a least-cost path (LCP) model.
Results show 21.2% of the of the area displays high level of permeability with functioning ecological linkages (named Strategic Connectivity Areas, SACA1) of which 82% are already under environmental protection. However, results indicate a noticeable difference in the proportion of SACA1 area under environmental protection between EU and non-EU countries. The proportion of the national territory assigned to SACA1 varies considerably among countries from 7.2% in Bosnia and Herzegovina to 31.3% in Albania. The identified macro-regional LCP covers 105,669 km
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interlinking 52% of the SACA1 surface. Almost half of the SACA1 are transboundary, indicating high importance of synchronised cross-border conservation efforts and spatial planning. Results of this structural connectivity model are useful for policy maker on the macro-regional scale, however future efforts should focus on functional connectivity on the local and regional scales.
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•Highly fragmented distribution of Cerastium dinaricum is a result of upward habitat displacement.•Phylogeographic split separating two groups of populations is supported by genome ...size differences.•Pronounced genetic substructure among the southern populations.•Endangered by global warming: habitat modeling shows 70% decrease of viable habitat by the year 2080.
The Balkans are a major European biodiversity hotspot, however, almost nothing is known about processes of intraspecific diversification of the region’s high-altitude biota and their reaction to the predicted global warming. To fill this gap, genome size measurements, AFLP fingerprints, plastid and nuclear sequences were employed to explore the phylogeography of Cerastium dinaricum. Range size changes under future climatic conditions were predicted by niche-based modeling. Likely the most cold-adapted plant endemic to the Dinaric Mountains in the western Balkan Peninsula, the species has conservation priority in the European Union as its highly fragmented distribution range includes only few small populations. A deep phylogeographic split paralleled by divergent genome size separates the populations into two vicariant groups. Substructure is pronounced within the southeastern group, corresponding to the area’s higher geographic complexity. Cerastium dinaricum likely responded to past climatic oscillations with altitudinal range shifts, which, coupled with high topographic complexity of the region and warmer climate in the Holocene, sculptured its present fragmented distribution. Field observations revealed that the species is rarer than previously assumed and, as shown by modeling, severely endangered by global warming as viable habitat was predicted to be reduced by more than 70% by the year 2080.
A morphologically distinguished and isolated cavernicolous trechine beetle belonging to the isotopic Duvalius lineage was discovered in Dinarids, Western Bosnia, in hypogean environment, in the cave ...Mračna Pećina. Duvalius (Neoduvalius) lohaji n. sp., is described, illustrated and compared with the other Duvalius species of the Dinaric range, especially with Neoduvalius taxa. In addition, taxonomical considerations about Duvalius-related genera that exhibit aphaenopsian morphology are given.
The Balkan Peninsula and the Dinaric Mountains possess extraordinary biodiversity and support one of the largest and most diverse wolf (Canis lupus) populations in Europe. Results obtained with ...diverse genetic markers show west‐east substructure, also seen in various other species, despite the absence of obvious barriers to movement. However, the spatial extent of the genetic clusters remains unresolved, and our aim was to combine fine‐scale sampling with population and spatial genetic analyses to improve resolution of wolf genetic clusters. We analyzed 16 autosomal microsatellites from 255 wolves sampled in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH), and Serbia and documented three genetic clusters. These comprised (1) Slovenia and the regions of Gorski kotar and Lika in Croatia, (2) the region of Dalmatia in southern Croatia and BIH, and (3) Serbia. When we mapped the clusters geographically, we observed west‐east genetic structure across the study area, together with some specific structure in BIH–Dalmatia. We observed that cluster 1 had a smaller effective population size, consistent with earlier reports of population recovery since the 1980s. Our results provide foundation for future genomic studies that would further resolve the observed west‐east population structure and its evolutionary history in wolves and other taxa in the region and identify focal areas for habitat conservation. They also have immediate importance for conservation planning for the wolves in one of the most important parts of the species’ European range.
In this manuscript, we analyzed microsatellites from 255 wolves sampled in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH), and Serbia and documented three genetic clusters as follows: (1) Slovenia and the regions of Gorski kotar and Lika in Croatia, (2) the region of Dalmatia in southern Croatia and BIH, and (3) Serbia. When we mapped the clusters geographically, we observed west‐east genetic structure across the study area, together with some specific structure in BIH—Dalmatia. Our results provide foundation for future genomic studies that would further resolve the observed west‐east population structure and its evolutionary history in wolves and other taxa in the region and identify focal areas for habitat conservation. They also have immediate importance for conservation planning for the wolves in one of the most important parts of the species’ European range.
Abstract Human–bear conflicts resulting from livestock depredation and crop use are a common threat to the brown bear Ursus arctos throughout its range. Understanding these conflicts requires the ...recording and categorization of incidents, assessment of their geographical distribution and frequency, and documentation of the financial costs and the presence of any preventative measures. Damage compensation schemes can help mitigate conflicts and, in some cases, improve acceptance of bears. This study aims to elucidate the major factors determining the patterns of damage caused by bears, examine the effectiveness of preventative measures in reducing such damage, and identify bear damage hotspots in Croatia. Our analysis is based on damage reports provided by hunting organizations to the Croatian Ministry of Agriculture during 2004–2014. The highest number of claims were made for damage to field crops and orchards. Damage to livestock, agricultural crops and beehives resulted in the highest total cost to farmers. Damage to beehives and to automatic corn feeders for game species incurred the highest cost per damage event. We identified a hotspot for bear damage claims in Croatia, located near Risnjak National Park and the border with Slovenia. Damage appears higher in areas that have more villages closer to protected areas and a greater per cent of forest cover, indicating a synergistic effect of protected environments that facilitate bear movements and the presence of human activities that provide easily accessible food for bears.
The Dinaric Mountains in Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina provide a unique system to address the effects of past hunting on the genetic structure of northern chamois (Rupicapra ...rupicapra) and possible hybridization in the contact zone in the Velebit Mountains. The northern Dinaric Mountains should be occupied by alpine chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra rupicapra), whereas the central and southern areas are inhabited by the Balkan chamois (R. rupicapra balcanica). This is the first study to characterize the genetic variation in chamois populations in the area. We used microsatellite and mitochondrial markers to analyze the genetic variation and structure of chamois populations from different geographical areas with different histories. Specifically, we explored the influence of recent human translocations and geographical isolation on the genetic architecture of chamois populations in the assumed contact zone. We successfully genotyped 74 individual samples and the number of alleles/locus ranged from 6 to 20 with a mean of 9.20. Allelic richness across populations ranged from 2.94 in the Prenj Mountains, Bosnia and Herzegovina to 3.56 in the Biokovo Mountains, Croatia. A similar pattern was also observed for heterozygosity, ranging between 0.729 and 0.572, and expected heterozygosity, ranging between 0.762 and 0.644 in the Prenj and Biokovo mountains, respectively. The global genetic distance (FST) for 7 population samples was 0.103 ±0.047 (range = 0.0156–0.185). The STRUCTURE tree clusters separated samples from the northern Dinaric Mountains from those of the southern Dinaric Mountains into 2 clusters according to geographic location. The results obtained using a Bayesian clustering methodology was similar. By using mtDNA variation in chamois from Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, the existence of alpine chamois haplotypes in northern areas and Balkan chamois haplotypes in southern areas was confirmed. These results confirm the impact of recent human management (i.e., translocation) into the Velebit Mountains, which established a new contact (hybridization) zone between the subspecies. Therefore, future translocations must be planned carefully to avoid compromising genetic integrity and posing a serious risk to native species, as in this case.
In the Dinaric Mountains, the future of silver fir and Norway spruce appears to be uncertain, especially given the threat of climate change to both species and browsing pressure on fir. Stand ...development of mixed Dinaric mountain forest in Slovenia was simulated for the period 2010–2110 using the ForClim model to explore the prospects of both target species under five management scenarios (business-as-usual, no management, single-tree selection, fir conservation and exclusion of browsing) and three climate scenarios (current climate and two climate change scenarios). Simulations under the current climate revealed a decrease in fir proportion from 53% in 2010 to 14–37% in 2110, while the proportion of spruce remained relatively constant (13% in 2010 and 9–13% in 2110). Climate change may intensify the decline of both species along an elevation gradient. An upward shift was projected for fir in the observed period; in low-elevation stands (600–800 m a.s.l.), fir could almost disappear, while at high elevations (1050–1400 m a.s.l.), our simulations projected an increase in the proportion of both fir and spruce. No single management strategy proved to be significantly beneficial for either species. The most promising strategies were the fir conservation-oriented scenario and the exclusion of browsing; large ungulates strongly impacted the development of fir, but not that of spruce. Forest management affords different options for maintaining both species, but its capacity to prevent fir decline under climate change and high browsing pressure is limited. Concurrent measures of wildlife management and silviculture should be applied to maintain conifers in the studied forests.
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