This study outlines research performed on experimental plots established in forest plantations and in natural black pine forests. The objective of the study was to determine the habitat factors that ...have the greatest impact on the growth and development of natural black pine forests and black pine forests plantations upon the return of climatozonal vegetation. Plots 625 m2 in size were selected and vegetation inventories made, and the structural elements of black pine plantations examined. Multivariate analysis found that elevation and slope were the two variables that had the highest positive correlation with the floristic composition of the vegetation. Furthermore, one of the goals was to determine the differences with regard to reforestation with black pine. The analysis of the isolated experimental plots showed a clear grouping of plots according to habitat factors. The differences in the synecological factors in the research area resulted in the presence of sub-Mediterranean, epi-Mediterranean and eu-Mediterranean elements within the black pine forest plantations. This also reduces the risk of the occurrence and development of large wildfires.
The Mediterranean forest region has been exposed to anthropogenic impacts for centuries, and the constant biotic and abiotic factors, together with increasing climate change, have hindered the proper ...management of forest ecosystems. This study presents the results of multiyear, systematic, specific and practical monitoring of the conversion of holm oak coppices using the principles of the shelterwood system. It also presents the growth and development dynamics of the stand on a permanent experimental plot from 1997 to 2017. The research was performed in the Eumediterranean vegetation zone of coniferous forest (Forest Management, Buzet branch, Pula Forestry Office, Magran Cuf management unit, compartment 83a). The plot has all the properties of a holm oak and manna ash forests (Orno-Quercetum ilicis H-ić/1956/1958). The basic elements of stand structure were monitored: diameter at breast height (DBH), tree height, horizontal crown projection, crown ground shading (light) and the appearance and abundance of all woody vegetation, with special emphasis on the growth and development of young generations of holm oak from seed. The paper also describes the threats limiting growth, development and survival of holm oak from seed (strong shooting tendencies of coppiced holm oak and bay laurel trees, excessive presence of shrubs). Forest management requires effective, timely and repeated tending to thin stands (already under the canopy), while also protecting young trees from wild game. The statistical method of interpolation determined the trends of stand development; trend equation with coefficient of determination (R2) is very high. This indicates the growth and development of the stand in the direction of renewal of holm oak stands. Shelterwood cutting, with regular and timely tending of young generations of trees through a seven-year regeneration period, resulted in a high quality young high forest of holm oak, the first of its kind in the broader Mediterranean area. The indigenous stands of holm oak, as the fundamental climatogenic coniferous species of the Mediterranean species, have multiple roles such as protection from erosion, resilience to biotic and abiotic factors and forest fires, tourism and landscape functions, and other general forest functions, and therefore deserve intensive and ongoing research. Holm oak stands also play a part in conserving genetic and biological diversity, the potential and persistence of forest ecosystems, improving stand structure, stability and resilience of forest ecosystems to climate change, and in the long-term increase the commercial value of forest stands in the Croatian Mediterranean.
Black pine (Pinus nigra J.F. Arnold) is one of the most important reforestation species for dry and rocky terrain in the sub-Mediterranean zone. Fire is an important factor in black pine stands that ...largely defines the distribution range of black pine and the floristic composition of its stands. Fire causes less damage during autumn or early spring when tree cones contain ripe seeds that can partially reforest burnt surfaces. Every fire is a potentially significant threat to forest habitats. There are many damages, from direct damages to wood mass and reforestation costs, to indirect ecological, edaphic, protective damages and the loss of biological diversity. The aim of prevention works in forestry is to reduce the number of fires and reduce burnt surface area per fire. Research was based on vegetation analysis performed on each experimental plot in a black pine stand. The assessment of fire severity was performed using the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index (FWI). The assessment of the severity of fire indicates the suitability of conditions for the occurrence of forest fires, and enables sound and effective protective methods beginning with silvicultural works. The results indicate better quality stands in the higher parts of the sub-Mediterranean area. Taking into account the climatic parameter, the areas on the border with the continental climate have better habitat conditions for black pine. Also, attention should be focused on 2012 and 2015. High values (Figure 13 – 16.22, Figure 11 – 6.99, Figure 8 – 8.38, Figure 7 – 12.02 and 12.25, Figure 5 – 8.32) indicate the overlapping of extremely dry periods and extremely high summer temperatures, and probably a strong wind influence that further increases the index. Fire severity assessments indicate the suitability of conditions for the onset of fire.
Fire season in the Mediterranean bioclimatic area is most associated with the period from June to late October. Despite this, a large number of fires occur in February and March due to the ...intentional burning of agricultural lands. A characteristic of the Mediterranean region is the strong adaptation of vegetation to fire, though this adaptation also depends on the frequency and intensity of fires. This frequency is shown on satellite images via MODIS. This paper provides an overview of indicators of vegetation fires in the Croatian coast and karst coastal belt in the 2020 fire season. The 2020 fire season was above average in comparison with the period 2010 to 2019, with more fires than average and more burnt area. A specificity of the 2020 season is seen in the large number of fires in February and March. Fire protection in Croatia is facilitated by the use of new remote sensing technologies, in combination with the existing surveillance and monitoring methods, and organised protection systems to prevent open fires.
The authors investigate the structural characteristics, regeneration processes, growth, development, and survival of a young generation of common beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) based on three periodic ...measurements (1998, 2009, and 2018). The studied forest community (Lamio orvale-Fagetum sylvaticae (Ht. 1938) Bohridi 1963) is situated within a forest reserve in Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia. Monitoring was carried out according to UN/ECE (2000) for systematic and repeated research. The basic structural indicators, structural canopy elements, and appearance of the young generation were measured as the basic conditions of natural restoration in repeated phytocenological surveys (1980, 1988, 2004). The distribution of the number of trees of the first two measurements (1998–2009) indicates a distribution with pronounced right asymmetry. The structural dynamics observed during the surveys and alongside vegetation surveys indicate the dynamics of the growth and development of beech. The results show that the main drivers of development dynamics in protected forest ecosystems are structural breaks (gaps) that occur in stands due to the action of abiotic and biotic factors. The passive management model in effect in the national park should be replaced with a more active approach to facilitate natural processes with the aim of preserving and renewing the forest ecosystem.
Climatic conditions are extremely important for the start and spread of forest fires. Flammability and the spread of fire are sensitive to the interactions of variables within ecosystems, such as ...weather, fuel, and topography. Certain variables are highly significant for forest fires and are applied in various models, particularly the moisture content of potential fuel, and its flammability or combustibility. However, such these models cannot determine the true values of the required variables, unlike actual empirical research. Areas with the highest number of fires show significant variability and differences in air temperature, humidity, and precipitation. These factors have a strong influence on flammability, combustibility, and moisture content of Mediterranean species. This study analyses the flammability and combustibility of two Mediterranean species important for the Adriatic area in Croatia: climazonal holm oak (Quercus ilex L.) and Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis Mill.) as an important conifer for afforestation and reforestation. The results of linear correlation coefficients of flammability of these species at the studied localities show a statistically significant and very strong correlation between flammability and the moisture content of the tested sample, with the exception of Aleppo pine on the island of Rab. The analysis of variance of combustibility showed that there were no statistically significant differences between nearly all variables tested. The results indicate the significant effect of live fuel moisture content on the flammability and combustibility of natural fuels.
The experiment was set up in the forest ecosystem with diverse vegetation zones in the area of Istria and the Croatian Littoral. Research included the following systematic soil units: lithic ...lepto-sols, rendzic leptosols, rendzic leptosols - eroded, mollic leptosols, chromic cambisol and chromic luvisols. The average quantity of the forest litter in the studied systematic soil units reaches 13.36 t/ha (Tables 1-3). The “wealth” of organic matter in the studied soil units can be presented with the following series: chromic cambisols (CMx) > mollic leptosols (LPm), organogenic, rendzic leptosols (LPk) > lithic leptosols (LPq) > chromic cambisols (CMx) - Terra rossa, chromic luvi-sols (LVx) > rendzic leptosols (LPk) - eroded. As expected, the lowest value of total nitrogen was found in the lithic leptosols in relation to almost all the other soils, except when compared with chromic cambisol and rendzic leptosols (p ⋋ 0.05). The statistically justified higher values of the percentage share of P
in the forest litter were found in chromic luvisols and rendzic leptosols - eroded in relation to the other studied soils. Significantly higher level of copper contamination was inside rendzic leptosols - eroded in relation to the other studied soils. The exception is rendzic leptosols (p ⋋ 0.05). A significantly higher zinc content was detected in the lithic leptosols in relation to the other soil units, except for chromic luvisols, while a justifiably higher total lead and cadmium content in the forest litter was observed in chromic luvisols in relation to the other compared soils
⋋ 0.05).
In Europe, forest fires are a serious and constant threat. They destroy forests and forest land, causing damage, financial loss, and long-lasting impacts on forest ecosystem services. There are ...several ways to decrease the number of forest fires, including continuous investment in fire prevention measures and the intensive implementation of adaptive sustainable forest management measures, which need additional financial resources. In many cases, forest management activities in karst forests are not implemented in a timely manner and in coordination with other stakeholders. A comprehensive study about the impact of forest fires on different economic activities (tourism and protected areas) is not currently available. In this study, the legislative framework in Croatia was analysed in relation to the fire protection activities and jurisdictions of different institutions. From data collected in the period 2013–2020, the first-age class afforestation costs and growing stock assortment value were calculated, and the non-wood forest functions were estimated. The aforementioned data were further compared to the Fire Weather Index (FWI) and Seasonal Severity Rating (SSR) of fire seasons. The total estimated damage is EUR 326,810,724.72. The research emphasises the need for the implementation of cross-sectoral forest policy measures. The state forest company should allocate more financial resources for biological forest restoration in the future. Forest management practices should implement climate-adaptable silviculture measures to preserve forest and forest land.
The paper investigates the ameliorative properties of pine cultures in their site conditions on the island of Rab. Pines, as allochthonous and pioneer species, were used to afforest degraded and ...devastated areas on the island because of their important role in the process of progressive vegetation succession. Twelve sample plots were established in the forest pine cultures. They encompassed various pine cultures (maritime pine, Aleppo pine and black pine) in diverse parent substrates (limestone, reddish-brown quartz sand, Flysch) and different soil types (eutric cambisol, cambisol on limestone, red soil and rendzina). To process the data, the following multivariate analyses were used: Two Way Indicator Species Analysis (TWINSPAN), Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) and Indicator Species Analysis. The research results showed differences among the forest cultures of black pine, Aleppo pine and maritime pine. A relationship was found between the quantitative environmental variables (slope, pH, humus, the C/N ratio, age and the quantity of leaf litter) and the vegetation. As well as the relationship of the species towards qualitative variables (type of pine culture, parent substrate, soil type, exposition).
Pinija (Pinus pinea L.) je autohtona mediteranska drvenasta vrsta koja je raširena na cijelom Sredozemlju. Pinija je termofilna biljna vrsta koja je dobro prilagođena sušnim uvjetima uzgoja te ima ...dosta široku valenciju u pogledu zemljišta za uzgoj. Ima gospodarsku, ekološku, krajobraznu i nutritivnu vrijednost. U šumarstvu je posebno pogodna i poželjna za pošumljavanje i melioraciju degradiranih terena na kršu. Cilj ovog rada bio je analizirati bioekološke, šumsko-uzgojne, hortikulturne i nutritivne karakteristike pinije.
Pine (Pinus pinea L.) is an autochthonous mediterranean woody species that is widespread throughout the Mediterranean coast. Pine tree is a thermophilic plant species that is well adapted to growing in dry conditions and has a wide range of cultivation. Its value is economic, ecological, landscape and nutritional. In forestry, it is suitable and desirable for afforestation and melioration of degraded karst terrain. The aim of this work is to analyze the bioecological, forestry, horticultural and nutritional characteristics of pine.
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