Glasnik Šumarskog fakulteta Univerziteta u Banjoj Luci

Traditional ecological knowledge in forestry: Trends and prospects

2023-12-29T13:34:48+01:00

Ensuring the protection of natural environments is vital for the prosperity of future generations. In all forested regions of the globe, local traditions have been essential in creating healthy human-forest relationships. These practices can be summed up as Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), forming an increasingly important factor to consider when developing practical and effective forestry policy. Despite the international community’s gradual acceptance of TEK as a valid policy guide, the field of forestry in many regions of the world continually ignores this crucial concept. As such, many forest ecosystems are harvested in ways that do not reflect the values of local - and often indigenous - communities, resulting in socio-economic divisions and unsustainable environmental degradation. This paper examines the state of TEK in the forestry sector through conducting a comprehensive literature synthesis of thirty-six published papers. Based on trends within the selected literature, the majority of articles identify TEK as providing social, political and economic benefits to the forestry sector. The literature also indicates that governmental and non-governmental forestry actors have and continue to neglect TEK as a policy tool, with 72% of the works examined directly discussing the damaging effects of this trend. The implications of these results are discussed in the light of temporal issues relating to the forestry sector, providing an impetus for both academics and leaders in forestry to consider the importance of TEK in policy and research.

Protected areas management: A case study of the State enterprise "Srbijašume"

2023-12-29T13:45:42+01:00

The aim of this paper is to perform an analysis of the management of protected areas in the Republic of Serbia, with special reference to the management of protected areas entrusted to the State Enterprise for Forest Management “Srbijašume”.

Method of evaluating the natural and created values of an area, procedures for placing certain parts of nature under protection, management of protected natural assets, appointment of the manager of the protected area were analyzed. For this purpose, data on the protection and management of protected areas on the territory of Serbia in the period 1948–2022 were collected and analyzed, i.e. data on the protection and management of protected areas under the jurisdiction of SE “Srbijašume”.

Serbia is characterized by a rich and diverse natural heritage that is reflected in a wide range of geological, geomorphological, pedological, climatic, hydrological and biological diversity. A large number and diversity of plant and animal species, their communities and ecosystems make Serbia a Europe in miniature, and one of the centers of its biological diversity.

In order to preserve special natural values and improve their condition, certain parts or natural ecosystems, as well as species, are declared protected natural assets.

According to the Law on Nature Protection, protected natural assets in Serbia are protected areas, protected species and movable protected natural documents.

For the management of 93 protected areas of national importance that cover an area of 623 011 ha (90% of the total area protected in Serbia), 49 managers have been appointed. The State Enterprise for Forest Management “Srbijašume” manages 54 protected areas on a land surface of 348 725 ha, which is 51.4% of the total land surface of protected areas in Serbia (691 434 ha or 7.81% of the Republic of Serbia).

Preservation, protection and improvement of natural values represent part of the strategy and one of the key goals in the business policy of SE “Srbijašume”, the leading enterprise in the management of protected areas. Of the total land surface of protected areas, there are 9445.63 ha (2.71%) in the protection regime of 1st degree, 64 679.07 ha (18.52%) in 2nd degree of protection, and 274 699.96 ha (78,77%) in 3rd degree of protection.

In paper stated that protected and preserved nature ensures the permanent existence of fundamental values and potential for the development of Serbia.

Based on the analysis of the current way of managing of the protected areas, the paper proposed the measures that should be implemented for the efficient functioning of protected areas.

Survival and juvenile-age performance of Salicaceae clones for biomass

2023-07-10T13:53:15+02:00

The adaptability of three Salicaceae clones selected for biomass (Salix x ‘Terra Nova’, Populus x ‘AF-18’ and Populus x ‘AF-8’) was tested in the first year of growth at nursery in comparison with a poplar cultivar for wood production (Populus x ‘I-214’).

An experimental plantation was established in April 2020 with standard hardwood cuttings on 0.2 ha of nursery land along the Danube River in Central Northern Bulgaria. Principal leaf gas exchange parameters were measured. Diameter increment, height growth and increment, and normalized difference vegetation index were monitored on representative samples of plants. The influence of the genotype was analyzed, and correlations with main climate parameters were sought.

The willow clone showed early increment culmination and a sharp decline in growth and viability with the suspension of watering. It had the lowest net photosynthetic rate (8.312 ± 0.107 μmol (CO2)·m-2·s-1), low biomass growth (0.098 ± 0.01 kg DM) and a high survival rate.

Unlike the other poplar genotypes, ‘I-214’ showed rapid growth at the beginning of the summer, a high transpiration rate (1.222 ± 0.034 mmol (H2O)·m-2·s-1) and a stronger dependence on moisture. Clones ‘AF-8’ and ‘AF-18’ had high photosynthetic (10.238 ± 0.231 and 11.480 ± 0.193 μmol (CO2)·m-2·s-1, respectively) and low transpiration (0.672 ± 0.024 and 0.682 ± 0.015 mmol (H2O)·m-2·s-1, respectively) rates, and their growth was positively affected by the temperatures. The water use efficiency of the poplar biomass clones was the highest. ‘AF-8’ genotype showed the best diameter and biomass (0.194 ± 0.036 kg DM per plant) growth, while the ‘AF-18’ genotype grew best in height.

Analysis of the quality of primary forest accessibility: the case study

2023-07-10T14:09:33+02:00

Relative forest accessibility percent of accessible forest area by forest roads in comparison with total forest area is the most important indicator of the quality of primary forest accessibility. The accessible forest area by forest roads is determined by the bounded area around forest roads. Today, in the area with steep and variable slopes of terrain, a double targeted geometrical extraction distance of timber is used for the width of the bounded area around forest roads, and the forest road spacing is used in the area with a mild and uniform slope of the terrain. Both parameters depend on the targeted density of forest roads. Modern information technologies (IT) like geographical information systems (GIS) enable the quality spatial and statistical analysis of different kinds of data whose result is not accessible forest areas by current primary forest traffic infrastructure only, but also an insight into the spatial distribution of insufficient accessible areas into the forest area. The spatial distribution of these areas is significant for spatial distribution of the new routes of forest roads. The research is done in the area of Forest Management Unit (FMU) Prosara, for which the spatial analysis of a digital terrain model (DTM) determined the mostly hilly relief area. The average relative forest accessibility, based on double targeted geometrical extraction distance of timber, is 35% for the actual network of forest roads, and targeted forest road spacing is 60% for the upgraded network of forest roads.

Morphometric characters of Platanus × acerifolia (Aiton) Willd. leaves under the heterogeneous urban environments in the Republic of Srpska

2023-12-29T13:14:37+01:00

Urban environments are often polluted with numerous contaminants originating from extensive traffic, industry and heating systems. London planetree (Platanus × acerifolia (Aiton) Willd.) is considered as a tree species resistant to air pollutants and climate changes in urban environments. Its resistance is based on the traits of adaptation to dry and warm conditions, bioindication of the degree of urban pollution and plant species with an important role in the nature-inspired solutions for urban areas sustainability. Therefore, this study aims to determine the differences in the morphometric traits of the leaf blade of London planetree, regarding the urban conditions of several cities in the Republic of Srpska. The study was carried out during May-June 2019. Trees for leaf sampling were selected in urban parks and alleys surrounded by high-traffic density streets. At the morphological level, the following leaf blade traits were analyzed: leaf blade length (L), maximum width of the axis of the midrib (W), distance from the midrib to the right margin (X), distance from the midrib to the left margin (Y), distance from the right lateral vein to the main vein (WR), distance from the left lateral vein to the main vein (WL), length of the right lateral vein (RL) and length of the left lateral vein (LL). The results showed that foliar comparisons have been useful in the determination of morphological differences of urban trees influenced by contrasting urban environments. Our results indicate that, based on leaf blade morphometric characters, Bijeljina was distinguished as a separate urban area, Doboj and Prijedor were grouped, while Banja Luka and Trebinje formed the second group. The results indicate the importance of applied analysis in the biological monitoring of the pollution level of urban environments.