Table Of ContentAdvances in Global Change Research 65
Mirjana Šijačić-Nikolić
Jelena Milovanović
Marina Nonić Editors
Forests of
Southeast Europe
Under a Changing
Climate
Conservation of Genetic Resources
Advances in Global Change Research
Volume 65
Editor-in-Chief
Martin Beniston, University of Geneva, Switzerland
Editorial Advisory Board
B. Allen-Diaz, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
W. Cramer, Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d’Ecologie Marine et
Continentale (IMBE), Aix-en-Provence, France
S. Erkman, Institute for Communication and Analysis of Science and Technology
(ICAST), Geneva, Switzerland
R. Garcia-Herrera, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
M. Lal, Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, India
U. Lutterbacher, University of Geneva, Switzerland
I. Noble, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
M. Stoffel, University of Bern, University of Geneva, Switzerland
L. Tessier, Institut Mediterranéen d’Ecologie et Paléoécologie (IMEP), Marseille,
France
F. Toth, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg,
Austria
M. M. Verstraete, South African National Space Agency, Pretoria, South Africa
More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/5588
Mirjana Šijačić-Nikolić • Jelena Milovanović
Marina Nonić
Editors
Forests of Southeast Europe
Under a Changing Climate
Conservation of Genetic Resources
Editors
Mirjana Šijačić-Nikolić Jelena Milovanović
Faculty of Forestry Faculty of Applied Ecology FUTURA
University of Belgrade Singidunum University
Belgrade, Serbia Belgrade, Serbia
Marina Nonić
Faculty of Forestry
University of Belgrade
Belgrade, Serbia
ISSN 1574-0919 ISSN 2215-1621 (electronic)
Advances in Global Change Research
ISBN 978-3-319-95266-6 ISBN 978-3-319-95267-3 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95267-3
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018963838
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Cover illustration: View from National Park “Djerdap”, Serbia
Author: Marina Nonić
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Preface
Forest genetic resources represent a source of variability which is a prerequisite for
the adaptation and survival of different types of forest trees and hence of forest eco-
systems in altered climatic conditions. They can also satisfy the different needs of
mankind if we consider them as the starting material in the process of breeding or
the already existing raw material. Bearing in mind that we are witnesses of climate
change that adversely affect the overall biodiversity, and therefore the forest genetic
resources, it is necessary to intensify the work on their conservation and further
directed use. The aim of this book is to point out the significance and potential of
forest genetic resources in the countries of Southeastern Europe, bearing in mind
that this is an area with pronounced biodiversity and significant forest cover. The
book elaborates current state and legal and institutional framework for forest genetic
resources conservation, in situ and ex situ conservation case studies from Southeast
Europe, as well as climate change aspects in forest genetic resources conservation.
Looking at the current state, with the desire to improve it, concluding remarks and
recommendations have been defined as a separate chapter which consists of objec-
tives, priorities, and measures for conservation of forest genetic resources of
Southeast Europe under a changing climate in the future. We believe that the book
will be of benefit to both professionals and researchers as well as to students, teach-
ers, and all others interested in forest genetic resources and nature conservation.
The book is partly supported through the following projects: “Establishment of
forest plantations to increase the afforested areas in Serbia” (TR31041); project
“Studying climate change and its influence on the environment: impacts, adaptation
and mitigation” (43007); and project “Ecoremediation of degraded areas through
agro-energy crops cultivation” (TR31078) financed by the Ministry of Education,
Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia.
Our special thanks go to the 66 authors of different chapters of the book who
represent 28 various scientific institutions from 9 countries of Southeast Europe
(Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Macedonia, Montenegro,
Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia) and contributed significantly to the quality of the
book. We sincerely hope that the book will find its readers and contribute to the
v
vi Preface
awareness raising about the significance of forest genetic resources conservation in
the context of climate change.
Belgrade, Serbia Mirjana Šijačić-Nikolić
Jelena Milovanović
Marina Nonić
Introduction
The climate change we witness is a serious threat to people, the living world, and
our environment. No one can foresee long-term consequences, while we are daily
witnessing the absence of common weather, and extreme events such as drought,
floods, forest fires, hurricanes, and the like. All current data and information, as well
as developed models, indicate that the ecosystems, products, and services they pro-
vide, as well as the biodiversity that is their integral part, are becoming degraded
and less able to function. Within global change, in the European context, it is quite
clear that Southeast Europe will be especially hard hit in terms of its biodiversity
whose significant part is in forests. Climate change represents particular challenges
for both forests and individual trees and forest genetic resources which are the basis
for adaptation and an adequate response to climate change.
In the countries of Southeast Europe, including Greece, Macedonia, Montenegro,
Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Slovenia, climate
change can lead to an increase in average temperatures, an increase in the frequency
of extreme weather conditions, an increase in coastal erosion, impact on marine
biodiversity, river level increase due to extreme rainy periods, more intensive and
frequent flooding, high pressure on water sources, changes in structure and layout
of arable land including poor harvesting, changes in habitat conditions and species
schedules, problems with foreign invasive species, and the reduction of the richness
of biodiversity. These events will have an impact on local and regional communities
that depend on services provided by the ecosystem in the form of food, drinking
water, fuel, raw materials sources, etc., which currently provides acceptable living
conditions and well-being for most of the population in this area. The fact is that
many Southeast European regions belong to most vulnerable areas to climate change
and where the most pronounced impacts of climate change on ecosystems can be
expected in the future, including forests.
Within the overall biodiversity of Southeast Europe, forest ecosystems occupy a
significant place. Forests represent a significant natural resource that fulfills eco-
nomic, cultural, and spiritual needs of man. These needs are related to forest prod-
ucts and services, such as wood and wood products, water, human and animal food,
medical services, fuel, recreation, wildlife habitat protection, and landscape
vii
viii Introduction
diversity. Forests can also be considered as a significant source of biological and
genetic diversity. Lately, forests have an indispensable role in mitigating climate
change caused by human activity. Forests, characterized by a wide range of produc-
tion and environmental functions, meet the different needs of mankind. Forest trees
and other woody plants provide the living space of many other organisms, building
complex mechanisms of genetic diversity. Genetic variability, both between and
within species, has multiple fundamental values. Thanks to it, the trees and shrubs
are adapting to the new environment conditions, even if they were under the nega-
tive influence of pests, diseases, or climate change. The diversity of forest ecosys-
tems is an important basis in the processes of evolution, selection, and breeding in
order to meet the needs of mankind for biomass.
Within forest resources, a significant place, perhaps the most significant, is occu-
pied by hundreds of trees that carry a different genetic structure (DNA). This genetic
variability of tree species, which has a potential or real value for man, is designated
as forest genetic resources. In the context of climate change and increasing exploita-
tion of forest genetic resources, the scientific and professional public is aware of the
necessity of conserving forest genetic resources. The basic international legal and
political framework for forest genetic resources in Europe is located within
EUFORGEN (European Forest Genetic Resources Program), which was estab-
lished in 1994 and represents a common mechanism for European countries in pro-
moting conservation and targeted use of forest genetic resources.
Most of the countries of Southeast Europe are members of EUFORGEN, so
cooperation in the field of conservation of forest genetic resources has been estab-
lished and activities are coordinated. Authors of this book intended to present the
state and the current activities for conservation of forest genetic resources in the
countries of Southeast Europe. According to the current state, goals, priorities, and
concrete measures were defined as guidelines for improving this area.
Contents
Part I State of Forest Genetic Resources Conservation
in Southeast Europe
1 State of Forests in Bosnia and Herzegovina:
Ecological and Vegetation Distribution, Management
and Genetic Variability ........................................................................... 3
Milan Mataruga, Dalibor Ballian, Rifet Terzić, Vanja Daničić,
and Branislav Cvjetković
2 Wild Fruit Tree Species of Montenegrin Forests.................................. 21
Milić Čurović, Miodrag Jovančević, and Jasmina Balijagić
3 Forests, Forestry and the Slovenian Forest Genetic
Resources Programme ............................................................................ 29
Hojka Kraigher, Marko Bajc, Gregor Božič, Robert Brus,
Kristjan Jarni, and Marjana Westergren
4 Conservation and Management of Forest Genetic
Resources in Macedonia ......................................................................... 49
Vlatko Andonovski and Nikolco Velkovski
5 The Current State of Forest Genetic Resources in Romania .............. 61
Flaviu Popescu, Dragoș Postolache, and Alexandru Lucian Curtu
6 State of Biodiversity and Forest Genetic Resources
in Greece in Relation to Conservation .................................................. 73
Filippos A. Aravanopoulos, Paraskevi G. Alizoti, Anna-Maria
Farsakoglou, Ermioni Malliarou, Evangelia V. Avramidou,
and Nikolaos Tourvas
ix
