Comparative structural dynamics of the Janj mixed old-growth mountain forest in Bosnia and Herzegovina : are conifers in a long-term decline?

Keren, Srdjan (author), Motta, Renzo (author), Govedar, Zoran (author), Lučić, Radovan (author), Medarević, Milan (author), Diaci, Jurij (author)

Regression of conifers in European mixed old-growth mountain forests has been observed for a long period and studied from different aspects. Old-growth (OG) forests in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) have not experienced heavy air pollution and chronic overbrowsing that have affected many other European OG forests, while climatic and anthropogenic disturbances have been well documented. We analysed stand structure in the Janj OG forest, compared it with inventories of Lom and Perucica OG forests (BiH) and with earlier inventories of the same reserves. At present, OG forest Janj is characterized by a high growing stock (1215 m$^3$·ha$^{−1}$). This is due to good site quality, prevalence of conifers (84%) and dominant endogenous processes in recent decades. In all three OG forests, indicators of structural change exhibited progression of European beech over time. Historical evidence revealed the occurrence of warm summers and droughts followed by bark beetle outbreaks in the 1920s, 1940s and early 1950s, which in turn influenced a marked conifer decline. It seems likely that repeated canopy opening released waves of European beech regeneration. These stand structural changes have delayed the rejuvenation of conifers and can help explain the early observations of conifer decline.

• Language: English
• Keywords: mixed old-growth forest, structural attributes, Fagus sylvatica progression, climatic extremes
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2014
• Number of pages: Str. 1243-1266
• Numbering: Vol. 5, iss. 6
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-130816
• UDC: 630*228.81:630*111.83(497.6)(045)=111
• ISSN on article: 1999-4907
• DOI: 10.3390/f5061243
• COBISS.SI-ID: 3872934
• Publication date in RUL: 17.09.2021

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Forests
• Shortened title: Forests
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 1999-4907
• COBISS.SI-ID: 3872166

Licences

• License: CC BY 3.0, Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
• Link: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en
• Description: You are free to reproduce and redistribute the material in any medium or format. You are free to remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially. You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
• Licensing start date: 10.06.2014

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: pragozd, bukev, iglavci, vremenski ekstremi

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P4-0059
• Name: Gozd, gozdarstvo in obnovljivi gozdni viri

• Funder: Other - Other funder or multiple funders
• Funding programme: Ministry of Science and Technology, the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia-Herzegovina