Based on archival data from the old forest management plans, we analyzed the development of forest stands in the Čemernica (Bosnia and Herzegovina) forest management unit. We used data from forest inventories carried in the years 1964, 1979, 1987, 1999 and 2008. Selection system has been the main silvicultural system applied in the Čemernica forest management unit. At the level of compartments (n = 59), we analyzed the changes of growing stock, tree species composition and diameter stucture of forest stands. The changes of tree species composition and diameter structure were modeled with the topographical variables (altitude, slope and exposition) and the variables of accessibility (density of forest roads, distance to the nearest settlement and distance to the nearest road). In the period 1964-2008, the growing stock increased from 311 m3/ha to 395 m3/ha. Tree species composition changed; the share of beech in growing stock slightly decreased, while the proportion of silver fir, Norway spruce and valuable deciduous trees increased. The diameter structure of the forest stands changed significantly, the growing stock of medium-sized trees with a diameter at breast height (dbh) of 21-50 cm increased, while the growing stock of large size diameter trees with dbh over 80 cm decreased. An analysis of the distribution of the natural forests and altered forests indicated that the likelihood for the presence of natural forests increased with the larger distance to settlements. A detailed analysis of tree species composition shows that naturlaness of tree species composition depends significantly on the slope of terrain and the distance to forest roads; tree species composition of forest stands is more natural in compartments on steeper slopes and closer to forest roads. Between the two periods (1964-1987 and 1987-2008), we did not find significant differences in the changes of diameter structure of forest stands, which indicates that the harvesting regime has not changed significantly in the observed period.
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