The Mediterranean vegetation belt on the eastern Adriatic covers an area of nearly 15,000 km². It is comprised of forest stands that can be divided into three vegetation zones based on the presence of certain plant species within each: sub-Mediterranean, eu-Mediterranean, and steno-Mediterranean. The dominant ecological factors result in the domination of specific tree species within the floral composition between these vegetation zones. The aim of this study was to collect climate data from 38 weather stations over a 30-year period to compare climate data and bioclimate properties in the area of these three vegetation zones. The results confirmed statistically significant differences between the main climatic elements and most bioclimatic indices between the vegetation zones. Cooler and more humid conditions were found in the sub-Mediterranean zone, warmer and somewhat drier conditions in the eu-Mediterranean zone, and particularly pronounced warm and dry conditions in the steno-Mediterranean zone. However, the analysis of the main components for researching climate parameters showed that the mean annual air temperature, average minimum air temperature of the coldest month of the year and continentality index, length of the dry season, and de Martonne aridity index contribute the most to the grouping of vegetation in forest stands in the Mediterranean vegetation belt of the eastern Adriatic.

Silver fir is one of the most threatened conifer species in Croatia, especially at the western edge of its spread in Croatian Dinarides, where the decline in fir trees has resulted in significant ecological and economic issues. The aim of this study was to determine, over an 18-year monitoring period, the relationships of silver fir crown defoliation with climatic factors and structural attributes. We further analyzed the tree retention time in a given defoliation class and transition dynamics between defoliation classes, as well as the survival/mortality of trees. Data on silver fir defoliation were analyzed in two different forest types: in pure silver fir and in mixed silver fir and common beech stands. The climatic factors, primarily vegetation period air temperature, potential evapotranspiration, and dry season water deficit, were correlated with crown defoliation. Regarding the structural attributes, in the mixed stand with predominantly smaller trees, crown defoliation increased with reduced diameter at breast height, crown diameter, social class, and crown illumination. In the pure fir stand, crown defoliation increased with reduced crown diameter, greater crown asymmetry, greater crown illumination, and on trees with a stork’s nest crown. The retention time in defoliation classes differed for research sites. Transition dynamics were different only for trees in the highest defoliation class (dead trees). At the end of the study period, silver fir mortality was higher in the pure fir stand. Increased silver fir defoliation and mortality can be expected in the future, particularly in overmature stands under prolonged drought stress. Permanent forest monitoring could ensure the high-quality data needed for adaptive management of fir stands that could positively influence the structure of these stands and, thus, improve their health status.

The application of frequency-resonance method (FRM) for precise log bending testing is limited by complex geometry; usually the cone with variable cross. This case study presents the relationship among non-destructively tested material parameters of sugar maples and the numerical analysis of effect of simplifications in FRM. Four standing stems were measured to find basic geometry parameters, 3D scanned for precise geometry description, tested by pulling test (PT) to obtain elastic parameters, and, finally, cut down to process the logs. Four logs were measured by stress wave propagation (SWP) using an acoustic tomography (AT) device to obtain longitudinal sound velocities and then evaluated by the FRM to obtain natural frequencies in bending and longitudinal vibrations. Comparison was made between the dynamic moduli of elasticity (MOE), calculated from SWP and the FRM, and the static MOE calculated from the PT. In-situ experimental evaluation was accompanied by modal analysis by finite element method (FEM) working at three levels of geometry simplification (beam model, simplified solid model, and scan-based solid model); the natural frequencies of bending and longitudinal mode shapes were analyzed. The influence of geometry precision on the resulting dynamic response of logs was found regarding comparison to the experimental values.

Urbana stabla i šume doprinose kvaliteti života stanovnika urbanog područja i pružaju brojne koristi. Međutim, stabla u urbanim područjima su izložena različitim abiotskim i biotskim poremećajima koji utječu na njihov razvoj. Gljive truležnice se ističu kao bitan uzročnik pojave loma stabla. Dijagnostički instrumenti koji mjere određena svojstva drva se koriste u arborikulturi kao dopuna vizualnoj prosudbi urbanih stabala. Zvučni tomograf je uređaj koji mjeri brzinu prolaska zvučnih valova kroz drvo u radijalnom i tangentnom smjeru kako bi se prosudile unutarnje greške drva. Cilj istraživanja je bio odrediti veličinu i položaj zdravog i trulog drva te odrediti točnost zvučnog tomografa kod deset stabala hrasta kitnjaka u Parku Maksimir u Zagrebu. Usporedili smo rezultate grafičkih prikaza zvučnog tomografa (tomograme) sa fotografijama presjeka panjeva stabala koja su posječena radi potvrde truleži drva. Trulež drva je bila vidljiva na osam od deset istraživanih stabala koji su imali simptome truleži pri vizualnom pregledu. Trulež drva je potvrđena kod sedam stabala na panjevima nakon sječe. Kod tri stabla zabilježen je početni stadij truleži drva, dok su četiri stabla imala aktivnu trulež drva i pojavu šupljina. Oblik tomograma odgovarao je fotografijama presjeka panjeva kod osam stabala, a pozicija trulog drva je odgovarala fotografijama presjeka panjeva kod devet stabala. Područje trulog drva različitih kategorija je bilo točno prepoznato na tomogramima za šest od deset istraživanih stabala. Zvučni tomograf je podcijenio površinu zdravog drva, precijenio površnu drva u početnim stadijima truleži i točno predstavio područja s aktivnom truleži drva i šupljinama.