Background: Anthropogenic activities have clearly affected the environment, with irreversible and destructive consequences. Mining activities have a significant negative impact, primarily on soil, and then on human health. The negative impact of the first mining activities is represented even today in the soils of those localities. Research shows that, for different types of mines, the concentrations of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) are high, especially in antimony, multi-metal and lead–zinc mines, which have adverse effects on the environment and then on human health and the economy. A large flood in 2014 in Western Serbia resulted in the breaking of the dam of the processed antimony ore dump of the former antimony mine, causing toxic tailings to spill and pollute the downstream area. Due to this accident, tailings material flooded the area downstream of the dump, and severely affected the local agriculture and population. Methods: Potentially toxic elements content, pollution indices and health indices were determined in soil samples from the flooded area, using referenced methodologies. The sources and routes of pollutants and risks were determined and quantified using statistical principal component analysis, positive matrix factorisation, and a Monte Carlo simulation. Results: The main source of As, Cd, Hg, Pb, Sb and Zn in the upper part of the study area was the tailing material. Based on the pollution indices, about 72% of the studied samples show a high risk of contamination and are mainly distributed immediately downstream of the tailings dump that was spilled due to heavy rainfall. Conclusions: Although the content of the PTEs is high, there is no non-carcinogenic risk for any PTEs except As, for which a threshold risk was determined. There is no carcinogenic risk in the study area.

Key message: We applied the generalized algebraic difference approach (GADA) to develop dynamic models of height growth for pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) in Serbia. According to the dominant heights, the studied region comprises some of Europe’s most productive sites for pedunculate oak. Therein, we have generated a map showing the current site index class of stands. Such a map could be used to enhance forest management and evaluate climate change impacts. Context: Although sustainable forest management requires reliable prediction of forest site productivity, such indicators are currently unavailable for pedunculate oak sites in Serbia. The site index (SI) curves represent the most commonly used indirect scale for site productivity classification. The dynamic equations derived by the Generalized Algebraic Difference Approach (GADA) are the state-of-the-art approach in growth modeling, but they have not been widely applied for studying the height dynamics of pedunculate oak. Aims: The main objectives of this study were to develop the first dynamic site index curves for pedunculate oak in Serbia and subsequently to provide stand-level maps with predicted site indices. Methods: We have tested five flexible polymorphic equations with variable asymptotes derived by the GADA approach. Models were calibrated using artificially established growth trajectories obtained from 3636 detailed temporary sample plots. The selection of the most suitable model was accomplished according to (1) quantitative measures of goodness of fit, (2) the analysis of residual scattering, and (3) the biological plausibility of obtained height growth curves. Results: After correcting the error terms with a continuous first-order autoregressive structure and conducting a three-stage performance analysis, the GADA dynamic site index model derived from the Hossfeld base equation shows the best overall properties. Insight into the oscillations of relative error suggested that 100 years is the most suitable age for site index referencing. Comparison with existing height growth models revealed greater flexibility and a considerably better representation of the height growth dynamic of pedunculate oak in the studied region. Additionally, we have produced a spatially explicit map showing the expected SI₁₀₀ for 1907 stands with pedunculate oak within 22 management units. Conclusion: Dynamic SI-curves based on GADA will serve forest practitioners to update management plans and serve as a reference point for benchmarking the impact of climate change and for developing adaptation strategies. The utilized approach allowed unbiased estimation of SI₁₀₀ across all age classes so that the results could be mapped at a broader scale. This study provides the second known application of the dynamic model for pedunculate oak in Europe but the first that includes some of the most productive sites in the species distribution range.

Early post-germination physiological responses determine oak seedling establishment success under changing environmental conditions. This study investigated four oak species (Quercus cerris, Q. frainetto, Q. petraea, and Q. pubescens) through direct seeding experiments across four locations in Serbia representing varying habitat conditions. Physiological parameters (quantum yield of photosystem II, total stomatal conductance, and leaf vapor pressure deficit) were measured intensively during the first growing season, along with morphological traits and survival rates. Results revealed that microclimatic and soil conditions exerted stronger effects on seedling physiology than species identity, with air humidity, temperature, and soil moisture being primary drivers of photosynthetic performance. Surviving seedlings exhibited 18% higher PhiPSII and 128% higher stomatal conductance compared to non-survivors, demonstrating that physiological performance is a reliable predictor of establishment success. Species-specific differences were evident. Q. cerris and Q. frainetto maintained the highest photosynthetic activity across sites, Q. pubescens showed intermediate resilience, and Q. petraea displayed greater sensitivity to environmental stress. These findings highlight the dominant role of microsite conditions in shaping early seedling physiology and survival. Physiological measurements, particularly PhiPSII and gtw, provide useful early indicators of establishment success during the first growing season following direct seeding.

A new motpellier maple (Acer monspessulanum L.) site was described in this paper, located on mountain Boranja, in forest management unit ?Istocna Boranja?, above Roguljski potok, on Glogovita kosa ridge. Montpellier maple occurs on elevations between 460 and 480 m a.s.l., on southwestern and western aspect, on very steep slopes with inclination 45? t? 50?. The site area is 874 m2, ?nd coordinates of site centre are: ?=19?13?49.0? and ?=44?25?21.33?. In this site, Montpellier maple occurs in a plant community of hop-hornbeam and manna ash, and considering that Montpellier maple was recorded in all three layers, and that it occurs abundantly in shrub and ground layers, a subassotiation with montpellier maple was set apart (?stryo carpinifoliae-Fraxinetum orni subass. ?ceretosum monspessulanii). According to floristic composition, most plant species belong to the submediterranean floral type, so this community represents an enclave of submediterranean vegetation in the belt of continental beech forests. The community is of azonal character, orographically-edaphically conditioned, and occurs in warmer aspects, on shallow and skeletal rendzina on oolithic limestones.

The aim of this research is to use advanced technologies and selected statistical methods to more accurately assess and quantify the spatial distribution of Quercus frainetto (Hungarian oak) in Serbia. The study is based on data from the Second National Forest Inventory of Serbia (NFI-2), conducted between 2019 and 2022. The presence of Hungarian oak was recorded on 1,032 sample plots. For each of these plots, data were extracted from the NFI-2 database, including soil type classified according to WRB, elevation, slope, aspect, and the forest region to which each plot belongs. The data were analyzed using a combination of statistical and spatial methods supported by GIS tools (Kernel Density analysis and Hot Spot/ Getis-Ord Gi* analysis). The results indicate that Hungarian oak most frequently occurs at elevations between 250 and 600 m, on moderately to steeply inclined slopes (10?-25?), and predominantly on south and southwest aspects, confirming its thermophilous character. The highest occurrence was observed on Cambisols, whereas at higher elevations and steeper terrains the species also appears on Leptosols, demonstrating its ability to persist under more restrictive ecological conditions. Kernel Density analysis clearly identified two zones of high concentration of this species: southeastern Serbia, representing the core of its range, and western/ southwestern Serbia as another significant area of increased density. The Hot Spot analysis confirmed statistically significant ?hot spots? in these regions, while ?cold spots? were located in the lowland parts of central and northern Serbia. The applied approach, which integrates NFI data with GIS analyses, enables a clearer and more quantified understanding of the spatial distribution of Hungarian oak, as well as other tree species, providing a more reliable basis for forest management and forest monitoring.