The Norway spruce is one of the most important tree species in Europe. This tree species has been put under considerable pressure due to the ongoing impacts of climate change. Meanwhile, frequent droughts and pest outbreaks are reported as the main reason for its dieback, resulting in severe forest cover loss. Such was the case with Norway spruce forests within the Kopaonik National Park (NP) in Serbia. This study aims to quantify, spatially and temporally, forest cover loss and to evaluate the sensitivity of various vegetation indices (VIs) in detecting drought-induced response and predicting the dieback of Norway spruce due to long-lasting drought effects in the Kopaonik NP. For this purpose, we downloaded and processed a large number of Landsat 7 (ETM+), Landsat 8 (OLI), and Sentinel 2 (MSI) satellite imagery acquired from 2009 to 2022. Our results revealed that forest cover loss was mainly driven by severe drought in 2011 and 2012, which was later significantly influenced by bark beetle outbreaks. Furthermore, various VIs proved to be very useful in monitoring and predicting forest health status. In summary, the drought-induced response detected using various VIs provides valuable insights into the dynamics of forest cover change, with implications for monitoring and conservation efforts of Norway spruce forests in the Kopaonik NP.

Republic of Srpska (RS) covers an area of 24,666 km(2) or about 48.5% of Bosnia and Herzegovina's territory. Spatial and environmental changes accelerated due to dynamic historical period upon the RS formation and the following development period. The extent of these changes can be determined by comparing satellite images obtained from different acquisition periods. By processing images, with the support of geographic information systems, it is possible to create a database that aims to analyze spatial processes in a specific area in order to determine quantitative and qualitative parameters. In this way, the trends of spatial development (e.g. excessive logging, land cover damage, water pollution, etc.) and potentially vulnerable components of the environment can be monitored. The data for Bosnia and Herzegovina were collected from CORINE Land Cover (CLC) database for 39 European countries. The CLC is a project launched by the European Environment Agency (EEA) more than thirty years ago with the aim of collecting, coordinating and ensuring the consistency of information on natural resources and the environment. The goal of the paper is to identify land cover types and determine environment changes in the territory of Republic of Srpska over the period 2000-2018 as a consequence of the land use conversion.

Леса в Боснии и Герцеговине занимают 2 904 600 га, или 56,7 % от общей площади страны. Анализ метеорологических данных за 1961–2014 гг. показывает, что среднегодовая температура воздуха продолжает постоянно повышаться, поэтому лесным экосистемам следует уделять пристальное внимание. Одним из важнейших видов для лесного хозяйства Боснии и Герцеговины является ель обыкновенная. Этот вид находится под угрозой исчезновения из-за его очень низкой засухоустойчивости и подверженности различным заболеваниям. Сравнивая последний климатический период (1991–2019 гг.) с предыдущим (1961–1990 гг.), мы обнаружили, что в покрытых елями районах наблюдалось увеличение значений индекса засушливости леса (FAI) в среднем на 0,929. Климатический коэффициент Элленберга (EQ) существенно не изменился. Согласно прогнозам на середину (2041–2070 гг.) и конец века (2071–2100 гг.) в соответствии со сценарием RCP 4.5 значительного влияния климата на распространение ели не будет. Прогнозируемые темпы уменьшения площади и высотные сдвиги благоприятных местообитаний незначительны. Прогнозы в соответствии со сценарием RCP 8.5 предсказывают весомое сокращение благоприятных местообитаний для ели обыкновенной как на территории существующего ареала вида, так во всей Боснии и Герцеговине. В частности, прогноз на конец века (RCP 8.5) показывает почти полное исчезновение благоприятных для произрастания ели мест, в то время как небольшие участки, подходящие для этого дерева, расположенные выше, чем остальные, над уровнем моря, останутся нетронутыми. Для цитирования: Miletić B., Drašković B., Đorem T., Bojić S., Matović B., Stojanović D.B. The Potential Impact of Climate Change on the Distribution of Norway Spruce (Picea abies Karst.) in Bosnia and Herzegovina // Изв. вузов. Лесн. журн. 2022. № 2. С. 73–83. DOI: 10.37482/0536-1036-2022-2-73-83

In this paper we compared the accuracy of different samples (minus the sample with the NN1 edge correction and buffer zone, plus sample and modified cluster sample) to determine indices of spatial structure in beech forests in Serbia, which can be used in regular forest inventory. The research was conducted in 11 forest stands of different structure at the territory of Central Serbia. Field data used for the assessment of spatial structure indices were collected across the examined stands on the sample plots of different sizes, using systematic grid, with the square layout of sample plots (100x100 meters). The study was conducted on 242 sample plots. For accuracy comparison of different sample types, five indices were used: Uniform angle index, Mean directional index, Species mingling index, DBH differentiation and DBH dominance indices. One-way ANOVA showed that at the stand level there were no statistically significant differences between mean values of indices obtained by different sample types. However, Simple linear correlations confirmed for most indices that if the spatial structure is to be determined with accuracy at the level of sample plots (in this case, a circular fixed radius plot of 5 acres) it is necessary to use a plus sample during data collection. For species mingling and DBH differentiation indices, Simple linear correlations show that both minus sampling with edge correction buffer zone and modified cluster sampling with somewhat less accuracy can be used to a certain extent. Minus sampling with NN1 edge correction is not practical for use on sample plots of this size in beech forests in Serbia.