In the winter of 2014/2015, extremely cold air masses penetrated from the east and the Carpathians into a large part of eastern Serbia and formed extensive ice layers on infrastructure facilities and forest trees. Forest trees could not withstand large amounts of ice (up to several tons per tree), resulting in widespread ice breaks and ice throws. Extensive damage occurred in the Timok, Morava, Severni Kučaj, Rasina, and Južni Kučaj Forest Areas. In certain parts of the Timok Forest Area, the damage to forest ecosystems was catastrophic and required clear-cutting of large areas. This research focuses on the state-owned forests of the Timok Forest Area (natural forests and artificially established (stands) managed by "Srbijašume" State Enterprise from Belgrade. A comparative analysis of specific indicators of the current state of the forest growing stock in the Timok Forest Area was conducted (forest state by origin, preservation, mixture, tree species, stand classification, and socioecological categorisation). The analysis compared data collected on 31 December 2013 with data collected on 31 December 2021. The research aimed to determine whether there were significant changes in the state of forest growing stock in the Timok Forest Area in the study period.

Pinus peuce (Macedonian pine) is considered a valuable ornamental tree that is frequently planted in parks and gardens, especially in Western Europe. This endemic pine is one of the most valuable conifer species in its native range, which currently consists of only two disjunct populations restricted to small mountainous areas of the Balkans and is listed as a near-threatened species. The reproduction of Macedonian pine by seed is limited, so in vitro propagation methods have emerged as a promising tool for large-scale propagation. The objective of this study was to develop an improved system for the micropropagation of P. peuce from juvenile plant material using a short-term liquid cytokinin pulse. For that, explants derived from 4-week-old seedlings were pulse-treated with different concentrations of N⁶-benzyladenine (BA) for 1 or 2 h to stimulate the induction of axillary buds. The highest axillary shoot formation was achieved with 222 µM BA pulse treatment, with an average number of ~six shoots per explant. Elongated shoots (≥10 mm) were detached from the explants and pulse-treated with 0.27 or 1.08 mM α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) or 0.25 or 0.98 mM indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) for 1 or 2 h. IBA was more effective than NAA and led to a maximum rooting percentage (up to 40%) and the highest number of acclimatized plants (15–20%). Rooted plants were successfully transferred to ex vitro conditions.

Extreme weather events caused considerable harm to the forest ecosystems in Eastern Serbia over a few hard winters, resulting in widespread ice breaks and ice uprooting. Certain forest stands were severely impacted during the winter of 2014-2015, necessitating clear-cutting measures. This research was conducted in the Timok forest area, through examination of the floristic composition in areas subjected to clear-cutting, including natural beech forests and artificially established conifer stands within beech sites (Helleboro odori-Fagetum moesiacae). A phytogeographical and bioecological analysis was conducted five years after clear-cutting. Changes in ecosystems were assessed by analysing the spectra of area-types and plant life forms, with comparisons drawn to the “Vinatovača” old-growth forest, situated in the submontane beech forest of Eastern Serbia. Descriptive analysis of the phytogeographical and bioecological spectra of vascular flora, alongside multinomial correspondence analysis, revealed an increased presence of species from Eurasian, Mediterranean-sub-Mediterranean, and Pontic area-types, as well as hemicryptophytic, phanerophytic, and therophytic life forms in the clear-cut areas. In contrast, the old-growth forest was colonised by species of Central European and Holarctic area-types, along with geophytic life forms. These findings suggest a shift towards xerothermic microclimates in the clear-cut areas and the stronger influence of the continental climate of Eastern Serbia with its extremes on deforested areas, as well as on the processes of forest ecosystem degradation.

One of the causes of decrease of species diversity of forest ecosystems could be inadequate selection of tree species for afforestation and ameliorations. It is known that by establishing new forest ecosystem habitat conditions change, and thus, edaphic and hydrological conditions and light regime also change, which directly or indirectly reflects on plant species. The research included four artificially established stands (pure or mixed) in the area of Kosmaj, where various coniferous species were introduced in the process of substitution of autochthonous forests of Hungarian oak and Turkey oak. The largest total number of plant species was recorded in artificially established stand of common spruce, Atlas cedar, and Douglas-fir (41). The highest Shannon-Wiener diversity index was recorded in stand of Douglas-fir (3.22), and the lowest in pine stands (2.95-2.97). It was determined by cluster analysis that stand of Austrian pine and stand of Austrian pine and Scots pine have the largest degree of mutual floristic similarity.

In the winter of 2014/2015, an impactful natural disaster hit the eastern region of Serbia, leading to substantial forest tree damage due to ice breaks and falls. This catastrophe resulted in the near-complete destruction of artificial conifer stands established on beech sites, and varying degrees of damage to natural stands. In response, approximately 2000 hectares of land had to be clear-cut, inducing significant ecosystem transformations that may have altered the floristic composition. This study involved the inventarisation of vascular flora within the clear-cut areas, which was then compared to the floristic composition at similar site condition on location "Vinatovača" beech primeval forest. The key objectives of this research were to assess the extent of degradation experienced by natural beech sites and explore the prospects and courses for establishing natural, indigenous forest ecosystems through natural succession. Following clear-cutting, beech sites exhibited notably greater floristic diversity in contrast to the natural beech primeval forests. Considerable area of beech sites turned into meadows or were weed covered. The study identified 176 taxa of vascular flora on the clearcut sites (107 taxa in the premival forest). In addition to plants from mesophilic beech communities, plants from the aliance of thermophilic communities are also present. The identified plants were categorised into two groups: Pteridophyta, with only 2 species, and Spermatophyta, encompassing 174 species (in contrast, the premival forest had 10 species of Pteridophyta and 97 species of Spermatophyta). The Spermatophyta plants were further classified into two classes: Dicotyledons, represented by 149 species, and Monocotyledons, represented by 25 species (in the premival forest, Dicotyledons accounted for 76 species, and Monocotyledons 21 species).

Somatic embryogenesis (SE) represents the most efficient and scalable technology for the mass clonal propagation and genetic improvement of superior conifer genotypes, which is crucial for meeting global wood demand and supporting forest adaptation to climate change. Despite its immense potential, SE in the genus Pinus still faces major limitations, including low initiation frequencies, restricted explant availability, and pronounced genotype dependence. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the factors influencing SE in Pinus species, with a specific focus on two ecologically vital Tertiary relicts endemic to the Balkan Peninsula: Pinus peuce (Macedonian pine) and Pinus heldreichii (Bosnian pine). For these species, traditional vegetative propagation methods are difficult or ineffective, making SE the priority approach for clonal propagation. Detailed studies on these species revealed that SE induction is highly dependent on the explant type and developmental stage. Successful embryogenic tissue formation was achieved only from whole megagametophytes containing immature zygotic embryos, within a narrow developmental window spanning 4–10 weeks post-fertilization. Furthermore, medium composition, particularly reduced ammonium concentration, proved critical for P. heldreichii success. These findings underscore the need for continued, species-specific optimization to overcome current bottlenecks and realize the full potential of SE for the conservation and sustainable clonal forestry of these high-value pines.