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Primary forests, defined here as forests where the signs of human impacts, if any, are strongly blurred due to decades without forest management, are scarce in Europe and continue to disappear. Despite these losses, we know little about where these forests occur. Here, we present a comprehensive geodatabase and map of Europe’s known primary forests. Our geodatabase harmonizes 48 different, mostly field-based datasets of primary forests, and contains 18,411 individual patches (41.1 Mha) spread across 33 countries. When available, we provide information on each patch (name, location, naturalness, extent and dominant tree species) and the surrounding landscape (biogeographical regions, protection status, potential natural vegetation, current forest extent). Using Landsat satellite-image time series (1985–2018) we checked each patch for possible disturbance events since primary forests were identified, resulting in 94% of patches free of significant disturbances in the last 30 years. Although knowledge gaps remain, ours is the most comprehensive dataset on primary forests in Europe, and will be useful for ecological studies, and conservation planning to safeguard these unique forests.
Francesco Maria Sabatini; Hendrik Bluhm; Zoltan Kun; Dmitry Aksenov; José A. Atauri; Erik Buchwald; Sabina Burrascano; Eugénie Cateau; Abdulla Diku; Inês Marques Duarte; Ángel B. Fernández López; Matteo Garbarino; Nikolaos Grigoriadis; Ferenc Horváth; Srđan Keren; Mara Kitenberga; Alen Kiš; Ann Kraut; Pierre L. Ibisch; Laurent Larrieu; Fabio Lombardi; Bratislav Matovic; Radu Nicolae Melu; Peter Meyer; Rein Midteng; Stjepan Mikac; Martin Mikoláš; Gintautas Mozgeris; Momchil Panayotov; Rok Pisek; Leónia Nunes; Alejandro Ruete; Matthias Schickhofer; Bojan Simovski; Jonas Stillhard; Dejan Stojanovic; Jerzy Szwagrzyk; Olli-Pekka Tikkanen; Elvin Toromani; Roman Volosyanchuk; Tomáš Vrška; Marcus Waldherr; Maxim Yermokhin; Tzvetan Zlatanov; Asiya Zagidullina; Tobias Kuemmerle. European primary forest database v2.0. Scientific Data 2021, 8, 1 -14.
AMA StyleFrancesco Maria Sabatini, Hendrik Bluhm, Zoltan Kun, Dmitry Aksenov, José A. Atauri, Erik Buchwald, Sabina Burrascano, Eugénie Cateau, Abdulla Diku, Inês Marques Duarte, Ángel B. Fernández López, Matteo Garbarino, Nikolaos Grigoriadis, Ferenc Horváth, Srđan Keren, Mara Kitenberga, Alen Kiš, Ann Kraut, Pierre L. Ibisch, Laurent Larrieu, Fabio Lombardi, Bratislav Matovic, Radu Nicolae Melu, Peter Meyer, Rein Midteng, Stjepan Mikac, Martin Mikoláš, Gintautas Mozgeris, Momchil Panayotov, Rok Pisek, Leónia Nunes, Alejandro Ruete, Matthias Schickhofer, Bojan Simovski, Jonas Stillhard, Dejan Stojanovic, Jerzy Szwagrzyk, Olli-Pekka Tikkanen, Elvin Toromani, Roman Volosyanchuk, Tomáš Vrška, Marcus Waldherr, Maxim Yermokhin, Tzvetan Zlatanov, Asiya Zagidullina, Tobias Kuemmerle. European primary forest database v2.0. Scientific Data. 2021; 8 (1):1-14.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFrancesco Maria Sabatini; Hendrik Bluhm; Zoltan Kun; Dmitry Aksenov; José A. Atauri; Erik Buchwald; Sabina Burrascano; Eugénie Cateau; Abdulla Diku; Inês Marques Duarte; Ángel B. Fernández López; Matteo Garbarino; Nikolaos Grigoriadis; Ferenc Horváth; Srđan Keren; Mara Kitenberga; Alen Kiš; Ann Kraut; Pierre L. Ibisch; Laurent Larrieu; Fabio Lombardi; Bratislav Matovic; Radu Nicolae Melu; Peter Meyer; Rein Midteng; Stjepan Mikac; Martin Mikoláš; Gintautas Mozgeris; Momchil Panayotov; Rok Pisek; Leónia Nunes; Alejandro Ruete; Matthias Schickhofer; Bojan Simovski; Jonas Stillhard; Dejan Stojanovic; Jerzy Szwagrzyk; Olli-Pekka Tikkanen; Elvin Toromani; Roman Volosyanchuk; Tomáš Vrška; Marcus Waldherr; Maxim Yermokhin; Tzvetan Zlatanov; Asiya Zagidullina; Tobias Kuemmerle. 2021. "European primary forest database v2.0." Scientific Data 8, no. 1: 1-14.
A long-term context is important for understanding past climatic variability. Although tree-ring widths (TRWs) are widely used as a proxy for reconstructing past climate, the use of annually-resolved values of δ13C and δ18O tree-ring stable isotopes (TRSIs) is increasing and may provide further valuable information. Here, we present a 487-year-long TRW chronology and 240-year-long TRSI chronology for Bosnian pine (Pinus heldreichii H. Christ) and compare them to each other. We demonstrate that both δ13C and δ18O values are better proxies for temperature, precipitation, and drought than TRW. The correlations between these climate parameters and TRSIs are strongest for the combined summer (JJA) period. The results of temporal and spatial field correlation indicate that TRSI chronologies are stable, reliable proxies for JJA precipitation reconstruction over the whole Balkan Peninsula and surrounding eastern Mediterranean region. However, the stability of the temperature signal of the both δ13C and δ18O chronologies declines after the 1950s. Our work supports the emerging evidence that TRSI data track climate variability more accurately than a conventional TRW approach and can be subsequently used for the reconstruction of past climate.
Ljubica Lukač; Stjepan Mikac; Otmar Urban; Tomáš Kolář; Michal Rybníček; Alexander Ač; Mirek Trnka; Michal Marek. Stable Isotopes in Tree Rings of Pinus heldreichii Can Indicate Climate Variability over the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Forests 2021, 12, 350 .
AMA StyleLjubica Lukač, Stjepan Mikac, Otmar Urban, Tomáš Kolář, Michal Rybníček, Alexander Ač, Mirek Trnka, Michal Marek. Stable Isotopes in Tree Rings of Pinus heldreichii Can Indicate Climate Variability over the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Forests. 2021; 12 (3):350.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLjubica Lukač; Stjepan Mikac; Otmar Urban; Tomáš Kolář; Michal Rybníček; Alexander Ač; Mirek Trnka; Michal Marek. 2021. "Stable Isotopes in Tree Rings of Pinus heldreichii Can Indicate Climate Variability over the Eastern Mediterranean Region." Forests 12, no. 3: 350.
Current flood risk management is based on statistical models and assessments of the risk of occurrence over a given time period, although with very short measurement periods, usually following catastrophic events. Ongoing monitoring of basic hydrological (river-water level and streamflow) and climate data are the basis for sustainable water management and long-term flood control planning. The lack of data has proven to be particularly negative during this period of global climate change, when non-seasonal flooding (during summer) is becoming increasingly frequent, and the resulting damage greater. The aim of this study was to analyse the possible use of tree ring width chronologies of trees growing in floodplain areas to reconstruct hydrodynamic variables (river-water level and streamflow). The study analysed the influence of climatic and hydrological variables on the growth of narrow-leaved ash (Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl) in the Sava River basin. The results indicate the significant potential of narrow-leaved ash tree-ring width chronologies to reconstruct the summer streamflows of the Sava River (R2 = 0.45). These results can serve to develop long-term data series on the summer streamflows of the river, thereby enabling better insight into its spatial and temporal dynamics with the goal of more successful, sustainable management of floodplain areas.
Domagoj Trlin; Stjepan Mikac; Anja Žmegač; Marko Orešković. Dendrohydrological Reconstructions Based on Tree-Ring Width (TRW) Chronologies of Narrow-Leaved Ash in the Sava River Basin (Croatia). Sustainability 2021, 13, 2408 .
AMA StyleDomagoj Trlin, Stjepan Mikac, Anja Žmegač, Marko Orešković. Dendrohydrological Reconstructions Based on Tree-Ring Width (TRW) Chronologies of Narrow-Leaved Ash in the Sava River Basin (Croatia). Sustainability. 2021; 13 (4):2408.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDomagoj Trlin; Stjepan Mikac; Anja Žmegač; Marko Orešković. 2021. "Dendrohydrological Reconstructions Based on Tree-Ring Width (TRW) Chronologies of Narrow-Leaved Ash in the Sava River Basin (Croatia)." Sustainability 13, no. 4: 2408.
Floodplain forests are the most rapidly disappearing ecosystem in the world, especially in temperate regions of Europe where anthropogenic influence has been pronounced throughout history. Research on primeval forests is crucial to further our understanding of their natural dynamics and interaction with climate but is limited by the lack of such preserved forests. The aim of this study was to investigate how a primeval floodplain forest in Southeastern Europe has responded to climate variability during the last 250 years through comparison of tree growth and climate, canopy disturbance and recruitment dynamic of two dominant tree species with different tolerances to flooding/drought. Our analysis revealed induced stress caused by several consecutive severe drought events in the 1940s, which led to a significant increase in sensitivity to increasing temperatures and decreasing river water levels. This trend is particularly pronounced in pedunculate oak. Age structure analysis revealed one larger episode of oak regeneration culminating after periods of intense growth release. Such period co-occurs with summer drought, which is part of a complex system of natural disturbances and a significant natural driver of the cyclical regeneration of primeval oak ecosystems.
Stjepan Mikac; Anja Žmegač; Domagoj Trlin; Vinko Paulić; Milan Oršanić; Igor Anić. Drought-induced shift in tree response to climate in floodplain forests of Southeastern Europe. Scientific Reports 2018, 8, 16495 .
AMA StyleStjepan Mikac, Anja Žmegač, Domagoj Trlin, Vinko Paulić, Milan Oršanić, Igor Anić. Drought-induced shift in tree response to climate in floodplain forests of Southeastern Europe. Scientific Reports. 2018; 8 (1):16495.
Chicago/Turabian StyleStjepan Mikac; Anja Žmegač; Domagoj Trlin; Vinko Paulić; Milan Oršanić; Igor Anić. 2018. "Drought-induced shift in tree response to climate in floodplain forests of Southeastern Europe." Scientific Reports 8, no. 1: 16495.
Karlo Beljan; Mislav Vedriš; Stjepan Mikac; Krunoslav Teslak. Generating Virtual Even-Aged Silver Fir Stand Structure Based on the Measured Sample Plots. South-east European forestry 2015, 7, 1 .
AMA StyleKarlo Beljan, Mislav Vedriš, Stjepan Mikac, Krunoslav Teslak. Generating Virtual Even-Aged Silver Fir Stand Structure Based on the Measured Sample Plots. South-east European forestry. 2015; 7 (2):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleKarlo Beljan; Mislav Vedriš; Stjepan Mikac; Krunoslav Teslak. 2015. "Generating Virtual Even-Aged Silver Fir Stand Structure Based on the Measured Sample Plots." South-east European forestry 7, no. 2: 1.
Damir Ugarković; Ivica Tikvić; Stjepan Mikac; Igor Stankić; Danijela Balta. The Influence of Changing Climate Extremes on the Ecological Niche of Pedunculate Oak in Croatia. South-east European forestry 2015, 7, 1 .
AMA StyleDamir Ugarković, Ivica Tikvić, Stjepan Mikac, Igor Stankić, Danijela Balta. The Influence of Changing Climate Extremes on the Ecological Niche of Pedunculate Oak in Croatia. South-east European forestry. 2015; 7 (2):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleDamir Ugarković; Ivica Tikvić; Stjepan Mikac; Igor Stankić; Danijela Balta. 2015. "The Influence of Changing Climate Extremes on the Ecological Niche of Pedunculate Oak in Croatia." South-east European forestry 7, no. 2: 1.
The Influence of Climate Change on Tree Species Distirbution in South-East Europe | IntechOpen, Published on: 2010-08-17. Authors: Joso Vukelić, Sead Vojnikovic, Damir Ugarkovic, et
Joso Vukelić; Sead Vojnikovic; Damir; Darko Bakšić; Stjepan Mikac. The Influence of Climate Change on Tree Species Distirbution in South-East Europe. Climate Change and Variability 2010, 1 .
AMA StyleJoso Vukelić, Sead Vojnikovic, Damir, Darko Bakšić, Stjepan Mikac. The Influence of Climate Change on Tree Species Distirbution in South-East Europe. Climate Change and Variability. 2010; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJoso Vukelić; Sead Vojnikovic; Damir; Darko Bakšić; Stjepan Mikac. 2010. "The Influence of Climate Change on Tree Species Distirbution in South-East Europe." Climate Change and Variability , no. : 1.