Measurements for the adaptation of forest ecosystems on negative impacts of climate change in Serbia

Abstract

Forests are the greatest and most important terrestrial ecosystems on the planet. This paper analyzes problems and challenges in Serbian forestry caused by climate change, and its negative impacts on the forests and forest management. The greatest challenge to the management of the forests and other natural resources is posed by the development of the adaptive measures in forest management, as well as by their increasing vulnerability under various climate change scenarios. The fact that the climate change occurs much more rapidly than it was anticipated, and has pointed out that there is a need to incorporate the problems regarding the adverse climate change on the natural resources in the priorities of the National Strategy of Scientific and Technological Development of Serbia. It is needed to conduct continuous researches and monitor the influence of the climate change on the vertical and horizontal zoning of vegetation, alternations in the current forest ecosystems, and effects of this change during the establishment of new forests. The previous activities aimed at reforestation were based on the climate parameters from the previous multi-annual period, and did not take into account the recent climate change, which was reported in Serbia as well, for regeneration of forest ecosystems. Measures for adaptation of forest ecosystems in Serbia on negative impact of climate change should be ecologically sustainable over time, economically viable and justifiable, have low starting costs, socially integrated, based on local needs and tradition, technologically simple and adaptable to volatile economic, political, social, ecological and climate conditions.