Spatial structure is the horizontal and vertical arrangement of individual trees. It affects many processes in the stand such as stability, production and regeneration. Stand structure parameters are used to describe spatial structure on experimental plots. The paper presents methods that describe the stand structure through three levels of diversity related to position, species and size. Research has been conducted on two experimental plots from the area of Olovo. Referent trees and their competitors were selected on both experimental plots, and competitors were defined by referent tree distance. The aim of this paper is to describe the spatial structure on experimental plot of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and experimental plot of European beech and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.). Indicators of spatial diversity, dimensional diversity and diversity of tree species have been determined to achieve that aim. For each experimental plots are described: horizontal tree distribution (Poisson Distribution, Clapham's Variance – Mean Ratio and Morisita's Index of Dispersion), diameter differentiation (Diameter Differentiation by Füldner and Dominance Index by Hui et al.), species diversity and structural diversity (Species Profile Index by Pretzsch) and species intermingling (Species Intermingling Index by Füldner). Obtained results show that the stand structure of both experimental plots deviates from random distribution. Dimensional diversity parameters indicate stronger intensity of competition for beech trees. Analysis of species diversity showed that beech trees occur in groups or patches, and the other represented species mix more intensive.

Developing ‘climate smart forestry’ (CSF) indicators in mountain forest regions requires collection and evaluation of local data and their attributes. Genetic resources are listed among the core indicators for ‘forest biological diversity’. This study is a report on the evaluation of the standing genetic diversity within and across 12 pure beech stands (Fagus sylvatica L.) established within the CLIMO project, using nuclear microsatellite markers. The sampling sites were set along the species’ distribution range, including the Balkan region and extending towards the Iberian Peninsula. Cores or leaves from 20-23, old, mature trees per plot were sampled for DNA analysis. Genetic diversity indices were high across the range (HE = 0.74 - 0.81) with the highest in the Bosnian Mountains. Genetic divergence increased significantly with the geographical distance (Mantel test: r=0.81. p<0.001). Most of the stands exhibited an excess of heterozygotes, with the highest value at the Hungarian site (HO/HE = 1.177), where beech persists close to the eastern xeric limit of the species’ distribution. STRUCTURE revealed within–region differentiation in the Balkan Peninsula, where Bulgarian stand was the most outstanding. The genetic parameters of each stand could be assessed as a resource for CSF indicators interpreted especially at the local level.

Current tables of wood assortments for the most important tree species in B&H were made almost 50 years ago. There is an indication that real forest wood assortments are different than the one derived from assortment tables in-use, both in terms of quality and dimensions. In the meantime, from the creation of the existing tables until today, the standards of production of forest wood assortments have changed, so that the fact of inaccuracy of the existing assortment tables is unquestionable. This continually creates a variety of problems in the ongoing operations of forestry companies. The main aim of this paper is to create wood assortment tables whose assortment of wood products will correlate with the current market conditions. The research was conducted in the area of the Canton 10 in FB&H.  A sample of 393 spruce trees was used as a database to produce this paper. The bucking of the sample trees was carried out in accordance with the valid norms and customer requirements with regards to the dimensions of forest wood products. Data processing was performed using methods of simple and multiple regressions, variance analysis as well as their combinations by the Generalized Linear Models method. Independent factors were breast diameter (DBH), technical quality class and the height of the trees. The share of wood assortments was determined through 10 different mathematical models, and it was found that all independent variables had a statistically significant influence on the dependent variables- volume of particular assortments or group of assortments. The share of logs is growing rapidly with the increase of tree diameter and decreases with decreasing of their technical quality. The influence of tree height primarily correlated with tree volume increase. Trees having better assortment quality, have tree heights higher than average for the same diameter class. The results of the research are presented in the form of tables as percentage share of wood assortment classes.  The obtained results can be used as wood assortment tables in the research area.

Recent studies show that several tree species are spreading to higher latitudes and elevations due to climate change. European beech, presently dominating from the colline to the subalpine vegetation belt, is already present in upper montane subalpine forests and has a high potential to further advance to higher elevations in European mountain forests, where the temperature is predicted to further increase in the near future. Although essential for adaptive silviculture, it remains unknown whether the upward shift of beech could be assisted when it is mixed with Norway spruce or silver fir compared with mono-specific stands, as the species interactions under such conditions are hardly known. In this study, we posed the general hypotheses that the growth depending on age of European beech in mountain forests was similar in mono-specific and mixed-species stands and remained stable over time and space in the last two centuries. The scrutiny of these hypotheses was based on increment coring of 1240 dominant beech trees in 45 plots in mono-specific stands of beech and in 46 mixed mountain forests. We found that (i) on average, mean tree diameter increased linearly with age. The age trend was linear in both forest types, but the slope of the age–growth relationship was higher in mono-specific than in mixed mountain forests. (ii) Beech growth in mono-specific stands was stronger reduced with increasing elevation than that in mixed-species stands. (iii) Beech growth in mono-specific stands was on average higher than beech growth in mixed stands. However, at elevations > 1200 m, growth of beech in mixed stands was higher than that in mono-specific stands. Differences in the growth patterns among elevation zones are less pronounced now than in the past, in both mono-specific and mixed stands. As the higher and longer persisting growth rates extend the flexibility of suitable ages or size for tree harvest and removal, the longer-lasting growth may be of special relevance for multi-aged silviculture concepts. On top of their function for structure and habitat improvement, the remaining old trees may grow more in mass and value than assumed so far.

Recent studies show that several tree species are spreading to higher latitudes and elevations due to climate change. European beech, presently dominating from the colline to the subalpine vegetation belt, is already present in upper montane subalpine forests and has a high potential to further advance to higher elevations in European mountain forests, where the temperature is predicted to further increase in the near future. Although essential for adaptive silviculture, it remains unknown whether the upward shift of beech could be assisted when it is mixed with Norway spruce or silver fir compared with mono-specific stands, as the species interactions under such conditions are hardly known. In this study, we posed the general hypotheses that the growth depending on age of European beech in mountain forests was similar in mono-specific and mixed-species stands and remained stable over time and space in the last two centuries. The scrutiny of these hypotheses was based on increment coring of 1240 dominant beech trees in 45 plots in mono-specific stands of beech and in 46 mixed mountain forests. We found that (i) on average, mean tree diameter increased linearly with age. The age trend was linear in both forest types, but the slope of the age–growth relationship was higher in mono-specific than in mixed mountain forests. (ii) Beech growth in mono-specific stands was stronger reduced with increasing elevation than that in mixed-species stands. (iii) Beech growth in mono-specific stands was on average higher than beech growth in mixed stands. However, at elevations > 1200 m, growth of beech in mixed stands was higher than that in mono-specific stands. Differences in the growth patterns among elevation zones are less pronounced now than in the past, in both mono-specific and mixed stands. As the higher and longer persisting growth rates extend the flexibility of suitable ages or size for tree harvest and removal, the longer-lasting growth may be of special relevance for multi-aged silviculture concepts. On top of their function for structure and habitat improvement, the remaining old trees may grow more in mass and value than assumed so far.

U radu su korišteni podaci izmjere 377 modelnih stabala smreke koja su mjerena u oborenom stanju na širem području unutar državnih raznodobnih sastojina u Kantonu 10 (Hercegbosanski Kanton). Za određivanje volumena krupnog drveta stabala primijenjena je metoda sekcioniranja sa sekcijama nejednakih apsolutnih dužina (najčešće od 1 – 2 m). Za izravnanje veličina volumena krupnog drveta od prsnog promjera i visine stabala primijenjena je metoda višestruke regresijske analize. Za procjenu parametara korištenih funkcija, testiranje značajnosti njihovih razlika te provođenje raznih transformacija, kao softversko rješenje korišteni su StatGraphics Centurion XVII. i Statistica 8.0. U cilju izbora „najboljeg“ modela za procjenu volumena krupnog drveta testiran je veći broj poznatih dendrometrijskih dvoparametarskih volumnih funkcija. Kvaliteta izjednačenja i prikladnost testiranih modela ocjenjivani su na bazi utvrđenih veličina osnovnih statističkih pokazatelja za karakteriziranje jačine korelacijskih veza. Najbolje ocjene parametara pokazao je model V7=a0+a1d1,3+a2h+a3d1,3h+a4d1,32+a5 d1,32h uz utvrđeni koeficijent determinacije: R2 = 0,99 i veličinu standardne greške regresije Sey=0,24 m3. Testirajući značajnost razlika između stvarnih volumena stabala iz uzorka i volumena tih istih stabala utvrđenih primjenom odabranog regresijskog modela, utvrđen je prosječni postotak odstupanja od 0,44%. To znači da su u prosjeku za 0,44% niži volumeni u odnosu na stvarne volumene na uzorku od 377 stabala smreke, što ukazuje da je ovaj regresijski model upotrebljiv za primjenu u praktičnom radu, jer je taj prosječni postotak manji od 1%.

Utvrđivanje kapaciteta proizvodnje sekundarnih energenata na podrucju Tuzlanskog kantona pružavažno uporiste za detaljnije i racionalnije planiranje koristenja drvnog otpada iz razlicitih izvora kojinastaje na navedenom podrucju. Za potrebe ovih istraživanja koristena je metoda analize i sinteze,kao i komparativna analiza na osnovu izvora podataka dobijenih od vlasnika postrojenja za proizvodnjusekundarnih energenata, drvoprerađivackih preduzeca i preduzeca koje gazduje sumama Tuzlanskogkantona, ostale relevantne dokumentacije iz Kantonalne privredne komore Tuzla, te na osnovuIzvjestaja o poslovanju i statistickih biltena. Trenutno je iskoristeno 59% kapaciteta postrojenja zaproizvodnju peleta na Tuzlanskom kantonu, proizvodnja briketa se realizuje sa 77%, a drvna sjeckasa 70%. Kolicina drvnog otpada iz prerade drveta iznosi cca 36 306 m³ godisnje. Stvarna realizacijaogrevnog drveta sa maloprodajom na podrucju Suma TK iznosila je 96.007 m3. Na podrucju Tuzlanskogkantona postoje prerađivaci (cijepanje) drveta sa 43% iskoristenog kapaciteta. Rezultati rada pokazujuda se potencijal proizvodnje sekundarnih energenata na podrucju Tuzlanskog kantona ne koristina zadovoljavajucem nivou. Maksimalni kapaciteti proizvodnje se ni približno ne ostvaruju. Da bi seosigurala isplativa i održiva proizvodnja peleta i briketa, osnovni uslov je da se raspolaže potrebnimkolicinama sirovine. Ukupna kolicina otpadnog drveta na podrucju Tuzlanskog kantona nije dovoljnaza maksimalni kapacitet instalisanih postrojenja za proizvodnju sekundarnih energenata. U tom slucajuneophodna je nabavka sirovine sa sireg podrucja BiH, zatim bolje koristenje otpada iz sumarstva, anarocito koristenje izdanackih suma. Kao sirovinska baza tu je svakako i mogucnost proizvodnje energetskihplantaža brzorastucih vrsta i sl.

Mixed mountain forests of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.), Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst), and silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) cover a total area of more than 10 million hectares in Europe. Due to altitudinal zoning, these forests are particularly vulnerable to climate change. However, as little is known about the long-term development of the productivity and the adaptation and mitigation potential of these forest systems in Europe, reliable information on productivity is required for sustainable forest management. Using generalized additive mixed models this study investigated 60 long-term experimental plots and provides information about the productivity of mixed mountain forests across a variety of European mountain areas in a standardized way for the first time. The average periodic annual volume increment (PAI) of these forests amounts to 9.3 m3ha−1y−1. Despite a significant increase in annual mean temperature the PAI has not changed significantly over the last 30 years. However, at the species level, we found significant changes in the growth dynamics. While beech had a PAI of 8.2 m3ha−1y−1 over the entire period (1980–2010), the PAI of spruce dropped significantly from 14.2 to 10.8 m3ha−1y−1, and the PAI of fir rose significantly from 7.2 to 11.3 m3ha−1y−1. Consequently, we observed stable stand volume increments in relation to climate change.

Background and Purpose: Bark thickness and its share in the volume of roundwood are the most important characteristics of the bark, particularly in the process of timber harvesting, and during scaling of processed logs. Therefore it is very important to have at disposal relatively accurate data regarding these characteristics of bark for particular tree species. The main goal of this paper is to investigate the thickness of the bark and its share in the volume of roundwood of Norway spruce. Materials and Methods: The research was carried out in the area of the Canton 10 of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and it encompassed 393 trees of Norway spruce from 10 cm to 115 cm of thickness at breast height. Measuring of the mean diameter and double thickness of bark was conducted by section method. In total, 4,647 diameters and bark thicknesses were measured in different relative lengths of stems or in average 10.6 measurements per one stem. Results: As an optimal model for the evaluation of double thickness of the bark of Norway spruce depending on mean diameter of roundwood the function with designated determination coefficient of 0.7142 was selected. The obtained results have confirmed the previously defined relations of investigate characteristics, which are as following: a) with the increase of mean diameter of roundwood (section) double bark thickness is increased from 9.26 mm (thickness class 12.5 cm) to 31.65 mm (thickness class 92.5 cm); b) with the increase of mean diameter of roundwood the share of bark in its volume decreased from 14.26% (thickness class 12.5 cm) to 6.73% (thickness class 92.5 cm). Conclusions: By the actual method of estimating bark thickness or the share of bark in the volume of roundwood of Norway spruce in the forestry of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina a significant error was created which increases with the increase of mean diameter. The obtained results point to the necessity of investigation of these bark characteristics in Bosnia and Herzegovina and represent an inevitable starting point for making adequate tables of bark thickness and its percentage share in the volume of roundwood of Norway spruce.