Study of the floristic composition of fir-spruce-beech forests in Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina

• Main Authors: Eremija Saša M., Cvjetićanin Rade I., Novaković-Vuković Marijana R., Rakonjac Ljubinko B., Lučić Aleksandar Ž., Stajić Snežana A., Miletić Zoran D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: University of Belgrade, University of Novi Sad 2015-01-01
• Series: Archives of Biological Sciences
• Subjects: mixed fir-spruce-beech forest; floristic composition; Serbia; Bosnia-Herzegovina
• Online Access: http://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/0354-4664/2015/0354-46641500103E.pdf
• ISSN: 0354-4664; 1821-4339

The mixed forest of fir, spruce, and beech (Piceo-Abietetum Čolić 1965) is an important and widespread plant community on the Balkan Peninsula. Within the Dinarides, it occupies the upper zone of the beech-fir forest belt, establishing a regional belt of vegetation in the Illyrian province. This community occupies significant areas in western and southwestern Serbia where it also creates a regional belt, thus confirming that this part of Serbia belongs to the Illyrian floral-geographical province. This paper compares the floristic composition of the fir-spruce-beech forests in Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina in order to determine the differences between the study stands. A total of 29 relevés were analyzed, 17 from the mountain of Lisina (Bosnia-Herzegovina) and 12 from the Pešter plateau (Serbia). Cluster analysis revealed a clear differentiation between the study stands and species in Bosnia-Herzegovina and those in Serbia. The main difference is in the dominant species: Fagus moesiaca (K. Maly) Czecz. in Serbia and Fagus sylvatica L. in Bosnia-Herzegovina. In Bosnia-Herzegovina, the forest grows under conditions of a uniform, maritime and humid climate, while in Serbia it grows under conditions of a continental climate with less rainfall and a strong zoo-anthropogenic impact. Regarding the spectrum of life forms, there are more phanerophytes and geophytes in Bosnia-Herzegovina than in Serbia. On the other hand, the spectrum of floral elements in Serbia is richer in xerophilous, Balkan and sub-Mediterranean floral elements.