Silviculture in deteriorated stand conditions and complex societal demands in the area of National Park "Fruška Gora"

Abstract

The application of silviculture measures on contemporary, rationalized basis in order to sustain and improve forests in the area of the National park „Fruška Gora”, is the most im­portant segment of forest management, having in mind their anthropogenically deteriorated conditions and their purpose. For the improvement of stand conditions, intensive silvicultural tending measures are necessary in certain phases of development of the stands which is con­trary to the passive protection. The main reasons for the application of these measures are in the coppice origin of the stands on over 82% of the area of National park and the silver lime dominance compared to other edificators (oaks and beech). On the basis of the ecosystem approach in forest management, and especially in conditions of more pronounced climate change, the silvicultural measures need to be rationally synchronized with biological-ecological demands of the main species and dominant processes in forest ecosystems. In other words, there is a need to implement the elements of close-to-nature forest management. This paper points toward the most important determinations of silviculture in order to achieve the goals of special-purpose forests in the National park.

Keywords

• special-purpose forests
• coppice stands
• regressive succession
• intensive silvicultural measures
• close-to-nature forest management