Composing a vegetation-stand map for the protected area of 'Radan' Nature Park

Abstract

Protected areas are one of the priorities for mapping habitats, especially forest habitats, which are dominant in most protected areas of central Serbia, such as "Radan" Nature Park. This paper presents the forest habitat mapping in the protected area of "Radan" NP and the development of vegetation-stand map of the protected area in an effort to examine the methodology of forest habitats mapping in Serbia, which presumes a long term systematic data collection. Although much has been done on the classification of habitats in Serbia, considering both botanical and the forestry approach, the practical application of this knowledge in habitat mapping is still in its infancy, with the exception of longstanding practical work on data collection for Forest Management Plans for the state-owned forests. Data on forest stands in Nature Park "Radan" collected in this manner were essential to developing the vegetation-stand map of "Radan" NP. The results of data processing and harmonization of typology and classification of state-owned forests have been presented in this paper, as well as the analysis of forest habitat types in this protected area. The paper presents the vegetation-stand maps of the state-owned forests in the protected area and of the pilot area of privately owned forests, for which detailed field data collection was necessary. These maps are intended for the management of protected areas and systematic and efficient implementation of protection measures and activities. Habitat mapping in protected areas is a prerequisite for an adequate biodiversity monitoring, as well as for management and sustainable use of natural resources of the protected area.

Keywords

• radan nature park
• habitat mapping
• forest habitats
• stand map
• vegetation map
• pilot area