Author(s):
1. Bratislav Matović, Serbia
2. Dejan Stojanović, Serbia
3. Lazar Kesić, Univerzitet U Novom Sadu, Institut za nizijsko šumarstvo i životnu sredinu, Serbia
4. Stefan Stjepanović, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract:
Dendrochronological methods were used for evaluation of the effect of the precipitation and air temperature to the growth and vitality of trees in the pure spruce stands in the National Park Kopaonik. Field sampling was carried out during 2016 at four stands with different health conditions and past management practice. The annual sum of precipitation and sum of precipitation during the growing season from 1980 to 2015 was approximately on the same level with a slight increasing trend. However, the mean annual temperature and mean temperature during growing season had a significant increase. In the same period, a trend of growth decrease has been identified, which is, on the one hand, a result of the natural reduction of increment with the increase in the age of trees growing in homogeneous stands, but on the other hand due to the deterioration of climatic conditions, primarily the increase of mean temperature during the growing season. This is confirmed by significant Pearson's correlation that showed relation between the mean temperature during growing season and the tree-ring widths of the declining trees (relatively high correlation coefficient r and p <0.05). The effect of mean monthly temperature and monthly sum of precipitation on the growth of spruce trees was also considered. Bootstrapping correlation analysis shows that there are characteristic months in which the sum of monthly precipitation and mean monthly temperature have a direct impact on the annual increment. The mean temperature also appears to be more important indicator than precipitation with direct effect on the tree growth.

Key words:
growth, spruce, Kopaonik

Thematic field:
Forest Menagement Planning

Date of abstract submission:
08.09.2017.

Conference:
Šumarska nauka u funkciji održivog razvoja šumarstva
25 godina šumarstva Republike Srpske