Climate change and forests
Authors: Babić Violeta , Krstić Milun , Vuković Ana , Kanjevac Branko 
Published: April 2024

Adaptive management is a basic concept of forest ecosystem management strategies in conditions of increased risks such as climate change. Climate change is the most significant problem of today, which is briefly characterized by increased temperatures, unbalanced precipitation, as well as the increasing presence of extreme weather events. Spatial distributions indicate that the greatest climate risks will be concentrated in southern subtropical and tropical humid areas where drought has intensified and where productivity may decline due to natural hazards such as droughts and floods. The interaction between climate change and air pollutants is particularly stressful for trees (forests). The effects of climate change on certain species can be positive or negative, which is conditioned by habitat conditions and regional climate change. The main cause of global warming of the "modern age", ie. period since the industrial revolution, is the increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the most responsible of which is carbon dioxide. In the Mediterranean area, the results indicate a decrease in annual rainfall by 10–20%. Such intense changes and especially the increase in air temperature affect the increase of evapotranspiration. Rapid changes in climate conditions, with additional stress from multifaceted direct human impacts, make the Earth’s ecosystem unsustainable and require urgent implementation of measures to mitigate these changes. The key goals are, in addition to reducing emissions, to increase the share of energy production from renewable sources and increase energy efficiency. Change in mean air temperature in the Western Balkans for the period 1986‒2015. in relation to the period 1961‒1980. is 1.2 ° C, which is why this region is considered one of the most endangered due to climate change in the world. In the coming decades, temperatures will continue to rise the most during the summer season. The warmest month is July in the entire area of Republika Srpska with an average temperature of 24.3 ° C for Trebinje. The increase in the average summer temperature is the largest in the central part of the region, especially in most of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and exceeds 2 ° C, and the amount of precipitation is reduced by 10–20%. Lang's bioclimatic classification for the reference period indicates that the analyzed area of Prijedor and Bijeljina with the characteristics of semihumid climate, while the areas of Banja Luka, Doboj, Sokolac, Bileća and Trebinje with the characteristics of humid climate. According to the annual climate index according to Thorntwhite for the reference period 1981–2010. in the area of Bijeljina as the driest part of Republika Srpska is dominated by subhumid-humid climate type C2, in the area of Prijedor and Doboj slightly humid climate type B1, Banja Luka and Sokolac have a moderately humid climate type B2, and in Eastern Herzegovina is perhumid climate type A. According to the Ellenberg climate classification for the reference period 1981–2010. year, the entire area of Republika Srpska belongs to the zone with the characteristics of a humid climate. Analyzes show the necessity of applying appropriate cultivation measures in forestry in accordance with climate change to the forest with supported natural regeneration, cultivation of mixed forests and species adapted to different temperature tolerance regimes, thinning forest care, application of sanitary and other types of cultivation measures, conservation of genetic diversity and biodiversity. adoption of sustainable forest management practices.