Ecological analysis at pilot plots underway

Climatic changes, manifested by a change in the precipitation regime and an increase in temperature, lead to a change in the ecological conditions of the habitat, directly and significantly affect the physiological processes in plants, affect their vitality, growth and development, lead to a change in the composition of species, the spread of pests and diseases, drying of forests and others. The stability of alluvial plain forest ecosystems and a key factor in their survival is the change in the hydrological regime. In today’s constellation of ecological conditions, alluvial forests represent the most endangered ecosystems on our planet.

To prevent these changes, there is a need for a detailed study of the changes in ecological factors of forest ecosystems that grow on the alluvial plain. Changes in climate elements lead to changes in pedogenetic factors and processes, which results in changes in soil properties and the composition of phytocenoses in these areas.

The state of habitat conditions directly affects tree vitality and growth dynamics. In this sense, the study of vegetation and soil, through whose formation and properties the influences of other habitat factors permeate, is of great importance. Although the area where the alluvial forests grow was studied in detail up to about 50 years ago, due to the evident habitat changes caused by climate changes, it is very important that these habitats are studied again in detail.

Field studies of habitat characteristics in the alluvial plains of Vojvodina Province are underway and include the collection of data on the ground about the characteristics of the substrate, the morphological properties of the soil, as well as the determination of classification and sampling for laboratory tests. In the field, detailed vegetation studies are also carried out by taking phytocenological images. The goal of our work is to provide scientifically based recommendations for the conservation and sustainable management of these habitats in the light of current and future climate changes.