Forests in Serbia as Factor of Soil and Water Protection Against Degradation in the Conditions of Global Climate Changes

Abstract

Forests in Serbia cover 27.3% of the country's total area which isconsiderably less than the 41.1% projected by the Spatial Plan of 1996.In addition to providing timber and other forest products, forests areincreasingly important as environmental protectors and help mitigateglobal climate changes. Forests as well provide a powerful means toprotect soil and water from all types of degradation, the primary onesbeing erosion and sedimentation. In Serbia, as a consequence of naturalcharacteristics, and also due to inadequate soil and land management,soil erosion is a very significant problem, as well as the torrentialfloods which follow. Water erosion processes are the dominant processesin hilly and mountainous parts of the country, south of the rivers Savaand Danube, whereas in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina in thecountry's north, the dominant process is wind erosion. Erosion, erosionsediment and torrential flooding cause extensive damage, increasinglynegative for the environment. Problems manifest as landscapedegradation, as well as mechanical and chemical pollution of water inwatercourses and storage areas. Under current climate change conditions,which have an unfavourable impact on the development of vegetation, therisk of intensified erosion is increased.This paper presents an overview of climate change in Serbia and itsconsequences: desertification, soil erosion, torrential flooding, aswell as the significance and effect of forests in mitigating thesechanges.