Copyright © by the Italian Society of Silviculture and Forest Ecology doi: 10.3832/efor0512-0050100

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Structure of an old-growth stand (Reserve of Lom, Republic of Bosnia Herzegovina) and two over-mature forest stands from the Italian eastern Alps (Ludrin, TN, and Val Navarza, UD)

Motta R ⁽¹⁾, Maunaga Z ⁽²⁾, Berretti R ⁽¹⁾, Castagneri D ⁽¹⁾, Lingua E ⁽³⁾, Meloni F ⁽¹⁾

(1) Dipartimento AGROSELVITER, Università degli studi di Torino, v.le L. Da Vinci, Grugliasco (TO - Italy); (2) Faculty of Forestry, University of Banja Luka, Republic of Srpska (Republic of Bosnia Herzegovina); (3) Dipartimento TESAF, Università degli studi di Padova, Agripolis, Legnaro (PD - Italy)

Abstract: The Republic of Bosnia Herzegovina is a country relatively rich (2000 ha) of primeval and old-growth forests that are very rare in central and southern Europe. One of the best Bosnian old-growth is located in the forest of Lom where a Forest reserve of 278 ha was established in 1956. Inside this reserve, 1 ha long-term intensive monitoring plot was established in 2005 to investigate the origin, spatio-temporal development and disturbance history of the stand. Structural characteristics of the stand were than compared with other Bosnian old-growth and with two well-preserved Italian forests belonging to the same forest type. The permanent plot is very rich in living biomass (1158 m³ ha^-1) and in coarse woody debris (383 m³ ha^-1 approximately 33% of living trees). The oldest trees are more than 450 years old. The stand has developed without large-scale disturbances and, according to data coming from other Bosnian old-growth, appears to be highly stable. The main differences between a true old-growth (Lom) and the previously managed forests of Ludrin and Navarza are the quality and the quantity of coarse woody debris, the size of the largest trees and the age of the oldest trees. The importance of Forest Reserves as a reference for managed forest and as a site for long-term ecological research is discussed.

Received: Dec 18, 2007 - Accepted: Feb 19, 2008 - Published online: Mar 27, 2008

Full Text DOI (Digital Object Identifier): 10.3832/efor0512-0050100

Citation: Motta R, Maunaga Z, Berretti R, Castagneri D, Lingua E, Meloni F, 2008. Structure of an old-growth stand (Reserve of Lom, Republic of Bosnia Herzegovina) and two over-mature forest stands from the Italian eastern Alps (Ludrin, TN, and Val Navarza, UD). Forest@ 5 (1): 100-111. [online 2008-03-27] URL: http://www.sisef.it/forest@/show.php?id=512 - [doi: 10.3832/efor0512-0050100]

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