Forests of Bosnia & Herzegovina

Sarajevo, 2010.

• B&H has a long tradition in forestry

• In Austrian-Hungarian Empire (1878) B&H was found as mountaineer (42% of whole area) and forest country, and came just after Finland according to forest coverage.

• According to forest inventory from 1968. 51% of the territory was

covered with forests.

• And now according to FAO 54% of the territory is cowered with forests

• Conditionaly B&H can be divade in three areas:

• Prepanonian area less than 700 m a.s.l. dominantly coverd with oak forests (Carpino betuli-Quercetum roboris in low lands and Querco-Carpinetum in higer lands).

•Long exploatation have led to devastation of oak forest.

•Therefor today we find them in small disjuncted areas.

• Continental area of B&H is higher than 700 m a.s.l. and covered mostly with conifers and mixed forsts.

• Dominant forest species are beech, spruce, fir and varietas of broad leaf decidous.

• These forests are economicaly the most valuable for forestry (biomas production)

•

Mediterranean and Submediterranean parts of B&HOnce had been oake forests. Today are degraded areas – macchia, has a great ecological value

Economycaly important forests are P.heldreichi

Photo, Prenj mountain Photo, Prenj mountain

• B&H has a extremly rhich biodiversity:• 5134 species,subspecies and hybrides higher vascuolar planst.• Thousands of lower vascuolar plants.• 450 endems,mostly spread out in southwest of

Herzegovina(mountains Prenj,Čvrsnica,Čabulja)-Biodiversity hotspot

• Endangered species:

• Only 1,62% of whole teritory BiH is protected in form of:• Virgin forests reserve (forests of beech and fir with

spruce,secundary beech forests,P.heldreichi forests) - 248,4 ha• Nature monument(waterfall “Skakavac”,”Vrelo Bosne”,”Prokoško

lake” on a mountain “Vranica”) - 3961,17 ha• Protected landscape(“Biambare”)• Other protected areas

• Conclusion • Forestry of B&H bases its incom mainly on wooden products.

• The possibility of increasing incoms on the basis of exploitation special forestry products or on the basis of development other functions is almost not used despite extraordinary potentials of our forests.