Declining of forests - biotic and abiotic stress

Abstract

During the last several years, a significant decline of different forests in Serbia was recorded. The decline is more widespread in conifer stands, but occurence of decline was recorded in broadleaved forest stands as well. These declines are the result of abiotic, biotic and anthropogenic factors. According to the studies performed so far in Serbia, the predisposing factor were droughts during the 2012 and 2013 vegetation periods that caused physiological weakness of the trees. Among the biotic factors, the most important are fungi (mainly root rot, but rot fungi, and needle diseases) and insects (bark beetles in conifer species) and defoliators in broadleaved species).