Changes in the forest growing stock of the Timok forest area following the ice storm in winter 2014/2015

Abstract

In the winter of 2014/2015, extremely cold air masses penetrated from the east and the Carpathians into a large part of eastern Serbia and formed extensive ice layers on infrastructure facilities and forest trees. Forest trees could not withstand large amounts of ice (up to several tons per tree), resulting in widespread ice breaks and ice throws. Extensive damage occurred in the Timok, Morava, Severni Kučaj, Rasina, and Južni Kučaj Forest Areas. In certain parts of the Timok Forest Area, the damage to forest ecosystems was catastrophic and required clear-cutting of large areas. This research focuses on the state-owned forests of the Timok Forest Area (natural forests and artificially established (stands) managed by "Srbijašume" State Enterprise from Belgrade. A comparative analysis of specific indicators of the current state of the forest growing stock in the Timok Forest Area was conducted (forest state by origin, preservation, mixture, tree species, stand classification, and socioecological categorisation). The analysis compared data collected on 31 December 2013 with data collected on 31 December 2021. The research aimed to determine whether there were significant changes in the state of forest growing stock in the Timok Forest Area in the study period.