Vpliv klimatskih sprememb na trajnost, stabilnost in biodiverziteto sestojev bukve in črnega bora na Balkanu (Slovene)

The results will supplement our knowledge on: - height and width growth (wood production) in beech and Austrian pine in diverse environments; - root system growth and development in the studied tree species; - seasonal dynamics of radial growth of trees; - impacts of diverse climate regimes on wood structure and characteristics; - response by beech and Austrian pine in ecophysiological and dendroecological terms to the changing environmental factors; - understanding the physiology of the studied tree species; - sustenance of the forest stands' productivity, conservation of their biodiversity and resistance to stress factors.

The results will be useful for: - the preparation of realistic scenarios as regards the impacts on forest biodiversity and its changing, development of the dealt with forest ecosystems, as well as production and structure of wood of the studied tree species - public forestry service by aiding it with various guidelines, strategies and possibilities of forest management in the changed climate conditions. Knowledge of factual data will contribute to a better strategic decision-making at the regional and national levels; - understanding the climate change impacts on forest ecosystems and production; - introduction of new methods and techniques, knowledge and cooperation in the Balkans, collaboration and exchange of researchers with foreign universities and institutes ((1) Oddelek za lesarstvo, Biotehniška fakulteta, Univerza v Ljubljani, (2) INRA, Nancy, Francija, (3) Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Beijing, (4) Mandel University of Agriculture and Forestry, Brno, Češka, (5) Universitat d'Alacant, Alicante, španija, (6) University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy (7) Faculty of Forestry, University of Zagreb, Svetosimunska 25, Zagreb, Croatia, (8) WSL Birmensdorf, Švica (9) Institute for Wood Technology and Wood Biology, Johann Heinrich von Thünen- Institute, Hamburg, Germany, (10) Département des Sciences Fondamentales, Université du Québec a Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, Canada), cooperation of the existing and future young researchers partaking in the project, transfer of knowledge to the Slovenian Forestry-Wood Technological Platform, Slovenian Forest Service, forestry associations and lay public; - knowledge of the perspective and prediction of forest development, which is further relevant from the aspect of dynamics and carbon bounding ratio in forest ecosystems, which is one of the basics of the Kyoto Protocol. Unstable forest ecosystems are sensitive to weather extremes, due to which numerous functions of the forests (economic, ecological, social, aesthetic …) are endangered. Very important function of the forests, apart from their economic (mainly wood-processing) function is also their social, ecological and aesthetic role. Conservation of healthy forests will contribute to the mitigation of climate change and thus to unfavourable impacts on the people's disposition and quality of living. With a popular presentation of the research results we shall attempt to acquaint the public with forestry and significance of our research in Slovenia. With this project we shall also consolidate the role of the Slovenian Forestry Institute and the Republic of Slovenia itself within the framework of this kind of studies in the Balkan region.