Issues

Each tribe has unique experiences and knowledge regarding plant utilization and cultivation. This knowledge and experience are passed down from generation to generation until they become a habit. The habit of selecting and cultivating plants is reflected in the agroforestry system that is developed. Differences in the composition of plant species within the agroforestry system affect farmers’ income of local tribe and transmigrant. This study aims to determine the considerations for selecting plant species, analysing the composition of plant species, farmers’ income,and the contribution of agroforestry systems to farmer household income. A vegetation survey and structured interviews using questionnaires were conducted. Respondents were determined using the purposive sampling method with the criteria of farmers who implement an agroforestry system and a minimum managed land area of 0.5 ha. Data were analysed descriptively and quantitatively. The results showed that the composition of plant species differed between local and transmigrant farmers. Transmigrant farmers tend to cultivate vegetable crops, such as tomatoes and chilies, while local tribes tend to develop high-value commodity crops, such as pepper and cocoa. Both tribes tend to consider economic rather than socio-cultural factors when selecting plant species. The average agroforestry income of local tribe is greater than that of transmigrant, but the contribution of the agroforestry system to the household income of local tribe is smaller than that of transmigrant, as a consequence of local tribes having other sources of income besides the agroforestry system. It is recommended to maintain the composition of plant species in the local tribe’s agroforestry system by optimizing the arrangement of plant growth spaces.

Received: 02 November 2024 / Accepted: 31 January 2025 / Available online: 11 February 2025

Open Access: This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

The biochemical acclimation of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) saplings to canopy openings caused by various forest cuttings or natural disturbances was assessed in the ‘Petrohan’ training and experimental forest range in the Western Stara Planina Mountains. We examined changes in the activity of key enzymatic antioxidants, the accumulation of reducing sugars, the synthesis of phenols and flavonoids, and the content of photosynthetic pigments. Our findings indicated that among the antioxidant enzymes studied, catalase showed the most significant increase in activity in response to the canopy openings. The increase in superoxide dismutase activity was less pronounced, while guaiacol peroxidase was only activated when the saplings were fully exposed to sunlight after the removal of shade from older trees. More pronounced defensive response was observed in the accumulation of reducing sugars and synthesis of phenolics, particularly at higher altitudes and in areas with larger canopy openings. Illumination emerged as primary factor influencing flavonoid accumulation. Following canopy openings, European beech leaves often exhibited reduced chlorophyll content, particularly chlorophyll b, in favour of synthesizing more carotenoids. Cutting all mature trees during the group selection harvest practice induced stress on saplings similar to that observed after a large disturbance. Further studies on the influence of orography on patch location could enhance understanding of the mechanistic control of illumination and the stress experienced by saplings of shade-tolerant species like European beech.

Received: 18 December 2024 / Accepted: 05 February 2025 / Available online: 11 February 2025

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This study aimed to evaluate the growth characteristics and rearing effectiveness of cageraised common quails for game restocking. Based on the origin of the quails, three groups of one-day-old birds were formed. Up to the age of 21 days, the quails were reared together, and subsequently, they were separated by sex. The test period lasted 56 days. The rearing conditions and feeding of the quails were analogous to those of domesticated quails. The following traits were monitored: mortality (%), live body weight (g), weight gain (g), feed intake (g), and feed conversion ratio. At 56-day-old, the average male live body weight was 110.68 g, while for the females, it was 127.24 g (P

The floristic composition and diversity analysis of forests is considered an essential aspect of cork oak ecosystem. Both can contribute to our knowledge of their functioning, and assist in our conservation efforts. Chrea woodland is located in the central part of the Tellian Atlas region of the Atlas Mountains in northern Africa. Quercus suber L. (cork oak) is a dominant tree in this woodland. A number of non-native species have established themselves in this woodland, including black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia). Urbanization, uncontrolled cutting, and wildfires are the main processes that affect at present the species composition and ecological dynamics of these woodlands. To investigate the floristic richness and diversity patterns of Chrea woodland, and the possible effects of invasive spreading of R. pseudoacadia, we sampled stands dominated by black locust and dominated by cork oak, during April, May, and June 2019–2021, collected species abundance for each plot. Overall, we identified 171 species representing 136 genera, belonging to 49 botanical families, with significant differences in species richness and species heterogeneity on the stands dominated by cork oak and stands co-dominated with black locust. The analysis of this flora also enabled us to identify medicinal plants, aromatic plants, and plants of economic interest in this region. Our data showed that the flora of Chrea woodland is dominated by Mediterranean vegetation, with life forms represented by Therophytes, Hemicryptophytes, Cryptophytes, Chamephytes and Phanerophytes. The dominance of therophytes and hemicryptophytes in both stand types illustrates how the woodland may be affected by processes, such as urbanization, uncontrolled cutting, wildfires, and the introduction of non-native species. The conservation of these peculiar woodlands with high values of plants diversity must be part of a sustainable development programme that will make it possible to protect existing heritage and improve the socio-economic conditions of local populations.

Received: 31 December 2024 / Accepted: 01 March 2025 / Available online: 12 March 2025

Open Access: This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Extreme weather events such as ice-storms increasingly impact forest ecosystems, yet effective methods for assessing their damage remain limited. This study aims to compare the applicability of three vegetation indices based on imagery obtained from Sentinel-2 satellites in assessing damage from large-scale forest disturbance caused by an ice-storm in the Western Stara Planina Mts. The rate of damages was assessed using the temporal comparison in the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Plant Phenology Index (PPI), and Leaf Area Index (LAI) between August 2020 and August 2021. The results showed that NDVI is less sensitive for canopy changes in complex phytocoenosis such as forests. Due to the forest’s understory phenology, PPI has a low relation with canopy destruction and indexes false positive changes between 2020 and 2021. LAI reduction was closely related to terrain assessment results, but there was still an index increase in stands with high damage values established during field assessments. A significant challenge in forest disturbance damage analysis based on changes in vegetation indices remains
the objectivity of the field assessments used as a control for comparing the applicability of indices. Quality and quantitative assessment of disturbance impacts on forests using remote sensing requires precise ground-based data and integration of this information with vegetation indices. Due to partial crown destruction in some affected trees, remotely sensed indices incorporating canopy depth are well-suited for assessing damage caused by natural forest disturbances.

Received: 16 March 2025 / Accepted: 16 April 2025 / Available online: 23 April 2025

Open Access: This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

With the loss of most of Côte d’Ivoire’s forests, it is time to focus conservation and protection strategies on the remaining fragments scattered throughout agro-systems. However, these forests remain neglected and little known in terms of their value for biodiversity conservation. The aim of this study was to report the overall ecological value of different fragments of riparian forests scattered in the agro-systems of Southern Côte d’Ivoire. The level of floristic diversity, the conservation interest of these forests, the structural characteristics of the vegetation and the aboveground biomass were assessed. Trees with a diameter of at least 2.5 cm were counted in 222 plots in dry-land forests and periodically or permanently flooded forests. Qualitative and quantitative diversity indices, density and aboveground biomass were calculated. The results showed that these forests are home to 267 species, 94 % of which are present in dry-land forests, compared to 28–32 % in permanently and periodically flooded forests, respectively. The high abundance of Alchornea cordifolia (18 to 23 % of the stems) leads to an imbalance in the distribution of stems between species. Despite the low levels of aboveground biomass (5.6 to 20.3 t·ha-1), the abundance of species from the Guinean-Congolese phytogeographic region (67.10 to 75.3 %) and the presence of 37 rare, threatened and/or endemic species are encouraging signs for the conservation of these remnant forests. These forests therefore deserve a census and the development of a specific strategy for their conservation.

Received: 09 April 2025 / Accepted: 12 May 2025 / Available online: 04 June 2025

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The objective of the study was to assess the influence of undergrowth species on forest litter formation and agrochemical soil properties in pure Scots pine forest stands. Research was conducted in 56- to 90-year-old pine forest stands of Minor Polissya region (Ukraine). Based on the analysis of 14 forest stands with undergrowth species and 1 stand without undergrowth species (control), the dynamics, stock and decomposition of forest litter over one year was evaluated. The main part of the research was assessment of the impact of forest litter of undergrowth species on agrochemical soil indicators. From a dynamic point of view, the most forest litter was in the summer-autumn period. Total forest litter stocks in the stands with undergrowth species was significantly lower than in control one. Pine forest stands in Minor Polissya, characterised by variable density and species composition of underwood species, predominantly grow on highly acidic soils, exhibiting low levels of base saturation, exchangeable calcium and magnesium, moderate to high organic matter, and very low to low levels of mobile phosphorus and readily hydrolysable nitrogen. Based on the results of the cluster analysis, we can confirm that the influence of understorey litterfall on various agrochemical soil properties was heterogeneous. The positive impact of undergrowth species litter is significant in the case of nitrogen, pH and potassium.

Received: 18 February 2025 / Accepted: 03 June 2025 / Available online: 24 June 2025

Open Access: This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Mega-trees, although representing a small proportion of the flora of forest ecosystems, provide the bulk of ecosystem services. However, their degradation, accentuated by strong and changing climatic and ecological constraints, is intensifying under the action of anthropogenic activities. To assess the diversity, biomass and conservation value of these mega-trees in natural forests, this study was carried out in three vegetation types: old-growth forests, secondary forests and crop/fallow mosaics, in Azagny National Park, in Côte d’Ivoire. Inventories were undertaken in 71 plots of 2500 m² each. Within these plots, the diameter at breast height (DBH ≥ 70 cm) and the height of each tree were recorded to estimate total plant biomass. The study identified 49 mega- tree species, of which two are endemic to the Upper Guinea forest block and eight are listed as vulnerable or near threatened on IUCN Red List. Furthermore, old-growth forests were found to be the most productive in terms of biomass, reaching an average of 125.79 ±76.29 t·ha-1, well above the other two vegetation types mentioned above. This underlines their excellent biomass storage capacity in the protected area. In addition, the density and basal area of mega-trees in these old-growth forests are higher than in the other forest types.

Received: 29 April 2025 / Accepted: 19 June 2025 / Available online: 15 July 2025

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The rose species and cultivars are considered one of the most valued ornamental shrubs in urban landscape design due to its aesthetic role, positive impact on biodiversity enhancement, high adaptability to various climatic and environmental conditions. The aim of this study is to evaluate the vegetative growth and flowering stage of selected Floribunda and Grandiflora rose cultivars and to assess their adaptive potential and aesthetic impact within urban environments in Suhareka, Kosovo. Ten rose cultivars – eight Floribunda (‘Angel Face’, ‘Sunsprite’, ‘Amber Queen’, ‘Bonica 82’, ‘English Miss’, ‘Scentimental’, ‘Betty Boop’ and ‘Iceberg’) and two Grandiflora (‘Queen Elizabeth’ and ‘Love’s Promise’) – were analysed under the climatic conditions of Kosovo. The most intensive flowering stage occurred in June, with the ‘Queen Elizabeth’ cultivar producing an average of 35 flowers per plant, followed by the ‘Loves Promise’ cultivar with 34 flowers per plant. The lowest number of flowers was recorded in the ‘Angel Face’ cultivar, with 22 flowers per plant, and in the ‘Bonica 82’ cultivar, with 23 flowers per plant. The cultivars ‘Queen Elizabeth’ and ‘Sunsprite’ demonstrated best performance under climatic and environmental conditions of Kosovo. The Grandiflora group of roses blooms more abundantly, which is proven by the effect of additional hybridizations that have been made between hybrid tea roses and the Floribunda group.

Received: 25 April 2025 / Accepted: 02 July 2025 / Available online: 15 July 2025

Open Access: This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

This study investigates the population dynamics of river trout (Salmo labrax) in the Strugarnitsa River, a protected tributary of the Ogosta River in North-Western Bulgaria. Utilising electrofishing across two transects in winter 2023 and summer 2024, the study assessed abundance, biomass, size structure, and age composition. The calculations were made using the Seber and Le Cren (1967) removal method based on two-pass electrofishing. The objective of the study is to quantify and evaluate the population dynamics of river trout in the Strugarnitsa River. The average trout density was 368 ind.·ha-1, and the biomass was 15.2 kg·ha-1, with a notable 50 % higher abundance in summer compared to the breeding season in November. The population consisted primarily of one- two three-year-old fish, with no zero-year-olds observed in the lower trout zone during summer, suggesting spatial segregation of juveniles. These values are among the lowest reported in Bulgaria, likely due to low summer water flow and water diversion. The absence of stocking and presence of natural reproduction indicate a self-sustaining population, albeit with limited fish production capacity. The findings provide baseline data for future management, recommending minimal exploitation and catch-and-release fishing to maintain population equilibrium.

Received: 23 April 2025 / Accepted: 09 July 2025 / Available online: 17 July 2025

Open Access: This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.