COST Action E 52 - vTI - Bund.de

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curreNT sTaTus oF euroPeaN beech
(Fagus sylvatica L.) GeNeTIc resources IN croaTIa
absTracT
Mladen IvankovIć 1 – SAŠA BOGDAN 2 – Joso Gračan 3 – IVAN PILAŠ 4
1 Croatian Forest Research Institute, Division for Genetics, Tree Breeding and
Forest Seed Husbandry, Cvjetno naselje 41, 10450 Jastrebarsko, Croatia
2 University of Zagreb, Faculty of Forestry, Department of Forest Genetics,
Dendrology and Botany, Svetošimunska 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
3 Hrvoja Macanovića 43, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
4 Croatian Forest Research Institute, Division for Ecology and Silviculture,
Cvjetno naselje 41, 10450 Jastrebarsko, Croatia
This paper presents general data on European beech genetic resources in Croatia and provides an
overview of forest genetics research activities. In the first part, the paper deals with the horizontal
and vertical distribution range of the species and its habitat characteristics. Basic information on
forest management, seed zonation as well as general information about threats to genetic resources
follows. Finally, a review on conservation efforts, including the development of in situ and ex situ
conservation units as well as research work on provenance testing are presented.
Key words: beech, distribution range, habitat, conservation, provenances, research
dIsTrIbuTIoN aNd habITaT
The European beech (Croatian names: obična bukva, bukva prosta, bukva šumska, buk, bukva) is
one of the most important forest tree species of the Republic of Croatia. Pure or mixed beech stands
constitute quite stable ecosystems, and are mostly naturally regenerated. It is the most common tree
species in Croatia, where it accounts for 4 % of the forest area (Vukelić, Rauš 1998) and forms
45% of total wood growing stock. According to Klepac (1986), pure beech stands occupy an area
of 200,000 ha, mixed stands with sessile oak and hornbeam accounting for 00,000 ha while mixed
stands of beech, silver fir and Norway spruce occupy an area of 200,000 ha. It is considered as one of the
most vital forest tree species in Croatia, since pure and mixed stands are not significantly damaged by
pests, diseases and air pollution (Glavaš, Harapin, Hrašovec 1992, Potočić, Seletković 2000).
The European beech woodland appears in many types of forest communities and is widespread both
horizontally and vertically. In the lowlands it occurs as a secondary species in forests of pedunculate
oak and common hornbeam. Its share in the low hills increases and reaches its culmination and the
highest commercial value in the highlands up to 800 m, where it forms climatozonal communities
in which it has distinct dominance. Above this area it occurs in mixed stands with silver fir.
Horizontally, the para-Mediterranean vegetation zone occurs in the Dinaric Alps that extend along