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Achieving the earlier set goals in forestry will not be easy in the light of global and climate change. The expected impact of climate change on forests in Serbia is already recorded in the studies of oak. This research was focused on the study of the impact of 15 climate variables from CARPATCLIM database over the Turkey oak from stand 8i (Management Unit Branjevina, Forest Division Sombor, Public Enterprise Vojvodinašume) using dendrochronological methods. Analyses using a simple Pearson's correlation showed the higher correlation between oak growth and SPEI (Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index), RDI (Reconnaissance Drought Index) and PDSI (Palmer Drought Severity Index) in the growing season in comparison to simple variables such as mean monthly temperature of monthly sum of precipitation. To date, indices SPEI and RDI are not used to a greater extent in dendrochronological studies. Given their characteristics that they are used for monitoring of drought, and that among the 15 climate variables provide significant correlations for the main months (April to August) during growing season, they should be seriously considered in the future understanding of the impact of drought on forests.

The paper highlights certain open methodological issues relevant to the analysis of the comparative politics and climate change law. The second part of the paper focuses on the basic elements of the law and politics of the climate change in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and Serbia. For the basis of the analysis several criteria have been taken: membership in the international treaties, status in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and reporting, the existence and development of the climate change legislation (the constitutional provision, content and availability of regulations, climate change in the framework environmental law), the existence of the specific regulations governing the rational use of the energy and renewable energy sources, as well as the level of compliance of the national legislation with EU regulations. Having identified some differences in the state of national regulative on climate change (primarily between Croatia and other countries) the paper expounds the thesis that the key factor that determines the status of national policies and regulations (of the states under this analysis) is the process of the European integration. In conclusion of the analysis it is estimated that the progress in this process is directly correlated with the level of the development of national legislation and implementation of international obligations.

Climate change, caused by anthropogenic factor, is one of the biggest global challenges. Universal interest for slowing climate change by adequate reduction of global emission of greenhouse gases and universal interest that all nations become capable to overcome effects of global change is beyond dispute. Global and local allocation of expenses of realization of the mentioned interests is a matter of global and local disputes. The Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is searching for new formula of equitable distribution of the expenses that would be acceptable for all. The formula should reconcile efficient reduction of global emissions and securing sustainable development for all. International protection of human rights offers a possibility to turn attention to interests of individuals in the context of climate change.

The decline in vitality and dieback of oak forests is increasingly present Vojvodina. This is old challenge for forestry, which again became actual. The paper used dendrochronological methods with the intention to describe trends in growth of pedunculate oak forests in Srem and trends of the water level of the Sava River and air temperature, which are defined as critical to the vitality of these forests. Predicted were water levels of Sava River in the 21st century with overview of its implications on the oak forests growth. Samples were taken from three stands in Srem (Stara Vratična, Smogva and Blate). Flows of Sava river were taken according to five climate scenarios for the periods 2012-2040 and 2042-2070, and converted into the water levels. A trend of decrease in growth in all three stands in last 30 years was observed, together with decrease in water level and temperature rise. Predicted future water levels of the Sava River were in general lower than those in the period 1951-1981, and higher than in the period 1982-2012. The differences between the various scenarios, as well as the impossibility of adequate simulations of extreme events, leavs space for further considerations.

Due to the air temperature increase, longer growing seasons and erratic rainfalls in the last two decades, natural grasslands like meadows or pastures grow in unfavourable climatic conditions that disable the regeneration. The aim of this work is to assess the impact of climate changes on the water requirement of grasslands in Serbia. The results of ensembles of nine regional climate models from the EURO-CORDEX database were used to analyse future climatic conditions. As the most probable value, the median of scores obtained for each ensemble member was considered. The period of 1986–2005 was used as the reference. The time slices in future periods are: 2016–2035 (the near future), 2046–2065 (the mid-century) and 2081–2100 (the end of the century). Analyses were conducted for two scenarios of GHG emissions: RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. Permanent grasslands will be more prone to drought risks in the future. Water shortage could be expected at the end of May when the water stored in the soil will be depleted by the duration of drought until September heavy rains. According to both scenarios, an increment of water requirement of 7% could be expected in the near future. The RCP4.5 scenario projects an increase in the water requirement in the range of 10.7–24.2% from the mid to the end of the century. The less favourable but more realistic RCP8.5 scenario projects a water need increment in the range from 4% to 14 % in the mid-century and 28.4–41.9% toward the end of the century. Recent research indicates that drought resistance will be developed through natural diversity and the spread of species resistant to high temperatures and water scarcity.

In the context of climate change afforestation is often seen as one of the most important mitigation measures. Forestry as a branch aims to improve the state of existing forests and also to increase the total forest fund. The question is what can all be done in order to reach the second objective, i.e. to increase existing forest area? By the Spatial plan of Republic Serbia forest area should be increased from the current 29% up to some 900 km2 by the year 2020. For Vojvodina, where only 7% of area is under forest, priority task is to find possibilities to afforest agricultural, degraded and other categories of land so that targeted increase of 14% can be reached. While afforestation has legal and strategic support there is a growing need to consider other relevant aspects and innovative solutions within them. This paper focuses on the social science aspects and examines one possible option on how to establish and maintain relationship with the owners/users of land suitable for afforestation. This option refers to the concept of customer relationship management (CRM). The aim of the paper is to describe and understand the CRM-concept and its application in forestry. Criterion analysis has been applied in order to determine CRM-possibilities when identifying, contacting and communicating with owners/users of land sutable for afforestation as with potential customers.

Migration is one of the oldest and most used strategies for overcoming negative social issues. Despite the fact that it is historically deeply rooted, environmental migration as a social phenomenon has only recently become the subject research of numerous scientific fields. However, the study of current environmental migration is characterized by a number of issues, such as absence of an adequate definition and multi-causality of environmental migration. In this paper, through conceptual framework, author analyzed two main questions: who are environmental migrants and what reasons cause environmental migration. Due to the destruction of the global environmental balance, as well as accumulated environmental disturbances, it is likely that environmental migration will increase in future and there is nowhere you cannot make more use of scientific and professional projection of the future than in demographic and environmental spheres of human life. There is no doubt that our future is unpredictable. However, the environmental factors influencing the pattern of human interaction with the environment must be taken into account when projecting future development of the modern society. Such is the context in which the complex relation among migration, change and the environment has to be studied. In order to establish the basis for controlling environmental migration caused by negative changes in the environment, it is necessary to adopt a consistent strategy instead of ad hoc activities that are being used. In this paper, author analyzed societal response for the challenges caused by environmental migration, specifically regarding actions related to governing environmental migrations.

Climate change impact on field production may play a great role in strategic planning on soil and water resources management. Therefore, the aim of this work was to find out the impact of climate change on sugar beet yield, irrigation depth variation and water saving practices. AquaCrop model v.4.0 was used for yield and irrigation requirement estimation. Input data for future climatic parameters were obtained from EBU-POM for four scenarios A1B, A2, A1B* and A* (*>CO2), and periods of observation were first (2010-2039); second (2040-2069), and third (2070-2099). Undoubtedly, yield will not be reduced in the first period by any scenario, on the contrary, it might be increased. In the second period, yield reduction was observed in A1B and A2 scenarios, hence without the increment of CO2 in the Vojvodina region, whereas in Central Serbia, yield reduction might be expected even in scenarios of A1B and A2*. Irrigation could ensure yield increment in both regions, provided that an increase is more considerable in Central Serbia, due to lower soil water capacity. Application of optimal irrigation depth yield could be increased by up to 57-97% in Vojvodina and 77-285% in Central Serbia. Lower values are obtained in the first period and the highest in the third period. Applying deficit irrigation, water saving would reduce yield in scenario A2, otherwise to obtain high yield, irrigation depth of 300-500 mm should be ensured in Central Serbia. In the same scenario, 300-420 mm of water for irrigation is needed in Vojvodina, but its water savings could be 80-120 mm, or 20%. In scenario A1B, to obtain high yield, 80 mm could be saved in both regions. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. TR 37005]

Since one of the most effective ways of strengthening the implementation the green infrastructure principle is through spatial planning, the paper aims at presenting the overview of the contemporary policies in the domain of environment and planning. After a brief overview of European and regional (i.e. Western Balkan) documents in the field, the central part of the paper elucidates the extent to which the concept of green infrastructure is elaborated in Serbian legislative framework.

The paper shows results of researching the market of glued laminated timber as the most frequent innovative timber product in constructing timber framed residential facilities in Europe and Serbia. The research included the development of production, consumption and trade flows for the most significant countries in the European Union and Serbia. Additionally, the paper gives characteristics of this innovative timber product regarding dimensions, allowed deviations of dimensions defined in adequate European standard, wood species it is made of and fire resistance. The last part of the paper shows results of econometric modeling of the impact of building timber-framed houses on the consumption of glued laminated timber in Austria as one of the countries belonging to the group of the largest consumers of this innovative timber product in Europe. Taking into consideration that the substitution of classic building materials, primarily concrete, steel and aluminum, with glued laminated timber in residential construction contributes to the reduction of carbon-dioxide emission and climate change mitigation, research results of the effects of such substitution are presented in the last chapter in this paper. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. III43007: Istraživanje klimatskih promena na životnu sredinu: praćenje uticaja, adaptacija i ublažavanje]