Mirjana Sijacic-Nikolic

Nickel content in plants and soil in the area of the protected natural resource “Avala” - Belgrade

The purpose of this research is above all focused on the aim of determining the load of ecosystem or rather soil and plants with the heavy metal Ni and the level of accummulation in this area so that on the basis of the obtained results adequate protection measures could be timely taken. The research of nickel (Ni) content in the leaves of herbs and woody plants growing under urban conditions in comparison with the nickel concentrations in the plant leaves in the protected natural resource “Avala” (16 km away from Belgrade) indicates that the recorded values of nickel concentrations by locations are statistically significantly different and range from A to F on locations 1, 2 and 3 while on location 4 in urban conditions the values range from A to B in accordance with Duncan’s Test.

Public Knowledge and Perceptions of Safety Issues Towards the Use of Genetically Modified Forest Trees: A Cross-Country Pilot Survey

Information on public awareness and acceptance issues regarding the use of Genetically Modified (GM) trees in forestry is lacking, although such information is available for GM organisms in agriculture. This is mainly due to the fact that in Europe there is no authorization for commercial planting of GM forest trees. To address this issue and within the frame of a European COST Action on the Biosafety of Transgenic Forest Trees (FP0905), a KAP (Knowledge Attitude Practice ) cross-country pilot survey was conducted among university students of different disciplines as sampling subjects. In total, 1920 completed questionnaires from 16 European and non-European countries were evaluated. The results provided novel cross-country insights into the level of public knowledge, particularly of young people and their perceptions on safety issues related to the use of GM forest trees , as well as on their attitude towards the acceptance of GM forest trees cultivation. The majority of the respondents, which was more than 60 % in all countries, approved the use of GM forest trees for commercial plantations , excluding natural forests. The majority of respondents also appeared willing to buy products from such plantations, such as wood products, pulp and paper. Over 80 % of the respondents from all countries were in favour of using labelling to identify products of GM origin, while more than 80 % of those would prefer that this labelling be legally mandatory. The top three benefits that were rated as very important in all countries involved the potential lower demand of the GM forest plantations for pesticides, the potential of GM forest trees for restoration of contaminated soils and the potential higher GM forest tree productivity. The top three GM forest tree risks that were perceived as serious hazards in all countries included the potential loss of biodiversity due to gene flow between transgenic and wild trees, the adverse effects of biotrophic processes on host ecosystems and the cultural adaptation to changing biodiversity conditions due to transgene escape. Overall, lack of knowledge regarding the potential benefits and potential risks of the cultivation of GM forest trees was observed in almost all surveyed countries.

Leaf morphometric characteristics variability of different beech provenances in juvenile development stage

The taxonomic status of beech from the Balkan Peninsula is not yet clearly defined. There is no agreement among different authors about the morphological characteristics discriminating between the Balkan and European and/or Eastern beech. For most characteristics, the mean values are different but the ranges of variation overlap considerably. Provenance trial of beech established in Serbia, at the locality Debeli Lug, has provided an opportunity for research of interprovenance variability at the level of leaf morphometric characteristics in juvenile development stage. Research included 10 provenances originating from the Western Balkans (Serbian provenance 36 and 38; Croatian provenance 24 and 25; Bosnian provenance 30 and 32) and from Central Europe (German provenance 47 and 49; Austrian provenance 56 and Hungarian provenance 42), where following morphometric characteristics were analyzed: leaf length (Ll), leaf width (Lw), petiole lenght (Pl), leaf base width on 1 cm (Blw), number of veins - left (Vl), number of veins - right (Vr), distance between 3rd and 4th vein - left (Dv 3-4). The results of this research show existence of clear differentiation among provenances from the Western Balkan and from Central Europe, from the point of leaf dimensions, number of veins and leaf base width. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. TR31041: Establishment of Wood Plantations Intended for Afforestation of Serbia i br. 43007: Studying climate change and its influence on the environment: impacts, adaptation and mitigation]

Concentrations of manganese and iron in some woody and herbs plants

Heavy metals are the substances that indicate environmental pollution. The plants polluted with heavy metals may endanger natural environment and cause health problems in humans. In our multidisciplinary research of the concentrations of pollutants in forest ecosystems and natural environment in Belgrade, we examined the contents of heavy metals essential for plants but harmful in greater concentrations on a long-term basis. The fact that heavy metals manganese and iron are accumulated in plants to the greatest extent focused our work on determination of the level of concentrations of Mn and Fe in the vegetative parts of 8 plant types on three locations on the Avala Mountain and one location in the centre of the city of Belgrade. The analyses of heavy metals contents in plants were performed by the method of flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The examination of the existence of important differences between the average values was performed by implementation of Duncan’s test for the level of significance of 95%. The current contents of heavy metals in plants in the area of the protected natural resource Avala do not represent danger that would presently cause notable damage to forests but show the tendency of the increase of concentrations. Therefore, this issue should be constantly monitored.

A contribution to the study of hackberry (Celtis occidentalis L.) juvenile stage of development

Seed material for the study of hackberry characters and variation in the juvenile stage of development was collected in the micropopulations on the territory of the town Sombor. The study results refer to different stages of early ontogeny, which are presented at 7 levels. The observed variation at the levels of seeds, seedlings, 1-year-old and 2-year-old plants, as well as the high i.e. low values of the analysed morphometric characters of individual half-sib lines, are a good base for the study and the adequate utilisation of the species genetic potential, in harmony with the basic principles of breeding and the enhancement of reproductive material quality.

Provenance by site interaction and stability analysis of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) provenances grown in common garden experiments

Abstract Fifteen provenances of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) were evaluated for stability and adaptability by height growth at four test sites in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1), Croatia (1) and Serbia (2). Provenance trials were established in spring 2007 by planting 2- and 3-yearold seedlings and arranged in a randomized complete block design. The data from seven 6- year-old and eight 5-year-old provenances were obtained in 2009 and analyzed separately. Finlay and Wilkinson’s regression analysis and Additive main effects and multiplicative interaction model (AMMI model) were used to assess provenance by site interaction (P × S) and to identify beech provenances that have high and stable performance in different environments, at the juvenile stage of development. Analysis of variance showed that effects of provenance, site, and P×S interaction are highly significant (p<0.001) in both age groups. Linear regression model evidenced that most of the provenances had regression coefficients not significantly different from unity (b=1.0), except for provenances Sjeverni Dilj Caglinski (HR24) and Vranica-Bistrica (BA59). The partitioning of the total sum of squares (SS) exhibited that the site effect was the predominant source of variation in both age groups of provenances (50.7% and 38.5%, respectively). Additionally, regression analysis explained 15.8% and 33.2% of provenance by site interaction terms, in provenances age six and five years, respectively, while the AMMI analysis accounted for 62.2% and 78.7% in P×S interaction. The results of AMMI showed that the first principal component (PC1) was statistically significant in both age groups. Adaptability and stability of provenances to the test sites were estimated with AMMI1 and AMMI2 biplots. Provenance Sjeverni Dilj Caglinski (HR24) showed constant performance over tested sites, characterizing with aboveaverage height growth at low yielding environments. Provenances HR25 and BA61 showed the opposite type of adaptation, being adapted to high yielding sites. Provenance Valkonya (HU42) was characterized by IPCA1 score close to zero and above average mean height growth, suggesting general adaptation to the tested environments. The implication of P×S was discussed in light of impact of climate change on beech and selection of most suitable provenances for future reforestation programs.

Conservation of Forest Genetic Resources

Forest genetic resources represent the genetic diversity contained in thousands of tree species on Earth, and can be defined as the genetic variability of tree species, which has a potential or real value for humans (FAO, Plant genetic resources: their conservation in situ for human use, 1989). The increasing demand for wood, as a raw material for various purposes, as well as general useful forest functions, has made the protection (conservation) and directed utilization of forest genetic resources became a priority task of forestry science and profession. Conservation of forest genetic resources could be defined as a set of activities and strategies that are being implemented with the aim of ensuring the continued existence, evolution and availability of these resources for present and future generations. Conservation of these resources should be considered as the efforts to preserve specific genotypes or populations and the combination of genes within them. Therefore, the aim of genetic resources management is to improve conditions for the continuous evolution of the species, which represents the defense mechanism of organisms in suppression the environmental changes. Genetic variability, which is the result of different genetic processes: mutation, recombination, gene flow, natural selection and genetic drift, presents the basis for conservation of forest genetic resources. The principles of genetic variability conservation can be regarded as identical for all living beings. However, the methods which are applied vary depending on the specificity of the conservation goals, distribution and biological nature of the material that is the object of conservation.

Linking Ecosystem Variability and Carbon Sequestration: Estimation of Sequestered Carbon in Natural Forests and Perennial Crops

Forests have a key role in climate change. One of the most important forest carbon stocks is forest soil. Globally it is estimated that forest soil carbon stock may vary from equal to twice that of forest vegetation. Because of that it is important to have estimates of soil carbon and soil biodiversity which plays a key role in soil carbon sequestration. This can be done by either through repeated measurements or by application of dynamic models. In this chapter up to date program solutions which can be used to model carbon sequestration under different forest management practices are reviewed. The application of modeling tools with the aim of sequestered carbon estimation and exploring its linkages to ecosystem variability are presented through literature review and a case study from Serbia. Moreover, possibilities of modeling carbon sequestration in perennial grass species are elaborated, emphasizing simplified ecosystem of perennial crop Miscanthus x giganteus, an attractive agro-energy crop suitable for short rotation plantation establishment, assumed as neutral for CO2, that is retained by underground organs.

Leaf stomatal traits variation within and among black poplar native populations in Serbia

Populus nigra as a keystone riparian pioneer tree species is one of the rarest and most endangered species in Europe due to the loss of its natural habitats. Genetic diversity existence is a key factor in survival of one species, and stomata as genetically controlled trait could be used for differentiation studies. With the aim of proving stomatal phenotypic variation of the four native populations of Populus nigra located on the banks of three biggest river valleys (Dunabe, Tisa and Sava) in the region of Vojvodina in northern Serbia, we examined various leaf stomatal traits (stomatal length and width, pore length and width, stomatal density, shape coefficient and stomatal and pore area). We tested the differences of stomatal traits among populations, interindividual variability - differences among trees, the intraindividual variability, the differences between sun-exposed and shaded leaves, among leaves nested in exposition and the differences in adaxial and abaxial leaf surface. Based on mixed model ANOVA results, interpopulation variability, as statistically significant differences, observed only for stomatal pore length and shape, while all examined traits showed interindividual variability. On the intraindividual level the results showed differences for stomatal traits, except for stomatal width, stomatal shape coefficient and stomatal density regarding leaf exposure. For better understanding of how morphological and stomatal characteristics vary in black poplar populations, further studies should be necessary involving controlled environmental conditions with the aim of examining phenotypic plasticity to changing climate conditions.

Genetic structure of remnant black poplar (Populus nigra L.) populations along biggest rivers in Serbia assessed by SSR markers

Abstract Black poplar (Populus nigra L.) is a keystone species of riparian softwood forests along riversides in vast areas of Europe, Western Asia and Northern Africa. Since the end of the 20th century, black poplar has been recognized as an endangered species throughout Europe due to the loss of its natural habitat and possible crossbreeding with hybrid poplars. Using twelve nuclear SSR loci, we analysed the genetic structure of four native populations from three river valleys in the northern part of Serbia. All tested loci were highly polymorphic, displaying 8 to 25 alleles per locus, overall 179 detected alleles and an average effective number of alleles 5.87. Observed heterozygosity (overall Ho = 0.703) has been lower than the expected (overall He = 0.808) in each population, which indicates positive mean of fixation index values (overall Fis > 0 (0.132)). An AMOVA analysis revealed that the highest degree of genetic variation occurred within populations (95.33 %) while the genetic variation between populations was really low (4.67 %). High gene flow and no significant loss of allelic diversity have been recorded in the studied populations in Serbia.