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Albeit rich in a number of taxa, flora of Orchidaceae in Bosnia and Herzegovina has not been sufficiently studied. The paper presents distribution of ten rare and threatened orchid taxa in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Serapias bergonii and Himantoglossum calcaratum subsp. rumelicum are new for Bosnia and Herzegovina, while for other studied taxa (Serapias parviflora, Serapias vomeracea, Himantoglossum adriaticum, H. calcaratum subsp. calcaratum, Gymnadenia frivaldii, Pseudorchis albida, Orchis quadripunctata, Cypripedium calceolus) in addition to field investigation, checking and revision of herbarium material, as well as literature sources were also used for supplementing distribution data. The distribution maps of these taxa in Bosnia and Herzegovina are created on a 10 km × 10 km MGRS grid system. Based on the IUCN Red List criteria, the threat status in Bosnia and Herzegovina was assessed for all studied taxa. Data concerning their habitat preferences and population size are also provided.

UDK: 581.5(497.6) The beginnings of vegetation research of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), according to Braun-Blanquet’s approach, date back to early 1930s, culminated in the period of 60s-70s, and declined until the end of 20th century. Twenty years after the war B&H vegetation science hasn’t still achieved the pre-war level. The starting point for the preparation of the checklist of vegetation classes was the vegetation database of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which contains 6823 relevés, which were digitized and imported in TURBOVEG database for storage of large relevé datasets. Total of 4780 relevés were collected from 123 references (2906 regularly published, 1331 from grey literature and 543 from manuscripts), while 2043 are unpublished relevés, mainly recorded by the team of the Department of Forest Ecology at the Faculty of Forestry in Banja Luka. Analysis of this dataset suggests that vegetation of Bosnia and Herzegovina comprises 60 classes. According to the overviews of vegetation of Bosnia and Herzegovina published so far, the vegetation dominated by vascular plants numbers 33 and 39 classes respectively. This discrepancy can be partially attributed to different syntaxonomic concepts used in these overviews compared to the latest Checklist compiled at the European level (EuroVegChecklist), which was our guideline, but also to uneven level of elaboration of different vegetation types and geographical regions in B&H. Six classes of forest vegetation share almost 60% of the total number of relevés, while another six classes of various grasslands take another 25%. The other 15% is divided among the rest of 48 classes. Some of the classes without relevés are, in our own opinion, present in B&H, but still need to be confirmed, while the others, even though mentioned in literature, couldn’t be confirmed at the field after extensive research.

Riparian zones are the paragon of transitional ecosystems, providing critical habitat and ecosystem services that are especially threatened by global change. Following consultation with experts, 10 key challenges were identified to be addressed for riparian vegetation science and management improvement: (1) Create a distinct scientific community by establishing stronger bridges between disciplines; (2) Make riparian vegetation more visible and appreciated in society and policies; (3) Improve knowledge regarding biodiversity—ecosystem functioning links; (4) Manage spatial scale and context-based issues; (5) Improve knowledge on social dimensions of riparian vegetation; (6) Anticipate responses to emergent issues and future trajectories; (7) Enhance tools to quantify and prioritize ecosystem services; (8) Improve numerical modeling and simulation tools; (9) Calibrate methods and increase data availability for better indicators and monitoring practices and transferability; and (10) Undertake scientific validation of best management practices. These challenges are discussed and critiqued here, to guide future research into riparian vegetation. This article is categorized under: Water and Life > Nature of Freshwater Ecosystems Water and Life > Stresses and Pressures on Ecosystems Water and Life > Conservation, Management, and Awareness

Aim The first comprehensive checklist of European phytosociological alliances, orders and classes (EuroVegChecklist) was published by Mucina et al. (2016, Applied Vegetation Science, 19 (Suppl. 1), 3-264). However, this checklist did not contain detailed information on the distribution of individual vegetation types. Here we provide the first maps of all alliances in Europe. Location Europe, Greenland, Canary Islands, Madeira, Azores, Cyprus and the Caucasus countries. Methods We collected data on the occurrence of phytosociological alliances in European countries and regions from literature and vegetation-plot databases. We interpreted and complemented these data using the expert knowledge of an international team of vegetation scientists and matched all the previously reported alliance names and concepts with those of the EuroVegChecklist. We then mapped the occurrence of the EuroVegChecklist alliances in 82 territorial units corresponding to countries, large islands, archipelagos and peninsulas. We subdivided the mainland parts of large or biogeographically heterogeneous countries based on the European biogeographical regions. Specialized alliances of coastal habitats were mapped only for the coastal section of each territorial unit. Results Distribution maps were prepared for 1,105 alliances of vascular-plant dominated vegetation reported in the EuroVegChecklist. For each territorial unit, three levels of occurrence probability were plotted on the maps: (a) verified occurrence; (b) uncertain occurrence; and (c) absence. The maps of individual alliances were complemented by summary maps of the number of alliances and the alliance-area relationship. Distribution data are also provided in a spreadsheet. Conclusions The new map series represents the first attempt to characterize the distribution of all vegetation types at the alliance level across Europe. There are still many knowledge gaps, partly due to a lack of data for some regions and partly due to uncertainties in the definition of some alliances. The maps presented here provide a basis for future research aimed at filling these gaps. This project was funded by the Czech Science Foundation (grant no. 19-28491X). LM was supported by Iluka Chair of Vegetation Science & Biogeography, Murdoch University, Perth; IB, JAC and JL by the Basque Government (IT936-16); TMH by the European Social Fund (POCH and NORTE 2020) and National Funds (MCTES) through Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia postdoctoral fellowship (SFRH/BPD/115057/2016) and project UIDB/04033/2020; AC and FK by the Slovenian Research Agency (P1-0236 to AC and program for Young Researchers to FK); SR by the University of Latvia (AAp2016/B041/Zd2016/AZ03); and KS by the Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences (RVO 67985939).

The paper describes two new mesophilous communities of oriental hornbeam (Carpinus orientalis) coppice from the northern Dinaric Alps in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). While oriental hornbeam is mainly considered to be a part of thermophilous forests and scrub, numerical analysis of 103 relevés of C. orientalis dominated coppice from B&H has shown that two new, rather mesophilous, communities thrive on calcareous bedrock of NW B&H. They represent secondary successional stages of mesotermic forest vegetation in this region. Association Epimedio alpini-Carpinetum orientalis ass. nova hoc loco is related to Illyrian oak-hornbeam forests of Erythronio-Carpinion betuli, while Asplenio scolopendrii-Carpinetum orientalis ass. nova hoc loco is linked to Balkan submediterranean ravine forests of Ostryo-Tilion. Although these two associations were recorded only in the NW B&H, their distribution is potentially larger, as their source communities are relatively common throughout the Dinaric Alps, so the information about their distribution, vertical structure, and syndynamic relations could be very useful in a national scale forest management and nature conservation.

One promising area in understanding the responses of plants to ongoing global climate change is the adaptative effect of polyploidy. This work examines whether there is a coupling between the distribution of cytotypes and their biogeographical niche, and how different niches will affect their potential range. The study uses a range of techniques including flow cytometry, gradient and niche analysis, as well as distribution modelling. In addition, climatic, edaphic and habitat data was used to analyse environmental patterns and potential ranges of cytotypes in the first wide-range study of Festuca amethystina—a mixed-ploidy mountain grass. The populations were found to be ploidy homogeneous and demonstrate a parapatric pattern of cytotype distribution. Potential contact zones have been identified. The tetraploids have a geographically broader distribution than diploids; they also tend to occur at lower altitudes and grow in more diverse climates, geological units and habitats. Moreover, tetraploids have a more extensive potential range, being six-fold larger than diploids. Montane pine forests were found to be a focal environment suitable for both cytotypes, which has a central place in the environmental space of the whole species. Our findings present polyploidy as a visible driver of geographical, ecological and adaptive variation within the species.

U radu je prikazano 13 novih nalazišta crnjuše (Erica carnea L.) u Bosni i Hercegovini (BiH). Prikupljeni susvi literaturni navodi za ovu vrstu u BiH i zajedno sa novim nalazištima prikazani na MGRS mreži kvadrataveličine 10x10 km. Podaci su prikazani posebno za svaki tip geološke podloge: dolomiti, serpentiniti,krečnjaci, silikati i posebno visokoplaninski karbonati. Prikazan je i raspon visina nalazišta za pojedinegrupe geoloških podloga. Pored novih nalazišta na dolomitnim i silikatnim staništima, u radu se skrećepažnja na nalazišta crnjuše u krečnjačkim kanjonima Vrbasa, Bistrice i Drine, što predstavlja i novostanište ove vrste u BiH, koje je u radu detaljnije opisano.

Zonal vegetation is a large-scale expression of macro-climate and, due to the climatic diversity of the country, there are seven traditionally recognized zonal forest plant communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Using data from Bosnia and Herzegovina, this study aimed to reveal whether macro-climate is indeed the most important factor determining the existence of zonal forest plant communities (ZFPC). Detrended correspondence analysis of 398 relevés of seven ZFPCs revealed that the species turnover along the first axis is strongly related to the macro-climatic gradient (annual mean temperature, mean temperature of the coldest quarter and precipitation of the warmest quarter). No correlation was detected between this gradient and topographic factors (slope and aspect) and soil reaction. Floristic analysis revealed clear separation of ZFPCs in terms of diagnostic species. Functional analysis of all layers showed that competitive ecological strategy has the highest proportion, while analysis of the herb layer alone expressed a shift of CSR signatures towards the middle of the C-S axis. Ruderality was overall poorly expressed. Statistically significant differences among communities were discovered along the C-S axis. In terms of life forms, statistically significant differences in the proportions of Phanerophytes, Geophytes and Hemicryptophytes among communities were discovered. Our study confirms that macro-climatic gradient is the most important determinant of the species turnover along ZFPCs. CSR signatures show that zonal forest vegetation is represented by productive communities in a terminal stage of succession. This does not refer to degraded Quercus ilex stands (maquis), which are in the middle stage of secondary succession.

U radu je prikazana fitocenološka analiza mezofilnih šumapitomog kestena (Castanea sativa Mill.) u Privrednoj jedinici “Pastirevo”kod Kostajnice. Istraživane sastojine su degradirane, izdana

Rad razmatra problematiku ispunjavanja obaveza Bosne i Hercegovine u oblasti zaštite prirode na njenomevropskom putu. Naročita pažnja pridaje se analizi rezultata četiri do sada sprovedena projektakoja se tiču procesa uspostavljanja evropske ekološke mreže Natura 2000 u BiH. Na bazi svih relevantnihnaučnih i stručnih podataka rad daje reviziju referentne liste vrsta sa Aneksa II Direktive o staništima iAneksa I Direktive o pticama, kao i reviziju liste staništa sa Aneksa I Direktive o staništima, značajnih zaizdvajanje budućih Natura 2000 područja na teritoriji države. Biljna vrsta Himantoglossum adriaticumBaumann, značajna za Evropsku uniju, prikazuje se kao nova za Bosnu i Hercegovinu. Predložena revidiranareferentna lista vrsta broji 238 vrsta od čega 11 nije pominjano ni u jednoj dosadašnjoj referentnojlisti, a neki ranije razmatrani taksoni i stanišni tipovi su izbrisani sa liste. Na kraju, rad ustanovljava nekenedostatke prijedloga mreže Natura 2000 u BiH i daje glavne smjernice kako bi ovaj važan proces trebaobiti nastavljen.

Due to wide range of different ecological conditions, variety of human influence and historical development of flora and vegetation, forest vegetation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is very heterogeneous, and, at the same time, very poorly investigated in terms of their composition, ecology, distribution and syntaxonomy (Redžic, 2007; Beus & Vojnikovic, 2012). This can be applied also to the Pre-Pannonian region of BiH which is potentially occupied mainly by zonal sessile oak - com mon hornbeam forests, submontane beech forests and azonal dry, more or less acidophilous sessile oak forests (Stefanovic et al., 1983). Although area of Tresnjik hill is very close to Banjaluka city center, its vegetation was uninvestigated until present. As this area is one of the potential Natura 2000 sites in BiH (Milanovic & Golob, 2015), its habitats and wild species are to be preserved in a favorable conservation state. To facilitate this, one of the main objectives of this paper was to investigate forest habitat types in Tresnjik area. The other, not less important objective was to continue with the study of BiH vegetation, in order to contribute in solving the above mentioned problems. The research area Tresnjik is located in the NW part of Starcevica masiff (Figure 1), just a few kilometers soth from the Banjaluka city center (Figure 2). The area is orographicaly and geologicaly heterogeneous with the predominance of the flysch bedrock. The climate is temperate with average annual temperatures of 11.0°C, and annual precipitation of 1024 mm. All 55 releves collected in the field were made using the standard Central European phytosociological method (Braun-Blanquet, 1964). After analysis of the collected releves, 48 releves were synthetized and presented in two phytosociological tables. Classification was done according to floristic and ecological simmilarirties between releves, without the use of numerical classification methods. Total of seven floristically and ecologically well defined types were distinguished, and classified in two groups: • Group of beech habitat types (Table 1) 1. Habitat type Athyrium filix-femina-Fagus sylvatica (pure beech forests) 2. Habitat type Fagus sylvatica-Tilia tomentosa (forests of beech and silver lime) 3. Habitat type Quercus petraea-Tilia tomentosa (degradation of the former type with the domination of silver lime) • Group of sessile oak habitat types (Table 2) 1. Habitat type Quercus petraea-Carpinus betulus (zonal forest of sessile oak and common hornbeam) 2. Habitat type Vaccinium myrtillus-Quercus petraea (acidophilous sessile oak forests) 3. Habitat type Carpinus orientalis-Quercus petraea (thermophilous sessile oak forests) 4. Habitat type Fraxinus ornus-Carpinus orientalis (oriental hornbeam – mana ash scrub) Habitat types dominated by beech are ecologicaly and physiognomicaly quite similar, they are mainly found on the northern exposures with very steep slopes, but on deeper and nutrients richer soils. Sessile oak group on the other hand occurs on the milder slopes, but ecologicaly it is represented with three types: mesophilous one, found on deeper soils on predominantly carbonate bedrock, acidophilous type on acidic soils on flysch, and thermophilous type on shallow, rocky soils on dolomites or limestone. In this type there is also secondary succession stage of oriental hornbeam-mana ash scrub. Both groups are characterized by presence of relict species: Ruscus hypoglossum, Ruscus aculeatus (absent only from the most mesophilous beech type) and Ilex aquifolium. There is also great frequency of Rubus hirtus which abundance is in direct proportion with the level of stand degradation. It can be concluded that area of Tresnjik has relatively high diversity of forest vegetation (seven types on relatively small area). Also, results pointed out several problems in the phytosociology science in BiH that need to be adressed in the future: floristic composition, ecology, distribution, syntaxonomy and nomenclature of the main part of forest communities.

U radu je sistematski prikazana flora planine Klekovača u zapadnoj Bosni i Hercegovini na osnovu objedinjenihvišegodišnjih istraživanja autora i dostupne te kritički obrađene literaturne građe. Osim prikupljanjai obrade ovih podataka važan dio metodologije istraživanja sastojao se u rekonstrukciji putevasvih botaničara i fitocenologa, koji su od kraja 19. vijeka istraživali ovu planinu i ostavili pisanu dokumentaciju.Na ukupno 174 lokaliteta, na kojima je bilježena flora i sakupljen obilan herbarski materijal,utvrđeno je da vaskularna flora planine Klekovače na prikazanom obuhvatu broji 812 taksonado nivoa podvrste, svrstanih u 97 familija. Od ukupnog broja taksona 503 je bilo od ranije poznato izliterature, od čega 21 nije potvrđeno, dok je 309 prvi put registrovano za područje Klekovače. VrstaGlyceria striata (Lam.) Hitchc. navodi se kao nova pridošlica u flori Bosne i Hercegovine, dok je za vrstuMonarda didyma L. prvi put registrovano da se subspontano širi na teritoriji Balkanskog poluostrva. Zasvaki zabilježeni takson navedeni su svi lokaliteti sa koordinatama. Posebna pažnja posvećena je problematicitaksonomije nekih kompleksnih rodova (Aconitum, Campanula, Eleocharis, Festuca, Heliospermai Potentilla), kao i najznačajnijim rijetkim i ugroženim biljnim vrstama.

Sutjeska National Park is the oldest national park in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BH Zakon o Nacionalnom parku “Sutjeska,” 2012). The first initiative for the extension of the Park’s boundaries came with the Program of spatial organization of Sutjeska National Park (Urbanisticki zavod BiH, 1968). It planned the extension over 62 000 ha with part of it in Montenegro (Figure 6) but it did not include the habitat of Picea omorika which was lying several hudred meters to the north of the proposed boundary. Physical plan of the special area Sutjeska National Park (Urbanisticki zavod BiH, 1986) gave somewhat smaller but similar proposal (Figure 7). The first initiative came out from the National Park itself in 2003, with the proposed extension over the Tara Canyon (Figure 8). The proposal from the Physical plan of the Republic of Srpska until 2015 (Urbanisticki zavod Republike Srpske, 2008) is similar to that of 1968 with the proposed extension in Montenegro which made this proposal the transboundary and international (Figure 9). The proposal from the Physical plan of the Republic of Srpska until 2025 (JU Novi urbanisticki zavod Republike Srpske, 2015) is much more unpretentious with much smaller area covered (Figure 10). But still, the most modest proposal to date came from the new Management plan (Institut za građevinarstvo IG, 2012) (Figure 11). This unrealistically small extension proposal was justified by low capacities of National Park to manage larger area. Initiative for the Transboundary protected area Durmitor-Tara canyon-Sutjeska came from UNEP (Niewiadomski et al., 2010). This initiative was based on the Tara canyon as the link between the two National Parks – Sutjeska and Durmitor (Figure 12). However, after proclamation of the Piva Nature Park in Montenegro these two National parks became practically connected (Figure 13). The area of Sutjeska National Park is also overlapping with the official B&H proposal for the EMERALD network site, and with the proposed potential NATURA 2000 site (Figure 14). It is also worth mentioning that, as of 23 May 2017, the primeval forest Perucica is on Tentative list of B&H for the potential inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List (UNESCO World Heritage Centre, n.d.). At the end, after analysis of all proposed extensions we gave our own, aiming to gather all good from the past initiatives, but also to encompass all the features that were left out by previous proposals (Figure 15). We think that this way the protection of natural heritage of the wider area of the Sutjeska National Park would gain the most.

The paper deals with the floristic and ecological diversity of the riparian forest and scrub communitiesof the Sutjeska National Park in SE Bosnia and Herzegovina. Watercourses of the NP are represented bymontane to submontane small rivers and creeks with fast-flowing water and frequent strong but shortfloods. This caused specific types of riverine forest vegetation to develop along their banks. Classificationand ordination methods of numerical analysis were applied on 42 relevés sampled in the field. Theclassification has revealed five ecologically interpretable relevé groups: (1) willow scrub of Salix eleagnosand S. caprea on fertile fine grained deposits; (2) forests of Alnus glutinosa and Salix alba also onfiner deposits; (3) narrow strips of Alnus glutinosa along the low banks of smaller streams; (4) narrowstrips of Alnus glutinosa along the steep banks of wider streams; (5) thermo-mesophilous scrub of Salixeleagnos and Ostrya carpinifolia on gravel beds. All five groups are floristically and ecologically welldistinguished. While groups 1 and 3 are similar to already described communities from Central Europe(Salicetum eleagno-purpureae and Stellario nemorum-Alnetum glutinosae, respectivelly), groups 4 and5 most probably present, up to date, undescribed associations. Group 2 is rather floristically and ecologicallyheterogeneous, and as such possess transitional character (between Salicion albae and Alnionincanae alliances). Ordination revealed ecological gradient from nutrient rich (groups 1 and 2) to lessnutrient rich communities (groups 4 and 5).

Syntaxonomy, ecology and distribution patterns of thermophilous deciduous forests of the class Quercetea pubescentis remain understudied in the Western Balkans. Some oak forest types have not been investigated to date in large parts of the region and classification of many traditionally distinguished types has not been critically revised based on numerical data analysis. This is particularly true for the acido-thermophilous communities dominated by Quercus petraea, that are transitional between thermophilous and meso-acidophilous oak forests and were traditionally classified mostly to the class Quercetea robori-petraeae. Numerical analysis of nearly 3000 relevés allowed us to approach these issues. We classified thermophilous deciduous forests of the Western Balkans into six types reflecting the main broad-scale ecological and phytogeographical patterns in species composition within the study area: type 1 – sub-Mediterranean forests dominated by Quercus pubescens and/or Carpinus orientalis ; type 2 – sub-Mediterranean and continental Quercus pubescens forests without Carpinus orientalis ; type 3 – meso-thermophilous supra-Mediterranean and/or relict communities dominated by Ostrya carpinifolia ; type 4 – thermophilous continental forests of deep, neutral to slightly acidic soils dominated by Quercus frainetto and/or Quercus cerris ; type 5 – acido-thermophilous continental forests dominated by Quercus petraea and/or Quercus cerris ; type 6 – acido- thermophilous northern Dinaric-southern Pannonian Quercus petraea dominated forests. A detrended correspondence analysis revealed that the variation in species composition mainly follows a geographical southwest-northeast gradient, reflecting the broad-scale ecological (macroclimatic and geological) and phytogeographical (turnover of dominant tree species) gradients. There is also a significant role of light regime, which mainly reflects local management practice, level of disturbance and the hemeroby of particular sites. Contrary to most traditional classifications, we place the acidothermophilous forests of the Western Balkans (type 6) into the class Quercetea pubescentis.