The Austrian pine (Pinus nigra Arnold) is a species often used in afforestation/reforestation programs in Serbia and region. Seedlings quality has a great role in outplanting survival and growth. Nursery cultural practice has a central influence on seedlings morphological attributes, so we tested seedlings quality from different seedbed densities and seedlings patterns and their outplanting success. Two-year-old bareroot seedlings were grown in very high densities (110 seedlings m-1 in rows and 750 seedlings m-2 across all seedbed space) and high densities (65 seedlings m-1in rows and 450 seedlings m-2 across all seedbed space). Morphological attributes (root collar diameter - RCD, height - H, sturdiness coefficient - SQ, root length – Rl, dry weight of shoot - SDW and root - RDW, shoot to root ration - S:R and quality index - QI) of seedlings from different densities were tested in the nursery before outplanting and compare with seedlings survival and growth (root collar diameter – RCD1 and height – H1) one year after field growing. Seedlings from different densities had accepted RCD (>3 mm) for field planting and there were significant differences in their morphological attributes, except Rl and S:R. The best survival was recorded at seedlings from highest seedbed densities (93.33%), opposite with many previous researches. Seedlings grown across all seedbed space (450 seedlings per m-2) keep their advantage in growth after first year, although survival was lowest (46.67%).

Austrian pine (Pinus nigra Arnold) seedlings are frequently used for afforestation/reforestation and restoration practice in Serbia. Indeed, the seedlings of various stock types are produced by almost all forest nurseries in Serbia and bareroot seedlings are mostly common. The aim of this study is to analyze the method of sowing and sowing density on some morphological characteristics and quality of one-year-old Austrian pine seedlings. Sowing in rows and random sowing across all seedbed space were performed. In both cases, the sowing density (R1 - 8 g m-1, R2 - 40 g m-2) and half of the recommended sowing density (S1 - 4 g m-1, S2 - 20 g m-2) were applied. Seedlings from both treatments had average height and root collar diameter values in the range of 4.91 to 5.73 cm, and 1.25 to 2.34 mm, respectively. Observed characteristics of seedlings (height - H, root collar diameter - RCD, root length - RL, dry weight of shoot - SDW, root - RDW and seedlings - SLDW, sturdiness coefficient - SQ and quality index - QI) were conditioned by treatment (One-Way ANOVA, p<0.05). Shoot to root ration was similar at seedlings of all treatments and ranged from 1.33 to 1.63. In both cases, decreased density produced better results. The combination of lower sowing density (20 g m-2) and sowing in all seedbed areas (S2) provided the best seedlings with QI - 0.21.

Pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) is one of the most important deciduous tree species in the Serbian and European forests. Different negative factors limit natural regeneration of pedunculate oak forests, so producing of high quality seedlings becomes imperative to ensure successful forest restoration. This research was conducted with to aim to determine whether acorn size is related to seedlings quality. Acorns were collected from the natural pedunculate oak forest and divided into two groups by their size. Acorns were sown in the spring into plastic containers after five months cold storage. Size of acorns was in the standard species range, though germination was low (< 20 %). Germination was more then double in group of large acorns in comparison to group of smaller acorns (19.2 %, respectively 8.6 %). Height and root collar diameter of produced seedlings were lower than seedlings produced in seedbeds in commercial nurseries in Serbia, but it was in range of container produced seedlings in some similar researches. Height to root collar diameter ratio and shoot to root ratio were considered as satisfactory for containerized seedlings. There was not strong correlation between acorn size and seedlings quality attributes.

This paper provides first report for European white elm potential for biomass production. High density plantation (71,428 seedlings ha-1) was established on spring 2012th near Belgrade from one-year-old seedlings, produced from seed. Weed control and irrigation was practiced only in the first growing season, without fertilization. In a three year rotation, European white elm plants in a high density plantation reach average height of 341.11 cm and average root collar diameter of 31.9 mm, with height increase of about 1 m, diameter increase of about 1 cm per year. At the end of three-years rotation total produced biomass was 90 odt ha-1, or 30 odt ha-1 year-1. Biomass production of European white elm is in range or higher compared to traditionally used species, indicating the need for further research on planting material, plant density and cultural practices.  

Austrian pine (Pinus nigra Arnold) seedlings are one of the most produced planting material in Serbian nurseries. In this study we compared a field performance of two container stocktypes, one usually used (2+0 produced in Plantagrah I) and one recently introduced (1+0 produced in Hiko V120 SS). The trial was established at planting site Vlaško polje (East Serbia), at altitude of 840 m a.s.l., one year following the total destruction of previous pine plantation by ice. One-year-old Austrian pine seedlings produced in Hiko containers show similar initial height and root collar diameter at planting time as two-year-old seedlings produced in traditionally used Plantagrah I containers. There was no vegetation control at field trial during the first growing season. At the end of the first growing season, taller (15.6 cm) and more slender (H/D=4.5) 1+0 seedlings from Hiko containers survived at higher rate, and shorter (10.9 cm) and more stocky seedlings 2+0 produced in Plantagrah I grow in height at higher rate. Seedlings taller at the planting time kept their advantage in size after the first growing season at the field. We found that both stocktypes can be used in operational planting programs on sites with lack of vegetation control.

During a three-year survey in 14 forest nurseries in Serbia we measured seedlings of 19 species and 96 stocktypes of both conifers and broadleaves. Seedlings were measured in the nurseries for height and diameter, and subsamples was taken for measurements of shoot and root dry weight, and presence of mycorrhiza. Results of mean values and variation of measured morphological attributes are presented and compared to Serbian standard for seedlings quality. We found mycorrhiza on seedlings root from almost every nursery, seedbed and tray. Our results show that current nursery cultural practice need to be improved and that seedlings quality standards should be updated.

The concern for environmental protection has existed since the time of first human civilization. As society develops, the chain of changes during the natural flow of processes in ecosystems has been supplemented by a new link - pollutants. They have an effect on all other members of the ecosystem (changes may be visible immediately or harder to spot), which leads to an extremely complex relationship with nature. The values of some parameters of pollutants reached an alarmingly high level. The tendency to reduce the risk of air, soil, water, plant, and animal pollution to a tolerable limit, which would salvage the environment and most importantly human health, became a global problem. Heavy metals as pollutants have been an interest of researchers for their conduct, especially in forest ecosystems, which has been expressed in the previous year's more than ever. With its numerous toxic effects, heavy metals are endangering the existence of plant species that live in already contaminated environments. This is all an argument regarding the fight of modern society that the emission of polluted materials gets reduced in order to avoid multiple negative effects, which can endanger the existence of living organisms in general, as an argument for the continuation of numerous researches that are conducted in this area. The monitoring of heavy metals is of significant importance because their toxicity and accumulations are vital for the ecosystem. Polluted soils can be reduced and they can restore their function using physical, chemical, and biological techniques. Physical and chemical methods are very expensive and cause mainly irreversible changes, thus destroying biological variety. The biological recovery of contaminated soil represents an efficient method of reducing health risks for both mankind and the ecosystem.  For this purpose, biological indicators are used. Numerous researches have led to improvements of the initial idea about using plants as a remediation of the environment and the removal of different contaminants from contaminated medias into promising technologies of environmental protection under the title "Phytoremediation". This technology consists of the reduction of concentrations of polluted materials in polluted soils, water, or air. Plants have the ability to store, degrade, or eliminate metals, pesticides, solutions, explosives, and crude oils. Its derivatives and various other contaminants form mediums that contain them. This paper especially considers methods of the possibility of the usage and application of plants in restoring soil contaminated by heavy metals as well as other pollutants.