ASSESSING THE FOREST MANAGEMENT IN THE NOVI PAZAR REGION (SOUTHWEST SERBIA)

To address the question of whether stands are managed sustainably in the Novi Pazar region (Southwest Serbia), this study compares the quantity of standing wood biomass in the Debeljak-Medenovac unit at the beginning and end of a ten-year study period. The ecological and energy value of wood biomass as compared with other types of fuel were evaluated. The carbon credit benefits for the area of the studied forest management unit were also estimated. The results show that in the study period the planned cutting volume was in line with the volume planned within the ten-year plan. The data obtained and calculated from the measurements indicate an increase in volume at the end of the study period. The wood volume exploited over this period amounted to an average of 2,361.20 m(3)/year, i.e. 96.51% of the planned cutting volume, meaning that not all of the planned volume was utilised. In addition, it was determined that biomass is the highest-ranked renewable source of energy. The effects of carbon storage are equally important, considering that in the study period the loss in CO2 storage on the barren land of the forest management unit was 255,000 EUR. It was concluded that the forest management on the sample area was based on the principles of sustainability.