Studies of defoliation on ICP sample plots level I in Republic of Serbia

Project of forests condition monitoring (ICP Forests) operates as an international European project in which, on grid of ICP sample plots (bioindication points) condition of forests has been monitored annually in continuity, including recording data on defoliation with evidencing any damage to the trees. The main goal of the program is monitoring of condition of forests on a permanent, representative surfaces, arranged in a systematic grid distributed on the territory of of Europe. This paper analyzes the data on defoliation as part of the results of the forest conditions monitoring on ICP sample plots on the territory of the Republic of Serbia, in the period 2012-2016. The assessment of defoliation is performed on the experimental fields regardless of the cause of loss of leaves, because the results are not aimed to determinate the cause-and-effect relationships, but only to represent the state of defoliation on this study sample plots in the researched period. Assessment and analysis of the degree of crown defoliation has been presented for most common tree species as the most noticeable crown health indicators. Linking these results with other indicators of environmental conditions will provide more concrete informations, and draw conclusions about the vitality of the plants depending on ambient conditions.