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The mountain areas of Western Balkan countries
are predominantly covered by forests very rich in
biodiversity, both in terms of flora and fauna of
either global or European conservation importance.
There are vast areas of still preserved, natural and
semi-natural ecosystems providing benefits to both
nature and people through the ecosystem services
on which the majority of local communities still
very much depend. Scattered relics of virgin forest
still exist in remote areas, mountainous areas and
wetlands, being the last refuge of these forests in
Europe (Parviainen, 2005).
Overall, forests in the region are experiencing
a number of positive and negative trends.
Both deliberate and natural afforestation on
abandoned agricultural land have increased forest
cover in some areas. The area classified as high
conservation value forests (HCVFs) is increasing
and improving the sustainable management of
forests and their resources, including from the
perspective of maintaining the flow of ecosystem
services, prevention of soil erosion, and conserving
threatened or endemic species. The conservation of
forests for cultural, historical, or religious reasons is
also advocated through HCVFs (Ioras
et al.
, 2009),
which also provide a buffer against illegal activities.
In addition, declining rural populations and rural
to urban migration, particularly from mountain
areas, is resulting in fewer young people being
involved in forestry and is placing less pressure on
logging for household fuelwood. However, there
is still concern in the region over the quality of
the forests due to a history of coppicing and sub-
standard management of both state-owned and
privately-owned forests in some areas (Markus-
Johansson
et al.
, 2010), while factors such as illegal
logging and corruption at various points in the
value chain are thought to be hindering the forestry
sector reaching its full potential.
Mountain village, Serbia