o:8905 Recovery and restoration of ice-storm-damaged forests in eastern Serbia en Abstract: The effects of climate change represent one of the key challenges for modern forestry. The increasing frequency and intensity of extreme climate events, along with their numerous consequences, significantly disrupt the implementation of planned management operations. Their overall impact is often difficult to assess fully and introduces substantial uncertainty regarding future forest development. These considerations, together with the specific microclimatic and mesoclimatic characteristics of Eastern Serbia and the severe damage caused by the 2014 ice storm, which affected 43,305.78 ha of forests, initiated research focused on assessing the responses of the ice-damaged stands during the period 2022–2024. The study was conducted in the forest management area “Timočke šume” Boljevac, within the management units “Rtanj” (43°42'–43°48' N; 21°47'–21°58' E) and “Čestobrodica” (44°46'–44°50' N; 21°40'–21°48' E). Research on site conditions, stand characteristics, and regeneration dynamics was performed on 13 permanent plots measuring 50 × 50 m (total area 3.25 ha). Salvage logging activities prescribed in the rehabilitation plans were carried out once or repeatedly, depending on stand condition. From the standpoint of regeneration, the most favorable situations were those in which the degree of damage did not entirely compromise stand stability and structural integrity. Based on the three-year research, silvicultural guidelines for future restoration and regeneration of damaged stands were developed. Recommended measures include performing repeated silvicultural rehabilitation measures to support natural regeneration, retaining portions of less-damaged parent stands to ensure regeneration continuity, and applying artificial regeneration only as complementary support—primarily on smaller areas where natural regeneration is insufficient. Keywords: ice storm, forest restoration, natural regeneration, artificial regeneration, salvage logging. 1552100 978-86-7299-389-9 2025-12-30T13:42:22.469Z 44 yes 46 Branko Kanjevac 0000-0002-5940-3600 46 Jovan Dobrosavljević 0000-0002-6155-5654 46 Janko Ljubičić 0000-0003-1602-7614 46 Miloš Račić 0000-0002-2280-2472 46 Nikola Martać 0000-0002-2658-3377 46 Branka Pavlović 0000-0002-7507-2231 46 Violeta Babić 0000-0001-6848-8442 application/pdf 1679117 https://unilib.phaidrabg.rs/o:8905 no yes 1 70 92000004 71A07 Serbian-Chinese Forestry Forum: Forestry for the Future: Chalanges, Opportunuties and Integrated Approaches 49 50 Kneza Višeslava 1, Belgrade, Republic of Serbia University of Belgrade – Faculty of Forestry 2025