What kind of information is available about the species distribution and mixtures in coppice forests in the partner countries?

Species composition of coppice forests in Bulgaria
It is decreasing of tree species diversity in stands which is considered as one of the main shortcomings of coppice forests management in Bulgaria, both historically and in the recent years. The following reasons are among the basic ones for the development of this negative process: (1) selective cutting of tree species with valuable wood; (2) better regeneration of species like Quercus cerris L., Carpinus orientalis Mill., C. betulus L., Tilia tomentosa Moench, etc. by coppice/sacker shoots; and (3) destroying
autochthonous tree and shrub communities during the reconstruction activities. As a result, considerable area of coppice forests in the lower vegetation zone (up to 600–700 m a.s.l. in Moesian and Thracian vegetation districts and up to 800 m a.s.l. in Southern Border district), which were dominated by oak species, are now edified by Quercus cerris L., Carpinus orientalis Mill. and Tilia tomentosa Moench. The situation in the mountain vegetation zone is similar. Carpinus betulus has significantly increased its share in the mixed Quercus petraea – Fagus sylvatica L. – Carpinus betulus stands, which are widely distributed in this zone, from 600–700 to about 1000 m a.s.l.
Despite the increased participation of Quercus cerris, Carpinus orientalis, C. betulus and Tilia tomentosa in the species composition of coppice forests, more than 50% (0.9 m ha) of their reduced area towards 2005 was covered by Quercus petraea, Q. frainetto, Q. pubescens and Fagus sylvatica (tree species reduced area in mixed stands has been calculated on the base of their share in the stands species composition) (fig. 3). The reduced area of Carpinus orientalis was also considerable: 11% (0.2 m ha). Toward 2005, oaks (including Q. cerris L.), Fagus sylvatica and Carpinus betulus represent 89% of the total growing stock of all coppice forests. Carpinus orientalis, in spite of its large reduced area, composed only 2% of the coppice forests total growing stock. Robinia pseudoacacia L. made up to 4% of the total growing stock and 72% of the stock of forests for coppice management.

SPECIES COMPOSITION OF FORESTS IN SERBIA, WITH REGARD TO COPPICE FORESTS
According to Medarević (2004) the most represented tree species in the forests of Serbia is beech, its percentage in the total growing stock (per volume) is 50.4 %. The second position is represented by oaks which occupy 25.8 %, i.e. beech and oaks (among which the most frequent species are sessile oak, Hungarian oak, pedunculate oak and Turkey oak) account for more than 2/3 of the total growing stock in Serbia. Other hard broadleaves account for 11.6 % of the total volume, while the percentage of soft broadleaves is relatively insignificant and amounts to only 2.9 %, in which the dominant types are intensive poplar plantations. It should be emphasised that the category of other hard broadleaves includes several very significant species which, although very rare by representation, are extraordinarily valuable tree species in our growing stock.
Medarević (2004) claims that pure broadleaf stands account for 60.7 % of the total forest area in Serbia, and pure stands of conifers account for 4.7 %. Mixed broadleaf stands occupy the area of 30.0 %, mixed stands of broadleaves and conifers account for 3.3 %, and mixed stands of conifers 1.2 %. The most represented tree species are beech, which in pure broadleaf stands accounts for 27.5 % and oaks (pedunculate oak, sessile oak, Hungarian oak, Turkey oak, etc.) which cover 24.4 % of broadleaf stands. In pure conifer stands, the most represented species are pines (2.8 % of the total forest area, and spruce 1.4 % of the total forest area).
Taking into consideration the high diversity of site conditions and complexity of forest vegetation in Serbia, Tomić (1992) reports the following scheme of horizontal and vertical classification of vegetation, further divided into zonal, extra-zonal and azonal vegetation:
Climate-zonal - Climatogenic forests are represented by a mixed community of Hungarian oak and Turkey oak - Quercetum frainetto-cerris Rud. 49, which in its wide range throughout Serbia, occurs in several geographic variants, characteristic for the particular regions (Šumadija, Timočka Krajina, Kosovo, etc.). Climate-regional belt of beech and beech-fir forests is characterised by the alliance Fagion moesiacaae Bleč et Lak 78. It is well represented throughout Serbia and it consists of four sub-belts depending on the altitude: Montane beech forests; mountainous beech forests (climate-regional belt at 800-1200 m); beech-fir forests; subalpine forests of beech on higher mountains. Subalpine belt of conifer forests growing between 1300-1400 and 1800-1900 m, with the domination of spruce forests in the alliance Vaccinio piceion Br-Bl. 39. Alpine shrubby vegetation is most frequently represented at the upper line of woody vegetation (about 1800 m), and consists of shrub communities of mountain pine, low juniper, billberry, etc.
Extra-zonal xerothermic deciduous forests of the sub-Mediterranean type occur in hilly-mountainous regions at steeper slopes and warmer exposures. They are represented by various communities of oriental hornbeam (Carpinus orientalis). Extra-zonal mesophilic forests of Central European type are represented at the line between the hilly and mountainous belt in the form of mesophilic communities Querco-carpinetum moesiacum Rud. 45.
Hygrophilous - alluvial forests, as azonal vegetation, are distributed over extensive areas at lower altitudes: forests of willows and poplars (Saliciuon albae Soo); hygrophilous forests of alder (Alnion glutonosae Mei, Br. 36); flooded forests (Alno-Quercion roboris Ht 38). Azonal forest vegetation of hilly and mountainous regions includes: forests of sessile oak and Turkey oak (Quercion petraeae-cerris Lak et Jov.); forests of sessile oak and chestnut; basiphilous pine forests. Azonal vegetation in the belt of beech forests consists of: forests of sycamore and white ash (Fraxino-Acerion Fuk 69); forests of beech and hop-hornbeam (Ostryo-Fagenion moesiacae Jov. 76); acidophilic beech forests (Luzulo-Fagenion moesiacae Jov.76).
Coppice forests in Serbia occur mainly within the complexes of oak and beech forests. The main species of coppice forests occur in forest complexes which belong to hilly and mountainous regions: xero-thermophilic (with autochthonous species Quercus cerris L., Quercus farnetto Ten., Quercus pubescens Willd., Tilia sp.), xero-mesophilic (with autochthonous species Quercus petraea Liebl., Carpinus betulus L.) and mesophilic (with the main species Fagus moesiaca Cz. and other broadleaf species).
The percentage of coppice forests in the lowland region is low (and the percentage of lowland forests in the growing stock is relatively low) predominantly within the communities of autochthonous willows, poplars, narrow-leaved ash and common elm.
Coppice forests are dominant in the xero-thermophilic forest complex of the hilly and submontane belts, which predominantly includes the climatogene communities of Hungarian oak and Turkey oak forests (Quercetum frainetto-cerris Rud. 4), and at the protected positions and beech forests. The forests in this complex were predominantly cleared in the past, because they were under centuries-long regressive anthropogenic impact. A significant area of the sites of previously cleared forests is covered by poor and xerothermic pastures, which are very soon converted into barren soil.
In the mountainous region, at the altitudes of 600 to 1200 m the prevalent forests are monodominant forests of beech (Fagetum moesiacae montanum), but together with beech there are numerous broadleaf species (Acer pseudoplatanus, Acer platanoides, Acer heldreichii, Fraxinus excelsior, Tilia platyphyllos, Ulmus montana, Prunus avium, etc.) and more rarely coniferous species (Abies alba). Coppice forests represent a large area of monodominant forests of beech and beech with broadleaves.
Coppice forests are less represented in the climate-regional belt of beech-fir forests, and at higher altitudes (1200 - 1600 m) and in the belt of the forests of beech, fir and spruce, as well as at the altitudes above 1600 m, in spruce forests.
The data on the area and the percentage of individual categories of coppice forests in the total growing stock of coppice forests in Serbia, are not available at the moment at the sufficient level of preciseness. Such information is going to be available very soon, because the results of the National inventory of forests in Serbia, carried out in the period 2003-2007, are going to be published.
REFERENCES:
Medarević, M. (2004): Forests of Serbia and Montenegro. International Symposium: Forest in Transition II - Challenges in Strengthening of Capacities for Forest Policy Development, United Nations University, p. 266-276
Tomic, Z. (1992): Forest Plant Communities in Serbia. Faculty of Forestry, Belgrade. (in Serbian)

state of coppice forestry in Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia is relatively small country, covering around 2.500.000 ha, out of which around 970.000 ha are occupied by forests and forestry land. Looking at those numbers, one can get the impression that it is one of the most forestry covered countries in Europe. But, the quality of the forests is very low, and that will be presented in the following chapter.
According to the forestry management plans, out of the total forest area, around 807.966 ha are forests, from which around 242.919 ha are high forests, around 528.102 ha are coppice forest, and around 36.945 ha are shrubs. So the total area of the coppice forests is around 565.047 ha., around 70% of the forest area. The species distribution of the coppice forests is as follows: Sessile Oak 163.864 ha (29%), Fraineto oak 88.147 ha (15,6%), European beech 84.192 ha (14,9%), Pubescent Oak 84.473 ha (14,9%), Eastern hornbeam 46.334 ha (8,2%), Coccifera oak 7.346 (1,3%).
The total wood reserve of coppice forests is around 28.292.820 m3, or 37% of the whole wood reserve in the forests of Republic of Macedonia.
By species, the most dominant is European beech with 9.159.568 m3 (32,4%), then Sessile Oak with 8.706.318 m3 (30,1%), Fraineto oak with 3.913.793 m3 (13,8%), Pubescent Oak with 2.947.062 m3 (10,4%), Eastern hornbeam with 1.214.244 m3 (4,3%), Coccifera oak 77.249 m3 (0,3%).
Total annual growth of the coppice forests is around 820.000 m3, or around 47% of the total annual growth. By species it is distributed as follows: Sessile oak 255.523 m3 (31,2%), European beech 206.329 m3 (25,2%), Fraineto oak 124.896 m3 (15,2%), Pubescent Oak 82.631 m3 (10,1%), Eastern hornbeam 48.035 m3 (5,9%), Coccifera oak 3.425 m3 (0,4%).
Total allowed annual cut, according to the Forestry management plans from the coppice forests in Republic of Macedonia is 595.729 m3, out of which 230.408 m3 is from Sessile Oak (38,7%), 139.471 m3 is from European beech (23,4%), Fraineto oak 86.800 m3 (14,6%), Pubescent Oak 65.097 m3 (10,9%), Eastern hornbeam 17.748 m3 (3%), Coccifera oak 1.818 m3 (0,3%) .

Major tree species of coppices in the Mediterranean region of Croatia are are Quercus pubescens(23.8% of the total coppice area) and QUercus ilex (15.2%). In other vegetation zones, Fagus sylvatica (21.2%), Carpinus betlus (12.0%) and Quercus petraea (7.3%) form most of the coppices. Other tree species (ash, chestnut, alder, limes, other oaks, etc.) account for the remaining 20.5% of the Croatian coppice forest area.