Pro Silva Italy explored Wildcard Case Study sites in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Pro Silva Italy recently visited the Wildcard case study sites in Lom and Perućica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, to explore old-growth forests (OGFs) and their value for biodiversity, carbon storage, and sustainable forest management.
The field trip introduced participants to the Wildcard project’s objectives and methodologies for forest sampling and data analysis. Discussions and field observations focused on differences in forest structure and species composition between managed forests and old-growth forests, natural regeneration processes, and the quantity and quality of deadwood and its contribution to biodiversity and carbon stocks.
Participants also examined carbon accumulation across different forest compartments, compared carbon stocks in old-growth and managed forests, and discussed the limitations of current carbon estimation methods and emerging approaches to improve them.
The visit highlighted the value of old-growth forests as reference systems for understanding natural forest dynamics and informing close-to-nature silviculture. Lessons from the Wildcard case study sites can help strengthen the evidence base for the Pro Silva approach and support forest management that better integrates biodiversity conservation, climate mitigation, and natural forest processes.
All featured images: Pro Silva Italia