LdfSbidFtLand of Serbia and Factors t ththat t lead l d tto ththe DDegradationg d ti DDragana Đorđeviić ICTM – Centre of ChemistryChemistry, University of BelgradeBelgrade, Studenntski trg 12–1616, 11000 BelgradeBelgrade, SerbiaSerbia, dragadj@[email protected] bg ac rs Figg. 1 Territoryy of Republicp of Serbia Figg. 2 Main rivers in Serbia Figg. 3 Climate Changeg in the Republicp of Serbia RRepublic bli of f Serbia S bi is i landlocked l dl k d country t in i area of f 88 361 kkm2, off which hi h central t l SSerbia bi comprises i 55 698 ThThe current climate li of f SSerbia bi iis moderately d lypg continental. i l MMean annual l temperatures range km2, 2121,506 506 km2 of Vojvodina and Kosovo and Metohija 10 887 km2. Land cover of Serbia is not great on n from 3 °C in the highest parts of more than 11,500 500 meters above sea level to12°CintheC in the ththe surface, f bbut titi it is iimportant t tf for a number b of f systematic t ti units, it which hihh have arisen i as a consequence of fth thee lldlowland areas. The h averagegpp annual li air temperature for f the h period id 1961-1990. fihfor areas with diversity of conditions of existence and pedogenesis of some types of soil. soil an altitude up to 300 m is 1010.9 9°CC. The areas with an altitude of 300 to 500 m have annual IIn terms of f altitude, l i d, llowland l d fifields ld ((up p to 200 m) ) occupy py about b 37% of f the h territory i y of f Serbia. S bi OOn the h hillhillss temperaturee pe a u e of o around a ou d 10.0 0.0°C, bubut for o more o e than a 1,000 ,000 m above sea level eve oof abouabout 6.0° C. (200-500 m) and low mountain (500-1000 m) band accounts for approximately of about 26%26%, and the The absolute maximum temperature measured in July, July in the period 1961-19901990. ranged from mountain (above() 1000 m) close to 11%. In terms of slope p is characterized by yygpp a relatively high proportion 37.1 to 42.3°C are in the lower regions, while in the mountainous areas ranged from 27.6 to (42(42.6%) 6%) of steep and very steep surfaces (slope greater than 30%), 30%) on which form shallow soils prone to 3434.0 0°CC. erosion unsuitable for processing. Flattened ground (slope less than 5%) to slightly sloped (5-10%) fields The absolute minimum temperature recorded in JanuaryJanuary, in the range of -307to30.7 to -2121.0 0°CinC in make up to about one-third of the land areaarea, and the remaining 24% goes to the 10-30% inclines, inclines whose ththe llower regions,gg i while hil iin ththe mountainous t i areas range ffrom -3535.6 6 tto -2020.6 6 °CC. use in agriculture caused by taking appropriate measures. Observed mean annual temperatures in the last 50 years show a positive trend in almost all of PPrecipitation i it ti in i SSerbia bi are ththe most t iimportant t t component t of f ththe water t bbalance. l AAverage precipitation i it ti SbiThiSerbia. The increase iis to 0040.04 ° C/C/year,y, while hil in i some areas in i the h east and d southeast h of f the h amounted to 734 mmmm. Water balances are unfavorable: annual evaporation is 553 mmmm, the runoff remains country recorded a negative trend to -0050.05 ° C/yearC/year. The highest temperature rise was noted in off only ly 181 mm. the fall. Most important river in the Republic of Serbia are the Danube, Danube Sava, Sava Drina, Drina Morava, Morava and Tisa. Tisa All rivers ini Observed precipitation in the period 1946 -20062006. have a positive trend over most of the SbiblSerbia belongg,g to the hbi basins of fh three seas: the h Black lkS Sea, the hAdiiS Adriatic Sea and dhA the Aegean SSea. territory of Serbia. To the Black Sea flows about 176 billions m3, the Adriatic Sea about 2 billions m3, and the Aegean Sea ObserObserved ed redreduction ction in rainfall are in the eastern and southeastern so theastern part of SerbiaSerbia. To the west est about 0.5 billion m3 of water. of the country noticed an increase to 16 mm/year, mm/year and in the southwest of the country the About 92% of the available water resources originate outsi outsidede of Serbia. Serbia On the territory of Serbia formed a amountt of f rainfall i f ll ddecreases ffor the th 8 mm/year. / flow of about 16 × 109 m3/year, which amounts to an average of 5.7 l/s/km 2. Transboundary waters are significant,i ifi t the th average is i around d 55,163 163 m3//s, or 162 × 109 m3//year. Table 1. Typesyp of land in the Republicp of Serbia with basic information about the characteristics TfldTypeyp of land AArea (h(ha)() ) ThThe characteristicshii Rocky (Lithosol) 7777.757 757 Serious limitations - unproductive land Eolian sand (Arenosol) 8686.000 000 Significant limitations - low to average productive land d Limestone and dolomite soil SiSignificantg ifi limitations li i i to medium di - ldllow to moderatelyy (ClCalcomelanosol l l)dB) and Brown limestone lit 910910.000 000 productive land (Calcocambisol) Moderate to considerable limitations - productive land Humus-siliceous soil ()(Ranker) 324.000 fdfor meadow - pasturetdti production Chernozem 11.200.000 200 000 No limitations - highly productive land Smonica (Vertisol) 680680.000 000 Moderate limitations - highly productive land Eutric brown-brown forest soil (Eutric 437437.000 000 MdModerate t liittilimitations - productivedtild land Cambisol) Distric brown - sour brown ( Distric 2.607.000 Significant limitations - low to high productive Cambisols) LdLand on serpentine ti(Rk (Ranker and d EtiEutric SiSignificant ifi t tto medium di - lilimitations it ti llow tto moderately d t l 268268.000 000 brown) productive land Moderate to considerable limitations - conditionally Pseudoglejgj 500.000 productivedild land Alluvial soil (Fluvisol) and black soil Without limitation to serious limitations - conditionallyy 675675.000 000 (humogley) can be highly productive (melioration) Etosha and Solonetz (saline( and alkalized 233233.000 000 SiSignificant ifi t limitations li it ti - lthihdtilow to high productive soil) Total 88.836.757 836 757 The main permanent processes that lead to the loss and degradation of land in Serbia : - urbanization and infrastructure development; - acidificationidifi ti of f soil; il - decrease of organic matter in soil; - primary and secondary soil salinization; - eolianli anddt water erosion; i -Various forms of soil pollution: heavy metals, metals industrial pollution, pollution excessive use of agrochemicals, agrochemicals, FiFig. 4 Geographic G hi map of f potential t ti l landslide l d lid which, hi h after ft heavy h rainfall i f ll iin spring i and d summer of f 2014, 2014 etc. can occur throughout Serbia.