DARDA, June 17 - The black aspen, a tree which has almost become extinct in the world, is maintained in eastern Croatia in the region of forests in the Danube and Drava river areas. The forest called 'Kopacevske Sume' contains a few
hundred trees of this unique plant (black 'populus tremula'). Besides Croatia, only Great Britain in Europe has 26 trees of this kind.
DARDA, June 17 - The black aspen, a tree which has almost become
extinct in the world, is maintained in eastern Croatia in the region
of forests in the Danube and Drava river areas.
The forest called 'Kopacevske Sume' contains a few hundred trees of
this unique plant (black 'populus tremula'). Besides Croatia, only
Great Britain in Europe has 26 trees of this kind.#L#
Croatia's asp commission was among first Croatian professional or
occupational societies to be admitted in international
associations. It entered the international asp commission in
September 1992 before Croatia's accession to FAO (Food and
Agriculture Organisation).
The head of the Croatian commission, Pavao Vrataric, said intensive
efforts had been made to preserve the black aspen.
Experts use two methods for this purpose: selection and propagation
established by auto-vegetative methods.
In the area of Darda (over 200 kilometres east of Zagreb) the so-
called clone archives were set up in 1998. At the moment there are 63
clones there, along with 37 clones of asp at seed-plots.
Croatia is a member of European Forest Genetic Resources Programme
(EUFORGEN). This organisation can help Croatia in efforts to
preserve the black aspen. (EUFORGEN operates through networks in
which forest geneticists and other forestry specialists meet and
work together to analyse needs, exchange experiences and develop
conservation methods for selected species.)
One of interesting things from "Kopacevske Sume" is that it has the
biggest black asp tree in the world which is high about 40 metres.
German forestry experts, who recently toured eastern Croatia
forest resources in the valleys of the Drava and Danube rivers,
described that area as the world forestry 'hotspot'.
Vrataric urged authorities to attach more importance to this
natural wealth although Croatian forests enjoy the constitutional
and legal protection.
Next year, EUFORGEN will hold a session in Baranja, giving special
emphasis to the rare black asp. Croatia is organising the event.
There are 32,313 hectares of aspen and willow plantations in
Croatia, and of them, 15,000 hectares are in the war-ravaged
eastern Croatia (eastern Slavonia and Baranja).
Owing to mines planted during the war, 5,888 hectares are still not
accessible to forestry specialists. Last year, the Croatian
company "Hrvatske Sume" spent its own financial means for mine
clearance along a 3.5-kilometre long section beside the Drava.
(hina) jn ms