Contemporary climate variability and forest fires in Deliblatska pescara

Considering the actual scenario of contemporary global climate changes and their possible influence on forest fires, the connections between temperature changes and precipitations on fires have been examined in Deliblatska pescara. The basic characteristics of fires have been analyzed in the area which is considered the most endangered in Serbia. The decreasing trend of annual number of fires was ascertained for period the 1948-2002. However, the trend of annual temperature and precipitation changes is not in accordance with the trend of annual number of fires. Some seasonal aspects related with the change of climate elements cannot also explain the decreasing number of fires. A rising trend of annual fire spread surface have been ascertained, which is in accordance with air temperature rise at the end of the 20th century. However, five extreme values were far above the upper standard deviation, which was explained by non climate factors (increase of surface under pine trees, mistakes during fire extinguishing and similar)

Contemporary climate variability and forest fires in Deliblatska pescara

Considering the actual scenario of contemporary global climate changes and their possible influence on forest fires, the connections between temperature changes and precipitations on fires have been examined in Deliblatska pescara. The basic characteristics of fires have been analyzed in the area which is considered the most endangered in Serbia. The decreasing trend of annual number of fires was ascertained for period the 1948-2002. However, the trend of annual temperature and precipitation changes is not in accordance with the trend of annual number of fires. Some seasonal aspects related with the change of climate elements cannot also explain the decreasing number of fires. A rising trend of annual fire spread surface have been ascertained, which is in accordance with air temperature rise at the end of the 20th century. However, five extreme values were far above the upper standard deviation, which was explained by non climate factors (increase of surface under pine trees, mistakes during fire extinguishing and similar)

Contemporary climate variability and forest fires in Deliblatska pescara

Considering the actual scenario of contemporary global climate changes and their possible influence on forest fires, the connections between temperature changes and precipitations on fires have been examined in Deliblatska pescara. The basic characteristics of fires have been analyzed in the area which is considered the most endangered in Serbia. The decreasing trend of annual number of fires was ascertained for period the 1948-2002. However, the trend of annual temperature and precipitation changes is not in accordance with the trend of annual number of fires. Some seasonal aspects related with the change of climate elements cannot also explain the decreasing number of fires. A rising trend of annual fire spread surface have been ascertained, which is in accordance with air temperature rise at the end of the 20th century. However, five extreme values were far above the upper standard deviation, which was explained by non climate factors (increase of surface under pine trees, mistakes during fire extinguishing and similar)

Contemporary climate variability and forest fires in Deliblatska pescara

Considering the actual scenario of contemporary global climate changes and their possible influence on forest fires, the connections between temperature changes and precipitations on fires have been examined in Deliblatska pescara. The basic characteristics of fires have been analyzed in the area which is considered the most endangered in Serbia. The decreasing trend of annual number of fires was ascertained for period the 1948-2002. However, the trend of annual temperature and precipitation changes is not in accordance with the trend of annual number of fires. Some seasonal aspects related with the change of climate elements cannot also explain the decreasing number of fires. A rising trend of annual fire spread surface have been ascertained, which is in accordance with air temperature rise at the end of the 20th century. However, five extreme values were far above the upper standard deviation, which was explained by non climate factors (increase of surface under pine trees, mistakes during fire extinguishing and similar)

Fire protection problems with large forest fires in Deliblatska peščara (Serbia)

Purpose - The aim of the paper was to investigate the major forest fires in Deliblatska peščara, as well as to analyze the efficiency of fire protection measures. Design / methodology / approach - The analysis included interviews with participants in extinguishing the major fires. The questions referred to the course of fires, as well as to the main fire protection disadvantages. The documentation of the 'Banat' Forest Management - Pančevo (Public Enterprise 'Vojvodinašume') was also used in the paper for the period 1948-2012. Findings - The major forest fires in Deliblatska peščara in the studied period were recorded in 1973, 1990, 1996 and 2007. Although they account for only about 1.5 % of the total number of fires, they collectively have invaded more than half of the total burnt area and more than two-thirds of the forest area. According to the surveys, the main characteristics of these fires were: frequent appearance of new fire hot spots, strong wind variable in direction which crucially affects the spread of fire and the impossibility of direct action on fire. The main disadvantages of fire protection were: inefficiency of fire breaks, blockage of forest roads for the passage of vehicles and the lack of the modern means of fire protection equipment. Research limitations / implications - Given the specificities of the studied area (the absence of surface water, sandy soils, microclimate conditions and vegetation composition), the research results cannot be fully generalized for Serbia. Practical implications - The research results indicate the need for making changes in the fire prevention system, as well as the possibility of fire danger forecast based on the heliocentric hypothesis. Originality / value - What has been the importance of the paper is that it provides the basis for a new approach to the planning of fire prevention measures

The influence of the solar flux at 2.8 GHz on outbreaks of gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar L.) (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) in Serbia

The connection between the solar flux at 2.8 GHz (based on mean monthly values) and the outbreaks of gypsy moths (Lymantria dispar L.) in Serbia was investigated. The researches included six outbreaks from 1952 to 2007. The average values of the solar flux ranged between 83.8 and 101.8 sfu during the outbreaks, whereas they were between 147.9 and 188.3 sfu for the periods without outbreaks. The results of the research showed that the increase in the number of gypsy moths appears when the values of the solar flux at 2.8 GHz range from 70 to 120 sfu

INDICATORS OF SPECIFICITY OF CLIMATE: THE EXAMPLE OF PODGORICA (MONTENEGRO)

Climatic indices complexly display the climate of a place, and certainly influence its more qualitative characterization. In this paper, the specificity of the climate is analyzed, such as the degree of continentality and aridity, in the example of the city of Podgorica. The climate was considered on the basis of the data for almost the entire instrument period (1951–2017). The results obtained for thermal continentality show that maritime influences are primary and predominant, but the influence of the continent is also significant. In a hygric sense, the climate of Podgorica is characterized as poorly arid to poorly humid with significant oscillations during the year. The warmer period of the year, especially the summer, has the characteristics of arid climate. The colder period of the year, especially from November to February, has the characteristics of humid and even perhumidic climate, while the transitional seasons show signs of semi-aridity and semi-humidity

Specifičnosti klime Danilovgrada (Crna Gora)

Danilovgrad and the Bjelopavlića Plain belong to the submediterranean zone of the Mediterranean climate region. The aim of this paper was to determine some specific characteristics of the Danilovgrad climate, such as the degree of continentality, aridity and bioclimatic characteristics. Data used in the research cover the period 1955-2011. The results of the study showed the dominance of the continental effect on temperature, while oceanicity was less pronounced. In hygric terms, during most of the year the climate of Danilovgrad is characterized as low humid to perhumid. Moreover, in the period October-March it is very humid, which points to the domination of oceanic influences. During the three summer months, it is dry to very dry. Based on the average monthly values of the equivalent temperature - an indicator of physiological (subjective) feeling of heat, the winter months in Danilovgrad are not assessed as very cold. It is cold in January, and in February and December it is cool. It is fresh in March and November, comfortable in April and October, and warm in May and September. In Danilovgrad, in summer it is overheated and a little muggy. All considered indicators point to quite pronounced oscillations during the year, especially in terms of humidity. Comparing the obtained results with Podgorica, it can be concluded that the climate of Danilovgrad is more continental, a bit colder and wetter.Danilovgrad je centralno i najveće naselje na području Bjelopavlićke ravnice u Crnoj Gori. Sa klimatskog aspekta, područje Bjelopavlićke ravnice je pogodno za život i razvoj poljoprivrede. Međutim, u do sada poznatim klasifikacijama klime za Crnu Goru, dat je uopšteni opis pojedinih regija i mesta, uglavnom na osnovu analize srednjih mesečnih temperatura vazduha i količine padavina. Za Danilovgrad se može reći da ima blago modifikovnu mediteransku klimu, a to znači da su leta topla i prilično sušna, a zime blage i kišovite. Prema Kepenovoj klasifikaciji, klimatska formula Danilovgrada je Csa, prosečna godišnja temperatura je 14,60C, a godišnja suma padavina 2.216 mm. Cilj nam je bio da klimu ovog mesta što bolje i podrobnije opišemo, kroz analizu termičke kontinentalnosti, aridnosti i bioklimatske karakteristike. Analizom kombinovanih klimatskih elemenata, dat je kompleksniji prikaz i kvalitetnija karakterizacija klime Danilovgrada. Smatramo da će istraživanje imati značaja za lokalnu zajednicu u smislu boljeg razumevanja prirodnog okruženja i da se dobijeni rezultati mogu primeniti u poljoprivredi, vodoprivredi i energetici, turizmu i drugim delatnostima od važnosti za budući razvoj Danilovgrada i Crne Gore. Takođe, rezultati dobijeni u ovom radu biće korisni nauci, struci i opštem obrazovanju stanovništva, jer se radi o tematici koja sve više participira kod današnjeg čoveka. Za razmatranje specifičnosti klime Danilovgrada, korišćeni su podaci za instrumentalni period 1955-2011. Rezultati istraživanja su pokazali dominaciju kontinentalnog uticaja na temperaturu, dok je maritimnost slabije izražena. U higričkom smislu, tokom većeg dela godine klima Danilovgrada se karakteriše kao slabo humidna do perhumidna. Štaviše, u periodu oktobar - mart je veoma vlažno, što govori o dominaciji maritimnih upliva. Sušno do veoma sušno je tokom tri letnja meseca. Prema bioklimatskim pokazateljima, ni jedan mesec se ne karakteriše kao veoma hladan. Na osnovu srednjih mesečnih vrednosti ekvivalentne temperature, koja je korišćena kao pokazatelj fiziološkog (subjektivnog) osećaja toplote, tokom januara je hladno, a u februaru i decembru veoma prohladno. Sveže je u martu i novembru, ugodno u aprilu i oktobru, a toplo u maju i septembru. U Danilovgradu je leti pregrejano i malo zaparno. Svi razmatrani pokazatelji ukazuju na prilično izražene oscilacije tokom godine, naročito u pogledu vlažnosti. Dobijeni rezultati ukazuju da Danilovgrad ima slične termičke, higričke i bioklimatske karakteristike kao Podgorica (Burić et al., 2007), jer je rastojanje između ova dva grada oko 20 km. Ipak, Danilovgrad je više kontinentalniji, malo hladniji i vlažniji od Podgorice

ELECTRONS OR PROTONS: WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF FOREST FIRES IN WESTERN EUROPE ON JUNE 18, 2017?

Forest fires in Portugal (June 17–24, 2017) destroyed 64 lives and caused considerable material damage. The coronal hole CH807 and the energy region S5710 were in the geoeffective position on the Sun immediately before the outbreak of fires. In the period that preceded it, as well as at the time of the fires, increased values of the solar wind (SW) parameters (temperature, speed and density of particles) were recorded. In addition, a geomagnetic disorder was recorded. The shape and size of the burning areas, as well as the low air pressure over Portugal indicate the possibility of the effect of positively charged particles that came from the area south, i.e. southwest of Portugal. Nevertheless, it is a specific case that would have to be investigated in more detail

Etiological aspect of left-handedness in adolescents

Introduction. Lateralization of brain functions such as language and manual dominance (hand preferences and fine motor control) are most likely under genetic control. However, this does not preclude the effect of various environmental factors on functional brain lateralization. A strong association of non-right-handedness (left- and mixed-handedness) with various neurodevelopmental conditions (e.g. schizophrenia, autism, Rett syndrome) implies that in some cases, non-right-handedness may be acquired rather than inherited (i.e., pathologically determined). Objective. The aim of the study was: (a) re-investigation of several known risk factors for left-handedness (age of mother and/or father, twin pregnancies, and birth order), and (b) examination of hitherto uninvestigated factors (type of birth, Apgar score, maternal smoking during pregnancy). Methods. Putative, causative environmental agents for this shift in manual distributions are explored in a sample of 1031 high school students (404 males and 627 females) from Belgrade. Both pre-existing (age of parents, twin pregnancy, and birth order) and new (Apgar score, maternal smoking, type of birth) putative agents are examined. Results. We found that maternal smoking and low Apgar score (2-6) can significantly increase risk for left-handedness (p=0.046 and p=0.042, respectively). The remaining factors showed no significant association with left-handedness in adolescents. Conclusion. Our study clearly demonstrates that left-handedness may be related to maternal smoking during pregnancy and a low Apgar score on birth