Plant biodiversity of Serbia and the Balkans – assesment, sustainable use and protection

Principal Investigator: Dr Dmitar Lakusic

            Contemporary knowledge on regional biodiversity patterns confirms that the Balkan Paninsula hosts one of the richest flora in Europe, not only presented by the species number, but by the endemic number as well. In the view of these, basic researches, sustainable use and protection of autochthonous plant species, communities and their habitats have the great international significance and at the same time represent the great national duty. The presented project face a few complementary directions with aim to discover and/or develope: the patterns of the spatial distribution of the autochthonous and invasive plants; phytogeographical relationships among regional floras; phylogenetic and phylogeopgraphical relationships within selected taxa; cytogentical, karyological, morphological and ecological differentiation of the populations within selected taxa; taxonomical revision of some critical genera; biochemical, physiological and structural mechanisms of ecological adaptation; eco-physiological characteristics and bio-accumulative potentials of the selected plants with aim of application into the processes of phyto-remediation and restoration ecology; phyto-coenological relationships of selected vegetation types with aim of sustainable use and monitoring of ecosystems; the threat degree of species with priority for protection and conservation and new ex situ protection methods, reintroduction and introduction of the threatened species.