WILDFIRE IN THE YUGOSLAV AREA AND EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN REGION

Forest exploitation by humans and their activities has taken place thr oughout the Mediterranean Basin for centuries. The area formerly calle d Yugoslavia located on the Balkan Peninsula, is fairly representative of fire conditions in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Over the centuri es different ethnic groups have altered the forest through utilization and the grazing of domestic animals. Possibly the most serious influe nce has been fire, both man-caused and natural. The author has examine d fire in different countries of the region and made some suggestions which might help reduce the number of wildfires and aid in the suppres sion of those which do occur.