Strict Nature Reserve “Varoš”
Within the Bosut Forests lies the Strict Nature Reserve “Varoš,” which represents one of four spatial units preserving remnants of perseved, primeval oak forests. The reserve stretches across a non-floodplain area along the oxbow lake Brek in the cadastral municipality of Batrovci, Municipality of Šid, covering a surface of 38.83 ha. It was proclaimed a protected area back in 1955, and the entire surface remains under the first degree of protection to this day. The area is characterized by preserved mixed forests of narrow-leaved ash (Fraxinus angustifolia), pedunculate oak (Quercus robur), and hornbeam (Carpinus betulus), with an average age of about 140 years. A specific feature of the site is the occurrence of small elevations (so-called greda) and waterlogged surfaces along Brek, where well-preserved groups of narrow-leaved ash trees can also be found.
Strict Nature Reserve “Vinična”
The Strict Nature Reserve “Vinična,” which has been under protection since 1953, represents one of the four spatial units with remnants of preserved, primeval oak forests within the Bosut Forests area. The reserve is located in the central part of the protected forest complex, in the cadastral municipality of Morović, on the old alluvial plain protected by embankments. It covers an area of 26.60 ha and is entirely under the first-degree protection regime. The site is characterized by a great diversity of mixed forest communities of narrow-leaved ash (Fraxinus angustifolia), pedunculate oak (Quercus robur), and hornbeam (Carpinus betulus), aged between 132 and 168 years. Due to its characteristics and level of preservation, the reserve significantly contributes to opportunities for scientific research.
Strict Nature Reserve “Majzecova Bašta”
The Strict Nature Reserve “Majzecova Bašta,” which has been under protection since 1953, represents one of the four spatial units with remnants of preserved, primeval oak forests within the Bosut Forests area. The reserve is located in the central part of the forest complex under protection, in the cadastral municipality of Morović, on a diked, old alluvial plain. It covers an area of 26.91 ha and is entirely under the first-degree protection regime. The area is characterized by a high diversity of forest communities of narrow-leaved ash (Fraxinus angustifolia), pedunculate oak (Quercus robur), and hornbeam (Carpinus betulus), with trees ranging in age from 123 to 189 years and reaching heights of up to 50 meters. The uniqueness of this reserve lies in the most numerous and best-preserved population of species from the woodpecker family, as well as the presence of strictly protected species associated with oak forests of near-natural composition with a large volume of deadwood. The typological diversity of forests and the specific biodiversity features make a significant contribution to the importance of the area for scientific research and for the conservation of habitats of rare, endangered, and strictly protected species.
Strict Nature Reserve “Raškovica”
The Strict Nature Reserve “Raškovica,” which has been under protection since 1954, is located in the non-flooded area between the Morović–Jamena road and the river Studva, within the Bosut Forests region. The entire reserve is under the second-degree protection regime. The area is characterized by a high diversity of mixed forest communities of narrow-leaved ash (Fraxinus angustifolia), pedunculate oak (Quercus robur), and hornbeam (Carpinus betulus), with trees around 130 years old. Due to its position on elevated terrain, surrounded by the floodplain of the Sava River and the Bosut, this site historically represented an ideal place for settlements and traditional practices such as pig farming. It is for this reason that the earliest pig farmers were recorded in the compartments of this reserve. Today, their herds on acorn pastures gather more than 70 adult domestic pigs and as many as 90 piglets.
Strict Nature Reserve “Rađenovci”
The Strict Nature Reserve “Rađenovci,” which has been under protection since 1954, represents an enclave of forest vegetation within arable land, located about 3 km northwest of the village of Jamena, in the area of the Bosut Forests. It covers an area of 86.83 ha and is entirely under the regime of second-degree protection. The reserve represents a seed stand of a special late-flushing variety of Pedunculate Oak (Quercus robur var. tardiflora). In addition, the area is characterized by mixed stands of Pedunculate Oak and Hornbeam, while in depressions there are pure stands of Pedunculate Oak, as well as Common Ash forests on swamp edges, aged between 141 and 152 years. A particular feature of this area is the presence of nesting sites of the Lesser Spotted Eagle (Clanga pomarina).
Strict Nature Reserve “Stara Vratičina”
The Strict Nature Reserve “Stara Vratičina,” which has been under protection since 1954, is located in the floodplain of the Sava River, within the cadastral municipality of Višnjićevo, in the Bosut Forests area. The reserve represents well-preserved remnants of the famous Pedunculate Oak (Quercus robur) primeval forests, which at the beginning of the 20th century covered several thousand hectares in the Posavina region. It covers an area of 10.30 ha and is entirely under the regime of first-degree protection. The area is characterized by forests of Pedunculate Oak, Hornbeam, and Ash. What makes this reserve unique is the current highest concentration of living Pedunculate Oak trees, known as “giant” trees. The thickest living tree in the “Stara Vratičina” Reserve currently has a ring diameter of 210 cm. More than 20 years ago, the thickest tree within the reserve had a diameter of 224 cm, and its age was estimated at around 450 years. A cross-section of the trunk, taken at seven meters above the base, is now kept in the building of the Morović Forest Administration and at the Faculty of Forestry in Belgrade. Another particular feature of this site is the presence of preserved necropolises and remains of settlements of the Illyrians and Celts, who inhabited the area before the expansion of the Roman Empire, at the beginning of the 1st century AD.
Natural Monument “Stand of Old Slavonian Oaks Smogva”
The Natural Monument “Smogva,” which has been under protection since 1951, is located in the central part of the Bosut Forests complex, in a non-flooded area. It covers an area of 4.30 ha and has the status of a special site under the second degree of protection. The fundamental natural value of this area lies in its “giant” Pedunculate Oak (Quercus robur) trees, reaching an age of up to 400 years, of entirely natural origin from a primeval forest-type stand. A total of 111 old trees of impressive dimensions have been recorded within the monument: 110 Pedunculate Oaks (Quercus robur) and a single Narrow-leaved Ash (Fraxinus angustifolia subsp. oxycarpa). The largest recorded ring diameter of a living tree is 206 cm. In addition to these monumental trees, traditional pig farming and acorn grazing have long been characteristic features of the area, forming together with the ancient oaks a unique symbol of the site. These values make “Smogva” a locality of exceptional significance for the scientific and professional community.
