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Fresenius Environmental Bulletin

FEB - FRESENIUS ENVIRONMENTAL BULLETIN Founded jointly by F. Korte and F. Coulston Production by PSP - Vimy Str. 1e, 85354 Freising, Germany in cooperation with PRT-Parlar Research & Technology Vimy Str 1e, 85354 Freising Copyright© by PSP and PRT, Vimy Str. 1e, 85354 Freising, Germany All rights are reserved, especially the right to translate into foreign language or other processes - or convert to a machine language, especially for data processing equipment - without written permission of the publisher. The rights of reproduction by lecture, radio and television transmission, magnetic sound recording or similar means are also reserved. Printed in Germany-ISSN 1018-4619

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FEB-EDITORIAL BOARD CHIEF EDITOR: Prof. Dr. Dr. H. Parlar Parlar Research & Technology-PRT Vimy Str.1e 85354 Freising, Germany CO-EDITORS: Environmental Spectroscopy Prof. Dr. A. Piccolo 8QLYHUVLWDGL1DSROL³)UHGHULFR,,´ Dipto. Di Scienze Chemica Agrarie Via Universita 100, 80055 Portici, Italy Environmental Biology Prof. Dr. G. Schuurmann UFZ-Umweltzentrum Sektion Chemische Ökotoxikologie Leipzig-Halle GmbH, Permoserstr.15, 04318 04318 Leipzig, Germany Prof. Dr. I. Holoubek Recetox-Tocoen Kamenice126/3, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic Prof. Dr. M. Hakki Alma Igdir Universitesi 76000, Igdir, Turkey Environmental Analytical Chemistry Prof. Dr. M. Bahadir Lehrstuhl für Ökologische Chemie und Umweltanalytik TU Braunschweig Lehrstuhl für Ökologische Chemie Hagenring 30, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany Dr. D. Kotzias Via Germania29 21027 Barza(Va), Italy Advisory Board K. Bester, K. Fischer, R. Kallenborn DCG. Muir, R. Niessner,W.Vetter, A. Reichlmayr-Lais, D. Steinberg, J. P. Lay, J. Burhenne, L. O. Ruzo

MANAGING EDITOR: Dr. P. Parlar Parlar Research & Technology PRT, Vimy Str.1e 85354 Freising, Germany Environmental Management Dr. K. I. Nikolaou Env.Protection of Thessaloniki OMPEPT-54636 Thessaloniki Greece Environmental Toxicology Prof. Dr. H. Greim Senatkommision ± DFG / TUM 85350 Freising, Germany Environmental Proteomic Dr. A. Fanous Halal Control GmbH Kobaltstr. 2-4 D-65428 Rüsselsheim, Germany Environmental Education Prof. Dr. C. Bayat Esenyurt Üniversitesi 34510 Esenyurt, Istanbul, Turkey Environmental Medicine Prof. Dr. I. Tumen Bandirma 17 Eylül Üniversitesi 10200 Bandirma, Turkey

Marketing Manager Cansu Ekici, B. of B.A. PRT-Research and Technology Vimy Str 1e 85354 Freising, Germany E-Mail: [email protected] [email protected] Phone: +49/8161887988

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Fresenius Environmental Bulletin is abstracted/indexed in: Biology & Environmental Sciences, BIOSIS, CAB International, Cambridge Scientific abstracts, Chemical Abstracts, Current Awareness, Current Contents/Agriculture, CSA Civil Engineering Abstracts, CSA Mechanical & Transportation Engineering, IBIDS database, Information Ventures, NISC, Research Alert, Science Citation Index (SCI), Scisearch, Selected Water Resources Abstracts

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CONTENTS ORIGINAL PAPERS WZs/tKEEs/ZKEDEd>/^^h^EWZ^Wd/s^K&Ͳt^dDE'DEd/Ed,t^dZE>tdZE^>ddZE^WKZdEZ>z^d' 'ZKtd,K&KddKE

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Selim Aytac, Sahane Funda Arslanoglu, Ali Kemal Ayan

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Ilkay Yavas, Yelda Emek, M Evrim Demir, Aydin Unay

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Konstantinos Skordas, Georgios Papastergios, Nikolaos Kantiranis, Anestis Filippidis WZ/KZ/d/d/KEK&@7KHYROXPHRIGLVFDUGHGHOHFWULFDQGHOHctronic equipment, or EEE, (e.g. tablets, mobile phones, laptops, electronic goods, LCD screens, etc.), ICT devices that are becoming more affordable, online business and more network users, have all contributed to the complexity of dealing with cumulated EEE waste. The data revealed in The Global E-waste Monitor report for 2017 showed that global e-waste reached 44.7 million metric tons in 2016, which is up 3.3 Mt or 8 percent higher than in 2014. This equals in weight for almost 1.23 million fully loaded 18-wheel 40-tonne trucks, enough to form a line from New York to Bangkok and back [2, 3]. Europe is the second largest generator of ewaste per inhabitant, with an average of 16.6 kg per inhabitant and the highest collection rate of 35 percent [3]. From 195 countries in the world, only 41 quantify their e-waste generation and regulated and monitored recycling streams officially [4]. In countries without national e-waste legislation or monitoring model, WEEE is most often treated as municipal waste. If not treated properly, e-waste poses environmental and health hazard since toxic substances (such as mercury, cadmium, beryllium, lead and brominated flame retardants) can easily spread through the soil, surface water, and contaminate the air by smoke from landfills in case of incineration [5]. It was confirmed that the bioaccumulation of lead and cadmium in humans is related to pollution from industrial facilities, road traffic sources and landfills [6]. In e-waste, there are toxic and hazardous organic and inorganic components, principally cations of heavy metals. When considering the environmental management and specifically waste management, the dimension of hazard and toxicity of main structural components is neglected. EEE

ABSTRACT Adequate e-waste management has become an emerging environmental issue across the globe. As a part of comprehensive environmental regulations, it is one of the prerequisites for the countries in the Western Balkan region in their process of admission into the European Union. In this region, waste electronic and electrical equipment (WEEE) is usually disposed of in municipal landfills, informally treated, remain stored in the households or is reused for component parts. By summarizing the current approach to e-waste management and providing the assessment of legal and institutional framework in this region, the paper focuses on the review of the future obligations of the Former Yugoslav Republic (FYR) of Macedonia and the Republic of Serbia pertaining to WEEE management. These two countries seem to have made the furthest progress in terms of the implementation of environmental regulations in the whole region. Based on the findings from available literature and stakeKROGHUV¶ LQWHU views, the aim of the paper is to review the best practices and European experiences, and suggest the options for improving e-waste management in line with the requirements set out in Directive 2012/19/EU.

KEYWORDS: Waste electronic and electrical equipment (WEEE), environmental management, Directive 2012/19/EU, Western Balkan, opportunities

INTRODUCTION Waste which arises from second-hand electrical and electronic equipment, otherwise known as WEEE or e-waste, is the most rapid growing stream of waste on the global scale. The Directive 2012/19/EU on e-waste (WEEE Directive) states

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and management models via adoption of the national WEEE legislations. Reliable information on WEEE is difficult and laborious to gather due to lack of decent monitoring and practices in WEEE management. Additional obstacle is the fact that discarded electronic devices are not properly disposed in the Western Balkan region. In order to avoid further environmental damage and a loss of secondary resources, the West Balkans need to establish effective collection and treatment processes, applicable monitoring and regulatory models [8, 11].

waste is a significant type of waste, which is constantly modifying, the chemical characteristics of basic components are highly unknown and can have diverse negative impact on environment. The process of transportation, distribution and diffusion of toxic particles (cations of toxic, heavy and other metals) is also highly enabled as there is no impermeable natural or artificial border between disposed waste and natural media, soil and underground water bodies. The pathways of transport are enabled as the EEE waste is usually disposed into the municipal waste dump sites, which are not built and designed according to good practice of controlled regulated landfill design. Heavy metals and their toxicity are of increased significance for environmental, nutritional and health reasons. Excess of metal pollutions deposited on soils may be transformed and transported to vegetation [7]. According to the reports, the destiny of a large majority of e-waste (34.1 of 44 Mt) is simply unknown [3]. In the regions with either weak or outdated environmental law enforcement, human and health hazards are even more prominent, and such situation requires all the stakeholders in WEEE management to be well-informed about their responsibilities and options. The management of ewaste in European countries is governed by the WEEE Directive, where primary targets are the prevention of e-waste generation with the aim to reduce final disposal, as well as to provide support for reuse, recycling and recovery. The e-waste management is expected to be significant environmental issue in the Western Balkan region, and it is of crucial significance to pursue the developments in this important area [8,9]. This paper illustrates the examples of EU countries that have made breakthrough in e-waste management, and highlights the lessons learnt in that process that could be applicable in the West Balkan region.

METHODOLOGY Research data analysis has been applied to reveal relevant constituents of WEEE Directive 2012/96/EC and interrelated studies. The WEEE Directive is of particular importance for this research since it describes essential framework for ewaste management, and regulation suggests necessary steps for implementation of its requirements by countries in the Western Balkan region. The institutions responsible for policy making ± Ministries and the governing bodies - provided all OHJLVODWLYH GRFXPHQWV RQ WKH FRXQWULHV¶ e-waste management policies with respect to the data presented in their National strategies and National plans of waste management. Stakeholders of the WEEE management system were identified with respondent-driven sampling and Internet research. The identified main stakeholders (e.g. recycling companies, NGOs) were interviewed for data collection (bottom up approach). A sampling and estimation technique called respondent-driven sampling allows researchers to make asymptotically unbiased estimates about the hidden populations and streams. The sample is selected with a snowball-type design that can be done more efficient and financially justified way than other methods currently in use. Furthermore under certain specified (and quite general) conditions, estimates for the percentage of the population with a specific trait are asymptotically unbiased [12]. Literature review of the EU e-waste report, databases, national Statistics was conducted in order to reveal important key figures and the examples of good practice. Interviews with representatives of registered recycling companies from Republic of Serbia and FYR Macedonia also provided important information on the subject.

Current state of the field in the Western Balkans. Over recent years, the countries of the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro and the Republic of Serbia) have been experiencing dynamic social and economic changes during the process of EU accession. Many initiatives have been carried out and financed by the European Union to improve the legal and institutional framework for appropriate ewaste management in this region, mainly related to increasing the management capacities, lobbying concerning e-waste issues, and raising the awareness among citizens, government officials, and the private sector about adequate WEEE management [9, 10]. As a result of financial support and collaborations, most of the countries in the Balkans nowadays have made the first steps towards the implementation of a suitable and obligatory monitoring

Current Approach to Managing WEEE in Western Balkans. Current situation in WEEE management greatly influences future e-waste generation. According to the study conducted by United Nations University, it is estimated that 177 thousand tons of WEEE will be generated in the

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FIGURE 1 WEEE volumes in Western Balkan countries

FIGURE 2 WEEE volumes by waste category Large equipment (i.e. washing machines, clothes dryers, dish-washing machine) Temperature exchange equipment (i.e. refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, heat pumps) [3, 10]. In Western Balkan countries, in the 2018-2030 period, the greatest volume of WEEE will arise from large equipment, whereas the lowest will consist of small IT and screens (Figure 2).

Western Balkan region by 2030, compared to predicted 142 thousand tons in 2018 [7]. The projections show the rise of 35 thousand tons over a 12year period. The greatest amounts of WEEE come from the Republic of Serbia, whereas Montenegro generates the lowest amounts of waste (Figure 1). Out of six categories of e-waste, the three categories that contribute the most to e-waste are: Small equipment (i.e. vacuum cleaners, microwaves, ventilation equipment, toasters)

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WEEE legislative and (institutional) framework and policies in FYR of Macedonia and Serbia. WEEE Directive sets new collection targets that will ensure that approximately 10 million tons of electrical or electronic waste (or about 20kg per capita) will be covered by separate collection starting from 2019. Directive 2012/19/EU on WEEE allows EU Member States to more effectively combat the illegal export of waste (illegal shipments of electronic waste are often masqueraded as shipments of used equipment, in order to circumvent EU waste management regulations), by forcing the exporters to control shipments and to deliver documents on the nature of their shipments in cases where there is a possibility of exporting waste [1]. Instead of previous 10 categories of products (Directive 2002/96/EC), revised classification of the WEEE categories includes six categories: Temperature exchange equipment; Screens, monitors; Lamps; Large equipment; Small equipment; Small IT and telecommunication equipment. The WEEE Directive 2012/19/EU is the main EU Directive for EEE waste stream obligatory for Republic of FYR Macedonia and Republic of Serbia. Even though FYR Macedonia and Serbia still do not have obligation to implement goals from WEEE Directive, gradual inclusion of these requirements and establishment of waste management system including special streams of waste (WEEE) is one of the priorities of both countries (Law on WEEE Management in 2012, Waste Management Strategy of the Republic of FYR Macedonia, 20082020 and Waste Management Strategy of the Republic of Serbia, 2010-2019). The EU accession process of FYR Macedonia requires institutional strengthening on all levels as well as strengthening of the capacities of all stakeholders involved in waste management [16,17,18]. FRY of Macedonia started implementing EU legislation on e-waste, as exemplified in Table 1. According to FYR Macedonian waste management strategy, a network of institutions should be installed with the task to manage special waste streams, e.g. WEEE. The goal is to establish organizational, financial, and operative structure for collection, treatment, recovery/recycling, disposal of selected waste streams and to develop waste management schemes, plans and feasibility studies on WEEE management [15, 19, 23]. In the Republic of Serbia, newly adopted regulations on waste management enforced the implementation of eco taxes for importers and producers who are legally obliged to pay a fee for goods that after use become special waste streams [20, 21, 22]. The recycling companies are obliged to distribute part of these subsidies to the registered WEEE collection companies. The infrastructure for collection of WEEE is still in developing phase. However, new WEEE Regulation shall significantly influence the amounts of collected WEEE. According to Ser-

As far as collection is concerned, approximately 158 kilotons (kt) of e-waste is currently collected in the Western Balkans, comparing to the 512 kt generated in 2016 [3]. This region is currently facing two major problems related to e-waste. The first is the fact that e-waste is either thrown into municipal landfills, incinerated or remain stored in households. The second relates to the absence of an effective treatment system, and the fact that present-day recycling and recovery activities lead to significant resource losses. Both of these practices cause health and environmental impairment. Divergent approach to managing WEEE in the Western Balkans makes this issue even more viral. Albania is likely the furthest behind, and without any formal systems of waste management it is collapsing under the burden of increased waste. Serbia is the most forward-looking and is in the process of developing a more formalized system of extended producer responsibility (EPR). Some of the remaining countries have passed the legislation on EPR, but have done little to enforce it [3, 8]. In terms of WEEE, the competence of the countries to export hazardous materials is considered significant. All the countries that are focus of our study, other than Kosovo, have signed the Basel Convention by which they are allowed to export hazardous materials for further recovery (FYR of Macedonia from 1997 and the Republic of Serbia from 2000) [13]. In Serbia, a total of 240 tons of WEEE were reported to have been exported by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2014 (this amounts to 1.1% of the 20,972 tons treated) [14]. The focus of the study is constricted to Serbia and FYR Macedonia, since those two countries have been the best achievers towards EU membership so far. Combined, these two countries have the largest market of Western Balkans countries and median GDP in the region. Despite the same membership status, these bordering countries have good cooperation and potential for regional cooperation that may facilitate solving WM issues [15, 16]. In Kosovo, there is still no national legislation concerning electronic waste. Bosnia and Herzegovina is the farthest behind the dialogue for EU accession, its status being potential candidate. Montenegro is very small both by population and territory and has limited capacities for waste management. FYR Macedonia has started implementing an e-waste management system, and there are several private waste collection companies trying to gain profit from the discarded electronic and electric equipment. Although progressive than the rest of the Western Balkan countries, both FYR Macedonia and Serbia do not have complete and functional WEEE management system. The governments of both countries are in the process of establishing models and schemes for adequate WEEE management.

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bian National Strategy on Waste Management, the requirements from the WEEE Directive are transposed into an executive regulation, which governs


the list of electric and electronic products, and the mode and procedure for managing EEE waste [16].

TABLE 1 Institutional and legislative framework

FYR of Macedonia

Institutional framework Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning (MoEPP) - highest national public administration body responsible for environmental affairs The Department for Waste Management (body of the MoEPP) responsible for management of special waste streams The Ministry of Environmental Protection of the Republic of Serbia - the main governing body The Serbian Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) government agency that maintains and updates the database on e-waste management, and issues integral permits

The Republic of Serbia

Legislative framework Law on Waste Management, 2011 Law on the WEEE Management, 2012 National Waste Management Strategy (2008-2020) National Waste Management Plan (2009-2015) Rules for Form and Content for Record on Registration of Collectors and Handlers of WEEE, 2014 Law on Waste Management, 2009 Regulation on procedure of managing electric and electronic waste, 2010 National Waste Management Strategy 2010-2019 Regulation on special waste flows, 2010 Rulebook on the form of a daily record and annual waste report, 2010

TABLE 2 Comprehensive overview on WEEE management in FYR Macedonia and Serbia Collection and recovery targets defined by law Monitoring and reporting on WEEE volumes

Formal (organized) e-waste collection system

Authorized recycling companies

Informal e-waste collections system

E-waste treatment (including preparation for reuse and recycling)

The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Collection of 4kg per capita of WEEE by 2020. Recovery targets shall be defined for each consecutive year based on the previous year recovery rate. In line with EPR, authorized operators are obliged to submit a report containing the amounts of WEEE collected, placed on the market, sent to treatment or exported [23]. - licensed small private companies offer WEEE management services for business (some companies, especially in eastern FYR Macedonia, export waste to neighboring EU countries, e.g. Bulgaria) - specially designated areas for e-waste collection in the municipality - NGO awareness raising activities and public actions

-EE otpad F-Grupacija doo - a company for recycling WEEE components has 5 tons per annum capacity with an ability to expand -Ekocentar 97 - a company for purchase, collection and primary processing of e-waste -Novometal doo ± recycling and trade of all types of e-waste

- Owners often sell used electric equipment to scrap metal merchants. - Informal collectors mostly desire to recover waste which contains valuable metal. - Household appliances are removed from by donation/gift - Owners give or selling old EE to the street dealer (known as rag-and-bone man) - Owners leave them on the street, close to container [25]. E-waste is manually dismantled depending on the nature of the material (hazardous or not), the cost of dismantling, and the value of the extracted components to be recycled (e.g. aluminum, steel). Licensed facilities are authorized to issue the evidence of WEEE treatment [23].

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The Republic of Serbia Collection of 4 kg per capita by the end of 2019. Recycling targets are not yet in place. Information is gathered by the Serbian Environmental Protection Agency. Nevertheless, there is no official monitoring on e-waste streams. - licensed private companies - through contracts made with public enterprises, organizations and industry - cooperation with collecting companies - door-to-door collection services - public actions in schools, universities and municipalities - charity actions to collect old computers for reparation and donation to under-privileged homes (e.g. NGOs "Protecta", "Zerowaste Serbia" and "Green Key"). - S.E. Trade -DFRPSDQ\ZLWKµLQWHJUDOSHUPLW¶DGRFument allowing collection, storage, and treatment of WEEE, issued by the Ministry) with 15,000 tons annual capacity. - E-Reciklaza - a recycling center with integral permit, registered for all e-waste types, with 25,000 tons per annum capacity. - Bozic i sinovi has an integral permit, registered for handling 25,000 tons per annum. - EKO metal has an integral permit, with 12,000 tons per annum capacity. - Collectors frequently supply second hand and repair shops with extracted spare parts or sell it at the scrap metal markets. - There are between 5000 - 8,000 informal collectors NQRZQDV³ZDVWHSLFNHUV´PDLQO\PHPEHUVRIWKH5RPD population [21]. - Owners bring e-waste to recycling centers. In Serbia, there are 4 major facilities treat 90% of collected e-waste. Collectors take their waste to the recycling centre in order to get a certified waste transfer document in which the volume of collected waste is recorded. In that way, the collectors receive their share for collection [16].

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special premises (temporary storages for nonrecyclable components) in accordance with regulations. Most WEEE contains printed circuit boards (PCBs) which are made up of metal, plastic, glass fiber and precious metals. PCB waste is problematic to be recycled due to its heterogeneous mix of organic materials, metals and glass fiber, which can adversely affect the air, soil, and marine organisms. [24]. Recycling companies export unprocessed WEEE together with components of waste that contain hazardous substances in compliance with the Basel Convention. Final reuse, recovery, or recycling of these components into useful secondary raw materials is performed in Slovenia, Singapore, Germany, Austria and China [25]. Table 2 provides the detailed description of waste collection habits, the list of licensed e-waste companies and possibilities for informal collection and treatment options.

Current practice in WEEE management: the experience of FYR Macedonia and Serbia. Regular stakeholders in WEEE management are policy makers and legislators, producers, users/consumers (corporate users and individual households), recyclers, retailers, and importers. Also, other parties such consumers, NGOs, collecting companies, educational institutions, should have clearly defined roles and responsibilities, adhering strictly to the existing legislation. In series of interviews conducted by Serbian NGOs, recycling companies provided data about amounts of collected and recycled waste, used technology, and individual WEEE policies of the company. After the treatment of WEEE, particular components and materials are delivered to authorized treatment facilities in Serbia for further recycling of iron, plastic, copper, aluminum, prochromium, glass, rubber, and cables. Components and materials that are not treated in Serbia are stored in

FIGURE 3 WEEE flow through an economy

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on a like-for-like basis [1]. In Norway and Switzerland, retailer responsibilities are extended so they can require the take-back of old products without the need for the consumer to purchase the new ones [27]. In some European countries, civic amenity sites are mostly used drop-off points for larger WEEE items, including fridges, freezers, washing machines, and other portable electronic equipment. It has been observed that in FYR Macedonia and Serbia, a large proportion of electronic goods that can be found at such drop-off points are impossible to be repaired, and therefore, it must be properly disposed of. Another option is to set up bring banks that would be located within easy reach of close shops and amenities. In Norway, several large electrical companies have provided bring banks for WEEE outside their stores as part of their retailer take-back obligation [28]. For Serbia and FYR Macedonia, this may be a method by which the producers can collect their products in the lack of formal collection facilities. One of the options for Macedonian stakeholders is to use already existing drop off points for batteries in supermarkets to collect small e-waste.

Key elements for an effective WEEE management. Key components of a sustainable waste managemeQWV\VWHPUHTXLUHDV\VWHPRIµJRRGJovHUQDQFH´ >@ ZKLFK UHTXLUHV SURSHU LQVWLWXWLRQDO infrastructure, coherent policy framework, financial sustainability, stakeholder inclusivity, effective monitoring and reporting. Following the examples of best practice in European countries from the point of collection to the point of final treatment, recycling, or disposal, it is possible to define the key elements for efficient WEE management in WB countries. Also, it is important to emphasize the possibility for structuring the system of producer responsibility in the West Balkans in order to achieve different objectives. Figure 3 shows the flows of electric and electronic waste products through circular economy. EPR concept and sound institutional framework should envelope the entire system (from design, through possible reuse and recycling, to final disposal).

DISCUSSION: KEY TRENDS IN SERBIA AND FYR MACEDONIA

Systems to promote the EEE reuse. Different approaches need to be taken to encourage the reuse of electrical and electronic equipment before it enters the waste stream. There are clear environmental benefits associated with direct reuse as RSSRVHG WR µSUHSDUDWLRQ IRU UHXVH¶ WKDW Fan be achieved by the actions such as: sale or exchange on international online market, peer to peer sharing, repairing or refurbishing unwanted EEE, informal giving of unwanted items to family or friends, etc. [29]. In the Western Balkan households, there is already an existing culture of repair and reuse, whereas citizens of developed parts of EU tend to replace old or non-functional electronic products before reaching the end-of-life. The data obtained from the surveyed stakeholders reveal that the members of Macedonian and Serbian households often purchase spare EEE parts in second hand shops of electrical products and components. Partial dismantling and separation of usable, unusable and hazardous constituents may be the only fast feasible tasks in management of the waste electrical and electronic equipment in Serbia and FYR of Macedonia [15].

Each of the elements that are presented in Fig.3 will be discussed in detail, by comparing the existing practices in the Member States and Serbia and FYR Macedonia. The concept of Extended Producer Reliability (EPR). As defined in the WEE Directive, the aim of the producer responsibility policy is to move the end-of-life burdens from the consumer, at the point of recycling/disposal, back to the producers and distributors. This is how the financial obligations for collection, preparation for reuse, recycling and disposal are transferred from government and taxpayers back to the producers who remain legally responsible for their products [26]. In that sense, collection and processing of products shall be in charge of third parties (e.g. municipalities, private waste management companies), that are financed by producers [10]. Sound institutions. Stable and effective government institutions are required in order to develop, implement, monitor, evaluate and adjust the effective e-waste management policy.

Appropriate systems for treatment, recycling and disposal. The recycling market within Europe is divided into two different tracks in terms of how e-waste is processed ± firstly, sorting of materials to identify the usable components of discarded products that can be prepared for reuse; and secondly pre-treatment which involves draining, dismantling and sorting of component parts, and finally shredding [23]. Logistics and sorting techniques are of particular importance for a successful

Proper collection systems. There are various waste collection models currently applied in the EU, most commonly curbside collections, collection sites for household waste and recycling centers (municipal collection points) [4, 26]. WEEE Directive sets the standards for retailers to arrange take-back schemes, more exactly one-for-one takeback schemes, so that the customers who purchase a new item can return their old one free of charge

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WEEE management. The application of the radio frequency identification (RFID) technology in the reverse logistics management, as described in [30], might prove useful for e-waste pretreatment. 6WDNHKROGHUV¶ UHSRUWV UHYHDOHG WKDW WKH IUHTXHQW practice in FYR Macedonia and Serbia is manual sorting owing to the limited size of the market, and also to the low labour costs. The investment in technologies for proper treatment under the WEEE Directive may be too challenging for these Balkan countries at the moment, because costs to treat some EEE are sometimes higher than the value that could be derived from the materials (e.g. flat TV screens).


contribute the achievement of a set of goals adopted in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Apart from significant environmental benefits, efficient collection and WEEE treatment can be a source of useful secondary materials. Based on the input from stakeholders, desk research, mail survey, government and commercial sites, we gathered the data about the current waste management prospects in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Serbia. The lack of records on waste generation and poor infrastructure for waste disposal are the main obstacles for successful waste management. A review of international literature was undertaken to diagnose the key elements and the models of fRUHLJQ ³NQRZ-KRZ´ IRU proper management of WEEE. Apart from meeting the obligations set out in the WEEE Directive, one of the key components of a sustainable WEEE management system is the EPR concept, in which the responsibility for products is extended over the planned use phase. FYR of Macedonia and the Republic of Serbia are in the phase of transferring and complying the WEEE Directive with other parts of their national legislation. Serbian Law on Waste Management obliges producers and importers of EE goods to align their electrical and electronic waste treatment options with the law. Diverse collection models applied in the EU are just another step to facilitate preparation for reuse and safe handling. The initiatives to implement an effective e-waste take-back system, as in Member States, should be the responsibility of both private recycling sector (producer responsibility organizations) and relevant governmental bodies. Western Balkan countries are good market for WEEE from households which have been prepared for reuse. There is a possibility for business to consumer (B2C) products, since usable components are frequently sold in second hand shops or donated as a social support. The Republic of Serbia has already established the legislative framework for e-waste environmental management, while FYR of Macedonia is on its way towards achieving these targets. Nevertheless, appropriate secondary legislative enforcement would be necessary to establish a fully functional WEEE management system in both Serbia and FYR of Macedonia. In order to assess the effectiveness of regulations, key considerations should be improved statistics on current e-waste streams and volumes, raising capacities for monitoring and reporting, and setting up national register of EEE producers. Only after concrete measures are introduced can the countries in the Western Balkans display the potential improvements in the future.

Efficient management and financing structures. These organizations are in charge of implementing the EPR principles. The task of FYR Macedonia and Serbia is to ensure that the structures set up by producers achieve the required collection and recycling targets, and other legal duties. Systems for effective reporting, monitoring and enforcement. Treatment facilities need to be monitored by the competent authority to ensure that e-waste is treated in accordance with minimum standards in WEEE Directive. EU states have already been required to set up their national registers for producers and distributors of EEE. Monitoring and surveillance should be the task of public authorities; however, despite the current legislation, uncontrolled and illegal exports of e-waste and hazardous materials to developing countries continue to be a tackling issue. Huge amounts of ³KLGGHQ H-ZDVWH IORZV´ LQGLFDWH WKDW D VLJQLILFDQW amount of e-waste is still being illegally exported. Recent research estimates illegal export levels to be equivalent to 14% of discarded WEEE [28]. The interviews with Macedonian stakeholders revealed that there are number of companies who are involved in illegal transport of hazardous waste to China, the only country willing to deal with this type of hazardous waste [25].

CONCLUSIONS Various contemporary trends in the world have impact on the generation of e-waste - the growing brands of new electronic equipment, a number of devices owned, lower prices of EE goods, rise of consumerism, higher incomes, etc. The procedures in e-waste management and harmonization of FRXQWULHV¶ legislation with the acquis communautaire are necessary steps to be followed in order to tackle the WEEE issue. Apart from setting and assessing targets and policies, it is inevitable to improve statistics on e-waste volumes. The availability of visible information on e-waste will

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[9] Magalini, F., Wang, F., Huisman, J., Kuehr, R., Baldé, K., Van Stra, V., Hestin, M., Lecerf, L., Sayman, U., Akpulat, O. (2014) Study on Collection Rates of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE): Possible Measures to be Initiated by the Commission as Required by Article 7(4), 7(5), 7(6) and 7(7) of Directive 2012/19/EU on WEEE. United Nations University, Statistics Netherlands, Bio Intelligence Services, and Regional Environmental Centre. [10] Hogg, D., Gibbs, A., Elliott, T., Russell, S., Fletcher, ' 2¶Brien, S. (2011) Producer Responsibility, Policy Evaluation. Final Report to the Scottish Government. Eunomia Research and Consulting Ltd: United Kingdom. [11] Wilson, D.C., Velis, C., Rodic-Wiersma, Lj. (2013) Integrated sustainable waste management in developing countries. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers: Waste and Resource Management. 166(2), 52 ± 68. [12] Salganik, M.J., Heckathorn, D.D. (2004) Sampling and Estimation in Hidden Populations Using Respondent-Driven Sampling. Sociological Methodology. 34, 193-239. [13] Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal (2016) UNEP, Basel Convention. [14] EPA Serbia (2014) Products That After Use Became Special Waste Flows in the Republic of Serbia in 2014 [in Serbian] www.sepa.gov. rs/download/PosebniTokoviOtpada2014.pdf. (accessed on 25 December 2017). [15] National Waste Management Strategy (20082020) The Official Gazette of the RM, no. 39/08. (in Macedonian). [16] National Waste Management Strategy (20102019) The Official Gazette of the RS, no. 29/10. (in Serbian). [17] National Waste Management Plan (2009-2015) The Official Gazette of the RM, no. 77/09. (in Macedonian). [18] Law on Waste Management. The Official Gazette of the RM, no. 09/11, 51/11, 123/11, 147/13, 163/13, 156/15. (in Macedonian). [19] Rules for Form and Content for Record on Registration of Collectors and Handlers of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment. The Official Gazette of the RM. no. 13/2014. (In Macedonian). [20] Law on Waste Management. The Official Gazette of the RS, no. 36/09 and 88/10, 14/16. (in Serbian). [21] Regulation on procedure of managing electric and electronic waste. The Official Gazette of WKH56´QRin Serbian). [22] Regulation on special waste flows. Official Gazette of the RS, no. 54/2010, 86/2011, 15/2012, 41/2013). (In Serbian).

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The paper is the result of the project funded by the Serbian Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Education under the grants III42006. The authors express the gratitude to all the stakeholders who participated in interviews.

REFERENCES [1] Directive 2012/19/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council 4 July 2012 on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) recast. Official Journal of the European Union. [2] United Nations University (2017) World ewaste rises 8 percent by weight in 2 years as incomes rise, prices fall: UN-backed report. Science Daily. 13 December. Available online: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/1 2/171213143714.htm (accessed on 11 January 2018). [3] Balde, C.P., Forti, V., Gray, V., Kuehr R., Stegmann P. (2017) Quantities, Flows, and Resources. The Global E-waste Monitor - 2017. United Nations University (UNU), International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and International Solid Waste Association (ISWA), Bonn/Geneva/Vienna. [4] Sthiannopkao S., Wong, M.H. (2013) Handling e-waste in developed and developing countries: Initiatives, practices, and consequences. Science of the Total Environment. 463-464, 1147± 1153. [5] Widmer, R., Oswald-Krapf, H., SinhaKhetriwal, D., Schnellmann, M., Böni, H. (2005) Global perspectives on e-waste. Environ. Impact Assess. Rev. 25. 436-458. [6] Knezovic, Z., Trgo, M, Sutlovic, D. (2016) Assessment of environmental pollution through accumulation of lead and cadmium in meconium samples. Fresen. Environ. Bul. 25, 58045811. [7] Daci-Ajvazi, M., Zeneli, L., Daci, N., Krasniqi, A., Ymeri, N. (2018) Chemical Effects and Antioxidant Responses of Urtica Dioica L. Extracts Growing Along Highway. Fresen. Environ. Bull. 27, 172-179. [8] Baldé, C.P., Wang, F., Kuehr, R., Huisman, J. (2015) The global e-waste monitor ± 2014. United Nations University, IAS ± SCYCLE: Bonn, Germany.

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[29] Hogg, D., Vergunst, T. (2017) A comprehensive assessment of the current waste management situation in South East Europe and future perspectives for the sector including options for regional cooperation recycling of electric and electronic waste. Final Report. Eunomia. [30] Liu, H., Yao, Z. (2017) Research on the reverse logistics management of medical waste based on the RFID technology. Fresen. Environ. Bull. 26, 8084-8092.

[23] Law on the Management of Electrical and Electronic Equipment and Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment. The Official Gazette of the RM, no: 140/10, 47/11, 148/11, 39/12, 163/13. (in Macedonian). [24] Banar, M., Ozkan, A., Gunkaya, Z., Mergen, A. (2017) Pyrolysis of printed circuit board waste with the addition of certain common waste materials. Fresen. Environ. Bull. 26, 4980-4990. [25] Balkan e-Waste Management Advocacy Network - BEWMAN (2011) E-Waste Assessment: Macedonia. Metamorphosis Foundation: Skopje http://metamorphosis.org.mk/wp-conte nt/uploads/2014/09/E-Waste_Assessment_Ma cedonia2.pdf (accessed on 20 December 2017). [26] Ylä-Mella, J., Poikela K., Lehtinen U., Keiski R.L., Pongrácz, E. (2014) Overview of the WEEE Directive and Its Implementation in the Nordic Countries: National Realisations and Best Practices. Journal of Waste Management. 2014, 18p. [27] Goodship, V., Stevels, A. (2012) Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Handbook. Woodhead Publishing Ltd. Elsevier. 145-162. [28] Huisman J., Botezatu I., Herreras L., Liddane M., Hintsa J., Luda di Cortemiglia, V., Leroy, P., Vermeersch, E., Mohanty, S., van den Brink, S., Ghenciu, B., Dimitrova, D., Nash, E., Shryane, T., Wieting, M., Kehoe, J., Baldé, C.P., Magalini, F., Zanasi, A., Ruini, F., and Bonzio, A. (2015) Countering WEEE Illegal Trade (CWIT) Summary Report. Market Assessment, Legal Analysis, Crime Analysis and Recommendations Roadmap. CWIT: Lyon, France.

Received: Accepted:

05.03.2018 29.07.2018

CORRESPONDING AUTHOR Zarko Jankovic University of Nis, Faculty of Occupational Safety, Nis ± Serbia e-mail: [email protected]

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Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Department of Landscape Architecture, 15100, Burdur, Turkey 2 Akdeniz University, Faculty of Architecture, Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design, 07058, Antalya, Turkey 3 Kastamonu University, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Department of Landscape Architecture, 37150, Kastamonu, Turkey

$%#% The unique qualities of natural landscapes contribute to residential urban areas. Although such areas boost the sustainability of urban environments from an ecological point of view, studies indicate that natural recreational areas are not used if they do not meet the needs and preferences of residents. This study thus focuses on an objective and subjective evaluation of different outdoor plants by 240 residents of Antalya, Turkey, as determined through a survey. While differences in plant preferences and recreational trends were found to be influenced by the demographic statuses of participants, the findings reveal a preference for green spaces that offer opportunities for socialization and for the personal growing of plants. This study elucidates residents’ expectations regarding green spaces and illustrates a new method of using groups determined by participants to better understand preferences. Respondents highly preferred combinations of fruit trees (64.2%) and ornamental plants, shrubs, and flowers (60.8%) over other outdoor plants, and 37.1% highly valued aesthetic characteristics such as flowers and leaves. A total of 72 plant species were present in the gardens of respondents, the most common being lemon (%#&$ [L.] Burm. f.). These results are useful for municipalities, landscape architects, nurseries, and other relevant groups.

parallel with industrialization has created a need for plants to improve the quality of urban life [1–7]. In this sense, open areas such as parks, playgrounds, home gardens, etc. play a crucial role in that they provide recreation facilities for urban residents. The vegetation in these areas is an indispensable element of their connection to the natural environment. Benefits of urban green lands range from physical and psychological health to social cohesion, ecosystem service provision, and biodiversity conservation [4, 7–12]. Rising income levels, increased purchases of flowers and plants for home gardens, growing interest in nature-oriented activities and hobbies, and a rising demand for gardened homes are interpreted as important indicators of the variety of benefits offered by nature and plants [7, 9, 11–16]. These include mitigating air and noise pollution, providing energy savings, creating aesthetics and camouflage, providing a habitat for flora and fauna, reducing wind and dust damages, and providing recreational facilities. Because of job opportunities in tourism and other urban and coastal sectors (e.g., construction, agriculture), migration to Antalya has increased, and its rapidly growing population has been a major cause of environmental damage. Housing density is high in Antalya [17]. Although active green space per capita, such as parks and playgrounds, in Turkish cities must be 10 sqm [18], the green space per capita (4.4 sqm) for Antalya [19] is below both the desired value in Turkey and the European average value of 8 to 10 sqm [20]. To reach these values and reduce environmental problems, the city has increased efforts to create green spaces, resulting in a need for outdoor plants. All plants used to create gardens are thus considered outdoor plants, and these consist especially of big trees, shrubs, bushes, and vines as well as annual, biennial, or perennial herbaceous plants, herbaceous plants with onions, root nodules, or rhizomes, and grass and water plants [21].

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planning %#!&%! Throughout history, people have used plants to create relaxing indoor and outdoor living environments. Presently, rapid population development in

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Turkish gardens often include solitary plants rather than clusters of plants next to one another [22]. In Turkey, the aesthetics and functionality of a garden are considered equally, and vegetable, fruit, and ornamental plants are used together in green spaces. The function of fruit trees may seem economic, but in fact the main aim of including such trees is to create shade and privacy [23]. Aside from geographic and climate characteristics, cultural differences at the regional and local level play important roles in the selection of plant species for a green space. Important factors in the formation of these differences are historical changes in local populations with respect to lifestyle. The aim of this study is thus to determine public preferences regarding outdoor plants in Antalya.

northerly winds by the Taurus Mountains. The geographic location of Antalya is shown in Figure 1. The main reason for choosing this area as the site of the study was its unique natural beauty and various habitats. The Mediterranean climate encourages a unique plant cover, as shown through the presence of redcurrants in the upper part of the city, for example. The only river flowing from Antalya is the Aksu Stream in the east of the city. The Düden Waterfall is also present along this river [21]. The climate of Antalya is moderate and Mediterranean, as expressed through hot and dry summers and warm and rainy winters. In the inner part of the region, cold and semi-dark climates are possible. The average temperature in summer is 30 to 34 °C, whereas in January, the temperature varies between 9 and 15 °C. There are hardly any meteorological events such as frost in the city [21, 24, 25]. The yearly average relative humidity is around 64%. Summers in Antalya’s coastal region are both long and hot. Even the winters pass in coolness close to the water. Rain, rarely seen in summer, appears first in autumn and on through January, though rain occurs only for 40 to 50 days of the year. Antalya is one of the rare regions with an average of 300 sunny days per year, an average yearly temperature of 18.7 °C, and a tourism season of 12 months, in at least nine of which tourists can swim in the sea. The vegetation cover consists of short and green all-season trees called lemur, brought by the Mediterranean climate [21, 24, 25]. The focus of the study was urban public demand for outdoor plants in Antalya. Annual reports, statistical and inventory data, and related literature were used as supporting materials. In the study, face to face interviews were conducted, and data were obtained from 240 people between April 15 and 20, 2015. Surveys were conducted in houses, streets, squares, parks, cafes, shopping centers, and publicand private-sector workplaces to represent all urban public opinions. Regarding the demographic characteristics of respondents (7 questions) and demand for outdoor plants (5 questions), a total of 12 questions were asked in the surveys. Frequency analysis, chisquare analysis, one-way variance analysis, and Duncan tests were performed using SPSS [26]. The natural materials of the study were the selected plants, upon which a questionnaire form was created for use in quality analysis. The 240 individuals taking part in the study represented three different groups (40 students, 180 local inhabitants, and 20 lecturers). The first part of the questionnaire concerned participant demographic characteristics such as gender, age, and educational and occupational status. In the second part, participants were asked to evaluate plant preferences regarding naturalness, diversity, impressiveness, clarity, compatibility, interestingness, excitement, and attractiveness by assigning a score between 1 (lowest) and 7 (highest) to

&# %2/1/81;+923-58-+=387807=+5@+ %#$ %!$ The study was conducted in the center of Antalya, the largest city in the south of Turkey, on the Mediterranean coast. Antalya is a tourism destination and is surrounded by the provinces of Burdur, Isparta, and Konya in the north, Karaman and Mersin in the east, and Muğla in the west, with the Mediterranean Sea to the south [24]. The coast of the Turkish Riviera in Antalya is 657 km long [17]. Of the population of Antalya, 1,450,209 live in the center of the province, while 719,410 live in the surrounding villages [24]. The area is shielded from the

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each plant. In the third part of the questionnaire, participants were asked to score conceptual parameters such as each plant’s status in the area and characteristics recommended for that area. According to the results, data concerning different plant types were subjected to statistical evaluations. The obtained variables were converted into a Microsoft Excel file as raw data, and SPSS 22 was then used to determine the relationships between these data. The following materials were used in the research process: • Descriptive statistics to determine the demographic statuses of participants and the visual values of different plant types in residential urban areas • Correlation analysis to determine the reciprocal relationships between residential urban area parameters and different plant types • Regression analysis to identify the parameters most important in determining plant preferences in residential urban areas The significance level was determined as ! < 0.05 or ! < 0.01. In the study, weighted means were assigned to the scores given for plant qualities in urban areas by individual study participants. These mean values were used to determine whether or not the preferences of participants differed according to profession, sex, age, or education status.

Demographic characteristics are presented in Table 1. Voluntary respondents were made up of 55.4% females and 44.6% males. The percentages of married and single respondents were 55.8% and 44.2%, respectively. Of respondents, 61.8% were below 46 years old. A minority of respondents (8.4%) were illiterate or had a graduate education. Home owners made up 65% of respondents, and 61.7% of respondents had a garden. A minority of respondents (2.5%) were jobless or farmers. Respondents were asked which outdoor plants they wanted to grow in their gardens (Table 2). Preferences based on their answers were categorized according to 15 different combinations under 4 main groups, including (a) fruit trees, (b) forest trees, (c) ornamental plants, shrubs, and flowers, and (d) vegetable crops. Combinations of fruit trees (64.2%) and ornamental plants, shrubs, and flowers (60.8%) were highly preferred by respondents, with vegetable crops (40.3%) coming second. A minority of the volunteers (17.4%) grew or wanted to grow forest trees in their gardens. Taken individually, ornamental plants, shrubs, and flowers had the highest preference ratio. As Antalya already has a forested area of more than 50% [27], people do not prefer to grow their own forest trees. Another reason may be that the majority of forest trees have an excessive height and a large crown. Research in Erzurum [1] and Malatya [28] has produced similar results. Additionally, [29] reported that plants that differ in physical properties evoke different responses in people.

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North China Electric Power University, Research Center for Engineering Ecology and Nonlinear Science, Beijing, 102206, China

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hypotheses, spatial autocorrelation may also be considered as an opportunity to increase our understanding of ecological patterns and the hidden processes [10]. Therefore, it is really necessary to deal with the spatial autocorrelation in the delineation of ecological patterns and exhibition of the underlying principles [11, 12]. Typically, the spatial autocorrelation in species richness is closely related to the spatially dependent abiotic and biotic resources [1, 13]. If the biotic autocorrelation is present, some degree of spatial autocorrelation will still remain in the model residuals after the inclusion of all environmental determinants [14]. To deal with this spatial autocorrelation occurring in the residuals, a spatial autoregressive structure should be incorporated into the regression model [15, 16]. This autoregressive structure explains the variation in sample values as a linear combination of neighboring samples and reflects the interaction among samples, i.e. the connection relationship among neighboring samples [2, 8, 17]. This connectivity among neighbors reveals the pattern in the underlying process and thus has the significant ecological implication for the investigation on species richness [6, 7]. Therefore, the implementation of the proper neighborhood relationship is urgently needed for ecological studies. However, most previous research seems to arbitrarily choose the contiguity relationship from multiple available connectivity criteria [18]. Due to the complexity of hidden processes, the theoretical guideline for this question is not available [19]. Consequently, the empirical exploration is very necessary and important to be carried out to achieve this goal, while to our knowledge, such exploration was rather rare to date [19, 20]. In this paper, we aim to (1) delineate the distribution pattern of magnolia species richness in China at the large scale, and (2) evaluate how variations in the definition of the spatial interaction among samples influence the performances of the pure autoregressive models on quantifying and controlling the spatial structure in species richness. These explorations may furnish an outline for the biodiversity distribution, a guideline for the biodiversity conservation of magnolia species in China, and a baseline for the further researches trying to investigate the relationships between species richness and environmental determinants with the implementation of

Spatial autocorrelation occurs when close samples are dependent on each other, which is exceptionally prevalent in ecological data. It is important to quantify and control the spatial autocorrelation through spatial autoregressive models to avoid the inflation in Type I error and bias in regression coefficients resulting from conventional statistical procedures. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to specify the optimal connectivity among neighboring samples. Here we applied pure autoregressive models incorporating six contiguity scenarios to explore the sensitivity of model performances, in the case of magnolia (one of the most primitive angiosperm family) species richness in China. We found that magnolia species were concentrated in southern China and species richness manifested the strong positive spatial autocorrelation. Autoregressive models based on both relative neighborhood and rook networks had the best performances in modeling species richness at the large scale. Our results not only guide the biodiversity conservation of magnolia species in China but also improve the understanding of spatial structure in biodiversity pattern and the hidden ecological processes. These will be helpful for the further modeling of species richness with environmental determinants. '% ! Spatial autocorrelation, pure autoregressive model, connectivity matrix, magnolia species richness

" #" Most ecological data are concerned with spatial autocorrelation, which indicates a lack of independence between pairs or groups of sample locations within certain distances across the geographical space [1, 2, 3, 4]. Spatial autocorrelation leads to a challenge for ecological analyses because the assumption of independently distributed errors which is incorporated into most conventional statistical approaches is violated due to the presence of spatial autocorrelation [8, 9]. Besides the serious shortcoming for the testing and prediction of ecological

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Institute of Agriculture, Pope John II State School of Higher Education in Biala Podlaska, Sidorska 95/98, 21–500 Biala Podlaska, Poland 2 Department of Agrotechnology, University of Natural Sciences and Humanities in Siedlce, B. Prusa 14, 08–110 Siedlce, Poland 3 Medical University of Bialystok, 15-089 Bialystok, Poland

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isms results from the fact that they play a fundamental role in biochemical processes: they determine the shape and structure of cells, they are present in all tissues of organisms, they demonstrate biological activity (enzymes, hormones, antibodies), and perform the so-called "special tasks", among others, they take part in the gas exchange (hemoglobin, myoglobin), determine muscle contractions (actin, myosin), and store energy (gluten) [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. One of the few vegetable proteins, with the biological value comparable to proteins of animal origin, is potato protein. Potato protein contains all exogenic amino acids in the proper quantities: lysine, leucine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, valine, methionine, tryptophan and threonine. Fresh mass of potato tubers contains approximately 1.7-2.9 % of total proteins (35-60 % of which is true protein). As compared to the content of proteins in meat (1621 %) or in plant products, such as beans (21 %), wheat flour (10 %), this quantity is small, but taking into consideration the fact that potato is eaten every day, in many countries of Europe and all over the world, this plant is put in a privileged position, and protein contained in potato tubers plays an essential role in human nutrition [6, 7, 8, 9, 10]. Currently, attention in plant production is paid not only to quantity and quality of the harvested crops, but also to environmental protection [11]. The interest of the agricultural practice in microbiological preparations (soil fertilizers), as well as the few and ambiguous empirical results induce to further research on the effect of these preparations on the quality and quantity of the harvest. Therefore, the goal of the study was to identify the impact of the UGmax Soil Fertilizer on the content of crude and true protein in edible potato tubers.

The research results are based on a three-year field experiment conducted in the Agricultural Experimental Station belonging to the University of Natural Sciences and Humanities in Siedlce (52o03oN; 22o3oE). The purpose of the study was to identify the impact of the microbiological preparation UGmax on the content of crude and true protein in edible potato tubers. The experiment was established according to randomized split-plot method, in three replications. The examined factors included: I - cultivar, II - way of application of the microbiological preparation UGmax. The assessment covered two medium early cultivars of potato (Satina and Tajfun) and five methods of application of the UGmax preparation, differing in doses and timing of application. Crude and true protein content in potato tubers was higher on all objects, on which the microbiological preparation UGmax was applied, regardless of dose and timing of application, in comparison with a control object, where the UGmax preparation was not used. Chemical analyses indicated that more crude and true protein was accumulated by the Satina cultivar than the Tajfun cultivar. Crude and true protein content in potato tubers was determined by weather factors in the period of conduct of the experiment. The largest quantity of the concerned components was accumulated by tubers in the vegetation period of 2009, when, in July, low quantity of precipitation (26.4 mm) and optimal air temperature was recorded for growth and development of potato plants (19.4oC). )'!#$ Protein, potato, microbiological preparation UGmax

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