The paper discusses the definitions of natural disasters and recommends the implementation of definitions and classifications of natural disasters in accordance with those decreed at the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) and Munich Re insurance Company (Munich RE) for administrative use in the Republic of Serbia. For the Republic of Serbia, the issue of natural disasters is presented both through government documents (e.g. the Law on Emergencies and the National Strategy of the Protection and Rescue in Emergencies) and the survey of the frequency and typology of disasters. Significant discrepancies exist between older and more contemporary classifications of disasters in Serbia. They are especially emphasized in comparison to the CRED and Munich RE classifications and databases. This causes problems in the monitoring, recording and assessment of the effects of natural disasters. It is proposed that definitions be adapted and implemented into legislative and other documents.

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This paper studies the assessment of sensitivity to land degradation of Deliblato sands (the northern part of Serbia), as a special nature reserve. Sandy soils of Deliblato sands are highly sensitive to degradation (given their fragility), while the system of land use is regulated according to the law, consisting of three zones under protection. Based on the MEDALUS approach and the characteristics of the study area, four main factors were considered for evaluation: soil, climate, vegetation and management. Several indicators affecting the quality of each factor were identifi ed. Each indicator was quantifi ed according to its quality and given a weighting of between 1.0 and 2.0.ArcGIS 9 was utilized to analyze and prepare the layers of quality maps, using the geometric mean to integrate the individual indicator map. In turn, the geometric mean of all four quality indices was used to generate sensitivity of land degradation status map. Results showed that 56.26% of the area is classifi ed as critical; 43.18% as fragile; 0.55% as potentially affected and 0.01% as not affected by degradation. The values of vegetation quality index, expressed as coverage, diversity of vegetation functions and management policy during the protection regime are clearly represented through correlation coeffi cient (0.87 and 0.47).

The aim of our study was to describe the succession of malacological assemblages along the exposed loess profile located in Belgrade, at the Danube river bank (municipality of Zemun).Deposits which belong to the composite loess unit L1 were sampled. Loess unit L1 included two subunits: L1SS1the middle pleniglacial subunit with two weakly developed initial pedogenic horizons and L1LL1late pleniglacial loess subunit. Three malacological zones were identified. The molluscs indicate the environment with moderate warm and dry climate and mosaic vegetation type composed of grasslands and forest steppe. Gradual cooling was observed towards the end of the upper last glacial period. Our findings concur with results of earlier studies that the Zemun site and the adjacent area served as a transition zone between the refuge areas within the southeastern part of the Carpathian Basin during late Pleistocene.

Психофизиолошке основе безбедности у радном окружењу Апстракт: У раду су представљене теоријске основе безбедности људи у радном окружењу посматране са психофизиолошког аспекта, кроз карактеристике и утицај психичких процеса, особина и стања на безбедност индивидуе током рада. Имајући у виду да је сваки човек различит и да представља својствену и јединствену индивидуу која је структурирана на посебан и специфичан начин, познавање људских психофизиолошких карактеристика представља пресудни фактор за професионалну безбедност. Наиме, особине радника као што су индивидуалне способности, карактерне црте личности, воља, емоције, знање, вештине, темперамент итд. утичу на њихове поступке током процеса рада, правећи разлику у њиховом понашању и исходу радног процеса с аспекта безбедности. Кроз проучавање човекових психофизиолошких особина, тј. његових психичких особина, процеса и личности, могуће је у одређеној мери утицати на побољшање параметара безбедности на радном месту и ефикасног функционисања система "човек-производно окружење".