Background and Objectives: Cultural ecosystem services of urban green spaces are increasingly important and often recognized as such by people living in urban areas. Qualitative studies on perception of cultural ecosystem services from urban green spaces are still rare. Previous studies addressed only certain types of urban green space and often only some services. There is a lack of understanding how people perceive cultural ecosystem services from different types of tree-based urban green spaces. Hence, the purpose of the study was to explore whether and how people perceive and use cultural ecosystem services of different types of tree-based urban green spaces. Materials and Methods: Focus groups were conducted with citizens in each city district. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and transcripts analyzed in MAXQDA software. We used bottom up code-category-theme approach to analyze the data without predefined set of codes or categories. Results: Place attachment, aesthetic and recreational services were more recognized than educational and cultural identity services. For place attachment, most important single attributes were positive memories, and good maintenance, while most important categories were facilities, existence of emotional ties, possibility of experiences, recreational use and access. Presence of specific tree species and presence of trees in general were most important attributes for aesthetic services, while possibility of experiences and trees were the most important categories. Conclusions: People perceived various cultural ecosystem services from tree-based urban green space, even though some services more than others. Recreation may be the underlying goal of our participants when interacting with tree-based urban nature. Forests, parks were recognized as those providing multiple cultural ecosystem services. However, other types of green spaces were also recognized as bearers of these services, albeit with less services and attributes attached. It supports the importance of careful planning of urban green spaces in terms of providing a variety of green space types. The study provides basis for later quantification of cultural ecosystem services (CES) from tree-based urban green space.

Urban Heat Island (UHI) is a phenomenon specific to urban areas where higher air temperatures manifest in the city area in relation to its surrounding rural landscape. Currently, UHI is one of the most dangerous environmental conditions for cities as well as their residents. It is expected that the intensity of UHI will increase with climate change. This work presents an analysis of the UHI phenomenon for the City of Zagreb, Croatia in the summertime period 2013–2022. In order to explore UHI, Land Surface Temperature (LST) was calculated using Landsat 8 (OLI TIRS sensor) satellite imagery. After the delineation of UHI, calculated temperatures were put in relation to NDVI (Normalised Difference Vegetation Index) and NDBI (Normalised Difference Built-Up Index) indices for the study area. Results show the similarity of mean temperatures over the observed period. However, the influence of external variables on UHI’s spatial expression was observed. Forest-covered areas and other green parts of the city’s infrastructure express the lowest temperatures, while built-up sites are the hottest points in cities. Results confirm the importance of urban green infrastructure for resilient cities and present the results of a long-term UHI observation in a Southeast European city.

Urban green spaces are important providers of ecosystem services in cities, however cultural ecosystem services remain difficult to quantify. Different types of urban green spaces provide various cultural ecosystem services and differ in how they are perceived and utilized by citizens. In this study, we used a Public Participation GIS (PPGIS) survey to collect data on citizens' perceptions and use of cultural ecosystem services and disservices provided by different types of urban green spaces in Zagreb, Croatia. We collected spatial data from 384 respondents on the perceived provision of 19 different attributes of cultural ecosystem services and disservices in 20 defined types of urban green spaces. We used descriptive statistics, spatial metrics, multivariate analysis and visualization techniques to explore and explain 5757 spatial points collected with the PPGIS questionnaire. Results confirm the importance of parks and forests but also that the water elements and greenery around residential buildings serve as important urban green space for providing benefits for citizens of Zagreb. Based on results presented, cultural ecosystem services are perceived as more important than disservices but in some places both co-exist. Our study builds on current literature by providing a systematic, city-wide assessment of cultural ecosystem services related to different types of urban green spaces, while advancing the availability of methods for their quantification.

SEEFOR - South-East European Forestry

The area of the Brijuni archipelago, due to geomorphological-hydrological, climatic, natural and anthropogenic influences, makes up one of a few preserved natural, cultural and landscape values in the Adriatic. In the area of Veli Brijun, there are alternating elements of several forest stand types on a relatively small surface. The anthropogenic factor influenced the disappearance of parts of forests through logging and infrastructure construction. The second factor is excessive numbers of wildlife on the island. Consequently, two test surfaces were formed intended for ecosystem monitoring on the island of Veliki Brijun: one in the fenced area of the residential park of the White Villa (No. 57) and the other in the free space in the area referred to as the Dead Peak (No. 56). The research behind this paper was conducted in May 2017 on both permanent experimental plot within which vegetative-ecological and structural features of these stands were analysed. The obtained results were compared with the most recent previous measurement of the same surfaces conducted in 1988. Based on the processed data, huge differences were identified between the measured surfaces. The floristic aspect further accentuates the differences between the two localities. In the permanent experimental plot No. 56, there is hardly any shrub layer, while in the permanent experimental plot No. 57 the latter is extremely developed. Moreover, in addition to floral scarcity on the permanent experimental plot No. 56 it is important to highlight the impossibility of natural stand regeneration, while on the permanent experimental plot No. 57 dense sprouts and young growth were recorded. Considering the measured elements of stand structure in 1988 and in 2017, the stand in the permanent experimental plot No. 57 develops and grows naturally, while the stand in the permanent experimental plot No. 56 is undergoing a phase of regression and degradation due to a large influence of wildlife. First of all, the numbers of allochthonous wildlife in the specific part of the island need to be reduced to numbers that enable stand sustainability. The permanent test surface No. 57 and the surrounding area need to be preserved as a special forest vegetation reserve and measures need to be implemented within this protection category.