Exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM) is one of the leading health risks globally. Several European regions experience high PM concentrations due to the burning of fossil fuels for domestic heating. Accordingly, Serbia ranks among the countries with the highest levels of air pollution. The annual mean concentrations are the most common indicator in exposure studies. However, this study uses station data in Serbia to indicate the concentrations to which the population is exposed during the heating season (October–April) based on daily PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 concentrations from 2011 to 2022. In addition, events with concentrations above WHO-recommended daily upper limits (45 μg/m³ for PM₁₀ and 15 μg/m³ for PM_2.5) are classified by duration, intensity, and the cumulative sum of excess concentrations. The highest daily mean PM₁₀ concentration in the heating season is 87.1 μg/m³, and for PM_2.5, the highest concentration is 65.6 μg/m³ (up to three to four times more than in the rest of the year in both cases). During the most extreme events, mean daily PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 concentrations were in the ranges of 150–200 μg/m³ and 100–150 μg/m³, respectively. The cumulative sum of excess concentration in the most extreme events reached up to ~7600 μg/m³ for PM₁₀ and ~5000 μg/m³ for PM_2.5. To better understand the problem, the share of occupied dwellings with heating installations and prevailing types of fuels were explored on the municipal level. In general, in most municipalities in Serbia, the share of dwellings with heating installations is up to 60%. Among those, dwellings with district heating dominate, while only a small number of them have a significant share of central heating. When it comes to fuel types, wood is primarily used in dwellings with district heating or without heating installations. These findings imply directions for the development of air quality planning and management policies.

The Three-Toed Woodpecker Picoides tridactylus is a rare and endangered woodpecker on the Balkan Peninsula. Despite being widely distributed in Northern Europe, its distribution on the Balkan Peninsula is limited to high-altitude forest habitats, where it represents a glacial relict. Assessing the climate change impacts on its distribution can be crucial for improving the conservation and future survival of this specialist species on the Balkan Peninsula. We used species distribution modelling (SDM) to identify its potential distribution in the past (last interglacial and last glacial maximum), present, and future (2050 and 2070). Our results indicate that this species had the greatest distribution during the last glacial maximum, after which its distribution contracted to areas where suitable environment persisted (high altitudes). The largest territory of the Balkan Peninsula has an unsuitable environment for the species to inhabit, while highly suitable habitats have the smallest share in the total area of suitable habitats. All future models show a decrease in the area of suitable habitats compared with the current period, indicating that global warming has a negative effect on the distribution of the species. We recommend that conservation activities must be of greater extent to ensure the species’ survival in the Balkans.

This study investigates factors contributing to public perception of and behaviors related to air pollution in Serbia. A range of multidimensional indicators, including demographic and socioeconomic features, health status data, and living environment factors, were utilized to evaluate observed awareness and exposure activities. Air pollution is a serious health concern in many areas of Serbia, particularly during the cold season when emissions from the heating sector contribute to high levels of particulate matter. In the period from March to May 2023, a nationwide survey was conducted to gather empirical data and insights that can assist policymakers in the creation of public-health strategies. A set of research questions included the perception of air-pollution impact and citizens’ responses to eight pre-defined exposure-reduction activities. Statistical procedures (a chi-square test of independence, a Mann–Whitney U test, and a Kruskal–Wallis H test) were applied to isolate driving factors in the public response to increased air-pollution levels. The findings suggest a “gap” between risk understanding and risk-reducing behaviors. To address this issue and to ensure that regulations are implemented effectively, it is crucial to prioritize education, develop communication strategies, increase local interventions, and target vulnerable population groups.

Identifying geographic areas with habitats suitable for the presence of priority species is of essential importance in conservation planning. A useful tool to identify these areas is a species distribution modelling (SDM), which is a method that defines statistical relationship between species records and environmental variables in the localities where the species is present. To test the possibility of applying this method in conservation planning, this study focused on the Three-toed Woodpecker Picoides tridactylus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Piciformes: Picidae) because it is a glacial relict on the Balkan Peninsula that is distributed only in montane coniferous and mixed forests with significant amounts of dead wood. As a habitat specialist, it is vulnerable to environmental changes, making it a suitable indicator species for forests with natural properties. These forests are threatened by modern forestry which removes the dead wood necessary for the Three-toed Woodpecker’s survival, and land-use changes, such as urbanisation of mountains. Moreover, as a glacial relict, this species is threatened by global warming which represents a challenge for its future survival. The results show that highly and moderately suitable habitats (habitat categories essential for specialist species) have the smallest areas in total suitability of the Balkan Peninsula. Along with their limited presence, what makes conservation of these habitats more difficult is the fact that their distribution is mostly fragmented. For these reasons, ensuring their preservation and connectivity of given habitats should become a conservation priority. Geographic areas deemed important by SDM, such as the Dinarides mountain range in our case study, can be used as a focus for further research and field trips, thereby saving both time and resources. Another advantage of this method is that it can be used to assess the impacts of climate change on species distribution by creating future projections using global climate models. Distribution models can also be used to evaluate the effectiveness of protected areas. These examples demonstrate that using SDM can produce the knowledge necessary for conservation, which makes this method useful in nature conservation and planning.