In the past two decades, the South part of Serbia has been affected by exploitive and illegal logging. As this trend is not decreasing to this day, there is a need to determine the area where this logging occurred precisely. The consequences of these actions are tremendous, causing the forest owners’ financial loss (regardless of whether it is private or state property) and a negative impact on the environment. Significant environmental and forest management problems deriving from these actions are erosion increase and more frequent torrential floods occurrence in the catchment. Since it is difficult to update the national forest inventories in remote areas, remote sensing techniques using different satellite imagery types can provide up-to-date data. The initial analysis that employed Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (created using Landsat 7 and Landsat 8 imagery) indicates massive deforestation in the research area between 1999 and 2021. Headwaters of the Štavska river catchment is selected as the research area to determine the amount of erosion in two periods—before and after deforestation occurred. Change in land cover (LC) is presented with two LC maps created applying supervised classification to Landsat 7 imagery from 1999 as a pre-deforestation LC state and Landsat 8 imagery acquired in 2021 as the current LC state. The erosion in the catchment for both periods is determined using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). The analysis results show the erosion change incurred as a deforestation effect in the river catchment. With the data obtained by remote sensing and SWAT analysis, it is possible to track changes in the area and acquire essential data, making the right and fast decisions to protect the natural resources economy and make sustainable development possible in this impoverished region.

This research presents a methodological framework for assessing the attractiveness of natural resources and landscapes and their importance for tourism development. The research is conducted in the area of Kopaonik Mountain in Serbia, which is partly, due to its natural values, declared a natural heritage of exceptional importance Protection Category I, i.e. the National Park. The goal of this paper is to identify and assess the tourist attractiveness of the natural resources (relief, hydrological and climatological characteristics, and vegetation) and landscapes in the National Park (NP) Kopaonik area. There are two independent methods used to assess the tourist attractiveness of natural resources and landscapes in this study. The first method is based on numerical and statistical analysis and quantitatively expresses the attractiveness of natural resources/elements (relief, climate, hydrology and vegetation) separately and all together, indicating the overall attractiveness of natural resources for tourism development. The second method envisages 8 criteria according to which natural landscapes are scored on a scale from 0 to 3. Based on a clearly defined model for assessing the attractiveness of natural resources and landscapes, we conclude that the area of Kopaonik National Park has a high level of tourist attractiveness.

Railways that were once utilized by conventional speed trains but now lay technologically outdated and neglected are scarcely in use today, with many lying abandoned. These rail networks sprawl across vast areas, posing a substantial impediment to sustainable land use and management. Our research advocates for the adoption of tourist itinerary/route as a viable model for the transformation of abandoned railways into sustainable and functional systems. This innovative concept involves repurposing abandoned railways into tourist itineraries with the aim of utilizing them for tourism and commercial ventures. Recognizing a knowledge gap, particularly the absence of scientifically grounded models, on a selected case study (abandoned regional railway number 223 in the Toplica District, Serbia), we develop and present a model for the identification and Tourist Evaluation of Abandoned Railways (TEAR model). The defined model comprises a total of 27 sub-indicators categorized into four groups of indicators: natural tourist values (NV), anthropogenic tourist values (AV), tourist attractiveness of the railway (TA), and functional values (FV). The findings from the TEAR model suggest that the abandoned railway holds significant tourism value, with a rating of ≥0.7. Specifically, three sets of indicators—NV, AV, and TA—indicate a high level of tourist values (≥0.7), while FV falls within a moderate range of tourist values (0.4 ≤ V < 0.7). This endeavor not only supports sustainable local and regional development but also contributes to the enhancement of rural landscapes and the revitalization of rural areas. Importantly, this initiative aligns directly and indirectly with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), thus fostering progress towards broader economic, societal, and environmental objectives.

The pygidial glands of carabids produce strong-smelling vapours. In this study, we examined the chemical composition of the gland secretions and the structure of the glands in five species of Carabini ground beetles (one species from the subtribe Calosomatina and four species from the subtribe Carabina): Calosoma (Calosoma) maderae (Fabricius, 1775), Carabus (Carabus) granulatus Linnaeus, 1758, C. (Limnocarabus) clathratus Linnaeus, 1760, C. (Carabus) ulrichii Germar, 1823, and C. (Procerus) gigas Creutzer, 1799. Additionally, we tested the antibacterial potential of the pygidial gland secretions of the two latter species against 11 bacterial strains. In order to detect the chemical content of the secretions, we used gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The secretion extracts were applied against selected strains of medically important bacteria. We used bright-field microscopy to examine the morphology of the glands. We discovered a total of 11 chemical compounds in the pygidial gland extracts of the ground beetles we analysed. Ten of these compounds were identified as seven carboxylic acids, two hydrocarbons, and one aromatic aldehyde, while one chemical remained unidentified. Most of the components were isolated from the secretion of C. (L.) clathratus (nine), while the lowest number of compounds was found in C. (P.) gigas (two). Methacrylic acid was the most dominant compound by percentage in all five species, while angelic acid was also detected in all samples. As expected, salicylaldehyde was exclusively found in the species of the genus Calosoma Weber, 1801. The secretion of C. (P.) gigas was shown to achieve the highest level of antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella enterica, and S. typhimurium (even the same level as the positive control streptomycin), while the secretion of C. (C.) ulrichii achieved the highest antimicrobial potential against Staphylococcus epidermidis, S. aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, and Bacillus cereus. The most noticeable difference in the structure of the glands between the two genera is that the reservoir in Calosoma is more significantly narrowed as it leads into the efferent duct, compared to that of Carabus.

Agricultural land represents a fundamental production resource and one of the key factors of ecological and economic stability in rural and peri-urban areas. In the municipality of Grocka, the impacts of urbanization, demographic decline, and changes in the agrarian production structure have led to spatial degradation and reduced economic sustainability. To assess the current state and potential of agriculture at the settlement level, a multi-criteria analysis (MCA) integrated with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) was applied. The analysis encompassed demographic, production, environmental, and spatial indicators, normalized using the min–max scaling method and aggregated through a weighted sum. Criteria weights were defined based on a combination of literature review and expert judgment. The results reveal spatial variations in the level of sustainability and enable the identification of priority zones for agro-economic improvement, areas of moderate stability, and spaces suitable for developing sustainable agricultural models. Sensitivity testing (±20% variation in weights) confirmed the robustness of the results. The identified zones and proposed measures aim to revitalize degraded areas, preserve permanent crops, and strengthen production and institutional capacities. The applied methodological framework can serve as a tool for planning and policymaking in sustainable agricultural development, particularly in peri-urban contexts.

Introduction/purpose: Decades of dealing with unexploded ordnance (UXO) in some areas of the Republic of Serbia have confirmed that it presents a substantial hazard to the security of people, property, and the environment. Even though the terrain has been cleaned, various threats from difficult-tofind UXO components remain serious. Inadequate systemic solutions for UXO management can have significant harmful consequences. Methods: Based on the spatial distribution analysis and different UXO types and quantities, this article studies the effects of dangerous components of unexploded ordnance on human lives and the environment. Two different geospatial analyses were performed including the guidelines for risk management through risk elimination based on multiple criteria, the GIS, and the Remote Sensing analysis. Results: Two different geospatial analyses resulted in the areas at high risk of remaining UXO. Conclusion: The article significantly contributes to creating an environmental risk management strategy for UXO-contaminated regions. It presents an effective technique for addressing risk assessment challenges in such sites. The analysis considers both risk analysis and environmental protection options. Using the multi-criteria analysis and the GIS, it estimates the exposure of built structures, people, soil types, and plant species to UXO dangers in key locations. This paper serves as a guideline for environmental risk assessment.