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Climate change increasingly impacts urban dendroflora, affecting plant physiology and phenological phases. This paper investigates the impact of changing climatic conditions on the blooming of Fraxinus ornus 'Globosa', a decorative form of ash that is a significant component of green infrastructure in Novi Sad, Serbia. The research, conducted over 15 years on 42 individuals in a linear planting near a large river, analyzed temperature and precipitation effects on blooming times and inflorescence characteristics The results indicate changes in the timing of blooming, earlier than recorded in the literature, suggesting that temperature variations and changes in climatic conditions have significantly influenced the phenological phases of the selected clones of globe flowering ash. Additionally, the studied individuals showed exceptional adaptation to climate change and are not considered vulnerable. This study confirmed that this cultivar of flowering ash in urban environments is a key link in the green infrastructure of cities, functioning as green corridors along river flows as a nature-based solution. The studied cultivar is an important element of cultural heritage, contributing to the recreational potential of the linear composition of the promenade, especially during the flowering phenophase, when, in addition to its aesthetic values, it has psychological effects on users of the space, offering a calming influence due to its regular canopy and planting rhythm. Additionally, this cultivar provides important ecological functions, such as offering pollen for pollinators, thereby significantly contributing to the implementation of ecosystem services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban green infrastructure plays a crucial role in sustainable city development by offering a multitude of benefits, including improved environmental quality, increased social well-being, and enhanced economic prosperity. Evaluation and monitoring of regulatory implementation stand as essential components in the advancement of urban green infrastructure (GI) as they indicate the efficacy of regulatory acts and enable the assessment of their implementation success and adaptability to identified needs. This study identifies barriers and drivers based on the views of 352 professionals surveyed between 2018 and 2023 in Serbia. The primary data collection method employed questionnaire surveys. This study identified a range of barriers within existing legal frameworks, foremost of which include the lack of coordination and coherence between relevant ministries and governmental agencies, insufficient financial and human resources, the lack of transparency in the regulation development process, the need for strengthening technical capacities, and the absence of an adequate urban GI strategy. This research serves as a foundation for conceptualising GI regulatory elements that enhance urban GI development. Addressing these barriers necessitates efforts to improve coordination and collaboration among stakeholders, increase public participation, and enhance transparency in the regulatory process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban trees play a vital role in mitigating climate changes, maintaining the sustainability of ecosystems. This study focuses on the assessment of the resilience of cherry plums to climate changes, a fruit-bearing species that offers diverse ecosystem services within multifunctional urban and suburban landscapes. This study examines flowering and fruiting in the context of climate characteristics, expressed through the Day of the Year (DOY), Growing Degree Days (GDDs), and a yield over 17 consecutive years. The results indicate significant shifts in the DOY but not in the GDD, apart from the end of flowering. The onset of flowering was earlier and the end postponed, extending the phenophase by an average of 4 days. The cherry plum's yield was unaffected by climate changes, including extreme events like a late-spring frost. The stability of the cherry plum was confirmed by the phenological patterns of the bullace (cherry plum and blackthorn hybrid) exhibiting repeated flowering in the warmest year of 2023. The cherry plum is an adaptive species, with a high adaptability to a changing climate and a high resistance to late-spring frosts; thus, it is a favorable choice in urban design and planning, demonstrating resilience to climate shifts and thriving in polluted urban environments. It is especially appreciated for multiple ecosystem services: biodiversity conservation in natural and semi-natural areas, yielding good provisions in challenging environments, and the preservation of ornamental values through an extended flowering phenophase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was focused on determining the manganese (Mn) concentration in vegetative organs of 10 plant species (8 woody and 2 herbaceous), from four sites in the protected natural resource Kosmaj. The concentration of Mn was analyzed at the beginning of the vegetation period, during a two-year period (2012-2013). The results indicate a wide range of Mn concentrations, depending on site and plant species. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 31041: Establishment of Wood Plantations Intended for Afforestation of Serbia]

The general population genetic characteristics of cultivated horse chestnut trees excelling in growth, phenotype characteristics, type of inflorescence, productivity and resistance to the leafminer Cameraria ohridella Deschka and Dimić were analyzed in Serbia. The analyzed population genetic parameters point to fundamental differences in the genetic structure among the cultivated populations in Serbia. The study shows the variability in all properties among the populations and inter-individual variability within the populations. The variability and differential characteristics were assessed using statistical parameters, taking into account the satisfactory reflection of the hereditary potential. The assessed differences in the vitality and evolution potential of different populations can determine the methods of horse chestnut gene pool collection, reconstruction and improvement. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 31041: Establishment of Wood Plantations Intended for a forestation of Serbia]

The study focuses on describing key events in the flowering phenophases of woody taxa that promote practical landscape sustainability and design planning. Apart from the beginning of flowering, the full development and the duration of phenophases are important for landscape architecture, consumers, and pollination. The phenological patterns of 13 woody taxa were monitored for 16 years through 90,860 phenological observations from the BBCH scale for the period 2007–2022. Growing degree days were determined by combining phenological and climatic data and a linear trend was used to assess phenophase tendencies. Mann–Kendall and Sen's slope tests and Spearman's correlation coefficient were used to assess statistical significance. Shifts in flowering indicated warming trends, reflecting various changes in phenology. Early flowering taxa were affected the most, but plants shifted phenophases in both directions (earlier and later in the year). Repeated flowering (and occasionally fruiting) and even third flowering, as seen in 2022, can significantly affect biodiversity and lead to plant–pollinator asynchrony and changes in ecosystem functioning, ecological interaction, and landscape design. A list of native and introduced taxa and their adaptation mechanisms to climate change are provided and can be used for sustainable landscape design and nature-based solutions in landscape architecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wetlands are among the most vulnerable habitats on the planet. Very complex forest ecosystems are also parts of wetlands. Research and analysis of forest vegetation elements, leads to a conclusion about ecological conditions of wetlands. The aim of the paper is detail forest vegetation study, and analyzing the impact of climate changes on wetland forest vegetations of the strict protection area at the SNR Zasavica Ramsar site. Field research was carried out by using Braun-Blanquet’s Zurich-Montpelier school method. Phytogeographical elements and life forms of plants were determined subsequently, in order to get indicator values of wetland plants. Coupled Regional Climate Model (CRCM), EBU-POM was used for the climate simulations. Exact climatic variables for the site were determined by downscaling method. Climatic variables reference values were taken for the period of 1961-1990, and climate change simulations for the period 2071-2100 (A1B and A2). Indicator values of forest plants taken into consideration were humidity and temperature; therefore, ecological optimums were determined in scales of humidity and temperature. Regional Climate Model shows that there will be a long and intensive dry period in the future, with high temperatures from April till October. Continental winter will be more humid, with higher precipitation, especially in February. Based on the analysis of results it was concluded that wetlands are transitional habitats, also very variable and therefore vulnerable to changes. The changes may lead to the extinction of some plant species.

The neoteny of 64-day-old European plane tree autovegetative progeny is described, starting from the fact that sexual maturity in the juvenile stage of tree development is a rare and significant process by which the period of synthesis of new lower taxonomic units is shortened. The observed formation of European plane tree reproductive organs has been classified as induced neoteny. Compared to the inflorescences of mature European plane trees, the number of precocious inflorescences was lower, flower structure was simpler, and the diameters of inflorescences were the same. As neoteny is a genetic and physiological marker for the tree genotype and the species, and as it is classified as an example of parallelinherited variability explained by changed interactions of trophic, hormonal and genetic systems, this analysis of neoteny can be a contribution to its further scientific study and its practical utilization at a larger scale.

This paper shows the results obtained from the study of the macroscopic-microscopic structure (capillary system) in the growth stem of Gymnocladus canadensis Lam. originating from North America, which grows in “Muzljanski rit” in the area of Srpska Crnja. Gymnocladus canadensis Lam. falls under the ring-porous species according to its porosity, with large tracheas in its early zone. The early zone trachea lumens, contained in the sapwood, reach dimensions of up to 160 μm, while early zone trachea lumens in the growth stem rings of the sapwood reach dimensions of up to 120 μm. Examination of the microscopic structure of this tree show good properties of the tree.

Sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus L.) is one of the most valuable species of Serbia’s noble hardwoods. Based on the results of previous research, it can be concluded that this is a species with a pronounced ecological plasticity and high genetic potential. From the aspect of ornamentalness, one of the most frequent cultivars in urban green spaces and tree rows is the cv ‘Atropurpureum’, also known as ‘Spaethii’ or ‘Purpureum’. It is distinguished by dark green leaf adaxials and purple undersides, which give the crown an extraordinarily attractive appearance. The genetic potential of the analyzed mother trees can be used for the mass production of the Acer pseudoplatanus ‘Atropurpureum’ and Acer pseudoplatanus plants needed for urban green area maintenance and creation of tree rows. Special attention should be paid to the potential of mother trees 5 and 3; their descendants, along with purple leaf undersides, also have high average height values for five-year old plants.

The taxa with the improved esthetical characteristics, increased or decreased productivity, higher resistance to diseases, insect attacks, air pollution, as well as with optimal adaptability in urban coenoses are of great importance to land­scape architecture, horticulture and forestry. The criteria for the selection of individual plants out of the number of many individuals depend on their future usage, but also on their esthetical features, morphology and physiology. One of the species that fulfils the above criteria is Paulownia tomentosa (Thumb.) Sieb. et Zucc. Different morphophysiological features of royal paulownia cultivated on green areas in Banovo Brdo, Dorćol, Tašmajdan, Novi Beograd and Zemun are analyzed. The study results prove the adaptability of royal paulownia on green areas in Belgrade, but also the need to select the parent trees with the best combining features prior to production, aiming at the improvement and production of planting material for urban coenoses and specific-purpose plantations of this species.

Based on the comparative morphophysiological analysis of the seedlings Koelreuteria paniculata Laxm. produced in a generative manner by using one line of the oldest half-sib tree and two lines of younger half-sib trees, data regarding the seedlings' features and the variability of the plant breeding are presented. Recorded parameters are the indexes which point to the influence of age over biological reproduction. This paper also puts forward that the variability of the seedlings exerts an influence on the selection of mother trees, and provides the technology of production of breeding plants with desired features and its practical usage in landscape architecture, horticulture and forestry. Namely, by selecting the superior genotypes and with their breeding, different sorts of koelreuteria (China-tree) could be synthesized and thanks to the high level of general adaptability would provide reciprocally high productivity of studied parameters and be the base material for plants for specific purposes. .

This study deals with individual and group variability of horse chestnut trees cultivated in urban cenoses in Belgrade, Zemun, and Pančevo, Serbia. The trees were selected according to their morphological-aesthetic properties and yield variability. In view of size of the study populations, it can be considered that the trees were cultivated in more or less uniform ecological conditions and that individual intra-population variability is mostly the result of genetic properties. The study results can serve as the base for selection of genotypes significant for application in urban cenoses, especially for the establishment of tree rows.

The differential characters of the cultivated tree Taxodium ascendens Brongn and Taxodium distichum L. Rich. trees in the Banja Koviljača Park are described. Taxodium ascendens Brongn. is differentiated as the adaptive and fast-growing conifer for the conditions in Serbia.

Based on the analysis of several morphological features and phenotype characteristics of seedlings in the juvenile test with 10 half-sib lines of Moesian beech (Fagus moesiaca (Maly) Czeczott), this paper gives the guidelines for further breeding and production of planting material for urban coenoses and the establishment of special purpose plantations of this species. The comparative analysis enabled the identification of the extreme planting material for further breeding programs aiming at dwarf varieties the selection of seedlings for tree rows, as well as the selection of planting material of special phenotype characteristics, which can be used as the initial material for the synthesis of the new varieties of Moesian beech.

This paper analyzes the morphological and dendrometric characteristics of three 97 years old European spruce trees, on Čemernik mountain, in the municipality of Crna Trava, where European spruce is not autochthonous. The examined parameters were compared with 5 test European spruce trees, aged about 50 years, which are grown in the population, within a radius of 100 m, in identical environmental conditions. The results of this study confirm the excellent vitality of hundred-year-old trees at the researched location, which can be brought into direct correlation with the current climate changes. The selected trees have confirmed the best combinatorial ability, which is why they stand out as a good base for selection and production of planting material for establishing purpose culture, afforestation, application in landscape architecture, and also for timber production. The research confirmed that the analyzed hundred-year-old spruce trees are in excellent condition and high decorative value, with a crown formed from the ground, which is why they are proposed for protection as a natural monument of botanical character. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automobile traffic, which is considered one of the key permanent sources of different types of urban pollution, particularly contributes to environmental problems linked to cities. Negative environmental impacts produced by city traffic can be significantly reduced through the establishment of roadside green spaces along city roads. This paper examines the impact of roadside green spaces grouped according to their urban biotope type, on ecological factors with the highest impact on human comfort, including temperature, humidity, city noise intensity and wind speed. The results and conclusions of this paper provide guidelines that can be applied in urban environmental planning and the design of open urban spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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City of Belgrade falls into one of the most vulnerable cities in Europe according to the official reports in two studies published by the City Institute for Public Health (CIPH) and Department for Environmental Protection of 2012. Reports are related to the general physical and mental health condition of the residents of city municipalities and the evaluation of environmental quality. According to results of these two studies, municipalities Savski Venac, Stari Grad and Vračar stood out as the most vulnerable in Belgrade. Among selected municipalities Savski Venac has registered the most patients suffering from respiratory system nearly 100 percent and nervous system about 12 percent and measured the highest level of air pollution (CO 7, 36 mg/m³) and noise (Day 73 dBA - Night 69 dBA). Introducing varies medical plant species that are adapted to the urban settings represents sustainable natural mechanism for conservation human health and urban environment. Plants such as South European flowering ash (Fraxinus ornus L.), black elder (Sambucus nigra L.), European larch (Larix decidua Mill.) combined with lungwort (Pulmonaria officinalis L.), ground-ivy (Glechoma hederacea L.) and oregano (Origanum vulgare L.) with their bio-ecological activities, could affect the control and reduction of contamination the urban area and contribute to the health balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parkway trees in urban environments have a pivotal ecological role, primarily because they modify microclimatological parameters. Norway maple is a suitable species for these purposes since it is very adaptable to city conditions. This characteristic of Norway maple allows urban trees to be used as a basis for biodiversity conservation. Bilaterally symmetrical fruits of Norway maple are particularly convenient for the exploration of developmental stability and the role of genetic and environment in variability of morphological characteristics of Norway maple. Variability change through different conditions could be used for creation of a scale that could serve to predict morphology of Norway maple in different environments. The differences between fruits collected from 4 locations show great variability of the species, but the size and appearance of the fruits are in accordance with literature data and do not deviate in any group of samples. Despite similar normal distributions of groups, the fruits differ significantly, although these variations are not consequences of a cause-and-effect connection between environment and appearance of fruits. Variability of samples taken from the urban environment does not differ from variability of samples taken from natural habitats. The large variability of Norway maple is expected since it has a wide ecological amplitude as well as a small plasticity, which is typical of species adapted to shadowy conditions. The great variability of fruit morphology within each individual is typical of Norway maple, so these could be used as representatives of the population in which they are grown. In this paper it is shown that the differences found between fruits are the result of genetic variations mosaic; that is, they are different ecotypes of Norway maple, since bilaterally symmetrical fruits do not have significantly different left and right sides, which shows the developmental stability of Norway maple. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The absence of seed dormancy, i.e. the development of seedlings from embryos without dormancy, occurs most frequently in the Paleotropic, Neotropic and Australian floristic regions. In woody plants of the temperate region, this character is most often latent and occurs in unfavourable environmental conditions. The absence of seed dormancy or vivipary is an adaptive strategy that enables the generative or vegetative reproduction of adult trees in the extreme or specific conditions of vegetation in which the rooting period is short due to the moisture regime. A group of 12 trees of white bark pine were analysed 60 years ago, a group of 8 trees 35 years ago, 5 trees 50 years ago, and 2 trees at present (2012) in the park of the Old Meteorological Observatory in Belgrade using the methods of comparative morphological and genetic-physiological analyses of seed and needle samples. The absence of seed dormancy was confirmed in the continuity of 60 years. Studies of this type have both theoretical and practical significance to the process of white bark pine breeding, as well as to the production of planting stock intended for the very steep and dry southward slopes of the Mediterranean and sub-Mediterranean mountains in Serbia, Montenegro, Herzegovina and Macedonia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the development of a sustainable economy in rural areas, the most important species are those with higher productivity and resistance to phytological and entomological pathogens and air pollution, and also with adaptability to major climate changes. Paulownia is one of the Asian species that satisfies the above criteria and that has been very successful worldwide for over two centuries. Plant cultivation outside the natural range depends on the ecological valence within which species survival is possible. Paulownia is characterised by wide ecological amplitude. It is also characterised by good vitality and fast growth in different soil types, even in very poor and acidic soils. It grows on degraded terrains and can be used for the reclamation of soil loaded with heavy metals. Its limiting factors are low temperatures and lack of light and moisture. The latest studies show that Paulownia is a halophyte which makes possible its irrigation with saline water. Also, Paulownia has excellent commercial and bio-reclamation significance because it can reach the height of 4 m in one year, has soft wood of good technical quality, and its flowers are fragrant and rich in essential oils (because of this it is used in traditional Chinese medicine and apiculture). Based on the comparative and SWAT analyses of site conditions in the Mediterranean and sub-Mediterranean regions of Montenegro, and based on Paulownia's ecological requirements, suitable zones for the establishment of short rotation mixed forests and agricultural plantations and pure Paulownia plantations were selected. Depending on the region and standards for the utilisation of natural resources, this paper presents the methods and rules of Paulownia plantation establishment, as well as agricultural crops for mixed plantations, aiming at the achievement of the maximal yield of biomass and safe food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]