Landscape structure and fragmentation : key factors in the characterisation of urban and peri-urban forests in Slovenia

Hladnik, David (author), Nastran, Mojca (author)

Urban and peri-urban forests are strongly influenced by urbanisation and infrastructure-driven development. The main objective of the study is to evaluate and assess key factors characterising of urban and peri-urban forests in Slovenian regions with large differences in landscape fragmentation, from the Pannonian Plain to the Alps and the Mediterranean Sea. To assess landscape fragmentation and potential urban and peri-urban forests (UPFs), we used a spatial model of landscape structure and spatial characteristics of forests’ fragmentation and connectivity. The basis for estimating landscape structure and spatial characteristics of UPFs was tested for the 69 settlements with city status and for 150 smaller, rural settlements, which are the centres of individual municipalities. Of the 219 Slovenian settlements analysed, forest core areas within walking distance were estimated for 98% of the settlements. The proportion of the walking distance area with forest cover and 100 m or more from the forest edge is no more than one tenth of this area for 45% of Slovenian towns and for 42% of smaller settlements. By assessing the gradients of landscape ecological variables and accessibility of UPFs, it is possible to compare UPFs in different regions and take them into account when preparing guidelines for spatial planning based on landscape structure principles at the local level. Large differences in the landscape and UPF fragmentation within cities and settlements highlight the importance of spatial planning that adapts to the individuality of the landscape and each UPF.

• Language: English
• Keywords: fragmentation, forest patch core area, landscape structure, peri-urban forest, urban forest
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 01.01.2023
• Year: 2023
• Number of pages: Str. 1-19
• Numbering: Vol. 12, iss. 11
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-152204
• UDC: 630*91
• ISSN on article: 2073-445X
• DOI: 10.3390/land12111968
• COBISS.SI-ID: 171640323
• Publication date in RUL: 10.11.2023

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Land
• Shortened title: Land
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2073-445X
• COBISS.SI-ID: 523256345

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: razdrobljenost, gozdne zaplate, primestni gozdovi, mestni gozdovi

Projects

• Funder: Other - Other funder or multiple funders
• Funding programme: Pahernikova fundacija
• Project number: Pahernikova fundacija
• Name: Pahernikova fundacija
• Acronym: Pahernikova fundacija