Trees have played an important material and non-material role in the human history, while the relationship between humans and them has been changing throughout time and within different cultures. Due to trees having longer lifespan compared to humansć and being tied to a certain place because of their roots, a special relationship between trees and people has developed. A man was especially attached and proud of particular trees, planted on different occasions. Such trees have a special role within a place; they are carriers of cultural tradition and as such they are recognized as the tree heritage. However, because of the inconsistent and undefined criteria in the present evaluation system of tree heritage, such trees are often overlooked. Based on the analysis of the tree heritage in the area of the expected park Karavanke Natura 2000, the aim of the study was to show that trees have dual dimension (beside the natural also the cultural one). This fact must be taken into consideration in the holistic evaluation of tree heritage. In this study,the exceptional trees growing in the selected area have been analysed, and a new set of criteria, defined on the basis of actual trees, has been proposed with the aim to fulfil the holistic evaluation of tree heritage. A special concern was dedicated to the definition of non-material criteria, which is also one of the priority issues in the wider European area. At the end of the work, a list of short-term and long-term suggestions for possible improvements is added, and a table of the present state of tree heritage of the selected area according to material and non-material criteria is presented. The stories of particular trees are recorded among other appendicesas well.
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