engleski

Economic valuation of urban trees: Park Ribnjak case study, Zagreb

Population growth, urbanisation and technology development are creating a growing need for urban forests and parks, which are becoming a green oasis for recreation and relaxation. Besides sociological and economic component, economic space valuation is presented through tourism, market value of main and secondary forest products, and with growing value of real estate in the vicinity of green areas. Environmental economics explores optimal ratio between costs and benefits received from investment in the environment. Calculation of urban forest values is a complex process because of its impossibility to do a market evaluation of all of the benefits that could be considered as public wealth. Danish model for tree value determination [1] was applied in Ribnjak Park as a case study. Dimension, expected age, aesthetic value, location and other values were measured. Model is based on tree growing costs and present value. It is limited by subjective aesthetic tree value estimation, but it is used in Europe because of its practicality. Individual tree value estimation is used because of tree damage from vehicles or new residential buildings. The method is suitable for individual trees or groups of trees, but it is not appropriate for forest stands. Ecological, social and health tree values are taken into account separately with calculation of points. Twenty trees from nine different tree species have been analysed in the park. Tree values vary depending on age, dimension or aesthetic values. The method’s disadvantage is in the estimation of very old tree value and high involvement of subjective estimation, which creates opportunity for future model development and modification.

urban tree; urban forest; evaluation; compensation price

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