Examination of botanical gardens as urban green and open spaces in terms of ecosystem services: The case of Iasi Botanical Garden, Romania

Year 2025, Volume: 11 Issue: 1, 180 - 190, 27.06.2025

Merve Kalaycı Kadak

https://doi.org/10.53516/ajfr.1684808

Abstract

Background and Aims Modern cities are faced with rapidly increasing environmental-urban problems. This situation has further enhanced the need for public green spaces where urban residents can reconnect with nature. After the COVID-19 pandemic especially, urban residents' dependence on urban green and open spaces has become essential for both physical and psychological well-being. In this context, botanical gardens are some open spaces where urban recreation activities can be carried out. Botanical gardens allow for many cultural and social activities. In this respect, botanical gardens also serve ecosystem services. Because cultural ecosystem services, which are a subclass of ecosystem services, are services that increase human well-being, contribute socially, and are not easily quantifiable economically. In addition to these benefits, they can also affect climate dynamics. Botanical gardens often represent crucial ecological elements of the urban structure. Provisioning habitats for some species in urban areas is one of the other benefits of botanical gardens for ecosystem services.
Methods The Anastasie Fătu Botanical Garden was analyzed. Through on-site observation and visual documentation, the services provided by ecosystem services and urban green and open space planning were examined.
Results The Botanical Garden, consistently contributes to nature protection and human well-being through ecosystem services. The contributions to education and recreation underline the significance of botanical gardens and this result coincides considerably with earlier studies.
Conclusion It was determined that the example area primarily provides cultural ecosystem services within the framework of green and open urban area. Activity-based suggestions were developed in terms of ecosystem services.

Keywords

Botanical garden , climate change adaptation , ecosystem services , southeast Europe , sustainability , urban planning

Thanks

The data used in this research were published as an abstract at the 3rd International Mountain and Ecology Congress, which was organized on 20/10/2022 in Trabzon, Türkiye.

Kentsel açık ve yeşil alan olarak botanik bahçelerinin ekosistem servisleri açısından deneyimsel olarak incelemesi: Romanya Iaşi Botanik Bahçesi örneği

Abstract

Giriş ve Hedefler Günümüz şehirlerinde yaşanan kentsel-çevresel sorunlar, kent sakinlerinin doğayla bağ kurabilecekleri kamusal yeşil alanlara olan ihtiyacını daha da artırmıştır. Özellikle COVID-19 pandemisinden sonra kentli insanın kentsel açık yeşil alanlara olan bağlılığı hem fiziksel hem psikolojik iyilik hali açısından vazgeçilmez hale gelmiştir. Bu kapsamda botanik bahçeleri kentsel rekreasyon faaliyetlerinin gerçekleştirilebileceği dış mekanlardan bazılarıdır. Çok çeşitli bitkiye ve doğal oluşuma ev sahipliği yapan botanik bahçeleri, kültürel ve sosyal birçok faaliyete imkân tanımaktadır. Bu yönüyle botanik bahçeleri, ekosistem hizmetlerine de hizmet etmektedir. Çünkü ekosistem hizmetlerinin bir alt dalı olan kültürel ekosistem hizmetleri, insanların refahını arttıran toplumsal olarak da katkı sunan ve direkt olarak ekonomik olarak ölçülemeyen hizmetlerdir. Bu faydalarının yanı sıra iklimsel süreçlere de katkı sağlayabilmektedir. Botanik bahçeleri, çoğu zaman şehrin yaşayan kısımlarını temsil eder. Ayrıca, botanik bahçeleri sadece insanlar için değil, birçok diğer canlıya da ev sahipliği yapabilmektedir. Bu yönüyle, kentsel alanlarda bazı türlere habitat oluşturması, botanik bahçelerinin ekosistem hizmetlerine olan diğer faydalarındandır.
Yöntemler Bu çalışmada, bakımlı yeşil alanları ile ünlü bir Avrupa kenti olan Iaşi’de yer alan Anastasie Fătu Botanik Bahçesi incelenmiştir. Yerinde gözlem ve görsel dökümantasyon yöntemiyle ekosistem servislerinin sunduğu hizmetler ve kentsel açık yeşil alan planlaması bağlamında irdelenmiştir.
Bulgular Iasi Botanik Bahçesi, ekosistem hizmetleri bağlamında doğaya ve insan refahına olumlu yönde katkı yapmaktadır. Özellikle eğitim ve rekreasyonel açıdan sağladığı katkı düzeyi, botanik bahçelerinin önemini ortaya koymakta ve literatürdeki çalışmalarla örtüşmektedir.
Sonuçlar Çalışma alanının kentsel açık yeşil alan bağlamında özellikle kültürel ekosistem servislerine hizmet ettiği tespit edilmiştir. Etkinlikler ve ekosistem servisleri özelinde öneriler geliştirilmiştir.

Keywords

Botanik bahçesi , ekosistem servisleri , güneydoğu Avrupa , iklim değişikliğine adaptasyon , kentsel planlama , sürdürülebilirlik

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