Development of an Index for Sustainable Use Assessment—A Case Study from Mesic Grasslands with Economic Potential in North Serbia (Vojvodina)

Sara Pavkov (), Andraž Čarni, Željko Škvorc, Nikola Delić and Mirjana Ćuk
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Sara Pavkov: Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Andraž Čarni: Jovan Hadži Institute of Biology, Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Novi trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Željko Škvorc: Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Nikola Delić: Independent Researcher, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Mirjana Ćuk: Department of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 5, 1-21

Abstract: The mesic grasslands of the Molinio-Arrhenatheretea Tx. 1937 in Vojvodina could play a crucial role in biodiversity conservation, but also in local economies, providing essential ecosystem services, such as habitats for diverse species and resources for agricultural and pastoral activities. However, they face growing threats from unsustainable land use, urbanization and climate change. In this study, a database comprising 716 relevés and 636 plant species was created. All meadow plots were classified into seven habitat types and evaluated for their sustainable use potential using the index developed in this study, based on economically notable species, their status of protection and total cover. Through this index, moist or wet mesotrophic to eutrophic pasture demonstrates the highest potential, whereas temperate and boreal moist or wet oligotrophic grassland shows the lowest. This index offers a decision-support tool, optimizing economic benefits while minimizing environmental impact and offering guidelines for sustainable grassland management and policy recommendations tailored to local conditions. It also serves as a framework for other regions facing similar challenges, contributing to the advancement of grassland ecosystem service valuation and its preservation.

Keywords: ecosystem services; grasslands management; biodiversity; Molinio-Arrhenatheretea; sustainable management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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