Causes and consequences of urban forests and parks changes in the cities of Serbia

City forests and parks include all areas under grassy, shrubby and woody vegetation in cities and are important because of their multiple roles. They contribute to the overall health, i.e. the sustainability of the environment as a habitat, but also mitigating the warming of the air and the eff ects of air pollution. Green areas are spaces for recreation and psycho-sociological recovery of the population throughout the year, and without them it is hard to imagine a city as a healthy social community. Relatively small available space, polluted air, drought, erosion are just some of the chronic problems that aff ECT the duration and quality of woody and shrubby vegetation in cities. In Serbia, in addition to the above, the biggest threat to city forests and parks is urbanization, i.e. the occupation of green areas by built structures. A special phenomenon is the fact that innovative approaches in construction such as vertical forests, smart buildings and similar projects are being promoted at the expense of already existing green areas. The aim of this work was to determine the changes in the surface area of urban forests and parks in the larger cities of Serbia in the period 1990-2018, as well as to point out the causes and consequences of the changes. The results indicate that there has been a decrease in the mentioned areas, and that the main cause is the repurposing of the areas into built-up buildings. Among the consequences, a prominent place is occupied by the lack of diversity, increased air pollution, rising air temperature, reduced value of real estate in the area, as well as the reduction of recreational areas.