Arboretum

BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE ARBORETUM

The natural asset “Arboretum of the Faculty of Forestry” of the University of Belgrade is a green area with a specific purpose and exceptional botanical and landscape-architectural value, and a natural monument of floristic character, established on the outskirts of the city center.

Due to its exceptional values, it was declared a protected natural area of category III as a protected natural area of local character in 2011.
Its geographical position, ecological characteristics of the represented specimens of woody and shrub species and intraspecific taxa, concepts of fields, plots, lawns, paths, alleys and park furniture, provide plenty of material for creating scientific and professional studies on the Arboretum.

Arboretums (arbor, m., Lat. – wood) have, primarily, an instructive and educational function, and are intended for both scientific and professional circles, as well as the general public and interested citizens. These are specially formed, small or large protected anthropogenic areas with rich collections of trees and shrubs, originating from different natural habitats and geographic areas, which serve primarily for the purpose of conducting research and education, as well as protection of endangered species and conservation of the gene pool of tree and shrub species. Unlike a large number of botanical gardens, which are intensively tended, arboretums are often extensively tended spaces, with a tendency to imitate the natural conditions of forest communities as much as possible.

The Arboretum with the rest of the Faculty campus is located on the northwestern slope of Košutnjak, above the left bank of the Topčiderska River, on an altitude of 110-125 m. The geographical coordinates are: 44˚48 ́ east longitude and 20˚ 28 ́ north latitude. The arboretum covers an area of about 3.5 hectares.

The floristic diversity of the Arboretum is reflected in the high share of exotic, autochthonous and allochthonous woody and shrubby species. The plant stock includes about 200 woody species, subspecies, hybrids and cultivars, represented by about 1,500 specimens. Such a diverse biofund, distributed, by systematic affiliation, on connected wholes (fields and plots), makes this Monument of Nature extremely attractive.