Pueraria, or kudzu (Pueraria montana var. lobata (Willd.) Sanjappa & Pradeep) is a dangerous invasive foreign species of the legume family (Fabaceae). It inhabits neglected, open, bright habitats of urban areas (neglected field land, railways, etc.) and forest edges. In many countries, it is characterized as a dangerous invasive species. Due to the great danger of endangering autochthonous diversity, the goal was to create a model of predictive distribution with regard to environmental factors in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Distribution data was taken from available literature sources, as well as our own field research. The model is made on the basis of climate substrates in the form of raster layers taken from the WorldClim database that are aligned to the same, resolution, size and coordinate reference system at a resolution of about 1x1 km. In addition to the climate variables, 20 m DEM and CLC 2018 data in the form of raster layers were also used. The obtained results indicate that the distribution of the given species in the area of the Neretva river basin, and the possibility of its expansion, is why it is necessary to implement adequate preventive measures. The variable Bio_9 (Medium temperature of the driest quarter) has statistically significantly the greatest impact on the habitat suitability of a given species.

Stećci, medieval tombstones from the 12th to 16th centuries, are found primarily in present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina and its bordering regions of Croatia, Serbia, and Montenegro, distinguished by intricate carvings and inscriptions. This paper describes ten necropolises—Blidinje, Ravanjska Vrata, Radimlja, Križevići, Kopošići, stećci at the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cista Velika, stećci at the Museum of Croatian Archaeological Monuments in Split, Mramorje, and Žugića Bare-along with archaeological work and documentation at these sites. The study examines the impact of climate change on the preservation of stećci. By characterizing thermo-pluviometric parameters and classifying the sites within the Köppen climate system, the research highlights regional climate variations affecting stone deterioration. The analysis reveals that most necropolises are located in climate classes C and D, including types Cfa, Cfb, Csa, and Dfb. Over the past 30 years, increased sunshine, higher temperatures, and radiation have been observed, along with significant variations in humidity and precipitation and a decrease in snow cover. GIS-based mapping shows spatial trends in vulnerability, offering insights to guide future conservation strategies. By integrating archaeology, climatology, and geospatial analysis, this study emphasizes the need for adaptive conservation to protect stećci as vital cultural heritage.

When discussing climate change, we primarily refer to global warming, that is, the increase in air temperature which directly affects other climatic elements. The Sarajevo meteorological station has a homogeneous series of observations and measurements of this climatic elements spanning 136 years (from 1888 to 2024) without interruption, which represents a highly representative period for monitoring changes in air temperature and its fluctuations in the study area. The main characteristic of the thermal regime in the Sarajevo area is warming. The mean annual temperature for the entire instrumental period is 9.8°C, with a linear warming trend of 1.7°C. In addition to the general analysis of air temperature and its fluctuations in Sarajevo over this long-term observational period, special attention will be devoted to projecting this climatic element up to the year 2100 under different climate scenarios.

Aquatic ecosystems in riverine wetlands are important refuges and nurseries for freshwater biota. Given the significant global loss and degradation of wetlands, regular conservation assessments of these habitats, even in not easily accessible regions, are crucial for implementing effective management. Thus, developing cost-effective approaches for rapid ecological and conservation screening of water bodies in floodplains, such as the Danube, is a priority. One potential solution is the use of UAV-based (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) ecological indicators to complement existing monitoring frameworks. This paper aims to explore whether UAV-based macrophyte data can provide a more precise indication of the trophic state and conservation indices (assessed through fish and macroinvertebrate communities) of temperate wetland lentic ecosystems, compared to traditional field surveys. The fieldwork was conducted during the summer months of 2019 at 23 sampling sites within eight lentic water bodies located in three wetland areas along the Middle Danube in Serbia. Data on aquatic vegetation, fish, and macroinvertebrate communities, and samples for water quality analysis were collected simultaneously. UAV images were acquired using an RGB camera. Orthomosaics were processed using supervised object-based image (OBIA) classification to obtain a single vector layer with macrophyte functional groups and taxa. Macrophyte cover metrics obtained during the fieldwork and UAV data processing were correlated against water quality parameters and conservation indices calculated for fish and macroinvertebrate assemblages. The study demonstrated that UAV photogrammetry can provide relatively precise measurements of macrophyte cover characteristics compared to traditional plot-based monitoring methods, making it effective for assessing aquatic ecosystems. The analysis revealed that sites with high values of fish and macroinvertebrate conservation indices, optimal oxygen conditions, and mesotrophic states were associated with UAV orthomosaic polygons showing relatively high macrophyte functional diversity and a presence of floating-rooted species. Conversely, sites experiencing eutrophication and a poor oxygen regime with species-poor fish assemblages correlated positively with a higher cover of amphibian and free-floating vegetation, as well as filamentous algae. In conclusion, UAV photogrammetry offers a cost-effective method to monitor aquatic habitats along large river floodplains, including those that are not easily accessible.

Remote sensing plays a vital role in analyzing urban changes. In this regard, various datasets collected from satellites today serve as a foundation for decision-makers and urban planners. This study compares the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the Normalized Difference Built-up Index (NDBI) as indicators for the creation of surface heat islands. Using Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS C2 L2 images, spatial correlations between land surface temperature (LST) were examined for August 2013, 2019 and 2023. Urban heat islands (UHI) are a contemporary phenomenon and increasingly common in large urban areas compared to surrounding, less populated areas. With the advancement in remote sensing, it is possible to adequately determine the spatial differentiation and prevalence of urban heat islands (UHI). The study is based on Landsat 8 satellite image sets for the Sarajevo basin in August 2013, 2019 and 2023, which were used to analyze LST, NDVI, and NDBI indices. This work indicates a relationship between LST and NDVI but varies depending on the analyzed year. Normalized Difference Built-up Index (NDBI) serves as a suitable indicator for surface UHI effects and can be used as an indicator to assess its spatial distribution within a larger urban environment.

UAV technologies provide a time- and cost-efficient framework for a variety of environmental monitoring domains. It also increases data resolution and provides new insights into observed objects and phenomena, especially within the difficult-to-access and complex for monitoring aquatic habitats. The objective of this study was to develop UAV-based acquisition and GIS-based image processing guidelines for aquatic macrophyte detection and monitoring in large temperate rivers. According to the European standard CEN EN -14184:2014, the assessment of aquatic macrophytes should be performed using the transect approach. Large rivers, such as the Danube, represent an exception and should be evaluated using 1km transects. Therefore, seven transects of the Middle Danube in Serbia were simultaneously surveyed using traditional field methods and novel UAV technology. UAV images were acquired using RGB and multispectral cameras carried by a fixed-wing drone. The images were processed and orthomosaics were classified using Object Based Image Analysis (OBIA), to create digital GIS maps of the river transects. During the traditional monitoring approach, the relative abundance of 22 macrophyte species was recorded along the transects. Using the UAV technology and OBIA approach eight macrophyte classes were distinguished based on dominant macrophyte taxa or plant life form traits. Aquatic macrophytes were 'almost perfectly' distinguished from the orthomosaics, achieving a high classification accuracy of 96 % / 88 % / 0.84 for RGB and 94 % / 97 % / 0.95 Producers /Users accuracy/Kappa index for the multispectral approach. Individual macrophyte classes accuracy varied between 0.5 and 1 Kappa and were generally higher for the multispectral imagery approach. Although the resolution of the taxonomic data is lower, UAV monitoring provided the necessary spatial context of macrophytes distribution and absolute area occupied by macrophytes. It also provided information on the diversity and distribution of habitats along the river. Therefore, the UAV-assisted monitoring approach described in this study can be effectively integrated into macrophyte monitoring during large river expeditions such as the JDS.

We explored the long-term influence of land use in the riparian zone on the water quality of the Tisza River, as a model of a non-wadeable lowland river located in a temperate, predominantly agricultural landscape. The analysis was based on a comparison of water quality variables between three river sites having contrasting, but constant land use patterns (in 500 m upstream radius) during the study period (2006-2019). While the first river site was characterized primarily by forests, the second and the third were dominated by urban and agricultural areas respectively. The variables which showed a significant difference between the pairs of sampling sites were oxygen saturation, nitrite nitrogen, total nitrogen, and orthophosphates. In contrast to urban and agricultural land, riparian forests showed a positive long-term influence on the river water quality. Natural and seminatural forests and shrubs had a favorable long-term influence on nutrient concentrations and oxygen regime of the Tisza River. However, the retention effects of orthophosphates and nitrite/nitrate content here were relatively low, demonstrating the limited performance of riparian buffers as a main or only management option in the Pannonian landscape, as the agricultural hotspot of Central and Eastern Europe. In conclusion, the riparian buffer assessment design applied in this study may be successfully used in pre-restoration monitoring, prior to the construction of buffer strips.