Assessment of ecosystem services and proposal of green infrastructure in an urban system

Slovak landscape consists of a mosaic of ecosystems with different degree of naturalness. This determines an amount and quality of processes and ecosystem services provided by an ecosystem. Securing of needed but missing ecosystem services is done by technical measures using so-called grey infrastructure. An alternative to such technical measures may be a concept of green infrastructure (GI) based on strengthening of natural processes. Urban areas represent the most altered ecosystems with limited capacity for ecosystem services. Establishment of urban GI that is functionally interconnected with surrounding landscape is expected to improve quality of life for city inhabitants.