What are the opinions of UASVM Bucharest students regarding tiny urban forests?
Abstract
The concept of urban tiny forests was pioneered by Dr. Akira Miyawaki in Japan during the 1970s. Since then, tiny forests have been planted worldwide, especially in developed countries across Europe, due to their several benefits provided to the urban population. In comparison with other types of urban green spaces, Miyawaki forests are composed of tens of native tree and shrub species, with a high planting density, usually between 2 and 5 seedlings per square meter. In order to assess the perception of the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest (UASVM-B) students regarding this concept an online questionnaire including 26 closed-questions, and 2 open-questions was proposed. During the second half of October 2023, the questionnaire was distributed in several WhatsApp groups and 204 responses were recorded. The results clearly indicate a strong interest in increasing the area of tiny forests across Bucharest, especially in deficient areas in forest vegetation.
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