ECOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN NATIONAL PARKS OF SERBIA

As important protected areas, national parks of Serbia face the increasing challenge of sustainable natural resource management. This paper explores opportunities to enhance the existing management through an integrated approach, focusing on the synergy between biodiversity conservation and the economic valorisation of ecosystem services. Through a combination of strategic document analysis, a review of scientific literature, and empirical case studies in selected national parks, this research critically assesses current methodologies and proposes an innovative methodological framework. Within the case studies, qualitative and quantitative methods will be employed for a detailed analysis of biodiversity status, identification of priority ecosystem services, and assessment of their economic potential. The aim of the research is to define concrete policy and practice recommendations for improving the integrated management of national parks in Serbia and ensuring long-term biodiversity conservation, while sustainably valorising ecosystem services for the benefit of local communities and society as a whole.