Art and Nature in Parks Kunst ja loodus pargis.

Abstract

A park is, on the one hand, a man-made architectural composition but, at the same time, also an integral ecosystem on its own, in which biotic groups coexist in a complex network of interrelations. Changes in one group cause changes in others and, in addition to natural impacts, they also depend directly on human activity and its intensity. Many changes can be directed and achieved by means of properly chosen restoration and maintenance techniques, and purposeful and consistent activities may significantly increase both the design value and the biodiversity of parks.

Old parks represent a symbiosis of art, history and nature, and the main objective of the present thesis was to solve the tradeoff task of taking all these values into consideration in park restoration. The suggested restoration solutions for eleven protected parks in Saare County proved it possible. The final outcome of the thesis is a set of suggested practical activities, suggested on the basis of the theoretical part and the restoration solutions, for restoration and maintenance of the parks in line with both the design objectives and species conservation objectives.