**1. Introduction**

Academic interest in preserving, maintaining, and restoring historic gardens started in the 1980s when the Florence Charter officially identified historic gardens as "living monuments". Over the last 40 years, garden management methodologies have evolved and become more complex. Historic gardens represent essential nodes in the plots of open-space systems and ecological networks [1]. Gardens are a part of our culture. They "open a window" to the past, and it is hard to rehabilitate or replace the original gardens once they are lost. In Poland, many historic gardens need maintenance, restoration, and conservation, and general improvements in the skills and knowledge of their keepers are also required. The delicate maintenance of senile trees is vital for historic gardens and their conservation.

In some historic gardens, age-old trees can harm people and property. Considering such situations, one should make decisions about the design of the restoration of ancient gardens and the long-term management of vegetation to ensure a functioning, healthy, and safe area for future users [2,3]. Recognition of old and notable tree stands and historic

**Citation:** Dudkiewicz, M.; Durlak, W. Acoustic Tomography as a Supporting Tool in the Sustainable Management of Historic Greenery: Example of the Church Garden in Horostyta (Poland). *Sustainability* **2023**, *15*, 8654. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/su15118654

Academic Editors: Lucia Della Spina, Maria Rosa Valluzzi, Paola Pellegrini, Antonia Russo and Angela Viglianisi

Received: 12 April 2023 Revised: 19 May 2023 Accepted: 23 May 2023 Published: 26 May 2023

**Copyright:** © 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/).

orchards as heritage elements is widely accepted because they are considered valuable elements of "biocultural heritage" [4–6].

Nevertheless, the science of analyzing the stability (statics) of trees makes a vital contribution to public safety by providing, if not perfect, at least an improved method of measuring the stability of trees, thereby increasing the level of comfort from being in their presence [7–9]. Examination of trees using CT scans allows one to look inside the trunk and assess structural changes in the wood much better than only using the VTA method (visual tree assessment). The results show precise information about the size and location of rot, damage, and other defects affecting the tree's stability. The presented acoustic tomography research can be considered innovative in Lublin province.

We carried out observations in the eastern part of the Lubelskie Voivodeship, which borders Ukraine and Belarus. The village of Horostyta is located near Polesie Lubelskie, Ł ˛eczy ´nsko-Włodawskie Lake District, Polesie National Park, Poleski Landscape Park, and Sobiborski Landscape Park. This region is among the least populated in the Lublin region and has one of the highest forestation rates. A natural environment with a wealth of unique fauna and flora specimens, of which various species grow in the adjacent forests, swamps, peat bogs, and vast meadows, surrounds Horostyta. The attractiveness of the place is also influenced by well-preserved architectural monuments associated with a centuries-old tradition, testifying to the cultural and ethnic diversity of the region. In the municipality of Wyryki, these are both secular and sacred objects that testify to the rich and complex history of the area, including the hunting palace of the Zamoyski family, the late Baroque Roman Catholic church in Lubien, residential buildings dating back to the early 20th century, windmills, and the Orthodox church in Horostyta.

Recognizing religion as an essential organizing factor in social life, especially in traditional (rural) communities, various manifestations and forms of religiosity are significantly reflected in the cultural landscape, primarily in material, sacred, landscape elements [10,11]. At present, however, in the landscape of the Polish countryside in connection with the drive to modernize it, some characteristic elements are disappearing, i.e., rural home gardens, church gardens, and small sacred architectures such as shrines and roadside crosses.

Temples, monasteries, necropolises, and other smaller religious objects and symbols characteristic of different cultures differ in form, architectural style, location rules and orientation, and content and symbolism. They are an essential source (carrier) of meaning related to the emotional, intellectual, and utilitarian spheres, which, however, cannot be read without knowledge of specific cultural codes [12,13]. Religious objects are not only places of worship or rituals; they also perform other essential social functions, such as integrating a community, commemorating significant events, and figuring out landmarks. They are also a peculiar expression of the need to "mark" space, "tame" it, and thus define the belonging of an area [14].

One example of interesting buildings in the rural landscape is churches and wooden orthodox churches. These serve as religious buildings and are a crucial element of cultural heritage. The gardens in their surroundings need to be recognized, thoroughly analyzed, and, in further proceedings, revalorized and protected, and recommendations should be developed about how to care for and maintain the old stands [15].

This study set the following research tasks:


The primary purpose of the work was to show the process of taking inventory and revalorizing the surroundings of a historic religious building. While diagnosing the health of the dendroflora, the latest computer techniques, i.e., acoustic tomography, were used. The results made it possible to carry out a revalorization project tailored to the health of the aged trees growing on the property. The critical problem was to develop a plan to develop and maintain a properly functioning garden so that it would be possible to preserve as many trees as possible that are valuable to the environment while adapting the site for safe use. Moreover, while restoring such objects, we must understand the features of the church landscape design, which has been formed and improved over the centuries.
