The aim of this study was to assess the short-term effects of conservation-oriented grazing by the Hungarian domestic donkey (Equus asinus) on the botanical composition of the Böddi-szék alkali grassland. The investigation covered the period between 26 July and 31 October 2025, during which 76 donkeys grazed an area of 72 hectares, of which approximately 20 hectares constituted the sampled study area. Vegetation surveys were conducted using the Braun–Blanquet method in 2×2 m quadrats. Grazed and ungrazed stands were compared within four distinct microtopographical units (bare alkali flats, alkali pans, bench slopes, and bench tops) in an area that has been subject to grazing management for five years.
The evaluated sites were analysed using relative ecological indicator values. The results showed a measurable decrease in the cover of Crypsis aculeata L. on bare alkali flats as a consequence of grazing. On alkali pans, Puccinellia limosa remained the dominant species on both grazed and ungrazed plots. Vegetation on bench slopes was most strongly influenced by donkey activity: trampling in grazed areas enhanced soil erosion, leading to an increased proportion of degradation-indicator species. In contrast, the naturalness of bench tops appears to be maintainable under donkey grazing, as indicated by the increased abundance of the Achilleo-Festucetum pseudovinae or Artemisio-Festucetum pseudovinae associations on grazed sites.