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Habitat management on agrar-landscape, with special regard to grassland management: Papers presented at the „Timely questions in grassland and game management” scientific conference (Hungarian Academy of Sciences – Kaposvár University, 18-19 May 2006)
13-24Views:111The invariably unfavorable agrarian environment can be neutralized only through a change paradigm change. This would mean the adoption of the practice of "wise use”, which implies the introduction of small game management supported with habitat management. Habitat management concerns 5-10% of the areas and predator management/control according to need result also in the increase of the target species; in this case, small game populations, by increasing the diversity of the habitat structure. The preservation of grasslands, their small game-friendly management, and the development and maintenance of a durable, undisturbed grassland structure primarily in the habitat margins play an essential role in this work.
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The Role of Grassland in EU Soil Protection Strategy
3-15Views:63The three most important life quality criteria are: healthy and good-quality food, clean water and pleasant environment. All three are closely related to the sustainable management of natural resources; conservation of soil and water resources; rational land use and landscape preservation. Soils are conditionally renewable natural resources, consequently, their rational use, conservation, and the maintenance of their multipurpose functionality have particular significance both in the national economy and environment protection. The main soil functions are: integrator (transformer) of other natural resources; most important media for biomass production; storage of heat, water, nutrients, pollutants; buffer of various natural and human-induced stresses; huge natural filter (preventing groundwater pollution); detoxication media of various harmful substances; habitat for soil biota, gene-reservoir, media of biodiversity; conservator of the natural and human heritage.
The maintenance of these functions is the key-element of sustainable development on all levels of the decision-making process: Globe → continent → region → country → subregion → settlement → farm → field. The EU Strategy for soil protection focuses attention on 8 environmental threats, for their prevention, elimination or moderation:
– water and wind erosion;
– decrease in organic matter resources;
– compaction and structure destruction;
– soil sealing;
– the increasing frequency, duration and degree of extreme moisture events: flood, waterlogging – drought;
– point and non-point (diffuse) soil pollution;
– salinization/alkalization/sodification;
– decline in biodiversity (decreasing number and activity of soil organisms, narrowing their species spectra).
The EU-conform Soil Conservation Strategy of Hungary was elaborated during the last decades on the basis of long-term soil survey, soil analyses, soil mapping and soil monitoring activities. It comprises three main tasks:
– the prevention, elimination or moderation of soil degradation processes;
– the reduction of the unfavourable economic, ecological, environmental and social consequences of extreme moisture regimes;
– the control of the biogeochemical cycle of elements: optimum nutrient supply of plants; prevention of harmful soil pollution and contamination of the „food chain”.
Grassland management has to play a significant role in these actions. In addition to fodder production, rational grassland management can considerably contribute to the storage, buffer, filter and gene-reservoir functions of soil, to the improvement of soil moisture regime, to the moderation of extreme moisture conditions, and to the reduction of soil losses caused by water or wind erosion. In spite of these favourable impacts grasslands (covering about 12% of Hungary) have never been in the focus of Hungarian agriculture.
Grasslands were always restricted to marginal lands (sands, salt affected soils, peatlands, floddplains) with low and risky (highly weather-dependent) biomass production and low animal carrying capacity. Relatively productive grasslands were upturned for corn in large hilly areas (resulting serious erosion losses and landscape deterioration); the huge floodplain grasslands were used for other agricultural crops after flood control and river regulation; peatland grasslands were also considerably reduced by the drainage of these areas and used (not always successfully and efficiently) for arable crops. Huge areas became seriously degraded wastelands or „weedlnds” due to irregular grazing, lack of weed control, plant nutrition, water management. Under improper management not only the biomass production decreased considerably but the soil conservation functions of grassland were also deteriorated, sometimes dramatically. The poor and degraded grassland vegetation were not able to prevent (or at least moderate) water erosion losses in hilly areas, wind erosion losses in the dry sand regions or „over-drained” ameliorated peatlands, and even their gene-reservoir functions are sometimes threatened seriously.
Rational grassland management is an important element of both the European and Hungarian Soil Conservation Strategy. Its scientific bases are well-known. The details have to be determined by further research and scientific programs. The existing knowledge should be broadcast using all available information channels: teaching and education on various levels; demonstrations; media programs, etc. A proper system of stimulating economy regulations should be developed and formulated in various-level legal documents. But first of all an environment-friendly moral must be developed accepting the concept of sustainable grassland management.
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The role of haphazardly executed conservation treatments in the preservation of botanical values on the shore of Lake Balaton
21-23Views:75Most semi-natural habitats in Europe have been traditionally maintained by grazing or mowing, which halted successional changes and preserved biodiversity on a higher level. Since the 1950s the large-scale mechanisation of agriculture resulted in expansion of cropland and the abandonment of grasslands became an increasing issue in Europe. Recognizing the negative consequences of abandonment in the diversity of wildlife, habitat reconstruction interventions for mainly nature conservation purposes began in the 1980s to preserve the biodiversity of these semi-natural habitats.
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Domestic water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) grazing as a habitat management and application option against invasive species
47-53Views:115In nature conservation, the aggressive expansion of invasive plant species and the preservation of valuable grasslands are a global problem. Based on this, the following question can be formulated: which animal species and breeds are suitable for habitat management? Is the water buffalo suitable for lawn care and to what extent? With the overview work, we review the results so far, highlighting domestic areas where we already have preliminary results and where previous data have already been produced. Based on this, the invasive Solidago was completely suppressed in the marshes of the Zámolyi basin, the pasture was completely transformed, and the dominant species became Sesleria uliginosa. Also in the area of the Zámolyi basin, there were significant floristic and physiognomic differences in the vegetation. You may find that buffalo grazing is a suitable habitat management method in both dry grassland and wet grassland. Therefore, in addition to being effective in the control of Solidago gigantea, grazing with buffaloes is successful both in terms of nature conservation and grassland vegetation from an economic point of view. The first stage of the long-term planned work is an overview of the work on the water buffalo. The research is supported by the creation of Innovation operational groups and the investment necessary for the implementation of the innovative project. call for tenders (VP3-16.1.1-4.1.5-4.2.1-4.2.2-8.1.1-8.2.1-8.3.1-8.5.1-8.5.2-8.6.1-17) and the Innovation and the New National Excellence Program of the Ministry of Technology code number ÚNKP-22-3-I-MATE/2 was supported by the grant funded by the National Research, Development and Innovation Fund and grant AKGF-119-1-202.
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Long-term mowing on biomass composition in Pannonian dry grasslands in the Western-Cserhát
35-38Views:56This study is focusing on the vegetation of seminatural dry grasslands. Those loess grasslands are valuable with large biodiversity; however their long-term preservation requires regular conservation management. The report demonstrates the results of mowing experiment, designed to suppress the spread of unpalatable grass species, Calamagrostis epigeios. The study site is located in mid-successional loss grasslands, in the Western-Cserhát, near Rád, northern Hungary.
The study aims to the investigate the followings: Can the unpalatable Calamagrostis epigejos be suppressed by mowing? Are there possibilities to increase the diversity of sward by this? The study aims, to measure potential value-increasing effect of mowing, and to determine the carrying capacity in the aspect of grassland management.
In 2001, Camagrostis epigeios was the species with the highest coverage rate according to the both treatment types, with an average cover value of 63%. However, as a result of mowing, a significant difference was detected in the amount of litter and legumes species as well. The number of species showed a slight increase in both types of treatment, from 15 to 37 in the mowed plots, but also from 18 to 27 in the control plots. We concluded that mowing twice a year was beneficial to modify botanical composition of a grassland. In a way it was suited well for agricultural usage, in particular grazing which can replace the expensive and time-consuming scythe. It is also a suitable management measure for controlling the native invader species as a Calamagrostis epigeios, and can significantly increase the proportion of species with higher forage values.
Mowing has significantly increased the density of Calamagrostis epigeios, the species richness, and the diversity in the course of secondary succession. Therefore, mowing twice a year proved to be a successful management measure for controlling Calamagrostis epigeios, and for obtaining a sward composition. The treatment was effective in restoring grassland composition, although the achievement and maintenance of favourable conservation status for the grassland habitat require long-term management planning and regular treatment. According to the objectives, mowing not only promotes the control of the invasive species, but also the economic utilization of the area.
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Természetvédelmi élőhelykezelés hatása a gyöngyösi Sár-hegy gyepterületeinek vegetációjára
39-48Views:73We studied the vegetation of grasslands on the Sár Mountain, in Gyöngyös. The areas are mowed regularly by the Bükk National Park and mechanical shrub control was done as well. The effects of these habitat management techniques were investigated on grasslands of different degradation levels. Coenological studies were made between May and June in 2013 with 2×2 m relevés. The study areas were characterised according to nature conservation value categories and life forms. Our results showed that the above mentioned management techniques had positive effects on the diversity of grasslands. On the managed grasslands the abundance of woody species decreased, while the abundance of annual and perennial grass species and dicotyledonous herbaceous species increased. The highest species number (58-78) was recorded in the case of control areas. The number of species was high (47-49) in the areas managed by mowing and mechanical shrub control. The lowest species number (43) was recorded in the areas which were not mowed after mechanical shrub control. According to the nature conservation value categories the number of protected species was the highest in the control areas. Our results approved that regular mowing is needed after mechanical shrub control to sustain the diversity of abandoned grasslands in the long run.
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Sandy grasslands regeneration results of the conservation management on the Homoktövis Conservation Area in Budapest (2009 2021)
33-35Views:128In Budapest, despite the density of the population, precious plant communities still remain in a lot of, mostly isolated fragments of habitats which,are outstanding in the diversity of species and are rare inhabitants of endemic species. On the examined territory, since 2006 long term reconstructions of the habitats have been ongoing which strive for the decrease of the invasive woody species on the territory and the insurance of the habitat of the sandy lawn, as well as the long term conservation of the fragments of the lawn and the creation of the natural sandy lawn. This activity is conducted by the volunteers of the MME and with the help of the students of educational institutions in parallel requesting for the permits of the Municipality of the Capital. During these interventions, the shoots were mechanically beat down and they were wiped dried as well. Besides these interventions, it was fundamental to preserve the sensitive, rare or legally protected species and to increase their volume as much as possible.
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Comparison of vegetation of Hungarian Grey Cattle and Domestic water buffalo pastures in a sample area of the Danube-Tisza Interfluve
15-31Views:64We made a coenological study on the Kelemen-szék in the Kiskunság National Park. The coenological studies were carried out twice, in 2014 and 2015. During these two surveys, we examined in total 90 quadrats of mixed grazed and fenced control areas by domestic water buffalo and Hungarian Grey Cattle. Due to the size and heterogeneity of the studied area, we intended to investigate small homogeneous areas and respective control areas. Coenological surveys were done on lower and higher lying pastures, saline soil areas and loess areas.
The studied areas were assessed based on the Borhidi relative plant ecological indicators NB (relative nitrogen values) and WB (relative groundwater and soil moisture indicator values). The distribution of nature conservation value categories (TVK) and social behavior types (SzMT) were used to assess the areas. Cluster analysis and detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) were used to evaluate the data.
The data were assessed based on both habitat condition in terms of naturalness condition. On the other hand, relative ecological indicators of the occurred species. Our objectives were to provide a detailed description of the vegetation composition of the study areas, to assess the changes in grassland composition and their conservation impacts as a result of grazing and its abandonment, to assess the impact of grazing on the occurrence of protected species and weed species, and to assess grazing as a conservation habitat management practice.
The examination of the species composition showed that the loess and saline soil areas grazed by domestic water buffalos and Hungarian Grey Cattle provided a better composition of grassland in terms of natural condition compared to the control areas. In the dense and tall Puccinellia swards vegetation type, grazing requires more attention, because it is more vulnerable to grazing, has fewer species and is more damageable.
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Possibilities of restoration of natural or seminatural grasslands: Papers of the „Challenges and Aspects in Grassland Management” conference held on 22-23 May 2008.
19-27Views:82The number of natural grassland restoration projects increased in the last decade in Hungary, and probably the area of restored grasslands will be significantly extended in the next years due to New National Rural Development Program. To contribute to the success of this activity, in this paper we review the most important theoretical and practical aspects of natural grassland restoration methods. In the course of grassland restoration, habitats dominated by grasses and/or sedges have been restored in place of arable lands. In order to perform “natural” restoration, we should consider the ecological conditions of the landscape, and reconstruct natural or seminatural grasslands including of native plant species. Essentially, rehabilitation of natural landscape is supported also by creating new seminatural grassland patches. The basic principles of the natural grassland restoration are:
1. When a spontaneous secondary succession starts to proceed on an abandoned field without invasion of any alien plant species, the re-ploughing of the abandoned field has to be ignored.
2. Generally, the old fields surrounded by species-rich natural or seminatural grassland pathes can succesfully be restorated. Then, as a consequence of newly restored vegetation patches the recovery of the whole landscape can be accelerated. Furthermore, by restoring isolated grassland patches surrounded by arable lands a more diverse landscape pattern could be developed.
3. Spontaneous secondary succession of grasslands should be assisted.
4. The development of typical species composition of a seminatural grassland can be promoted by methods of spreaded hay. For successful process the hay has to be cut in a habitat type similar to ones that will be restored.
5. Applying seed-mix for sowing can be useful to prevent spreading weeds drastically in the early stages of succession.
6. Ideally, the seed-mix is originated from own harvesting or gathering from similar (or the same) habitats. If it is not possible, commercially available seed-mix can be applied, in which the dominant species is the same as in the restored habitat, with similar proportion.
7. Seed-mix consists of alien species has to be avoided.
8. If the composition or structure of the restored grassland is not appropriate after some years, the renewal of the grassland could be necessary. During the improvement process the reploughing of the restored grassland is avoided, but spreading seeds or hay, and direct sowing can be applied.
9. The loading of nutrient is not necessary in any stages of grassland restoration.
10. Applying chemicals is avoided; any herbicides can be used only when extensive invasion of alien plant species occurs.
11. The mechanical intrusions on soil are also avoided.
12. The restored grasslands is required regular or continuous management, which could be a preserving mowing or moderate grazing. The aspects of nature conservation should be considered.