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The role of sheep grazing in nature reservation
95-100Views:66Economic and social changes in the last two decades reduced the grazing animal systems more or less to the nature reservation areas. The main objective of these grazing systems on these areas is the preservation of natural treasures herited from the past. Beside that, grazing systems have social (employment) and economic (production) roles as well in some areas of the country. In this paper connections between sheep grazing and the maintenance of different grassland associations of Hungary are investigated from the point of nature reservation friendly farming systems. In general sheep grazing have more positive effects on nature reservation grasslands than its negative effects. It is not difficult to identify the negative effects and to apply proper practical methods avoiding or reducing these effects. Sheep grazing is a proper tool to handle the fragmentation of some of the national grassland areas so it must be kept on as a critical method in the natura friendly farming practices.
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The significance of grasslands in Natura 2000 program: Papers of the „Challenges and Aspects in Grassland Management” conference held on 22-23 May 2008.
13-17Views:72Legal background of nature reservation from areas with national significance to Natura 2000 network is presented. The proportion of nature reservation areas increased from 9% to 21% with the declaration of Natura 2000 network. Details are negotiated on Natura 2000 lands located on and around the Fertő- Hanság National Park. Necessity of collaboration in Natura 2000 actions is urged among Austrian, Slovakian and Hungarian areas located along the frontiers. The importance of grasslands in nature reservation is emphasised. Attention is drawn to the new legal regulation.
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Conflicts between farming and nature reservation in grassland managements
31-34Views:108In the last few years important changes occurred in the grassland usage and in the grassland framing, which changes revised the farming circumstances of the grassland farmers. These changes come to the fore leading in the environment friendly, agricultural environment friendly programs, and drove farmers into a corner. The unfavorable economic conditions impressed the whole agriculture, because the grass hay user ruminant stock depressed drastically, farms with small animal stock and the herds ended countryside. The economic process did not serve animal husbandry recovery. Farmers see way out for the grassland sector, but on the marked factors we saw the impresses of the negative effects. We say this because they marked complementary seeding and reseeding as primary factors. Aims of the agricultural environment protection programs and the farmer’s cost-of-living will generate more conflicts. On these conflicts could ease rethinking the aims of the agricultural environment protecting programs, with lighten the strict directions of the nature conservation provisions and with ecological grassland farming.
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Data on botanical and animal feeding investigations of a sheep pasture in Káli Basin with special reference to nature reservation
51-58Views:82Sample grassland sites were investigated in Kővágóőrs (Káli Basin, Balaton Upland National Park, Hungary). The sample quadrates were designated in the following places: close to (0-100 metres) and away (250-500 metres) from the stable. Comparative coenological studies, forage values were investigated. Changes of species composition and ground cover, measure of possible regeneration or degradation were evaluated. It was examined how important grasses and pulses appeared or disappeared, how did the number of over-grazing tolerant species changed and how did the species composition influenced the nutritive value of the grassland. Results proved that among the plants there are either weeds poisonous and/or protected species, as well. Based on the results the characteristics of the examined grassland show the effects of grazing. According to results, observed grasslands have unfavourable species composition due to improper management practices and insufficient technological conditions.
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Investigations on grassland and nature reservation effect of horse grazing in Tapolca and Káli Basins (2008)
65-72Views:96Examined areas can be found in the Tapolca and Káli Basins near Köveskál and Nemesgulács. Near Köveskál 2 horses were grazed on a 1 ha grassland, which was on a degraded association of Cynodonti-Poëtum angustifoliae. Control area was found close to the grazed grassland where Salvinio-Festucetum rupicolae association was found. The grassland was grazed formerly by sheep. Near Nemesgulács 4 horses were grazed on a 6 ha pasture under free range grazing system (0.7 horse/ha) on a Cynodonti- Poëtum angustifoliae grassland that is situated on a slope. Sample areas were selected the upper (UTS) and lower (LTS) third of the slope. This area formerly was as vineyard. 5-5 replicates of 2 by 2 m coenological quadrates were monitored on each sample area. Sward composition was investigated by Braun-Blanquet method (1964) in the grazing season of 2008. Ground cover (D) species composition and species number (n) were evaluated as analytical parameters. Relative nitrogen demand (NB), social behavior types (SBT) (Borhidi, 1995) and nature conservation value categories (TVK) (Simon, 2000) were also analyzed. At the LTS of the slope near Nemesgulács we could find species with bigger proportions indicating nutrient rich production sites and N indicating Artemisia vulgaris, characteristic species of manured sites appeared, too. At the UTS their proportion was smaller. The reason for this difference is the nutrient run off the slope and its accumulation at the LTS. The reason for the low nutritive value of the grassland are the lack of valuable Poaceae and pulses species and the low total cover. Valuable plant species were grazed out of the sward and negative effects of trampling could have been observed. Concerning the selective grazing preference of horses, the species composition of this area is not suitable for horse grazing. Instead of horses the area could be more suitable for sheep grazing. Pasture near Köveskál had extremely high proportion of species requiring nutrient rich conditions that can be probably due to frequent depositions of excreta and urine by grazing horses. Both control and pasture areas has the highest (approx. 35% absolute) cover of natural species with disturbance tolerance. The biggest difference in nature conservation value categories was the decrease of association composing species on the pasture. This was mainly caused by the grazing out of Poa angustifolia that was the most valuable species in the association. Overgrazing and grazing method applied caused very low plant cover on the grazed pasture.