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Seed dispersal and habitat preference of the endangered Lesser White-fronted Goose (Anser erythropus L.) and larger goose species in the Hortobágy National Park
136-147Views:263Several studies found that waterfowl are important endozoochorous dispersal vectors for plant species. Germination of the seed content of their droppings provides valuable information on their diet and also on their role in seed dispersal. Our aim was to analyse the seed dispersal potential of the critically endangered habitat-specialist Lesser White-fronted Goose (Anser erythropus) in their autumn and spring staging areas in Hortobágy National Park. The study was supported by the LIFE10-NAT/GR/000638 project. We also studied the seed dispersal potential of larger generalist goose species foraging in the same areas, such as Greater White-Fronted Goose (Anser albifrons Scopoli) and Greylag Goose (Anser anser L.). We asked the following questions: (i) Which habitat types are the most frequently used by Lesser White-fronted Goose and larger goose species? (ii) Is the different habitat preference of Lesser White-fronted Goose and larger goose species reflected in the seed content of their droppings? (iii) Are there seasonal differences between the seed content of spring and autumn droppings? We identified the most frequently used feeding habitats. We collected 40 droppings of Lesser White-fronted Goose and larger goose species per site in April and October 2012, in total we collected 720 droppings per species. Droppings were concentrated and spread on trays filled with sterilised potting soil. Samples were germinated in a greenhouse from April to November 2013. In total we germinated 21 plant species from the goose droppings, which suggests that goose species play an important role in seed dispersal. We found that Lesser White-fronted Goose dispersed more species typical to alkali habitats, and fewer weeds compared to larger goose species. Lesser White-fronted Goose and larger goose species used a wide range of feeding habitats, thus, they play an important role in dispersing seeds between habitats along a moisture gradient. Total species number and species number of plant functional groups were higher in autumn droppings. Seed content of the droppings suggests that Lesser White-fronted Goose is confined to natural habitats, thus for the effective protection of this critically endangered species it is crucial to preserve its natural feeding habitats.
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Lactuca tatarica (Asteraceae), a new species for the Hungarian alien flora
170-178Views:225The first occurrence of blue lettuce (Lactuca tatarica (L.) C.A. Mey.) is reported from Hungary. Information on its taxonomy, morphology, distribution, habitat preference and nature conservation aspects is presented. The European local spread of this Eurasian and North American species started at the end of the 1800s. The first localities were reported from the shores of the Baltic and North Sea. Its alien occurrences in inland European regions have been noticed since the 1920s. As L. tatarica have previously been known from the neighbouring territories of Slovakia and Austria, its appearance in Hungary is not at all unexpected. However, the species was found (August 2018) in the southern part of Csongrád county, i.e. far away from the above-mentioned countries. Due to the species’ habitat preference (ruderal ground), ecological requirements and successful vegetative propagation, which correspond to foreign observations, its future spread is highly probable.
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The occurrence of Viola collina Besser in the Bükk and Uppony Mts. (N Hungary)
254-258Views:312Herbarium revisions and recent field observations revealed the occurrence of Viola collina Besser in the Bükk and Uppony Mts. (northern Hungary). This species has not been reported from the North Hungarian Mountains thus far. Altogether 94 localities of V. collina have been recorded in that region between 2007 and 2014. A map of the species’ local distribution is provided. Local habitat preferences of V. collina are briefly discussed.
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Distribution and conservation status of forest plant species in sand oak forests of the Danube–Tisza Interfluve
129–140Views:427In this article we summarise the floristic data collected during our research in oak forests in the northern part of ‘Kiskunság’ since 1998. Between 2020 and 2024, we systematically visited and mapped the forest stands in the region, which have been continuous since the First Military Survey (late 18th century). A total of 100 forest patches were identified as semi-natural pedunculate oak, covering a total of 865 hectares, and floristic data could be collected in 94 of them. The data were supplemented by scattered occurrences found during the survey. A total of 1207 occurrences of 96 forest and forest edge species were recorded in the stands. Of these, 214 occurrences of 81 species are new compared to the Hungarian Floristic Mapping data. Species were grouped according to habitat preference and regional vulnerability. In total, 23 species were classified as threatened and 37 as critically endangered. Without active conservation interventions, these species could become extinct in the ’Kiskunság’ within a few decades.
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On the former occurrence of Calla palustris in Hungary
200-210Views:1879The origin of a more than 150 years old herbarium specimen of Calla palustris L. stored in JPU is reconsidered in this study. According to the information on its label, the specimen was collected in 1856 at Lake Velence, close to Székesfehérvár city (central Hungary). Some Hungarian botanists are skeptical about the authenticity of this record. Based on the current occurrences of some remarkable swamp species (e.g. Carex pseudocyperus, Liparis loeselii, Sphagnum spp.) and habitat types (e.g. willow carrs and swamp forests) at the lake, as well as the habitat preference of bog arum, there is no reason to question the former occurrence of the species here or even in other Hungarian localities. The content and accuracy of the examined voucher meet the expectations of floristic data. However, in the absence of recent data the species can be considered extinct from Hungary.
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Distribution of Campylopus introflexus (Hedw.) Brid. in Hungary
212-219Views:246Based on field work data collected in 2013–2014, the authors generated a map of the current distribution of Campylopus introflexus for Hungary. Besides the coordinates and geographic name of the localities, an estimated size of the population, the type of habitat and substrate, the co-occurring moss species and affected vegetation types were also recorded. Altogether, 18 stands were found in 8 geographical regions of Hungary, in some cases Campylopus introflexus was found to be a new species record for the moss flora of the respective region (e.g. Dunántúli-dombság, Nyugatmagyarországi peremvidék). In addition to the pine plantations from where it was detected formerly, the mixed deciduous-coniferous forests, the acidophilous oak woodlands and man-made habitats were found to be also proper habitats for this moss taxon. Earlier data mainly originated from pine deadwood, the recently discovered stands were found on acidic soil surfaces. The most important cooccurring moss species were the followings: Hypnum cupressiforme, Polytrichum piliferum, P. formosum, Pohlia nutans and Ceratodon purpureus. Campylopus introflexus had prominently high coverage in the acidophilous oak forests of the Mecsek Mts, where it occurs on acidic sandstone covered with a thin debris of the bedrock. This neophyte moss is widely distributed in Hungary, and has stable populations. Further expansion is expected in the subatlantic and submountain regions of the country, and in regions characterised by acidic soils and pine plantations.
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The Wildflower of the Year 2016 in Hungary: snake's head fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris)
79–100Views:2109In this paper a short review of the nomenclature and etymology, taxonomy, morphology, histology, life cycle, phenology, reproduction, habitat preference, biotic interactions, biologically active compounds, micropropagation, applications possibilities and conservation status of snake's head fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris L.) can be found. Refining of the European distribution area and contributions to the distribution in Hungary are also presented. Primer seed-set, thousand-seed weight, soil charac¬teristic and demographic data are published.
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Najas gracillima (A. Braun ex Engelmann) Magnus in Hungary
43-49Views:231Najas gracillima, an introduced species to Europe, naturally occurs in East-Asia and NorthAmerica. It was firstly discovered in Hungary in 2012 in our weed survey of rice fields in the vicinity of Szarvas, Gyomaendrőd and Mezőtúr. Although, it occurred in relatively high abundances in the rice fields along the Körös river its invasion is not expected into new habitats in the near future due to its special habitat preference and gregariousness.
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New species and changes in the bryophyte flora of the Mecsek valleys (Hungary)
157–176Views:123The paper discusses the bryophyte flora of 77 sites in the Mecsek Mountains, mainly in deeper valleys. It includes species that are new to the area’s flora and/or endangered in Hungary, as well as mosses that have become more widespread or locally abundant compared to data from 1968 and 1983. The names of the locations, their geographical centers (centroids), and the grid unit IDs of the Hungarian Flora Mapping Programme (HFMP), where the sites are located, are listed and referenced according to their number in the list. Some of the species are national rarities, such as Scleropodium touretii, newly recorded in the Mecsek in 2023. Its second known occurrence in Hungary is reported in the Enumeration. We detail the occurrences of several species new to South Transdanubia, including Dicranum spurium, Diplophyllum albicans, Hypnum jutlandicum, Isothecium myosuroides, Kindbergia praelonga, Rhynchostegiella curviseta, Riccardia palmata, and Sciuro-hypnum plumosum. Additionally, species newly recorded from the Mecsek Mountains include Fontinalis antipyretica, Leptodon smithii, Plagiomnium ellipticum, Pseudocampylium radicale, and Tortula brevissima. For two taxa, we present data of importance not only for the Mecsek, but also for the North-Hungarian Mts: Riccardia palmata, new for the Tornai-karszt, and Dicranum spurium, for which we confirm a very old record in the Zemplén Mts. We also note the widespread, sometimes massive occurrence of some aquatic and subaquatic mosses, e.g. Rhynchostegiella teneriffae, Hygrohypnum luridum, which have been recorded only once in the mountains in the last 50 years. The taxonomically uncertain Hygroamblystegium fluviatile with similar habitat requirements can now be found widely throughout the mountains. New populations of Palustriella commutata, considered endangered and declining in the country, have been found in the Mecsek. The expansion of (sub-)aquatic species is particularly surprising in the light of recent hydroecological studies indicating that the streams in the Mecsek are drying up. The situation is similar regarding Rhynchostegium rotundifolium, previously thought to be a Tilio-Acerion (slope and ravine forest) species, which is legally protected in Hungary and only had one record from the Mecsek in the last century. This forest species is now found in peri-urban, sub-urban, slightly to moderately disturbed and secondary habitats throughout the mountains. Similar to its preference in Germany, outside of semi-natural habitats it occurs mainly on built structures in forest edges, ruins, abandoned mine sites, often in stands mixed with black locust and contaminated with litter. Microeurhynchium pumilum, which prefers sub-Mediterranean and sub-Atlantic climate, shady and humid habitats, has become one of the most widespread and abundant forest bryophytes in the Mecsek, in contrast to its few records 60 years ago. Half (50%) of the new mosses in the flora of the Mecsek can be connected to the cooler boreal biome, while 21% is associated with the milder Mediterranean-Atlantic biome. The average of MAT (mean annual daily mean air temperatures averaged over one year) and MAP (accumulated precipitation amount over one year) of the 14 new species according to BET (Bryophytes of Europe Traits) indicates areas with much lower temperatures (7.7°C) than in Hungary, but with precipitation conditions (749 mm) similar to those in the Mecsek. The vast majority of the new species are extremely rare in Hungary, and are inconsistent with current climate warming trends. In contrast to the mosses with striking increase in records, the detection of new species is likely due to chance, in addition to systematic research at finer spatial scales, rather than to local expansion of the species. However, in the case of expanding and abundant species, it is still an open question whether their dynamics compared to 40-60 year old references are apparent or real: the result of sampling bias in previous surveys or a consequence of climate change. In any case, the abundance of the above mentioned bryophytes in the Mecsek is not consistent with their current Hungarian Red List threat classification, and this cannot be attributed to changes in definitions since 2010. The detected distribution and abundance, as well as the increase in the number of new species in the country within a decade, highlights the need for an updated Red List of Hungarian bryophytes.
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Rediscovery of Orchis mascula subsp. signifera (Vest) Soó in the Keszthely Mts (Transdanubia, Hungary)
51–54Views:226Orchis mascula subsp. signifera is a rare, legally protected and endangered species of the Hungarian flora. Currently it is recorded from 25 flora mapping grid cell in Hungary. The westernmost Hungarian occurrence of the species was documented by a voucher collected by Dénes Gotthárd in 1976. After four decades the occurrence of O. mascula in the Keszthely Mts was confirmed in 2015. The local habitat preference and major threats to the taxon are briefly discussed.
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The Wildflower of the Year 2014 in Hungary: Siberian flag (Iris sibirica L.)
268-285Views:415In this paper a review of the nomenclature, etymology, taxonomy, morphology, histology, life cycle, phenology, reproduction, habitat preference, biotic interactions, biologically active compounds, micropropagation, application possibilities and conservation status of Siberian flag (Iris sibirica L.) can be found. Leaf traits, phenological data, seed-set, thousand-seed weight, germination, growth rate and soil characteristic data are published based on original observations:
- Leaf area is between 25,3 and 52,9 cm2, its dry mass is 232 and 272 mg/g, specific leaf area is 14,5 and 15,0 m2/kg; based on measurement of 5–5 leaves of sibirica, collected from Tapolca and Létavértes (Hungary) in May of 2014.
- Based on herbarium dataset, blooming of sibirica begins at the end of April and lasts to early-July, contrary to the literature data (May–June).
- Capsules contain (0–)58–76(–121) fertile seeds. (20–)60–80(–90)% of ovules develops to (seemingly) viable seeds, meanwhile the other ovules remain as aborted ones or develop to infertile seeds (probably because of absence of resources); based on fruits collected from Regéc (Hungary) in 2014 and 2015.
- Thousand-seed weight of sibirica is 8,8298–11,2914 g (based on 3×100–100 seeds collected from Regéc and Tapolca in 2014 and 2015), which is lower value than the literature data.
- In our germination test (50–50 seeds sowed to wet soil, after different treatments) 14% of scarified seeds, 6% of scalded seeds, 4–4% of imbibed and control seeds, 0–0% of cooled and refrigerated seeds are germinated. Scarified seeds germinated in the 8–26th days, imbibed seeds 15–19th days, control seeds 16–20th days, scalded seeds 20–23th days after sowing. It seems that scarification stimulates, meanwhile temperature-treatments inhibit the germination. Until 18 weeks the seedlings grow to 30 cm (in mean) and develop 5–7 leaves (in mean). After the 14th week, the first and littlemost lateral leaves are necrosed.
- Analyses of soil samples collected from 17 locations of sibirica in Hungary, suggest that the species prefers highly acidic to slightly alcalic, lime-free to highly calcareous soils with generally high amount of humus and clay, different amount of phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen and low concentration of salt.
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Three new grass species to the alien flora of Hungary: Paspalum dilatatum, Phalaris aquatica and Panicum schinzii
63–76Views:443In this paper, we present the new occurrence of two grass species previously unknown in the flora of Hungary and one grass species for which we have only one historical record. Panicum schinzii Hack. is an annual species from South Africa, Paspalum dilatatum Poir. is a perennial species originating from South America, and Phalaris aquatica L. is also a perennial taxon native to the Mediterranean. The only well-developed individual of Panicum schinzii was found on a gravel reef of the Rába river in Western Hungary, while the two newly observed perennial grass species appeared in the Great Hungarian Plain: a single individual of Paspalum dilatatum was observed in a suburban environment on the southern edge of the town of Soltvadkert, while a small population of Phalaris aquatica occurs along a highway near Szeged. In this paper, we describe the European distribution and habitat preference of these three species, we assess their invasion potential and we fit them into the Hungarian dichotomous key of vascular plants. Although we cannot state with certainty that the specimens of Panicum schinzii, Paspalum dilatatum and Phalaris aquatica we report here are the first ones that have ever appeared in Hungary, but their localities and the numbers of individuals suggest that they have entered the country very recently. The annual Panicum schinzii certainly arrived to Hungary naturally by the river Rába, while the perennial Paspalum dilatatum and Phalaris aquatica are more likely to have been introduced by human activities, but both inadvertently. Paspalum dilatatum arrived to its site near Soltvadkert by accident, in the form of propagules in some intentionally sown seed mixture. The fact that all three species are considered in some countries to be invasive or at least problematic species is a cause for concern.
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Dactylorhiza traunsteineri (Saut. ex Rchb.) Soó: an unexpected record in the Romanian flora
15-24Views:172Dactylorhiza Necker ex Nevski is a complex genus. The taxonomy of these dactylorchids is widely considered to be complicated due to relatively high morphological variability within species and high frequency of hybridization between species. During a floristic survey of the Valea Morii (Morii Valley, Malomvölgy) Nature Reserve in June 2017, a population of Dactylorhiza traunsteineri (Saut. ex. Rchb.) Soó, a species with uncertain presence in the Romanian flora was found. In the Morii Valley, this narrow-leaved marsh-orchid was encountered in fen-patches, in phytocoenoses of the plant association Orchido-Schoenetum nigricantis Oberd. 1957. Due to the cool and wet microclimate of the Morii Valley, many glacial relicts and other plant rarities (e.g. Tofieldia calyculata (L.) Wahlenb., Swertia perennis (L.), Liparis loeselii (L.) Rich., Ophioglossum vulgatum L. Schoenus nigricans L.) had been able to survive on strongly humid places on calcareous soils. This study reports the first occurrence of D. traunsteineri in Romania confirming the presence of a highly debated taxon. We also discuss the morphological features, habitat preference and conservation status of this new species in the Romanian Flora.