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Continuing spread of Plantago coronopus along Hungarian roads
19–26Views:475In the course of our research of Hungarian transport routes, we observed an intensive spread of the Atlantic-Mediterranean Plantago coronopus L., a recently established species in Hungary. Between 2017 and 2019, it was detected in 47 flora mapping quadrats, which increased the total number of occurrences to 81 since 2013. Besides motorways, the main Hungarian transport routes were involved as well. 26 occurrences have been recorded along the roads 4/E60, E573, 8/E66, 86/E65 and 87, which are severely affected by international traffic. However, on routes avoiding international transit traffic, the species’ occurrences are still rare. In some cases, the predominant direction of traffic appeared to influence the formation of new stands. It is very likely that the first individuals that appeared along the section of the M86/E65 motorway between Szombathely and Hegyfalu in 2019, arrived primarily by northbound traffic, rather than along the road 86, which runs parallel to it only a few hundred meters away. Likewise, it seems certain that the spread of the species along the roads M1/E60, E75 (Mocsa, Tata, Páty) and M7/E71 (Fonyód, Balatonlelle, Kajászó) as well as the road 8/E66 (Bakonygyepes, Veszprém) is due to reproduction of older extensive local populations. At several localities along the outer bend of roundabouts or near the exits of motorways, a dispersal role of intense winter road salting was also observed. The largest populations were located mostly along ditches, next to the (often bare) lane of roadbeds that are heavily affected by mechanical and osmotic stress. The majority of stands were found within a 3 meters wide belt along the asphalt strip (5 meters was measured in the lawn of a cemetery once). Since the species is present continuously at several localities since 2013, it is considered as naturalised in Hungary, and its further spread can be confidently predicted. The current status of the species in Hungary is naturalised (non-trans¬former) neophyte.
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Aphanes arvensis L. in the Crisicum (E Hungary) and further data on the flora of Hungary
253-256Views:74New localities of 4 rare taxa are presented from Eastern Hungary. The species are new for the flora of particular floristical regions, specifically: „Eupannonicum”: Polystichum braunii; „Crisicum”: Aphanes arvensis; „Samicum” and „Nyírségense”: Agrimonia procera. Three new localities of the alien species Montia linearis in Hungary are presented. This species is still very rare in Europe, reported only from Poland, Denmark and Hungary.
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Disappearing botanical and cultural heritage of wooden headboard-graveyards in Eastern-Hungary and Transylvania (Romania)
51-64Views:123Degradation or disappearance of natural habitats are global phenomena nowadays, hence the role of small and secondary (seminatural) habitats like cemeteries in preserving natural values are more and more appreciated. The botanical values and burial customs were examined in a total of 51 graveyards in three different regions of Hungary and Romania (10, 19 and 22 graveyards in the North Hungarian Mountains, the Great Hungarian Plain and Transylvania, respectively). Altogether 25 in Hungary legally protected plant species were found, 1.5 protected species per graveyard on average. As we observed, traditional burials with wooden headboards are rapidly superseded by modern burial customs. Based on our non-representative poll (n=102), 90% of citizens on average are satisfied with current conditions in Hungarian graveyards. A two-thirds majority of respondents would prefer more frequent lawn-mowing in graveyards. 75% of respondents prefer modern tombs to traditional graves. Disappearance of old burial customs characterised by the use of wooden headboards (and the simultaneous change in traditional, habitat-friendly practices in graveyards) means not only a loss of cultural values, but threatens the natural biodiversity of graveyards as well.
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Lajos Felföldy: a prominent Hungarian botanist and hydrobiologist
3–25Views:126Lajos Felföldy (1920–2016) was one of the most versatile and open-minded Hungarian biologists. He began his scientific career as a student of Prof. Rezső Soó. Between 1938 and 1946 he participated in geobotanical studies in University of Debrecen and Kolozsvár (Cluj-Napoca, Romania). He contributed with important achievements to the development of several biological disciplines. His pioneering study on the effects of air pollution on epiphytic lichens (1942) was among the firsts in the world. He described Hemitherophyte life-form as a discrete unit within Raunkiaer's plant life-form system (1942). He was a pioneer in the cytological (caryological) study of wild vascular plant species in Hungary (1947–1949). His results regarding to primary production of freshwater algae and algal culture (1958–1960) were in leading edge. In 1972 he founded and until 1990 edited the Hungarian series entitled ‘Vízűgyi Hidrobiológia’. Books of this series aimed to publish identification keys of freshwater taxa. These books were proved to be decisive and useful tools for Hungarian hydrobiologists in biological classification of brooks, streams, rivers and different types of stagnant waters. Between 1934 and 2009 he collected more than ten thousand herbarium sheets. After his retirement, he dealt with the revision of the herbarium material of Department of Botany in Hungarian Natural History Museum and Botanical Garden of Eötvös University (Budapest). He participated in the preparation of the New Hungarian Herbal. His scientific work was characterised by deep humility for nature, which was founded on strong theoretical and practical background.
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Herbarium database of the vascular collection of Eszterházy Károly College (EGR)
339-348Views:118The paper describes the vascular herbarium of the Eszterházy Károly College (EGR) in Eger (Hungary), according to its condition in 2013. All specimens of the herbarium were documented by digital photographs (ca. 8 000 specimens), and all data from the labels were entered into MS Excel spreadsheet. 54% of the specimens were collected in present-day Hungary, the other half comes mainly from the neighbouring countries, but more distant European countries are represented as well. Hungarian specimens were collected mostly in Heves, Pest, Zala, Vas, Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén and Veszprém counties. Most of the herbarium sheets originated from the 1860’s and the 1950–60’s. Apart from these periods the collection has hardly developed. The most prolific collectors were Gábor Vida, Márton Vrabélyi, Árpád Károlyi and Tamás Pócs. More than half of the Hungarian flora (61%) is represented in EGR, although some taxa (e.g. Pterydophyta, Gymnospermatophyta) are much underrepresented. The digital photographs and the database are property of the authors and the Department of Botany and Ecology of Eszterházy Károly College. Data of non-cultivated plants collected in the territory of present-day Hungary are summarized in an electronic appendix (http://kitaibelia.unideb.hu/?download&aid=852&volume_id=94&lang=hun – including: catalogue number, taxon name, collector, settlement, date of gathering and file name of the documentary photograph). Further data can be required from the corresponding author or the curator of the herbarium.