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Lajos Felföldy: a prominent Hungarian botanist and hydrobiologist
3–25Views:214Lajos 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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Contributions to knowledge on the distribution of nine adventive or invasive algae species in Hungary
11-21Views:128Hungarian records of nine adventive or invasive algae [Didymosphenia geminata, Nitzschia closterium, Reimeria sinuata, Navicula schroeteri, Pleurosira laevis (Bacillariophyceae); Pediastrum simplex (Chlorophyceae), Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii, Cuspidothrix issatschenkoi, Sphaerospermopsis aphanizomenoides (Cyanobacteria)] are presented. Navicula schroeteri Meister is a new species for the Hungarian flora. Although the observed distribution patterns of these species were very different, the increasing frequency of their appearance indicates significant effect of climate change on abiotic environment of inland waters, such as the increase in water temperature, increase in salt concentration, and eutrophication. The significance of continuous biomonitoring is emphasized, which, through the recognition of natural and human-induced changes in species composition of algae, or the appearance and rapid expansion of non-indigenous species, can detect environmental changes of inland waters.
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The Algae of the Year 2015 – Candidates of the election
148-158Views:130While science-based education is widespread for macroscopic flora and fauna, the microscopic world has received much less attention. In 2015, having the aim of establishing a tradition, the Phycological Forum announced its first “Alga of the Year” in form of an online voting. The three candidates of algae were Didymosphenia geminata, Haematococcus pluvialis and Prymnesium parvum, from which the Haematococcus pluvialis received the overwhelming majority of votes. Introducing the ecological and economical aspects and distribution of the candidate taxa in Hungary, we aimed at to stress that there is a high educational potential of microscopic life. Furthermore, our study draws the attention to the fundamental role of algae in aquatic ecosystems, stressing their importance in maintaining life.