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Contributions to the flora of Western-Transdanubia (W Hungary)
213-234Views:121In this paper, we presented the results of our floristic survey in West-Hungarian region. The data were collected between 2005 and 2015 and supportted with herbaria or photo-documentation. This paper reports new floristic data of 98 taxa from West-Hungary with altogether 172 field-collected data records. In the survey we focused on little-known taxa with a phyto-geographic importance. For some taxa we checked the herbarium specimens of Savaria Museum and Natural History Museum of Budapest. During our fieldwork we recorded 8 species new to W-Hungary, including 3 species considered to be native to the region [Oenanthe banatica Heuff., Koeleria pyramidata (Lam.) P. Beauv., Polycnemum majus A. Braun.]. Almost all of the recorded species are regarded as indigenous plants, many of them has nature conservation importance, thus, their monitoring are highly advised. We found new localities of many species which of high importance for plant geography describing their current distribution. Most of the recorded species occur in natural or semi-natural habitats, but some taxa were found in synanthropic habitats and extensive arable lands.
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Contributions to the Atlas Florae Hungariae VIII.
238-261Views:223The current paper is the 8th in the series aiming to contribute with new distribution data to the maps published quite recently in Atlas Florae Hungariae. Distribution data of 539 plant taxa from 157 flora mapping units is presented in this study, most of them are located in the western half of the country. As a result of systematic surveys, more than 190 new species were found in a single flora mapping quadrat. In another survey along some asphalted roadsides Puccinellia distans was found as a new species for 68 flora mapping grid units. All these indicate the necessity of further systematic research and publication of floristic results in papers like the “Contributions…” series. Most of the enumerated taxa are frequent, treated usually as weeds, but some of them are sparse and scattered or rare in Hungary (e.g. Nigella arvensis, Vaccaria hispanica, Rumex pulcher, Urtica urens), and in some cases they are legally protected plants in Hungary (e.g. Asplenium adiantum-nigrum, Dryopteris affinis, Gymnocarpium dryopteris and Huperzia selago). We also listed some casual alien plants and naturalized species that were not mentioned in the last neophyte list of Hungary (e.g. Acer cissifolium, Cyperus alternifolius, Gaillardia aristata, Galanthus elwesii). In the Outlook we pointed out the insufficient survey of some synanthropic (urban) habitat types in Hungary, like verges, gardens and flowerbeds that can be the hotbed of established species or can serve as stepping stones for potential invaders.
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Dactylorhiza traunsteineri (Saut. ex Rchb.) Soó: an unexpected record in the Romanian flora
15-24Views:89Dactylorhiza 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.
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The flora of the Sárvíz plain (Mezőföld, Hungary)
207–226Views:311In this paper, I present chorological data on the plants growing on the alluvial plain of the Sárvíz river in eastern Transdanubia, Hungary. Species characteristic of reed and sedge marshes, salt lakes and alkali flats, as well as remnants of hardwood forests and mesoxeric grasslands are listed in the enumeration. Since 2004, I have confirmed the occurrence of 50 species previously not recorded in the study area. Here, I report the species names, followed by data on the locality: the name of the township, the geographical name of the locality, and the code(s) of both grid systems, the Central European Flora Mapping System (CEU) and the UTM. Sites where I observed or collected the species after 2004 are in bold. Names of species new to the study area are underlined.
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Discovery of a new large population of Prunus tenella on a young old-field suggests remarkable regeneration ability of the species
32-38Views:302Kurgans are ancient burial mounds built by nomadic steppic cultures across Eurasia.
These monuments are important cultural landmarks, and often also preserve the remnants of dry grasslands even in intensively used agricultural landscapes. In the past centuries, many kurgans have been ploughed and their vegetation has been destroyed. Due to their recent inclusion in the agrienvironmental schemes in Hungary, crop production has been ceased on many kurgans in the past years. Here we present an interesting botanical discovery which we made during our country-scale survey of spontaneously recovering grasslands on kurgans. We discovered a large population of approximately 15,000 shoots of the protected loess grassland plant Prunus tenella Batsch (syn.: Amygdalus nana L.) on the Fekete-halom kurgan near Tiszainoka, in the centre of the Great Hungarian Plain. The mound had been used as an intensive cropland until 2014. Most probably, the plants could re-establish from some hidden shoots that could persist in the refuge provided by the concrete elements of a geodesic mark, and after the cessation of ploughing it could expand onto the north and west-facing slopes of the mound by sprouting and by germination from the persistent soil seed bank. Besides the conservation importance of this floristic discovery, it also suggests that spontaneous regeneration can be an effective restoration measure and that kurgans abandoned from agricultural cultivation can serve as suitable habitats for rare and endangered species. -
Online distribution atlas of the Hungarian vascular flora (Atlas Florae Hungariae): Homepage structure and prospects of database building
238–252Views:453In December 2018 the online Distribution atlas of vascular plants of Hungary (Atlas Florae Hungariae) was published. The database was built from more than 1 million data records. It mainly contains data from the Hungarian Flora Mapping Programme, but herbarium and literature data were also processed. Maps of species richness illustrate the taxonomic diversity of biogeographical areas and shows the differences of survey quality. After the Flora Mapping Programme ended, between 2016 and 2019, additional data from scientific articles were processed. 25% of new data originated from the article series “Contributions to the Atlas Florae Hungariae” in the Kitaibelia journal, which significantly broadened the distribution of some species. Records of Mesophile forest species (e.g. Allium ursinum, Dryopteris dilatata) increased, as well as records of weed species (e.g. Euphorbia maculata, Senecio vernalis) which can be attributed to their natural spreading. The most important future tasks are to create a reviewed list of taxa and extend data records with an attribute table containing all additional information. Until now the database website is presented only in Hungarian (http://floraatlasz.uni-sopron.hu). Registration is available for anybody, after sending a request via e-mail (atlas.florae.hungariae@uni-sopron.hu). There are different options (excel file by e-mail or online web form) on how to upload floristic data for registered users. Data is only accepted if required information (name of taxa, date, data publisher, settlement, CEU code) is filled out. Each record of uploaded data is revised by the website administrator and taxa specialists. The English version of the webpage will be available in the near future.
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Natural values of Mt Somsich near Villány, threatening factors and necessary conservation actions
55–62Views:80Although Mt Somsich is very rich in natural values, it is still a poorly-known part of the Villány Mts. Apart from a few scattered floristic data and a short habitat description, its vegetation is virtually unexplored. The aim of this paper is to characterize the natural and semi-natural habitats of Mt Somsich, give the current population sizes of the protected plant species, survey their threats, and offer suggestions for further conservation activities. Disregarding the totally artificial habitats, five habitat types were distinguished on Mt Somsich, of which the pubescent oak scrub is the most valuable. A total of 15 protected plant species have been reported so far, of which 11 are currently recorded on Mt Somsich. The local wildlife is affected by loss and fragmentation of habitats as well as illegal activities. The negative influences cannot be fully eliminated, but could be minimized.