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Disappearing botanical and cultural heritage of wooden headboard-graveyards in Eastern-Hungary and Transylvania (Romania)
51-64Views:149Degradation 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 As we observed, traditional burials with wooden headboards are rapidly superseded by modern burial customs.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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Literature reviews
112–113Views:127DEÁK B. (2018): Természet és történelem. A kurgánok szerepe a sztyeppi vegetáció megőrzésében. – Ökológiai Mezőgazdasági Kutatóintézet Közhasznú Nonprofit Kft., Debrecen, 152 pp.
MOLNÁR V. A. (szerk., 2018): Élet a halál után. A temetők élővilága. – Debreceni Egyetem, Természettudományi és Technológiai Kar, Növénytani Tanszék, Debrecen, 216 pp.
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The biases of floristic surveys I. Naive planters: “cuckoo” of the Medves (N Hungary)
207-217Views:125The aim of the planned thematic studies is to point out the main biases and/or errors of floristic surveys in Hungary. In this first article of the series we focus on those examples when native species were planted out of their original habitats and/or range by a non-professional naturalist. The sources of information are those letters that were posted by Ferenc Varga to the first author of this article in 2005. The circumstances of the transplantation of 10 phytogeographycally significant species of the investigated area and/or the Pannonicum (Adonis vernalis, Arum orientale, Asarum europaeum, Genista germanica, Phragmites australis, Pulsatilla grandis, P. nigricans, Salvia aethiopis, Viola alba, Xeranthemum annuum) are detailed in the text and summarised in a table. The correspondence between the first author and Ferenc Varga provides insight how the ambition of a non-professional naturalist can influence the flora of an area. Most of the species were removed from South and transplanted to North, almost 10 km away from their original stands. With the exception of Adonis vernalis and Genista germanica at least one transplantation of the species was successful. In the case of Salvia aethiopis, the naturalized populations came 1.25 km close to Slovakia, where this species is a very rare and endangered (EN) taxon.