invasion

Large scale primary and secondary grassland monitoring (Jedlik-network)

We studied the relationship between the vegetation of the dry habitats and the surrounding habitats in 16 5 x 5 km large sampling sites between 2007-2009. With the repetition of the study we could follow the landscape-scale change. We conducted the repetition of the primary grassland and old-field habitats between 2019-2021. During this second survey we recorded the present land-use, and the type of cultivation and we made the vegetation survey again in 5 x 5m and 20 x 20m large plots.

Small scale secondary grassland monitoring

We follow the spontaneous regeneration of the sandy vegetation on abandoned arable lands and vineyards from 2000, using 40 4 x 4 m permanent plots. This study serves also as a reference for the restoration treatments and the monitoring of primary grasslands. The dates of the previous monitoring are 2000, 2008, 2010, 2015, 2017, 2020 and 2023. In the future, we plan to conduct the monitoring every fifth year.

Grassland regeneration in burnt pine plantations and juniper-poplar forests

n 2007 protected juniper-poplar forests and alien pine plantations were on fire near Kunfehértó-Kéleshalom. After the fire the monitoring of the regeneration was started in 2008 and since then it has been conducted once a year in both forest types. In the juniper-poplar forests we study the garsslands around 18 burnt and 18 unburnet junipers (along with adjacent reference grasslands) with 1m*1m and 5m*5m quadrats.

Common milkweed experiment

Biological invasion is considered to be a major threat to biodiversity along with global climate change. Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca L.) is a non-indigenous invasive plant species that has been invading large areas of sandy habitats in Hungary. This species hinders regeneration of sandy oldfields by inhibiting colonization and resource aquisition of natural species due to shading effects, high competitive capacity and allelopathic compounds.