28.02.2019

Interesting facts and scientific analysis of the landscape history of Turjánvidék

The landscape history of the Turjánvidék Natura 2000 site, a study of Ábel péter Molnár has been published by Duna-Ipoly National Park Directorate with the support of the HUTURJAN LIFE project.

The author collected and analyzed geological, hydrological, archaeological, historical, botanical, and land use data from and around the Natura 2000 site. He used archive documents from the late Middle Ages, archive maps from the last 3 centuries, aerial photos and satellite images,publications and additionally he made oral history interviews with local people. He built a quotation and a geoinformatic database and analysed these with landscape historical methods.

The main results of the analysis, summarised by the author, were the following:

• The examined landscape had been grassland dominated with small forest patches in the late Middle Ages, a lot of these had survived until the 18th century and some even until today.
• The grassland management (grazing and hay making) have been a constant dominant land-use form in the region since historical times.
• The sand hills had been moving in the 18th century because of sheep overgrazing. The halt of sand dune moving was achieved with planting trees (mainly poplar) which resulted in increasing Juniper shrubland area. The decrease of Juniper shrublands was caused by cutting (in the 1930s), and burning (20th century).
• The landscape have been dominated by marshlands, shrublands, wet and dry forests and grasslands continuously during the Holocene because of edaphic and human impacts

The full study can be downloaded here >>

Photo: Ábel Péter Molnár

04.01.2019 - Klára Kerpely

Project film of the Turjánvidék is online

The world of the playful ground squirrels, hunting eagles, courting venomous snakes and many other protected animal and plant species opens to the public through the film that presents the achievements of the seven-year LIFE project.

Note: English subtitles can be selected.

Szabolcs Mosonyi and Erika Bagladi produced the 25 min film after three years of shoting on the project site.

30.10.2018

Layman's report of the project published

The colourful summary brochure about our LIFE project on the Táborfalva Military Shooting Range and Training Area and the Dabas Turjános Nature Conservation Area can be downloaded from the links below:

• Hungarian >>
• English >>

For printed copies please write to klara.kerpely [at] wwf.hu.

Some examples and interesting data from the results of our joint efforts of seven years to avert the threats of biodiversity on the project site:

To mitigate the drying-out of the area:

• We improved water regimes over about 1,400 hectares by the construction of 7 medium-sized and 10 smaller water management facilities

To protect and improve the habitat of the Hungarian meadow viper:

• We introduced grazing instead of mowing over 1,000 hectares of mesic grassland
• We reconstructed 74 hectares of grassland from ploughfields thus extending the habitat for Hungarian meadow vipers and great bustards

To control and eradicate invasive plants that threatened the natural habitats:

• We eliminated invasive plants from 1,172 hectares of sandy habitats
• We planted native trees to establish a forest on sand in place of alien plantations over 37 hectares and reconstructed 26 hectares of grassland
• We eliminated invasive plants from 51 hectares of alder-ash forest and converted 2 hectares of poplar plantation to a forest by planting native ash species
• More than 200 participants attended our technical conferences on invasive plants

To raise awareness on natural values and to avert general threatening factors:

• We collected more than 27,000 new records on about 300 protected species
• We published 500 copies of the forthcoming Rosalia volume full of studies
• We updated the management plan for the entire area of the Táborfalva Military Shooting Range and Training Area
• We installed 8 information signs, 20 Natura 2000 signs, 81 additions to shooting range signs and 40 bars at entrances across and around the project site

• About 200 children and adults attended our guided tours
• We installed nest boxes for birds (rollers, owls and kestrels)
• We produced 15 scientific publications and conference presentations
• We printed and disseminated 37,000 thematic project publications
• Our home page was visited 75,000 times over seven years
• We presented the details of our nature conservation work by over 160 media clippings with several appearances on television among them
• The 25-minute project film was shown on TV and was published in 100 copies on DVD

Photos: Annamária Csóka, György Verő, Klára Kerpely

18.07.2018 - Klára Kerpely

Rosalia 10 published: Nature Conservation and Research in Northern Turján Region

The Duna-Ipoly National Park Directorate published a new collection of studies about the extraordinarily rich flora and fauna of the Turjánvidék. It summarises the results of the research and practical nature conservation work in the Ócsa Landscape Protection Area, in the Dabasi Turjános Landscape Protection Area and in the Táborfalva Shooting and Training Range. The book also provides an overview of the achievements of the present LIFE project. Each study has an English abstract as well.

The new issue can be obtained through the Download page >>

10.06.2018 - Klára Kerpely

Visit to the Kaszó LIFE project

At the end of May we visited Kaszó, where we presented the water retention interventions implemented in the Turjánvidék at the Water in Forests conference.

The KASZÓ Ltd. together with the NAIK Forest Research Institute organised this international conference titled “Water in Forests” in the framework of the KASZÓ-LIFE project in Kaszó between 29^th May 2018 and 30^th May 2018. 53 participants, mainly forestry and conservation specialists as well as water experts, from 5 countries were present.

The agenda for the first day included presentations on various topics such as the water demand of forests, the extreme water balance conditions in the Carpathian Basin, the wellbeing of forests and the negative effects on the narrow-leafed ash. Later in the day, the audience could get acquainted with the nature conservation efforts that were completed within the framework of KASZÓ-LIFE project and see the outcome that was obtained by inspecting the results of activities.

Later in the afternoon project sites were inspected to reflect on previous presentations. The restauration project and development of the lakes in Kűvölgy into a four-lake complex were described on the spot. Everybody could inspect the impacts of scientific activity at a common oak and an alder monitoring spot.  The last station was a wale on intermittent streams for increasing water retention.

The second day’s agenda included topics like the spread of invasive insect species and projects that study the impacts of climate change.

20.05.2018 - Klára Kerpely

Water, water, everywhere!

The water retention system established at the shooting range of Táborfalva is operated at full capacity in spring this year. 4 medium size sluices (3 new locks and 1 renovated lock) and 10 small size water retention structures have been built on the canals, which are all capable of retaining the water in the live-fire area of the military area and in the safety buffer zone during spring, and therefore capable of improving the water regime of the area. The gauges placed on the locks and the field weirs are continuously monitored by the colleagues of the national park directorate and the army so that the working scheme regulating the operation of the system could be determined according to the experiences of the first year.

Adjustable small water retention structure on one of the canals of the shooting range (photo taken by: Annamária Csóka)

The sluices completed in 2015 in the Dabas Turjános Nature Conservation Area, which also belongs to the project site, are also closed and retaining water in the area of the forest and the orchid swamp meadows. The two water retention systems together leads to a really noticeable improvement in the whole area, which is particularly important regarding that the areas throughout the country are getting dryer, which is a more and more severe problem.

The forest fen happily enjoys the water (photo taken by: Zoltán Szekeres)

Every sign indicates that everyone here rejoices over having more water. As for the military, the risk of fire reduces thanks to the plants instinct with water. One benefit for the forestry is that the water-supply of the trees in the nearby ash grove forest is improving. Farmers, who range their livestock on the nearby grasslands, said that they were glad that they had more water. As a matter of fact, they have been asking for adjusting a higher water level on the sluices, if it is possible, so the structures could retain even more water.

Finally, conservationists are happy to see that the habitat of the protected giant plantain within the shooting range were still submerged in April. These rare plants, which can be found in marsh meadows, particularly like if their habitat is submerged till the beginning of May. Another discovery is that this spring the colleagues working on the area have also seen newts. However, regarding amphibians there was no baseline survey in our project, so it would not be scientifically grounded to say that the presence of newts is owing to the water retention. Anyway, newts have not lamented over the presence of water levels which are favourable for their reproduction.

These canals full of water speak for themselves even during test run (photo taken by: Ármin Csipak)

Water retention is also a very important tool for reducing the adverse effects of climate change and adaptation. Wetlands can improve microclimate through evaporation, support agriculture and the supplies to the reserves of the soil. Additionally, the weather in a landscape full of water is also less extreme, a drought or a frost in spring will cause less damage. Besides, they provide a pleasant environment, where people can find shelter against the heat of summer. That's why WWF has launched its new LIFE project, which is aimed to spread the methods of adaptation based on water retention for settlements. Website of the: https://vizmegtartomegoldasok.bm.hu/hu

20.03.2018 - Klára Kerpely

Even the bees are waiting for it

During our project, in order to extend the habitat of the Hungarian meadow viper, we carried out the grassland restoration of two areas of the arable lands which are wedged between the grasslands and are an eyesore in the landscape. The commonly used technique in grassland restoration is alfalfa-sowing because it takes years for the natural grassland species to strengthen and during that time the alfalfa can be reaped for a few years so it provides an income for the tenant.

However, at the Turjános Nature reserve of Dabas we had luck. In the first spring characteristic ryegrass species (graminoids) have already started to appear when there had been no tilling in a selected 19-hectare area which was to be transformed. This way we did not need alfalfa-sowing at all. After 3 or 4 years, only the experts will be able to see the difference between the original, never once broken parts and the spontaneously regenerated parts of the grassland.

Former field restored to grassland in the nature reserve after four years (photo: Annamária Csóka)

Yet in one corner of the shooting-range on another 55-hectare field it took much more effort to restore the near-natural state. Here we deployed a special technology besides the alfalfa. When the alfalfa was started to wear out due to repeated reaping we sowed the seeds of 43 plant species which are present in natural grasslands to increase the diversity of the grassland species. Dispersing more than 250 kilograms of tiny seeds and planting 1500 nursery-reared seedlings we could introduce and naturalize species which would not have been able to spread from the neighboring grass covered lands. The grasslands interspersed with various flowering species will be home to the viper as well as to many bee species and other arthropods.

The seeds of the Dianthus pontederae and the Peucedanum cervaria up close (photo: Imre Orlov)

This novel method caught the eye of the experts at the Centre for Ecological Research of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. They will help the stuff of the Duna-Ipoly National Park Directorate in tracking and documenting the results.

Planting of seedlings among the alfalfa (photo: Imre Orlov)

Nurturing meadow flowers at the plant nursery (photo: Imre Orlov)

01.02.2018 - Klára Kerpely

Extension of project duration

The European Commission approved the extension of our project until the end of September in 2018. It’s a good opportunity for us to continue the invasive alien species control and the attentive care for the newly grown forests. Moreover, it is important that this way at least we can monitor the operation of the completed water retaining system during the spring and summer period and we can document their positive effect in our final report.

15.12.2017 - Klára Kerpely

Why are invasive alien plants so dangerous?

Probably many people have asked that same question after reading on our website about what a huge task is for nature conservationists to control the invasive species.

The answer is quite complex, because the invasive alien species not only endanger the natural environment, but they also create economic problems and some of them can even pose a threat to human health. The most common example is the ragweed, in Hungary almost 2.5 to 3 million people are sensitive to its pollen. The fortunately less widespread giant hogweed is even more dangerous. Its toxin can be found on its leaf, stem, flower, root, shoot and seed, reaching the highest concentration in the hairs covering the stem. If the plant sap gets in contact with the skin and it is exposed to light it causes nasty wounds, ranging from a mild redness of the skin to a blistering filled with phlegm and can even result in blindness if it gets into the eyes.

The economic damage caused by the invasive plants is also significant. For example, the owners of floodplain pastures or meadows quickly realize, that if they do not reap or graze for one or two years they will only see an endless sea of false indigo-bush. In most of the floodplain forests farmers have to deal with the worthless ash-leaved maple and green ash, while in drier forests the spreading of the ailanthus or in other name the tree-of-heaven does a lot of harm. The attempts to exterminate an already spread species consume large amounts of money and the restoration of the liberated areas has a considerable cost as well.

The leaf, flower and fruit of the Boxelder of North-American origin (drawing by Márton Zsoldos)

Besides the destruction and fragmentation of the natural habitats the spreading of invasive species poses the greatest threat to the natural environment. This statement is confirmed by a survey made in 2016 among Hungarian rangers and biologists who tend to our protected areas. While in Europe the spreading of the invasive species ranks as the second most serious problem, the Hungarian survey shows that here the damage caused by biological invasions made it to the first place. The invasive species count as a serious problem in 97% of our protected areas.

One of the most fascinating results of the survey was about which species cause the biggest problem in each of our protected areas. From the first ten species eight had come from North-America. Every one of those ten species had arrived more than 100 years ago mostly as a result of deliberate introduction. This means they are not only successful because they colonize habitats in an incredibly aggressive way, but also because they had time to spread and even the people had assisted them in the beginning. However, the hoped benefit of the invasive species remained far below the amount of damage they have been causing with their unstoppable expansion.

Plant and animal species which are causing a problem in most of the protected areas in the country (based on data from 144 areas):

The second, extended edition of the Rosalia 3. volume, which summarizes the practical experiences in invasive alien plant control, have been published. It can be downloaded from here in English: https://www.dunaipoly.hu/uploads/2018-01/20180124150851-rosalia-kezikony3-2nded-eng-net-compressed-tg7k48qu.pdf

2017.10.19. - Klára Kerpely

Cameras and microphones

We completed the closing media event of our six-year LIFE project attracting really high numbers of press and media representatives. After a short press conference we presented the achieved results on the field during a three-hour trip across the shooting range.

On the amphibious caterpillar of the army

Look closer, and you'll find loads of rare protected species (Photos: Máté Czabán)

Download the press release (in Hungarian) from here: >>. Enquiries for more information on the nature conservation project and photos from the field please send to: alexa.berende@wwf.hu.

10.10.2017 - Annamária Csóka

Where's the beetle?

We have completed our Hungarian ground beetle (Carabus hungaricus) research on the Táborfalva Shooting Range, which lasted for almost a week, day and night. In case of birds it is a standard method providing them with transmitters to learn more about their locomotion, and now technological advances have also made it possible to follow the representatives of the insect world using miniature transmitters and signal receivers.

Searching for specimen with the antenna receiver. Photo: Annamária Csóka

In Hungary this was the first time that anyone provided insects with transmitters, and there are only few examples of such research around the world. The results give answers to questions such as how long is the way, that these strictly protected beetles take, what kind of habitat they like, what time of the day they prefer, in which weather conditions are they active.

Carabus hungaricus with a transmitter. Photo: Ármin Csipak

We have to wait for the results to be evaluated, but preliminary data already show that junipers are not an impenetrable obstacle for the beetles. The sum of the distance traveled by one of the most active individuals in a week was 45.7 m, while the covered distance of "the laziest" was only 11.1 m.

05.10.2017 - Márton Árvay

Migration started for Örs, the short-toed snake eagle

This July staff members of the Duna-Ipoly National Park Diractorate, the Hortobágy National Park Diractorate and the STE Workgroup of Bird Life Hungary tagged a short-toed snake eagle chick, named Örs, which then began its migration route on 1 October 2017. In the following weeks the bird will likely follow the path of other birds of its species in the region through the Bosphorus, over the Suez Canal and hopefully arrive safely at the traditional wintering site in the Sahel region .

In Hungary there are not more than 50 breeding pairs of this rare bird of prey. They build their nests on various pine species (Pinus sylvestris, Pinus nigra) where they lay a single egg. Their prey usually consists of snakes and lizards.

The GPS-GSM logger funded by the Turjánvidék LIFE+ Nature project helps us to map the detailed migration route and can also give an insight into the hunting behaviour. These data can ensure the long term protection of this rare raptor species and could also reveal unknown threats.

Örs's migration route can be followed here:

http://satellitetracking.eu/inds/showmap/?check_334=334

Photos by Márton Árvay

07.04.2017 - György Verő

Underwater world

The ditches next to the roads, if they are full of water, provide shelter for several species of amphibia. On the first picture we can see a male smooth newt that was discovered in a ditch in Dabas town; on the second one there is a pete cord of a toad. In the past decades watery areas in the Hungarian Great Plain lessened, the number of shallow and small standing waters is less and less, which fact is unfavourable for the breeding of amphibia. In the frame of Turjánvidék LIFE Project, the active water supply system built in the Dabasi Turjános Nature Conservation Area helps these sensitive species in finding their ideal habitat and avoiding the danger that threatens their subsistence.

Photo: György Verő (thanks to the waterproof official camera)

28.03.2017 - György Verő

A real elite soldier from the Shooting Area

Runs fast, flies quickly, and smaller creatures are better to avoid him. Even taking photos was not successful until running him over (it was not me!). The name of tiger beetles needs no more questions.

Green tiger beetle, the Dabas part of the Táborfalva Shooting Area, photo: György Verő. (The dry plant-underlay is a trick, this specy likes bare ground, but the evening sun did not lighten that area.

You can see more details and more experiences from the Táborfalva Shooting Area and the treasure of the southern part of the county Pest in the Dél Pest Megyei Természet facebook group (in Hungarian).

27.03.2017 - György Verő

Spring is here! Nature wakes up on the range

Walking in the area, almost every day new attractions come up in front of my eyes. It has been almost two weeks since the storks of Dabas retured to their nest. A few days later, the residents of the big nest on the military base also arrived. The stork couple raised four chicks in here last year, they do not seem to be bothered by the proximity of military activities either.

Photo: György Verő

24.03.2017 - György Verő

Wonderful flowers for the kestrels

In the aim of helping the raptors to settle in here, we put special kestrel breeding boxes to the out-of-service parts of the Táborfalva Shooting Area with the assistance of 1000 Odú Egyesület (“1000 Burrows Association”). Meanwhile this, we succeeded in taking photos of blossoming small pasque flowers (Pulsatilla pratensis subsp. nigricans).

Photo: György Verő

The deep purple petals of the small pasque flower are covered by fluffy little hair, which gives this flower a very special outlook. It is a protected plant, its theoretical value is HUF 5,000.

25.01.2017 - György Verő

Raptors above the Turjánvidék

The annual Eagle Inventory is ready. It contains the observations of Duna-Ipoly National Park from Dabas and Tatárszentgyörgy: we saw a white-tale eagle couple, an eastern imperial eagle, some hen harriers, a northern goshawk, a kestrel and common buzzards on the freezing cold Sunday.

Montagu’s harrier - Photo: Péter Csonka

The Hungarian Ornithological and Nature Conservation Society organized the numeration of the raptors wintering in Hungary, which is also called “Eagle Inventory” or “Eagle Synchron”, for the 14^th time. For more information about the Eagle Inventory please see the homepage of Helicon LIFE Project.

07.11.2016 - Klára Kerpely

Extended duration of Turjánvidék project

The European Commission has officially approved the extension of the LIFE project Turjánvidék in fifteen months, until 31 December 2017. Therefore more than a year of extra time is available to complete more conservation activities in Turjánvidék Natura 2000 area (mainly in Táborfalva Shooting and Training Range) in line with the original goals of the project. The new activities will be financed from the financial resources that we could save from the planned budget for the hydraulic engineering works.

Among the planned tasks for 2017 are invasive species suppression on additional areas, issuing a public information booklet on control of invasive species, prevention of illegal land use in protected areas, placing further information signs, construction of the water retention structures on the channels of the shooting range, the continuation of forest conversion, monitoring of bird and mammal species and organinzing the project's closing press event.

We continue to inform our readers of the project progress and related news.

06.10.2016 - Klára Kerpely

Exploring the Hungarian Great Plain’s hidden treasure

To introduce and make popular the Hungarian Great Plain, barely known for hiking, and shoing its values is the aim of the trips we organise to the Betyár Hill Nature Trail on the edge of the Shooting Range. In the first years we led kindergarten and elementary school children from the surrounding towns and villages on the forest nature trail, which gives an insight into the treasures of nature and also into the military use. This autumn a group of young adults from Budapest had the opportunity to take part in this rarely attended, interesting hike.

The young nature-lovers were among the supporters and followers of WWF’s activity. In spite of this, they have not known this area before, for most people traditionally choose the mountains for hiking.

Trip on the Great Hungarian Plain (Betyár Hill Nature Trail)

For us it is important that more and more people get to know the remained mosaic landscape of the Turjánvidék, the hidden treasure of the Great Hungarian Plain. The Betyár Hill Nature Trail can be freely visited by groups or individuals on their own as well. It is approachable by bike, by car or by bus from Táborfalva: http://turjanvidek.hu/?/nature_trail

Photos: Bálint Bombay, Eszter Andrási

16.09.2016 - Klára Kerpely

New milestones reached

This April we submitted the second midterm report of our project, in which we presented to the European Commission not only about the technical progress, but also about the financial status reached. The Commission approved our report and transferred the next instalment of the LIFE grant, due for the final years of the project. The project reports are also available for download from our homepage: here >>

András Kovács, responsible member of the external monitoring team of LIFE Program, visited the Turjánvidék this September, after the approval of our second midterm report. On the first day of the visit we reviewed the results achieved since our last meeting:

•  The construction of water retention and active water supply structures in the Dabas Turjános Nature Conservation Area is ready.

•  We got the water licence for the construction works of water retention structures on the shooting range.

•  The new, revised zoning map for the management plan of the Táborfalva Shooting and Training Range is ready.

•  The transformation of forests in the selected plots composed of non-indigenous species has achieved good progress.

•  Grazing has started on the wet meadows, which are the habitat of meadow viper.

•  The area cleaned from invasive plant species on sandy habitats has been increased.

•  We held an international conference on the protection against invasive plant species.

•  We organized field trips to the Betyár Hill Nature Trail for the introduction of the Turjánvidék.

On the second day we went to the field and visited the places where the tangible results of our work can be seen on the site.

Supervision on one of the afforestation areas. Photo: Éva Zanin

2016.08.03. - Márton Árvay

We have presented the Turjánvidék project’s results in France

The LIFE+ seminar was held at the end of June in Nimes, France where the Turjánvidék LIFE+ project’a staff participated as well. The conference included Project Manager Márton Árvay’s presentation as well. The 150 participants from 16 countries, gained an insight of the LIFE DÉFENSE NATURE 2 MIL (LIFE11 NAT/FR/000734) project areas’ conservation action located close to Nimes. At the roundtable discussions guest speakers presented conservationist interventions, which were implemented through  cooperation with the defense ministries in Poland, Germany, the United States, Russia, Britain, Israel, Jordan, Switzerland and Hungary.

Beside several conservation programs for instance, the creation of artificial breeding colonies for coral gulls at a French port, the shooting range’s land management strategies were mentioned as well, such as periodic grazing on dry grasslands or the controlled burning of heathlands. These were shown on the third day of the Turjánvidék LIFE project’s conference under the section of „Land Management with Grazing” along with other organizations for example, the British RSPB, the German RANA and the Latvian Ministry of Defence.

On the field demonstration day, we could view the on site rabbit breeding colonies aimed to improve the Bonelli's Eagle’s decreased prey stock.  At a feeding point set up during the project implementation, we had the chance to observe the only nesting Griffon Vulture’s mate. Furthermore, we were presented with a drinker made using only natural materials which helped in the shooting range grazing.

Additional information about the conference here››

Photo: Kinga Forgács, Márton Árvay

2016.06.21. - Klára Kerpely

Bóbita Kindergarten group's trip on Betyár-domb

The Betyárdomb nature trail located at the edge of our project field near Táborfalva has become vivid again during the spring. The entire length of the wooded trail is marked by signposts and everyone is free to visit. Those who are curious to know what types of trees are observable and what kind of animals are hidden in the dense forests or how the landscape has formed, can find the answers on the colorful information boards located along the trail. Experts of the Budapest Forestry Company are holding guided tours on the nature trail for school and kindergarten groups.

On the 13th of June, the Bóbita Kindergarten group from Dabas was guided through the trail, so that children can closely study the secrets of nature. During the trip, the experienced foresters who have been working there for decades, told tales about the region’s flora and fauna to the children.

Although, kindergarteners are not able to read yet, but they can easily recognize where they have been during the trip. We hope that after having such a fun-filled day, they will return next year and bring their parents and sisters to the Betyár-domb as well.

Photo: József Molnár

2016.05.09.- Klára Kerpely

European workshop on eradication and control of invasive plant species

With the participation of more than a hundred experts from fifteen European countries, we held our project’s most significant professional event in Budapest, mid-April an international seminar about the control of invasive plants. At the workshop, management of protected areas, land managers, researchers, regulatory experts, plant protection businesses and other stakeholders exchanged their plentiful experience on the matter.

The workshop’s presentations and posters and the final recommendations of the event are available for download here››

Recordings of the presentations can be viewed on youtube:

On the third day, we visited the Szigeti homokok Natura 2000 region in Szigetmonostor. Where, as a result of previous invasive plant management (HUSK/1101/2.2.1/0052/01- suppressing invasive alien plant species on sand and floodplain habitat) we have found the sand habitats in good condition.

It became evident at the event too, that the suppression and halting the spread of invasive plant species is a major challenge for the conservation sector and for the agencies responsible for management of protected areas. Sharing knowledge is especially important, as currently in Europe the invasive alien plant species are the most serious threat to biodiversity and natural species richness. To halt the spread -especially in protected areas-a more efficient response is needed.

The workshop was held as a follow up of the Natura 2000 biogeographic seminar.

Photo: Klára Kerpely

22 December 2015 - Klára Kerpely

Nature conservation training material for military users

An important goal of the project is to introduce the natural values of the Tábofalva Shooting and Training Range to the military users, so that besides meeting their regular duties they can support the conservation of these values. For this purpose a short training material has been developed about nature conservation, the habitats and species of the shooting range and the conditions of use set by conservation requirements.

• The 1^st part of the training is a presentation about the goals and tools of nature conservation, which can be downloaded from here >>
• The 2^nd part introduces the wildlife of the shooting range, read it here >>
• More information about protected species living on the site is available here >>

The 3^rd part of the training material belongs to the zone map of the shooting range and therefore it is not publicly avalable. It will be delivered to the corps that use the Táborfalva Shooting and Trainaing Range officially.

15 December 2015 - Klára Kerpely

The water supply recovery system of the Dabas Turjános Nature Conservation Area is completed

In early November, in the frame of the C4 Action of our project, a new canal and sluice system providing water to the highly protected Dabas Turjános Nature Conservation Area was handed over. This enables transportation of water from the Danube-Tisza canal to the especially valuable alder bog forests.

A new sluice on the canal connecting the Dabas Turjános Nature Conservation Area with the Danube-Tisza canal Photo: Tamás Gruber

The protected area’s active water supply by pumping may be needed in years when precipitation is so low during winter that the bog forest, which normally at the beginning of the year is flooded and by mid-summer slowly dries out, becomes dry at the beginning of spring and virtually “burns out” during summer. The active water supply provision in the spring can prevent damage to the marshland habitats and destruction of the alder forest due to water shortage. In other years with less poor rainfall, it is sufficient if we do not allow the naturally accumulated water to drain out of the area. To this end, we have built sluices on multiple locations on the canals across the Dabas region enabling water to be retained on the bog forests and on the neighbouring orchid meadows.

There is plenty of water in the alder forest during spring in good years Photo: Klára Kerpely

The completed Dabas Water Managment System, which was an investment by the Duna-Ipoly National Park Directorate, will be complemented in the next year by additional facilities in the area of the Táborfalva shooting ground. Having the combined effect of the two systems, we expect that the water balance of the Turjánvidék Natura 2000 area will be significantly improved, which is essential to the conservation of the wetlands, as well as favourable to military activities and to forestry.

More pictures of the field work in the gallery >>

8 August 2015

Summer is not over yet

The summer edition of Cincér magazine has been published. It tells you more about this project, and inclues the summer programs for public of Danube-Ipoly&

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