Ecological conditions, flora and vegetation of a large doline in the Mecsek Mountains (South Hungary)

Vegetation-environment relationships were investigated in a large doline of the Mecsek Mts (South Hungary). To reveal the vegetation pattern, we collected vegetation data and environmental variables along a 243 m long transect. Atotal of 144 vascular plant species and 4 vegetation types were identified in the doline.We found that both the species composition and the vegetation pattern are significantly influenced by air temperature, air humidity, soil moisture and altitude. Our results confirm the putative temperature and vegetation inversion in the doline

Mineral content analysis of unifloral honeys from the Hungarian Great Plain

Honey is a key product of the traditional agriculture in Hungary and an important export commodity of the Hungarian commerce. The content of metals in honeys is essential for food quality and safety, in addition to which it provides elemental fingerprints about the region where the honey was collected. The aim of this study was to determine and compare the element content of black locust, oilseed rape and sunflower honey samples collected from the southern part of the Hungarian Great Plain. The major (K and Mg), trace (Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, B, Al, Co, Ni, Se and Mo) and toxic elements (As, Pb and Cd) of the samples were determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was performed to compare the mineral content of the different honey types. Our analyses revealed that K was the most abundant element in the investigated honey samples. Among the trace elements, B, Fe, Zn and Cu were found in the highest concentrations. Sunflower honey contained the highest concentrations of K, Mg and Mn, while oilseed rape honey showed the highest B content. The mineral content of honeys decreased in order of sunflower, oilsed rape and black locust. There were no differences among the honey types in the toxic element content (As, Pb and Cd), which was under the detection limit in many honey samples. According to the multivariate method, the Mg, B, Al, K and Zn contents are considered to be the most important indicator for distinguishing the investigated honey samples and types. The results obtained from the mineral content analyses showed that differences in major, trace and toxic elements between Hungarian unifloral honeys as well as a detailed comparison of honeys with different geographic origins can be used for quality assessment

Shrub Encroachment Under the Trees Diversifies the Herb Layer in a Romanian Silvopastoral System

Rangelands with scattered trees are complex and dynamic systems with a long history in Europe. Generally referred to as “wood-pastures,” they are considered to have outstanding conservation value. Thorny shrubs are important for supporting the biodiversity of these wooded rangelands, as well as facilitating the regeneration of trees by acting as nurse species. We assess the direct effects of temporary shrub encroachment under the cover of mature sparse trees on overall plant and habitat diversity. We surveyed the herb layer of the main landscape features of a wood-pasture: open pasture, trees with a grass understory, trees with shrubs, and adjacent forest edges. The herb layer under trees with shrubs resembled that of forest edges more than open pastures and trees with grass. Trees with grass had a higher cover of ruderal species than trees with shrubs, while forest edges and open pastures had a lower cover of them. Forest species were absent from open pastures but were well represented in the other sites. The herb layer of trees with shrubs and forest edges had similar cover values, while trees with grass had a significantly lower cover of herbs than the other types. Trees with shrubs had higher species richness than any of the other three landscape features and had a much higher proportion of diagnostic species. We conclude that the scattered trees and shrubs of the studied silvopastoral system have additive facilitative effects on their understory, probably through modifying the microenvironment and grazing pressure, leading to the formation of temporary diversity hot spots with distinct vegetation. Thus maintaining a moderate level of shrub-encroachment under sparse trees is recommended for not only creating safe havens for tree recruitment but also increasing the overall species and habitat diversity of wood-pastures.The Rangeland Ecology & Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information

The effects of micro-habitats and grazing intensity on the vegetation of burial mounds in the Kazakh steppes

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