Az almakeréki szárnyasoltár dendrokronológiai kormeghatározása

The archaeologist author has been involved in dendrochronological research in Transylvania for some fifteen years. In the summer of 2015 she and István Botár got the possibility within the frame of a five-year OTKA research project to examine the altarpiece in the Lutheran church of Almakerék (Mălâncrav, Malmkrog, Szeben county, Romania). It was the first time they had carried out dedrochronological growth ring dating on a work of art in functional use. The material of the altarpiece is presumably fir (Abies alba MILL.). The series of growth rings were measured on the reverse longitudinal surface of all the twelve painted panels and the top board of the predella. The examined panels derived from very old, at least 160-170-year-old fir trees. The researchers managed to determine the year of felling (winter of 1459/60), which is a useful clue for art history to date the making of the altarpiece. If the altarpiece was made in the lifetime of the head of the family that held the advowson Mihály Apafi (whose wife was mentioned a widow in 1469), then the wood was left to season for fewer than 9 years

Dendrokronológiai kutatások Erdélyben = Dendrochronological researches in Transylvania

A pályázatban felsorolt eszközöket beszereztük és továbbra is Csíkszeredán maradnak. Elkezdtük összegyűjteni a recens adatsorok elkészítéséhez szükséges mintaanyagot, a tölgyekre fókuszálva. A recens gyűjtéseink súlypontja a kelet erdélyi területekre esik, a továbbiakban szintén kisrégiónként csoportosítva, több új lelőhely vizsgálata lesz szükséges majd. Több dendrokronológiai zónát sikerült lokalizálnunk. A kiderült, hogy Erdély területe a jelenlegi Magyarország területéhez hasonlóan dendrokronológiai szempontból mozaikos szerkezetű. A külföldi adatsorok lényegében nem használhatók Erdély területén. A megvizsgált területen tölgyek mellett nagy mennyiségben használtak fenyőféléket is. Legalább három gyakori fajta fordul elő: luc-, jegenye- és erdeifenyő. Úgy tűnik, hogy ezek használata nem helyfüggő. A kutatás fontos eredménye volt annak fölismerése, hogy a fenyőféléket az (kora)újkorban kezdik nagy(obb) mennyiségben alkalmazni, és ekkor a korábban tölgyből készített szerkezeteket is fenyővel javítják. A recens minták lehetővé tették a tölgyek szijácsstatisztikájának elkészítését. Az összességében hatvanhat lelőhelyről gyűjtött minták révén sikerült két, a régészeti/műemléki kutatásban használható tölgykronológiát készítenünk: a Csíki-medencére érvényeset (1526-1736) és a Küküllők felső folyására, Segesvár környékére érvényeset (1336-1518). Rendelkezünk két "lebegő", azaz konkrét évszámokhoz még nem kötött középkor végi - koraújkori fenyő-kronológiával, 119 és 179 év terjedelemben. | The tools and materials necessary for the work and listed at the beginning of the project have been purchased. These will stay further on in Csíkszereda (Romania). The collection of the recent samples was started concentrating on oaks. The current collection of the samples was mainly focusing on the East-Transylvanian region. In the future research of additional new small locations will be needed. We succeeded to localize more dendrochronological zones. It was found, that from the dendrochronological point of view Transylvania has the same fragmented structure as Hungary. The foreign chronologies can not be used in Transylvania. Beside oaks, several species of pine were used in the researched area, such as spruce, silver fir and Scots pine. So far it seems that the spread of these can not be limited to one region. Important result of our research was, as we noticed that pines were increasingly used from the 17th century, when even older oak structures were repaired with various species of pine. Based on the recent samples the calculated statistical number of the sapwood rings is: 15+/-2. During the project we collected samples from 66 sites and with them we managed to create two chronologies which can be used for the archeological and historical monument's research. The oak chronology of the first one covers the Csík-basin for the period of 1526-1736, the second is applicable in the Segesvár (Sighisoare - Schäßburg) region and the third for the upper valley of the Küküllő (Tarnava) rivers for the period of 1336-1518. We have also two 119 and 179 year long floating pine chronologies

Online Soil Moisture and Microclimate Investigations on Agroforestry and Agricultural Field Plots

Agroforestry is a traditional cultivation method, which can bridge the gap between nature conservation and agriculture systems. Hungary is one of the most vulnerable countries in the term of climate change, and according to climatological forecasts, several areas in the Carpathian basin will be exposed to extensive and prolonged droughts in the next decades. Agroforestry can moderate the negative effects of the projected changes. The regional share of this new concept should be increased, but first science has to demonstrate its clear benefits. So using online measurement technologies microclimate and soil moisture changes can be detected with high temporal and spatial distribution for longer periods in order to obtain information on the smallest deviations of microclimatic elements that could not be detected in conventional ways. In our study a 1 ha completely wind shielded agroforestry plot and a nearby situated natural wind-running field were investigated, using 1-1 automatic weather station as well as 5 + 1 of 90 cm soil probes, which were used to measure the changes of soil moisture among 10cm layers. We examined the climatological response to the forest belt compared to the open, traditional field (“control area”) based on the following parameters: 10meter wind speed, 10meter wind direction, 2m temperature, relative humidity, the amount and intensity of rainfall, the amount and duration of dew formation, the volume% of soil moisture

In vitro micropropagation of 4 Hungarian bryophytes as potential sources for pharmacologically active substances

The plant kingdom is a rich source of pharmacologically active biomolecules, and bryophytes represent a relatively unexploited taxon within plants. From this point of view, Hungarian mosses are very promising, since only a small percent of the 659 species has been studied in detail. The aim of this project is to analyse Hungarian bryophyte species as potential sources of molecules for anticancer drug and antibiotic research. Important steps during the research are to identify bryophyte species with bioactivity, to isolate and to identify their active components and to characterize their effects in detail. Based on an in vitro screening of 58 species, the most promising species are further studied. In order to ensure sustainability of further research, in vitro micropropagation studies - of species regarded as the most promising - are being carried out. Optimization of surface sterilization (using 10% CaCl2O2 or 10% commercial Domestos) of Brachythecium rutabulum, Oxyrrhynchium hians, Tortula muralis and Campylopus introflexus is completed. In the selected bryophytes selection of appropriate explants (shoot tips or lateral shoots), optimization of substrates (1/2 MS without sucrose) for in vitro cultivation were carried out. Various explants of bryophyte species, different surface sterilization methods, various culture media with different plant hormone combinations and without hormones (1 mg l-1 NAA/ 1 mg l -1 BA/ 1 mg l-1 2, 4 D/ 1 mg l-1 BA+ 0.1 mg l-1 NAA/ 2 mg l-1 BA/ 1 mg l-1 NAA) were tested for optimal growth and morphogenesis. New moss shoots or protonema developments, depending on the hormonal supply, were observed. Growth response was recorded in every selected species during in vitro cultivation. The research was supported by the grant NKFI OTKA 115796 (supervisor Dezső Csupor, “Hungarian bryophytes as potential sources for pharmacologically active substances”). Work of Boglárka Tóth was supported by the ÚNKP-17-2 New National Excellence Program of the Ministry of Human Capacities