Introduction

The leader of the project:

Hortobágy Environmental Association

Partners taking part in the project:

Hortobágy Society for Nature Conservation and Gene Preservation
Hortobágy Ecoligical Co-operative Society
Mrs Péterné Rózsa, businesswoman

Aims of the project:

• Rehabilitation of Artemisietum alkali puszta (grassland) and Beckmannietum saline meadow
• Creation and preservation of a grazing salt lake
• The use of an ecologically high level of grazing for habitat management
• Increase of livestock population
• Preservation of the landscape values of Hortobágy
• Enhancement of biodiversity
• Testing of practical applicability of a rural development scheme
• Popularisation of organic farming
• Eco-tourism
• Presentation and education

Project title (precise translation of original title): Habitat management of Hortobágy eco-region for bird protection

Objective:

The number of bird communities breeding in the bare alkali parts of Hortobágy National Park, Hungary has decreased dramatically during the last decade. The breeding bird communities of Calandrella brachydactyla - Charadrius alexandrinus - Glareola pratincila - Burhinus oedicnemus have practically disappeared in Hortobágy, and the number of communities of Recurvirostra avosetta - Himantopus himantopus - Tringa totanus - Limosa limosa - Gallinago gallinago - Porzana porzana and Podiceps grisegena - Podiceps nigricollis - Chlidonias leucopterus - Ch. hybridus - Porzana pusilla - Acrocephalus paludicola as well as Falco vespertinus - Upopa epops - Lanius minor - Corvus frugilegus have decreased significantly, too. In spite of the active protection, more actions are needed to be taken to protect, conserve and increase the population and habitats of Otis tarda, Grus grus, Anser erythropus, Branta ruficollis, Numenius tennuirostris, Aquila heliaca and A. clanga. The main reason of the decrease of these bird societies is the disappearance of the two types of phytocoenoses, one of which is strongly dependent on bare, grazed wetland habitats. This is primarily due to the different kinds of human interventions in the puszta (such as drainage and irrigation channels, spreading of scrub) and the decrease of extensive farming. The indigenous animal species play the same ecological role in the conservation of the puszta as the game species in grasslands of different types. Grazed on the appropriate habitat types, they carry out the optimal maintenance of the phytocoenose, and thus contribute to the recovery of bird habitats: marshland -- water buffalo-, marshy meadows -- Mangalica pig, alkali meadows -- Hungarian Grey Cattle, alkali puszta and bare artemisia steppe -- Racka sheep, scrub -- goat. In the last few decades, this traditional, indigenous grazing system has been damaged, especially by the development of keeping species of agricultural value. In some regions, the destruction processes have been further advanced by the domestic goose, often kept in flocks of 5-10 thousand. With their grazing and droppings, they have destroyed the indigenous alkali phytocoenoses. The main objective of the project is to impede and reverse these unfavourable ecological processes, as well as to restore and rehabilitate the habitats of bird communities nearly extinct. Our further aims are to increase biodiversity, protect natural values, conserve the unique Hortobágy puszta, create wetland habitats, restore the natural shallow lake conditions of this ecological region, rehabilitate and protect the shelters for livestock of traditional design, advance the development of extensive animal husbandry , set up a sufficient model for the long-term conservation of Hungarian grassland habitats, create the economic and natural unity of the region, build up the area so as to make it suitable to be shown for the public and for the purposes of environmental education and ecotourism, as well as create the possibilities for organic farming and the manufacturing of organic products in Vókonya-Karácsonyfok ecological region.

Actions and means involved:

We will restore a 200-hectare wetland habitat for waterfowl in an area destroyed by domestic geese and drainage system. The area is going to be surrounded by electrical fence, where domestic animals kept in the field centre of the project conserve the area. By eliminating the irrigation and drainage channels and banks, and by clearance of scrub we will restore the original watercourses and shallow lake conditions and thus the landscape of the puszta on nearly 1,000 hectares. This will promote the reappearance of indigenous phytocoenoses and saline habitats of bird communities. The shelters and wells will also be renovated, that are needed to keep the increased number of domestic animals. Animal husbandry is carried out by sole traders, partnerships and one public utility company, all taking part in the project, and the progenies will be sold as bio-product. The management of the program will be centred in our main office in Balmazújváros, where a web-site, periodic and closing reports and a videofilm will be made and an exhibition will be mounted. Furthermore, the public as well as the regional and country-wide media will be informed about the program, its results and benefits. So as to carry out the project sufficiently, we will engage five full-time employees. Changes in phytocoenose and insect and bird species dependent on it will be continuously monitored, and the relatedness of the species and number of domestic animals to changes of habitats will be examined. The results of this study will be published in reports and leaflets.

Expected results:

Due to our efforts, we expect he endangered alkali bird communities to return or their population to increase significantly in this ecological region. The project will cater for a permanent succession 200-hectare large wetland habitat, which will serve as a migrating and feeding area for globally threatened species, such as Anser erythropus, Branta ruficollis, Aythya nyroca, Grus grus and Numenius tennuirostris . The water conditions, plant community and fauna of this ecological region is expected to return to its original form, as a result of the optimum number and type of grazing domestic animals. Within this region, profits from organic products of partnerships and entrepreneurs will ensure the long-term functioning of the program. This requires the maintenance of the optimum number of domestic animals after the restoration and rehabilitation of the habitats. The project can be adapted for the long-term conservation of other grasslands in the country, which will primarily serve the conservation of saline habitats of bird communities.

Location of the Project Area in the Hortobágy:

The size of the area: 1,680 hectares , Total expenses of the project: 829,534 EUR