Habitat Management at Göd City Limits
Publication date: 2018.03.01
Destruction of vegetation for environment-protection reasons still gives rise to negative feelings in visitors and locals alike. We’d like to share a few thoughts about this to show that not everything is what it looks.
The
hills at the Northern limits of Göd called Debegió Hills represent a unique
value: the area of approx. 100 hectares is bordered by the city limits of three
towns: Göd, Sződ and Sződliget, stretching across an area split in two by
highway M2.
Debegió,
a hill only in its name, is in fact an area with sand grass and chalet-like
forests, and a habitat to rare plant- and animal species. The area is protected
by Duna-Ipoly National Park, and is part of Natura 2000 Network, a nature
conservation system recognized by the European Union. Therefore, ensuring
conservation of the protected species and groups of species living in this area
is a moral obligation of all of us, and for us, who work in the national park,
it is an outright statutory and work-related obligation.
What are we
protecting?
The natural flora – primarily the various sand grass
species – was preserved here in its original beauty through the millenniums,
with it several special natural values. Primarily, the subendemic (only lives
in a few places outside of the Carpathian Basin) colchicus arenarium. This low,
but thin plant opens its flowers in the Fall. At this time, it doesn’t have
leaves. Those only grow in the Spring, when the seeds are also falling on the
soil. These formerly common plants have become endangered species everywhere,
mainly due to the deterioration of habitats (just like in Debegió), and to the
impact of human interventions (e.g. collection, expanding of built environment,
etc.).
Out of the animal species, carabus hungaricus, a
seemingly featureless invertebrate is definitely worth mentioning. For
outsiders, this simple, black-exoskeletoned bug is the same as most of its kin,
except for that its only home is the sand land and it never ventures to the
vicinity of family houses. Like any other domestic carabus species, it is a
nocturnal animal, though it may enjoy the early Fall sunshine, too. Another
characteristic of the carabus is that if threatened, they surprise their
attacker by directing their rear end towards it, spraying methacrylic acid up
to even half a meter away. The acid will induce a burning sensation on the
skin, and if sprayed in the eyes, the effect is similar to that of capsicum. Of
course, it won’t cause permanent damages. Carabus hungaricus was first described
for science from Hungary, in the 18th century. Their populations are
endangered species everywhere, therefore, they are especially protected, with a
conservation value of HUF 100,000.00.
How?
Modern conservation efforts are not equal to the unconditional conservation of
the protected areas, as the lives of protected values are affected by several
processes. Debegió is no exception: the aggressively expanding invasive plant
species, primarily pseudoacacia and celtis occidentalis take the
habitat from indigenous species. In order to protect the area’s indigenous
conservation values, within the framework of the tender entitled
"Conservation of Dry Grasslands in Central Hungary" supported by the
European Union’s LIFE+ Nature and Biodiversity Program between 2013-2020,
Duna-Ipoly National Park Directorate will remove all invasive woody
plants living in non-scheduled forest segments from Debegió in the Winter of
2017-18. When the works are completed, the area will regain its
traditional image shaped through centuries.
The habitat-reconstructing works in the Göd area are
based on domestic- and EU legislation, out of which, the most important is Act
LIII of 1996 on Nature Conservation in Hungary. Accordingly, action or the
choice of habitat type to protect is not subject to contemplation.
Should you have further questions regarding habitat
reconstruction works, we are happy to answer them at dinpi@dinpi.hu.
Selmeczi Kovács Ádám, Regional Manager (Börzsöny
Conservation Region)
and Kiss Gyula, Tender Project Manager
Conservation of dry grasslands in Central-Hungary
Interval: 2017.07.02 - 2020.08.31
Completed
In the framework of this 5-year-long project – started in September 2013 – Duna-Ipoly National Park Directorate (DINPD) is directly aiming at the protection of the following priority habitat types: Sub-Pannonic steppic grasslands (6240), pannonic loess steppic grasslands (6250) and Pannonic sand steppes (6260).
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