01.06.2021: Laszlo ERDÖS (Budapest): Habitat diversity in the sandy forest-steppes of the Kiskunság (Hungary) online unter UniMeet-Kolloquium um 17:00 Uhr, Institut für Biologie
Most of Central Europe belongs to the nemoral forest zone and is covered by closed-canopy forests. However, large areas of the Carpathian Basin receive so little precipitation that closed forests are not able to survive. Regions covered by sand are particularly dry due to the poor water-retention capacity of sand. The largest among these sandy regions is the Kiskunság in Hungary, which harbors a unique forest-steppe formation, formed by a mosaic of various forest, shrub, and grassland communities. While most of these forest-steppes have been destroyed during the last few centuries, some of these ecosytems did survive and are currently under legal protection. This lecture aims to provide an introduction into the fascinating habitat diversity of the region while also highlighting some of the most interesting adaptations that enable the survival of plants and animals in this harsh environment.