conservation of the pannon endemic dianthus diutinus · pannon endemic dianthus diutinus’ was to...

Conservation of the Pannon endemic Dianthus diutinus

Layman’s Report

LIFE Nature LIFE Nature

www.tartosszegfu.hu

Basic data of the project

Beneficiary: Kiskunság National Park Directorate

Partners:Duna-Ipoly National Park DirectorateUniversity of SzegedLocal government of Kiskunmajsa

Co-financier:Ministry of Environment and Water

Project code: LIFE06 NAT/H/000104

Total budget: 1 630 785 euro

EU contribution: 75%

Project lifetime: 01. 09. 2006 – 31. 12. 2011.

The LIFE Nature fund of the European Union is a financial instrument for supporting conservational projects on Natura 2000 sites, that contribute to the EU’s goal of halting the loss of biodiversity.

’Natura 2000 - Europe’s nature for you’

Natura 2000 is an ecological network of protected areas in the territory of EU. Actions of recent project have been implemented on 3 Sites of Community Interest (SCIs) designated for the protection of endangered species including the long-lasting pink.

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The long-lasting pink (Dianthus diutinus Kit.)

Long-lasting pink is a middle sized, perennial pink species endemic to the Pannonian biogeographical region. Flowering stems can grow alone or in smaller groups. The stems and leaves of the plant are ashy green due to its wax cover. It grows rosettas with thin, narrow leaves. In the flowering season the 30-40 cm long stems hold its flowers with vivid pink petals sitting in dense clusters.The flowering period of the species is long lasting, usually lasts from mid-May to October, hence we can often find buds, flowers in full bloom and ripen capsules together.

Our endemic plant species was scientifically described by Pál Kitaibel, soon after he found it in the vicinity of Csévharaszt during his field trip crossing the Great Hungarian Plain in the early 1800s.Due to the habitat fragmentation and loss caused chiefly by afforestation and the rarity of the endemic plant it is a strictly protected species in Hungary and also identified as a species of Community Interest in the European Union. Its nature conservational value is 250 000 HUF. It is also listed as an endangered plant species in the IUCN Red List.

Vivid pink flowers of long-lasting pink We can encounter most flowers in full bloom in June

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Natural habitat

Long lasting pink is a plant of open perennial grasslands mixed with clusters of native trees, which are characteristic, however shrinking habitats of the Sandridge. The arboreal vegetation of its natural habitat, including the white poplar (Populus alba), common juniper (Juniperus communis), and common hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), provides some shade which is beneficial for Dianthus diutinus individuals in the dry periods. The vegetation of open perennial grasslands had perfectly adapted to the extreme dry and hot climatic conditions. The soil surface on the top and slopes of the dunes is not

entirely covered by the vegetation. Characteristic perennial grass species of this habitat are the Pannonian endemic Hungarian fescue (Festuca vaginata) and the protected sand feathergrass (Stipa borysthenica). The sunlit slopes of the dunes are home to the dwarf shrub rock rose (Fumana procumbens) and the protected alkanet (Alkanna tinctoria) with conspicuous bright blue flowers and red root that was used to mark livestock in the past. The rare, strictly protected Ephedra (Ephedra distachya) inhabits open sand surfaces and belongs to the group of gymnosperms.

White poplar is a native tree species Common hawthorn at Bodoglár Sand feathergrass ornaments open grasslands


The distribution area

Long-lasting pinks were found at several places in the Sandridge area of the Danube-Tisza Interfluve Region and the Hills of Gödöllő after the species have been found and described from Csévharaszt specimens in the early 1800s. However, by the end of the 19th century former localities of the species were significantly been reduced.In the last 10 years special attention was paid to carry out comprehensive investigations on the conservational status of long-lasting pinks and to elaborate specific, species related management guidelines. Results of this study revealed that long-

lasting pinks were known from almost 30 localities in Hungary, based on the literature and herbarium data available. Among them there is only 10 populations, consisting of smaller subpopulations with different densities, which have evidently survived until now.Due to the very few recent occurrences of the endemic species and the uncertain survival chances of some populations it became obvious for conservational experts that actions, both in situ and ex situ, have to be taken in order to improve the conservational status of Dianthus diutinus at its most important populations.

Alkanet Globe thistle Long-lasting pink occurrences


Habitat fragmentationAttempts have been made to halt the shifting sand of the Danube-Tisza Interfluve region since the 19th century. They became more intensive from the 1950s with the intensification of vinicultures and afforestation. These days shifting sand dunes practically do not exist due to the decrease of grazing animal stocks and the increased ratio of forests. Remnants of the former sand vegetation could have survived only in patches, in between Robinia and Pinus plantations, on the slopes of the sand dunes, which could have not been cultivated. Fragmentation of long-lasting pink habitats

and their enclosure by forests severely threats the survival of small populations of the species.Habitat degradationThe milkweed was introduced to Hungary for economical reasons. It thrives in sandy soils and spreads aggressively in the degraded grasslands however it also settles in native grasslands. This plant is really efficient in spreading, and it has covered several thousands of hectares in the country. Its dense, closing populations can even supplant the natural vegetation hence it is a real threat for the long-lasting pink and its habitat.

Threats

Robinia has a strong shooting vigour Closed black pine plantation The plant is eagerly consumed by games


Objectives of the LIFE program

The main goal of the LIFE project ‘Conservation of the Pannon endemic Dianthus diutinus’ was to stabilize the natural long-lasting pink populations through the proper implementation of conservational measures affecting the most important known stands of this rare plant species. Project sites were identified and delineated to include the most important populations of the long-lasting pink, hence those of at Bodoglár, in the vicinity of Kiskunmajsa town, at Bócsa and at Csévharaszt were included. Large proportion of all three project sites is registered as forests. The existent natural habitat patches of Dianthus diutinus are isolated by

extended non-indigenous tree plantations of different species, black pine forests at Bodoglár and black locust stands at Bócsa and Csévharaszt.The LIFE project aimed to improve habitat conditions at the three project sites on a total 455 ha area. The isolated long-lasting pink habitats were expected to be interconnected as the non-indigenous tree plantations were thinned or cut entirely and displaced by the glades created. Inside the interconnected habitat network natural regeneration processes are helped by recurring management, thus the populations of the species could be stabilized.

Ailanthus surrounded by shoots Black pine cutting Open grassland reconstruction


Habitat reconstruction

At Bócsa and Csévharaszt sites the most abundant arboreal invasive species were Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) and Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima). In the project a total of 18 ha Robinia stands were cleared away at Bócsa while special attention was paid not to cause any damage in the grasslands and clusters of white poplars. Moving of cut wood was done by hand and by quad to deposits, where the disintegrator purchased was used to chip woods. At Csévharaszt 28 ha Robinia forest was cut in several patches.Before cutting Robinia trees were treated with chemicals in order to reduce their sprouting vigour.

Stems were drilled and chemicals were injected in between August and October. Ten days later leaves had fallen, and the trees were cut in winter. As a result of this preventive treatment the number of sprouts had significantly been reduced. Hence, post treatment methods were applied just 2-3 times annually and the total treatment area of sprouts was 16 and 30 ha at Bócsa and Csévharaszt respectively.Forest compartment borders were modified in the new forest management plans according to conservational management guidelines and most cut area were described as glades.

Former Robinia stands were replaced by glades and clusters of native white poplar trees


Black pine (Pinus nigra) plantations appeared in the landscape of Bodoglár in the second half of the last century causing habitat fragmentation. Native spe-cies, like the endemic long-lasting pink, survived only in the undisturbed areas however populations have been isolated from each other. In order to interconnect these native habitat fragments 27.5 ha black pine plantations were thinned in 2008 in the project area, and a further 17 ha were cut in 2011. All cut wood material had been removed from the area, most of them as wood-chips.Besides the reconstruction of open perennial

grasslands recreation of clusters of native trees had also been started in the autumn of 2010. Saplings of white poplar (Populus alba) and in the depressions pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) were planted in the sparse black pine plantations on a total area of 2 hectares. Most of the young trees survived the first winter but many withered due to the extreme drought of 2011.Glades and clusters of native poplar trees took over the place of former pine plantations, which are also indicated on the forest compartment sheets of the new forest management plan.

Pine stand before cutting Forest management map of Bodoglár project site


Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) is an aggressively spreading weed, which originates from North-America. It arrived to our country as an ornamental plant. Later it turned out that the plant is an important nectar source for bees and it was planted widely. Its seeds are attached to long, white hairs and encased in a 10 cm long follicle. The follicles ripen and split open and the seeds are blown by the wind to nearby areas. Its seeds buried in the soil can germinate for several years. Since it is a heat tolerant species it thrives in the sandy soils of Hungary and spreads efficiently

indeed both by its seeds and by its several metre long root-system. Recently, milkweed is the most common invasive plant species in the sandy areas of long-lasting pink habitats. It spreads not just in the trampled, degraded areas but settles in the natural, valuable grasslands as well. These closing, dense milkweed populations significantly alter and degrade the existing natural habitats since they can supplant the natural vegetation, hence they are a real threat for the long-lasting pinks.

Flowers are grouped in umbels Seeds in the ripen follicleMilkweed shoot appeared after cutting

Milkweed elimination


Selyemkóróval fertőzött terület nagysága

Bócsa

2007 36 10

2008 30 5,5

2009 13,3 2,8

2010 11,7 4

2011 5,8 0,4

0,16 0,04

0,84 0,96 0,9

Bodoglár

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Bodoglár Bócsa

Év/Year

Hektár/Hectares

Several attempts have been made to eliminate the species from the natural grasslands for the last few decades. As a result, we could understand that mechanical methods alone are insufficient for the elimination. However, together with the application of precise chemical treatments fairly good results could be achieved. Naturally, on the Natura 2000 sites special attention had to be paid not to cause any damage in the native vegetation, hence the treatment method was selected according to the density of the milkweed stands and the actual natural status of the vegetation. In high nature

value areas with few milkweed plants the leaves were treated with chemicals individually by brush, while the dense, heavily infected populations were sprayed. Repetitive treatments were applied 2-3 times annually and resulted a 90% decrease of the infected area compared to that of in 2007. In the meanwhile the density of surviving populations has also significantly been reduced. Although these are good results, the treated areas have to be regularly checked and monitored in the future, since the milkweed can appear again from the seed stock in the soil and from the neighbouring areas.

Chemical handling of milkweed stands The milkweed one week later Reduction of milkweed infected areas


’Ex-situ’ conservation

The long-term conservation of the long-lasting pink could primarily be guaranteed by the protection of its natural habitats. However a better result can be obtained in case this ’in-situ’ conservation is supported and complemented by other methods, among them ‘ex-situ’ solutions, like artificial propagation of plants in botanical gardens and out-planting of grown seedlings. This activity can efficiently contribute to the strengthening of natural populations.Results of investigations that have been carried out for several years in the Botanical Garden of Sze-

ged show, that long-lasting pink can be reproduced from seeds in artificial circumstances. In the project period there have been almost 20 000 long-lasting pink seedlings grown up from seeds collected in wild populations of the endemic plant. DNA analyses have been carried out concerning several wild populations of the long-lasting pink, but no significant difference could be detected between the isolated populations. However there have been genetical patterns characteristic to particular populations, hence seedlings grown up in the Botanical Garden were out-planted to their original environment.

Investigation of the reproduction Fruit of the long-lasting pink Seedlings before out-planting


Good quality open perennial grasslands have been identified as potential areas for out-planting. According to our experiences the best time for the out-planting of long-lasting pink seedlings is October, since this cooler and rainy period helps the survival of the young plants. The best survival results were shown at those groups which were out-planted in open grasslands with partial shading of trees. Vitality-surveys carried out on some out-planted individuals indicated, that those individuals had higher survival rate in the first year, which were out-planted in denser grassland with some shadow.

However in the long run the more open grassland patches with just partial shadow proved to be more beneficial for the out-planted seedlings which is in line with the species pioneer nature. In the whole project period 20 000 long-lasting pinks were planted out and 70% of them survived. Most of the out-planted seedlings have already produced flowers and seeds, and in some cases their offspring could also be observed around adult individuals.

All seedlings grown in the Botanical Garden of Szeged are marked with tags and out-planted into their original natural habitat


Monitoring

The monitoring of Dianthus diutinus individuals was done at all known stands of the species. Data collecting was elaborated by high accuracy GPS system and every individual has been registered. In order to facilitate precise registering, it was needed to sign every plant with a stick during the counting. Registered GPS data are stored in geo-database in the GIS laboratory of the Kiskunság National Park. The obtained data can be projected on maps and are suitable to plan nature conservational management on field, and to evaluate the data for scientific purposes.Result of the monitoring between 2007 and 2011

shows that the world population of Dianthus diutinus has increased significantly. The growth is partly due to the increase in the number of individuals of the previously known populations, which is a result of favourable weather conditions and implementation of habitat improvement measures. On the other hand the growth is also a result of intensive fieldwork, which aimed to discover new populations, or to check possible archive occurrences based on literature data. In the project period four new populations have been found including a huge one, counting more than 10 000 individuals.

Long-lasting pink individuals are registered by high accuracy GPS annually


Site Year2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Ásotthalom 101 103 233 228 306Bodoglár 5 007 8 590 12 906 16 928 27 614Bócsa 1 753 1 845 3 791 5 710 8 848Csévharaszt 3 269 2 491 7 585 7 644 8 915Harkakötöny 7 255 8 483 9 036 10 080 34 159Nagykőrös 1 136 772 1 013 1 227 2 433Ócsa 508 556 1 386 1 156 2 074Nemesnádudvar - - 10 495 15 262 13 152Pusztavacs - - 15 72 66Jakabszállás - - - - 171Total: 19 029 22 840 46 460 58 307 97 738

Sample areas have been delineated where the regeneration of the vegetation, after habitat im-provement measures have been implemented, were checked on an annual basis. On the open soil surfaces created by black pine cutting regeneration processes of the native grasslands has started soon after the decay of needle litter. However this natural process has to be monitored since invasive speci-es, most importantly the common milkweed can also appear and settle in the disturbed soil surfaces. In case of black locust cutting the regeneration process by native plant species takes much more

time since the nutrient rich soil is preferred by weeds and Robinia shoots can appeared even after several years of cutting. Demonstration of the detailed results of the moni-toring activities carried out in the framework of the project has been done in annual reports, conference lectures and posters and scientific articles. A special issue of the series Rosalia has also been published titled ‘Nature conservation and researches on the Sandridge of the Danube-Tisza Interfluve’ by the Du-na-Ipoly National Park Directorate.

Changes of the wild long-lasting pink populations in the project period


Awareness raising

To achieve the proposed goal of the project, it was necessary to establish a tight co-operation with site managers of Dianthus diutinus habitats and with local communities. We participated on 21 public events in the project period, among them village days, tourist exhibitions and introduced visitors with the rare endemic plant and the conservational problems threatening its survival. In order to improve the general knowledge of local people on the species we have produced our project products, among them leaflets in Hungarian, English and German languages, posters, fridge magnets and postcards. Local

governments and tourism organizations also took part in the dissemination of these popular products.It is particularly important to provide information on the plant and its natural habitats to local children. For their motivation stickers, puzzles and puppets were produced, however children themselves produced masterpieces on the annual drawing competitions. Excursions led by conservation and tourist experts provided a unique opportunity for personal encounters with long-lasting pinks. Our participation at these events and the disseminated project products had largely contributed to the popularity of the project.

Diantina, the long-lasting pink puppet Puzzles are popular


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Magyarország páratlan természeti értékekkel rendelkezik.Bár hazánk területe alig 1%-a Európának,természeti gazdagságát tekintve messze túlszárnyalja a kontinens legtöbb országát.Ezen az alig százezer négyzetkilométeren több mint 42000 állat, és közel 2700 virágos növényfaj él. Sok közöttük az úgynevezett bennszülött faj, mint amilyen például a tartós szegfű.

TerületEgyedszámÁsotthalom228Bodoglár és Harkakötöny27 008Bócsa 5 710Csévharaszt7 644Nagykőrös1 227Ócsa-Üllő katonai lőtér1156Nemesnádudvar15 262Pusztavacs72Összesen58 307

Mit teszünk a szegfű megőrzéséért?

A tartós szegfű számára kedvező élőhe-lyet alakítunk ki három legjelentősebb élőhelyén, Bodogláron, Bócsán és Csévharaszton.

A zárt fekete fenyő és akác állományok helyén tisztásokat és az élőhelyekre jel-lemző nyáras ligeteket alakítunk ki.

A gyepekből visszaszorítjuk az agresz-szíven terjedő idegenhonos lágyszárú növényt, a selyemkórót.

A Szegedi Tudományegyetem Füvész-kertjében 19 ezer szegfűpalántát nevel-tünk fel és telepítettünk vissza eredeti élőhelyükre.

A kitelepített növények némelyike már magot is érlelt, így erősítve tovább a ter-mészetes állományt.

Rendszeresen ellenőrizzük az élőhelyek állapotát és a tartós szegfű egyedszámát, így nyomon követhető a beavatkozások sikeressége.

A szegfűvédelmi program menetéről tájé-koztatjuk a lakosságot, hisz a környékü-kön élő ritka vadvirágot, csak együtt, az ő támogatásukkal óvhatjuk meg.

Miért van szükség aktív védelmére?• A múlt század második felében lezajlott er- dészeti és mezőgazdasági tájátalakítások a megfelelő élőhelyek nagy részét megszün- tették. • Az agresszíven terjedő idegenhonos növény- fajok, mint pl. a selyemkóró, elfoglalják és megváltoztatják a természetes növényzetet.• A telepített erdők leárnyékolják és kiszorítják a szegfűt élőhelyeiről.• Egyes terepsportot űző személyek felelőtlen viselkedése tönkreteszi a homoki gyepet.

A tartós szegfű az egész világoncsak a Pannon-medencében,a Duna-Tisza közén él.

A tartós szegfű:

•nyúlánk termetű, élénk rózsaszín virág,•júniustól októberig virágzik,•homokpusztagyepek lakója.

A tartós szegfű ismert élőhelyei:

A pannon bennszülötttartós szegfű védelme

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A program:

• célja, hogy megállítsa a veszélyeztetett nö- vény állományának csökkenését• 5 évig tart, így 2011-ben fejeződik be• összköltségvetése 407 millió Ft, melynek 75%-át az Európai Unió úgynevezett LIFE-Nature természetvédelmi forrása biztosítja• honlapja: www.tartosszegfu.hu

Irányítója:• Kiskunsági Nemzeti Park IgazgatóságPartnerek:• Duna-Ipoly Nemzeti Park Igazgatóság• Szegedi Tudományegyetem• Kiskunmajsa Város Önkormányzata

Társfinanszírozó:• Környezetvédelmi és Vízügyi Minisztérium

Hol látható?

A Bodogláron kiépített tartós szegfű tanös-vény a fokozottan védett növény és élőhelye bemutatása céljából készült. A látogatók megismerhetik a növény fennmaradását ve-szélyeztető tényezőket és az ezek kivédésére szolgáló természetvédelmi tevékenységeket.

A homokfelszín és a növényvilág védelme érdekében megépített tanösvény pallóso-ra mintegy 500 méter hosszan kanyarog a borókás-nyárasok, fekete fenyők és a tartós szegfű állományok mentén, egészen a buckate-tőn felépített megfigyelő toronyig. Innen egy kis darabon fekete fenyők árnyékában haladhatunk tovább, majd újra a nyílt gyepekre kanyarodva pallósoron jutunk el a kilátóhelyre. A helyiek büszkék lehetnek arra, hogy környé-kükön olyan ritka növényfajok élnek, amelyek másutt a világon nem találhatók meg.

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A high priority task during the whole project term was to introduce the LIFE program for the conservation of Dianthus diutinus and its results to the general public. The start-up press conference was held in Kecske-mét, in the House of Nature in February 2007. Media representatives could also get acquainted with the objectives of the project on field trips, and they could also encounter our endemic plant in the nature. There have been 97 articles published and 21 radio and TV interviews broadcast about project achievements in the 5 years of the project. The half an hour film produced for the general public is very popular, and

it have been broadcast several times on national and local TV channels providing the opportunity to inform the widest group of people about the project. The project’s homepage at www.tartosszegfu.hu operates since June 2007, informing visitors about the program events and results in Hungarian and English languages. The project film with English subtitles is also downloadable from the site, as well as dissemination products.Scientific results of the project were demonstrated on 14 national and international events, including the conference organized together with Steppicoaks pro-ject held in October 2011.

Interview series at the project’s start-up press conference Excursion to the dunes of Bodoglár


The nature trail

Although the flowering period of the long-lasting pink is long, it had been only a few people who have seen this rare plant earlier. The one kilometre long nature trail was established in order to get visitors acquainted with the protected endemic plant and its habitat. Besides these information threats and the conservational efforts of different organisations to restore its natural habitat and increase the number of plants living in natural conditions are also introduced on the six information boards along the trail. The trail winds along open perennial grasslands, native poplar stands and artificial plantations of pine trees.

The first 500 meter section of the trail is a board-walk, which was constructed for the protection of the sandy soil and the natural grassland. It ends by the watch-tower on the top of a sand dune where there is scenic view to the natural landscape, the mosaic of sandy grassland and clusters of poplar trees.More than 600 people have visited the trail on organized tours since it was constructed, while the total number of visitors is estimated as several thousand.The nature trail could be visited freely all year round.

Information board at the starting point of the nature trail Watch-tower on the top of a dune

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ImprintPublished by: Kiskunság National Park Directorate6000 Kecskemét, Liszt F. u. 19. Tel.: (+36) 76/482-611 • Fax: (+36) 76/481-074 • www.knp.huText: András Bankovics, Orsolya MileEnglish translation: MED-EDU Bt.Photos: Eszter Aradi, András Bankovics, Sándor Bérczes, Tibor Danyik, Attila Gál, Sándor Hamar, Orsolya Makra, Orsolya Mile, Anikó Németh, Zoltán VajdaFigures: Róbert Aleksza, Tibor Danyik, Szilvia Kónya, Orsolya MileGraphical design: Pál ZalatnaiPrinted in: Print 2000 Nyomda Kft., KecskemétPublished in: December 2011

The nature trail is accessible from the nearby Kiskunmajsa-Tázlár main road. Guided tours are organized at the Tourinform Office of Kiskunmajsa.

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conservation of the pannon endemic dianthus diutinus · pannon endemic dianthus diutinus’ was to...

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