Janus Pannonius Múzeum Évkönyve 41-42 (1996-1997 )(Pécs, 1998)

Természettudományok - Dénes Andrea–Kevey Balázs–Ortmanné Ajkai Adrienne–Pálfai László: A Dráva-sik védelmet érdemlő területei

12 A JANUS PANNONIUS MÚZEUM ÉVKÖNYVE 41-42 (1996-97) Areas worthy of protection on Drava Lowland, South Hungary Andrea DÉNES, Balázs KEVEY, Adrienn ORTMANN-NÉ AJKAI and László PÁLFAI Drava Lowland, belonging to the phytogeographical district Titelicum, region Eupannonicum, has a special situation among Hungarian landscapes. According to the maps of I. Military survey (1782-85) this area - with the exception of villages settled on hills, surrounded by pastures with solitary trees - was covered fully with wet woodlands. Today this former vegetation has been reduced to some blocks of forests, wet meadows and oxbow lakes cut away from the river control. Even so, this area is one of Hungary's greatest wet lowlands, preserving some disappearing habitat types. Although in the meantime Duna-Drava National Park has been founded, outside its borders there are more areas, characteristic to his region, which were left unprotected, e.g. some natural or near-natural forests: lowland oak-hornbeam forests, beech forests, oak-ashelm galery forest, alder and ash moors; some meadows and pastures with 200-300 years old solitary trees and lots of rare species; and deaderms with wonderful water vegetation. Our firm conviction is, that they have to be protected for the sake of survival rare communities and species. Authors' address: DÉNES Andrea Natural History Department Janus Pannonius Museum P. О. Box 347. H-7622 Pécs Dr. KEVEY Balázs, ORTMANN-né AJKAI Adrienne Department of Botany Janus Pannonius University H-7601 Pécs Ifjúság útja 6. PÁLFAI László Ormánság Foundation H-7625 Pécs Mecsek u. 2