Matskási István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 102. (Budapest 2010)

Matskási, I.: Annual review 2009

Annual review 2009 283 Scientific research In 2009 the museum engaged in 162 research topics. 203 scientific papers and 85 abstracts of presentations at congresses and symposia were published. The number of full-time researchers is 59. Our researchers gave more than 130 lectures. The results of applied research were published in 50 expert and research reports. Taxonomic studies, fauna and flora data reports dominated research in the museum, complemented by ecological, biogeographical, population biology and genetic studies. An emphasized area was processing the material acquired during the collecting expeditions (Taiwan, Mongolia, Thailand, Vietnam, Korea, Balkan Peninsula, Africa). Our task in the framework of the National Biodiversity Monitoring Program was to elaborate monitoring techniques for communities and species and we contributed to the Duna Research Project with monitoring the biota of the Szigetköz. We continued traditional nature conservation studies (habitat mapping of Natura 2000 areas, protection of amphibians, mole rat and mollusc species). The flora research covered the flowering plants and the cryptogams of Hungary. Significant results were born in the microfungal and macrofungal research. Palaeobotanical and palaeozoological research was carried out as much in Hungary as in different European, Asian and South American regions. In anthropology, besides the analysis of historical populations, important advances were made in the interdisciplinary study of the mummies of the Hungarian town Vác. Research in pedology, petrology and geochemistry continued as well. Our researchers carried out the reexamination of several Carpathian Belt minerals of uncertain status. A most significant topic of research in the Molecular Taxonomic Laboratory was the study of the phylogeographic patterns of amphibians living in Hungary and Australia. Genetic examinations were carried out on Sphagnum and pine species as well. As in the previous years, scientific research projects were financed almost exclusively by grants. Most of the research projects were supported by the National Scientific Research Fund (OTKA). International cooperation in research involved 30 institutions of 24 countries. We have produced significant results in EU projects like SYNTHESIS, EDIT, NECLIME. Annls hist.-nat. Mus. natn. hung. 102, 2010