Ábrahám Levente (szerk.): Válogatott tanulmányok III. - Natura Somogyiensis 12. (Kaposvár, 2008)
Salamon-Albert Éva-Horváth Ferenc: Vegetation of Külső-Somogy in Hungary II.
analyses of existing semi-natural vegetation types as habitats on the other hand (SALAMON-ALBERT and HORVÁTH 2008). In our work, as the second study of a landscape series, we present and evaluate characteristic non-woody habitat types, groups and connected wastelands, their patches with areal data and spatial patterns in Külső-Somogy region. Analyses at landscape scale are implemented with META method and mapping (GIS database for Hungarian Habitats, Magyarországi Élőhelyek Térképi Adatbázisa, HORVÁTH et al 2008) based on a landscape ecology oriented protocol fitted to the whole territory of Hungary (BÖLÖNI et al 2003, 2007, MOLNÁR et al 2007). Material and method Region of Külső-Somogy (Fig. 1) is located south from Lake Balaton, bordered by Kapos River, Sió Channel and Pogány Valley in the territory of Somogy and Tolna counties. Its total extension is 3000 km 2 , mean altitude is 186 m a.s.l., 200-300 m a.s.l. especially on the ridges of the hills. The bedrock is limestone covered by loess on the surfaces of the crests trended to north-south direction. In the western part of the area (West Külső-Somogy) the ridges of the hills are exposed to erosion and derasion. The eastern part of the region (East Külső-Somogy) is dissected with valleys parallel to Lake Balaton and the south part of it (South Külső-Somogy) is a horizontal loess plateau with moderate slope to Kapos River. Running through the main north-south valleys, Jaba Stream and Koppány Stream flow from west to east. According to the data of regional meteorological stations (Szabadhídvég, Kaposvár) the mean temperature is -2,5 °C in January, +20,5 °C in July, the sum of precipitation is 650 mm per year. There are some cities and Kaposvár Külső - Somogy region 0 10kxiK 20 30 40 Külső - Somogy region BiiMiimmiiiiiiiiiiii IllHlinnillHIll^^ Fig. 1: Territory, settlements, geographical and hydrological elements of Külső-Somogy
