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 Location and status
The Hungarian VULCAN site is situated in the Continental
Biogeographic Region of Europe, in the Danube-Tisza Interfluve of
the Carpathian Basin. The geographical coordinates are: 46o53' N,
19o23' E; elevation 130 m. The largest city of the region Kecskemét
is 20 km east and the nearest village Fülöpháza is 3-4 km
north-east of the site. The site is well accessible from Kecskemét
on the main road No. 52. The site is protected with steel fence. The
VULCAN site is part of the Kiskunság National Park, which was
established in 1975. The functions of the national park are
conservation of threatened habitats, the maintenance of biodiversity
and providing possibility of education and recreation. The major
threats are climate change and direct human impacts such as
intensive grazing, motocross, horse riding, hunting, land use
changes and fires. Other important endangering factors are invasive
plant species (Robinia pseudo-acacia, Asclepias syriaca,
Ailanthus
altissima), and for example the sinking of the ground water level.
 Climate:
The climate is continental. Mean annual temperature is 10,5 oC,
and mean monthly temperature ranges from -1.9 oC (in January) to
21,0 oC (in July). Mean annual precipitation, 550-600 mm, is lower
than potential evapotranspiration (680-700 mm); so the character of
the climate is strongly semiarid, particularly in the summer months.
The distribution of the precipitation shows a peak in June.
Soil:
The soil of the site is coarse textured sand soil with high
calcium-carbonate and low organic matter content. The sand is the
alluvial deposit of the river Danube. This sandy soil is
characterised with extreme water regime. This extremity is due to
the low water-retention capacity, the high water conductivity under
wet conditions and low water conductivity under dry conditions. The
soil is also characterised with low heat capacity and heat
conductivity, which may results extreme surface temperatures (60-70
oC) on bare suface in summer.
Vegetation:
 The area is part of the transitional forest-steppe biome, the
vegetation of the site is characterised with the mosaic of open sand
grassland and Juniper-Poplar woodland and shrubland. The open sand
grassland is dominated by two perennial bunchgrasses, Festuca
vaginata W. et K. and Stipa borysthenica Klokov with a canopy cover
of 40-60%. In the gaps very dense moss and lichen cover is
characteristic. The most important species of the Juniper-Poplar
woodland are two species: Juniperus communis L. and Populus alba L.
A specific type of vegetatively emerged Populus sprouts form little
shrubs which commonly never become a tree. These shrubs with the
underlaying grassland are the objects of the VULCAN project.
Fauna:
As for animals, roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and hare (Lepus
europeus) are the most frequent mammals in the area. The fence built
around the site prevent deers to access into the site. This sandy
area with its sparse vegetation is habitat of specific animal
assemblages, the lizard Lacerta taurica, and the grasshoppers
Acrotylus longipes, Callipetamus barbarus, and Acrida
ungarica. Ant
species are also important components of the local fauna.
Site responsible: Edith Kovacsne
Lang Institute of Ecology and Botany
Hungarian Academy of Sciences
Alkotmany 2-4 HU-2163 Vacratot
Hungary
Email: lange@botanika.hu
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