{"id":3890,"date":"2025-04-16T08:54:49","date_gmt":"2025-04-16T12:54:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mbgecologicalrestoration.wordpress.com\/?p=3890"},"modified":"2025-05-20T20:19:33","modified_gmt":"2025-05-20T20:19:33","slug":"ecological-restoration-of-sandy-grassland-ecosystems-in-kiskunsag-central-hungary-and-combating-the-allergenic-common-ragweed-ambrosia-artemisiifolia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nher.blog\/index.php\/ecological-restoration-of-sandy-grassland-ecosystems-in-kiskunsag-central-hungary-and-combating-the-allergenic-common-ragweed-ambrosia-artemisiifolia\/","title":{"rendered":"Ecological restoration of sandy grassland ecosystems in Kiskuns\u00e1g, central Hungary and\u00a0combating\u00a0the allergenic Common\u00a0ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By: Katalin T\u00f6r\u00f6k and Melinda Halassy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Katalin T\u00f6r\u00f6k and Melinda Halassy are restoration ecologists specializing in sandy grasslands in Central Hungary. Katalin focuses on botany, ecology, and biodiversity monitoring. Melinda, formerly Katalin\u2019s student, took part in their first restoration experiment and is likely Hungary\u2019s first PhD in restoration ecology. Their research aims to identify barriers to spontaneous restoration and analyze long-term ecological processes triggered by various restoration methods to find the most effective approaches. Both contribute to international ecological research (eLTER<\/a>) and restoration policy (SERE<\/a>), working to link scientific knowledge with public policy in ecological restoration. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research<\/a>,\u00a0Institute of Ecology and Botany<\/a>,\u00a0Restoration Ecology Research Group<\/a>, halassy.melinda@ecolres.hu<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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KIskun LTER Restoration Experiments<\/a>\u00a0site is located in a unique sandy landscape of central Europe. Situated at the center of a vast sandy region, the core area of\u00a0Kiskuns\u00e1g National Park<\/a>\u00a0represents one of the largest of its kind in Central Europe, spanning approximately 7,400 square kilometers. This unique environment is especially accessible near the village of F\u00fcl\u00f6ph\u00e1za, where visitors can experience an impressive range of sand dunes. The landscape features both open sand steppes and\u00a0\u00a0wind-blown dunes, offering a rare glimpse into one of the continent\u2019s most distinctive and unusual natural habitats.\u00a0Credit: Melinda Halassy, CER2021<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The ecosystem<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of Hungary\u2019s most distinctive geological regions is the Danube\u2013Tisza Interfluve (Kiskuns\u00e1g), which is an important reservoir of biological diversity within the Pannonian Biogeographical Region of Europe. Situated at the westernmost edge of the vast Eurasian forest-steppe biome, this region is part of a bioregion that extends approximately 9,000 km from Central Europe to Eastern Asia, covering more than 4.7 million km\u00b2 (Erd\u0151s et al. 2022<\/a>). The Eurasian forest-steppe represents Hungary\u2019s dominant vegetation type, covering more than half of the country. Although the grasslands in this zone are sometimes misinterpreted as being heavily deforested in historic times, ecological models that integrate climate variability, topography, soil conditions, herbivory, and natural fire regimes reveal that forests and grasslands naturally coexist in a dynamic mosaic within the forest-steppe zone (Erd\u0151s et al. 2022<\/a>).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The largest and most ecologically diverse areas of the region preserve the characteristic \u201dpuszta\u201c, which includes both sandy and alkaline grasslands, sand dune forests, and remnants of former sodic pans, marshes, fens, fen meadows, and wet grasslands. The inland sand dunes, shaped by wind action, consist of coarse-textured, lime-rich soils that are low in water and nutrients, supporting unique vegetation, including specialist plant and insect species. The sandy forest-steppe of the \u201cpuszta\u201d consists of\u00a0poplar-juniper sand dune forests and thickets<\/a>, as well as open oak-dominated woodlands forming complex mosaics with both\u00a0open and closed sand grasslands<\/a>, all of which are considered habitats of high conservation concern by the European Commission. The driest grasslands in the region, known as \u201dFestucetum vaginatae danubiale\u201c community, are found on the crests and southern slopes of sand dunes. These grasslands are characterized by tussock-forming grasses such as the endemic\u00a0grass Festuca vaginata<\/em>\u00a0<\/a>and the protected\u00a0Stipa borysthenica<\/em><\/a>, interspersed with cryptogam cover of mosses, ferns, lichens, etc. and frequent patches of bare ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sandy Forest-Steppe Mosaic of the Puszta: Poplar-Juniper Stands and Open Sand Grasslands. Dominated by White Poplar\u00a0(Populus alba<\/a>), this landscape reflects the natural vegetation adapted to arid, sandy conditions.\u00a0\u00a0Credit: Evgeni Dimitrov, eLTER 2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the landscape underwent significant human modifications, beginning with river regulation and drainage, followed by agricultural intensification and plantation forestry. As a result, the region is now predominantly covered by agricultural lands, forest plantations, and fragmented remnants of semi-natural grasslands.\u00a0\u00a0During the post-socialist transition (1987\u20131999), large-scale agricultural land abandonment occurred, particularly in low-productivity areas such as the Kiskuns\u00e1g (Valk\u00f3 et al. 2016<\/a>). While some native vegetation regenerated spontaneously, abandoned lands also became increasingly susceptible to invasion by non-native species. One of the most problematic invaders is Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia<\/em><\/a>), a fast-growing, nitrogen-fixing hardwood tree from eastern North America, which has spread extensively.\u00a0Another notorious example is Common ragweed (Ambrosia\u00a0artemisiifolia<\/em><\/a>) that we will discuss below.\u00a0\u00a0The expansion of invasive species not only threatens native biodiversity and ecosystem health but can also have negative impacts on human health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Land abandonment presents a valuable opportunity for the spontaneous regeneration of native sandy grasslands, it also introduces significant ecological challenges. One of the most pressing threats to natural recovery is the aggressive spread of invasive alien plant species, particularly Common milkweed (Asclepias serica<\/a>, formerly A. syriaca). Credit: Melinda Halassy, CER 2021<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Restoration experiments<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the past 27 years, we have been conducting restoration experiments at the\u00a0Kiskuns\u00e1g Long-term Ecological Research site<\/a> to facilitate the recovery of sandy grasslands on lands degraded by Black locust plantations and arable cultivation. Our research focuses on the long-term effects of various treatments aimed at overcoming barriers to spontaneous grassland regeneration, assessing the positive and negative influences of the surrounding landscape, and enhancing invasion resistance through seed-based restoration.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our findings indicate that active restoration interventions can significantly accelerate recovery. Specifically, sowing a mixture of locally sourced grass and forb species has proven to be the most effective method for initiating restoration in dry grasslands and controlling invasive species (Reis et al. 2023<\/a>). Additionally, carbon amendments and mowing can serve as valuable complementary measures; however, they should be applied cautiously in invaded landscapes to avoid unintended ecological consequences (Reis et al. 2022<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Seeding Native Species: A Key Strategy for Restoring Sandy Grasslands. In the restoration of dry sandy grasslands, sowing a carefully selected mixture of locally sourced grasses and forbs has emerged as the most effective strategy for initiating vegetation recovery and suppressing invasive species. Although remnants of native sand grasslands remain in the landscape, their specialist species show limited natural dispersal capacity. As a result, abandoned agricultural fields are often colonized by weeds and invasive alien plants, which significantly hinder the process of secondary succession. Research has shown that even the low-rate seeding of as few as five native species can have a catalytic effect, facilitating the establishment of characteristic grassland communities and accelerating the recovery of degraded former croplands. Credit: Melinda Halassy, CER2021<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The success of restoration efforts is further challenged by the presence of other aggressively invasive species beyond\u00a0Black locust, including the tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissimus<\/em><\/a>) and the herbaceous Common milkweed (Asclepias serica\u00a0<\/em><\/a>(<\/em>formerly\u00a0A. syriaca)<\/em>, which are particularly widespread in forest plantations (Csecserits et al. 2016<\/a>). Even after the removal of dominant invasive species, new invasions may occur, likely due to legacy effects and the high dispersal capacity of these non-native species (Reis et al. 2023<\/a>). To mitigate these negative impacts, restoration efforts should prioritize areas with lower invasion pressure or integrate early seeding of native species as a complementary strategy for invasion control (Cs\u00e1kv\u00e1ri et al. 2023<\/a>,\u00a0Halassy et al. 2023<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Managing Invasive Species: The Limitations of Mowing in Invasive Species Control. Mowing is widely used as a method to control the spread of invasive alien species. However, experience indicates that mowing alone often fails to deliver satisfactory results. This is largely due to the persistent legacy effects of previous invasions and the limited natural dispersal capacity of native grassland specialist species. While mowing can effectively suppress certain targeted invasives, it does not prevent secondary invasions\u2014the establishment of other non-native species that quickly occupy the disturbed space. To ensure successful and lasting restoration, mowing must be combined with the active introduction of native species, which can stabilize the ecosystem and reduce vulnerability to further invasions. Credit: M\u00e1rton K\u00e1llai 2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Restoration \u2013 human health links; research in progress<\/em><\/strong>  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enhancing public health through ecological restoration efforts can be of significant importance. Ecosystem services and direct contact with nature may contribute to this improvement (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 2005<\/a>,\u00a0Marselle et al. 2021<\/a>), but robust evidence is needed to establish clear links between biodiversity, ecological restoration, and human health at landscape, regional, and national scales.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Hungary, a national project has recently been launched to investigate these nature\u2013health connections using ecosystem condition maps and health data (https:\/\/termeszetem.hu\/en). This initiative aims to identify correlations between environmental factors and various health indicators, such as the prevalence of allergies, depression, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, and self-reported well-being. The research focuses on detecting these relationships at the sub-regional scale and in urban areas, as well as assessing the economic impacts of health conditions. A key initial focus of the project is the highly allergenic Common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia<\/em><\/a>), which poses significant public health challenges throughout Europe and elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Restoration as a Tool to Combat Common Ragweed and Its Public Health Impact. Abandoned croplands provide favorable conditions for the establishment and spread of Common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia<\/a>), a highly invasive species known for its allergenic pollen. This plant poses a growing public health threat across Europe and beyond. In 2015 alone, ragweed allergy adversely affected the health of an estimated 13.5 million people in Europe, resulting in public health costs exceeding \u20ac7.4 billion (US$8.1 billion). Common ragweed thrives in open, disturbed soils, making abandoned agricultural lands particularly vulnerable to colonization. However, as natural vegetation succession progresses and plant cover becomes denser, ragweed populations tend to decline. This succession process can be significantly accelerated through active ecological restoration, which helps close vegetation gaps more quickly, thereby limiting the window during which ragweed can release its pollen and spread. Credit: Anik\u00f3 Csecserits, CER 2020<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Battling Common ragweed – for ecosystem and human health<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Successes so far with reducing invasion of Common ragweed (Ambr<\/a>osia\u00a0<\/a>artemisiifolia<\/em><\/a>) are noteworthy.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0For starters, note that the disservices of Common ragweed are already serious and likely to get worse throughout Europe since its allergenic pollen\u00a0affects one in ten people throughout the European continent<\/a>.\u00a0Schaffner et al. (2022)<\/a>\u00a0estimate that the health of 13.5 million people was adversely affected in 2015 by Common ragweed allergy in Europe alone, generating 7.4 billion euros (8.1 billion US$) in public health costs. Happily, our ecological restoration interventions have already demonstrated their\u00a0effectiveness\u00a0in battling this noxious annual weed (Fig. 1).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Figure 1. The decrease of cover of the highly invasive, and allergenic, common ragweed (Ambrosia\u00a0artemisiifolia<\/em>), under three different restorative treatments and control. The figure shows the pooled data of three experiments that included mowing\u00a0(Reis et al. 2021<\/a>), carbon amendment (Halassy et al. 2021<\/a>) and seeding (Reis et al. 2023<\/a>) between 1995 and 2019. Carbon amendment through addition of sucrose and sawdust reduced available N-levels in the soil. Mowing was carried out twice a year, and was followed by removal of dry plant biomass.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The successful reduction of Common ragweed invasion serves as a promising example of how ecological restoration can yield measurable benefits for human health. The new national-scale study aims to provide evidence-based insights into the potential interconnections between ecosystem health and human well-being. These findings could help inform policy decisions related to land management and restoration efforts not only in Hungary but also in other regions.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A potential next step is to investigate links between ecosystem conditions and asthmatic diseases. By analyzing data on general practitioner and specialist visits for asthma-related complaints, as well as the purchase of asthma-specific medications, we can correlate health trends with different ecosystem states across temporal and spatial scales (Nitschke et al. 2022<\/a>). This approach will allow us to assess the broader health impacts of ecological restoration.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moving forward, we plan to deepen our research on the relationship between ecological restoration and human health by collaborating with the\u00a0Ecological Health Network<\/a>\u00a0and its member sites and hubs working on similar challenges. We believe that participation in an international social impact network will not only advance our research but also enhance its value and real-world impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Katalin T\u00f6r\u00f6k and Melinda Halassy, restoration ecologists in Hungary, focus on revitalizing sandy grasslands. Their research addresses barriers to natural restoration and evaluates methods against invasive species. They emphasize the importance of ecological restoration for both biodiversity and human health, exploring connections between ecosystem health and common allergens like ragweed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3477,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[17],"tags":[291,305,306,377,411,412,413,463],"class_list":["post-3890","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-forest-restoration","tag-dunes","tag-ecological-health-network","tag-ecological-restoration","tag-forest-steppe","tag-grassland","tag-grassland-regeneration","tag-grassland-restoration","tag-invasive-species"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nher.blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/grasslandpicture1-1.png?fit=936%2C702&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nher.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3890","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nher.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nher.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nher.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nher.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3890"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nher.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3890\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3957,"href":"https:\/\/nher.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3890\/revisions\/3957"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nher.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3477"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nher.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3890"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nher.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3890"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nher.blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3890"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}