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In protected areas (e.g. geoparks, UNESCO sites), 13 the identification of the different aspects of geoheritage site 14 values is part of a holistic concept of protection, education 15 and sustainable development. In the past years, significant 16 progress has been achieved in the volcano tourism in 17 Hungary as shown by the acceptance of two geoparks as mem-18 bers of Global Geoparks Network. They are the Bakony-19 Balaton Geopark and the Novohrad-Nograd Geopark, which 20 involves also the old village of Hollókő UNESCO cultural 21 heritage site. These geoparks as well as the recently (2013) 22 opened Kemenes Volcano Park used primarily the volcanolog-23 ical natural values in their application, and these play still an 24 important role to attract the visitors. The Tokaj Wine Region 25 (TWR) Historic Cultural Landscape (inscribed on the World 26 Heritage List in 2002 as a cultural site) is also characterized 27 by high geodiversity due to complex volcanic settings (andes-28 ite-dacite composite cones, silicic pyroclastites, lava domes, 29 hydrothermal activity) and specialized viticultural land use of the cultural landscape. While the area of the Bakony-Balaton Geopark is situated in a well-known region and has a long tradition in tourism with a lot of innovation, the Tokaj wine region needs a significant effort to introduce their volcanic geoheritage values into the tourism market. The systematic inventory and assessment of the geoheritage elements are essential steps in different scales of geoconservation and establishment of the priorities in site management. This inventory work emphasizes the relationship between the sites at different scales and highlights the interaction between eroded volcanic relief and human activity. The inventory classifies the objects in two main geosite categories: (a) volcanic edifices resulting from denudation and inversion of the relief and (b) geodiversity sites connected to land use traditions of the cultural landscape. The assessment evaluates the scientific, cultural/historical, aesthetic and socioeconomic values and helps to define priorities in site management. The recently suggested 900 km long, cross-Hungary volcano route starts at the TWR and involves additional 50 planned stations all along the country. They represent various volcanological phenomena from silicic ignimbrite sheets through andesitic stratocones to basaltic volcanic fields. These meet significant historic, cultural, gastronomic tourism attractions to support the promotion of volcanic geoheritage.

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Aims The objective of this study was to investigate changes in soil total organic C (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), phosphorus (P) fractions, and microbial community structure during secondary succession after abandonment of vineyards on calcareous soils. Methods Two chronosequences covering 200 years and differing in aspect and slope were established in Hungary, and the upper 10 cm of the mineral soils were studied. Results We found strong increases in TOC concentrations after land-use abandonment, especially at the south-exposed sites. The TOC/TN ratio increased by a factor of 1.3 in the south-west exposed chronosequence and by a factor of 1.6 in south exposed chronosequence. The concentration of labile P (NaHCO 3 -extractable P) diminished during the first 50 years after land-use abandonment, leading to low P availability at the later stages of the succession. The total organic P (TOP) concentration increased during the first 40 years after abandonment. At the later stages of succession, TOP concentrations decreased again, while the ratio of TOC/TOP increased continuously over 200 years. The ratio of arbuscular-mycorrhizal-fungi-to-bacteria (AMF/bacteria) increased strongly during the first decade after abandonment of the vineyards. Conclusions Our study indicates that impacts of former cultivation on secondary ecosystems persisted for more than a century, and that especially P concentrations showed long lasting legacy effects.

The extensive destruction of arable lands by the process of lateral bank erosion is a major issue for the alluvial meandering type of rivers all around the world. Nowadays, land managers, stakeholders, and scientists are discussing how this process affects the surrounding landscapes. Usually, due to a land mismanagement of agroforestry activities or urbanization plans, river regulations are designed to reduce anthropogenic impacts such as bank erosion, but many of these regulations resulted in a degradation of habitat diversity. Regardless, there is a lack of information about the possible positive effects of meandering from the ecological point of view. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to investigate a 2.12 km long meandering sub-reach of Sajó River, Hungary, in order to evaluate whether the process of meander development can be evaluated as a land degradation processes or whether it can enhance ecological conservation and sustainability. To achieve this goal, an archive of aerial imagery and UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle)-surveys was used to provide a consistent database for a landscape metrics-based analysis to reveal changes in landscape ecological dynamics. Moreover, an ornithological survey was also carried out to assess the composition and diversity of the avifauna. The forest cover was developed in a remarkable pattern, finding a linear relationship between its rate and channel sinuosity. An increase in forest areas did not enhance the rate of landscape diversity since only its distribution became more compact. Eroding riverbanks provided important nesting sites for colonies of protected and regionally declining migratory bird species such as the sand martin. We revealed that almost 70 years were enough to gain a new habitat system along the river as the linear channel formed to a meandering and more natural state.