Gyongyver Cseke's BioArea HU by https://padlet.com/gyongyver_cseke/qh0g0fulk2q9 'Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting over and over announcing your place in the family of things.'- Mary Oliver en-us 2019-01-20 21:49:35 UTC 2023-03-07 04:26:25 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Xmastree.png The beautiful Keszthely Mountains gyongyver_cseke https://padlet.com/gyongyver_cseke/qh0g0fulk2q9/wish/322532837 I have chosen this area as I find it so diverse despite the fact it is quite small.]]> 2019-01-20 22:19:01 UTC https://padlet.com/gyongyver_cseke/qh0g0fulk2q9/wish/322532837 Reintroduction of Wolves to the Yellowstone National Park gyongyver_cseke https://padlet.com/gyongyver_cseke/qh0g0fulk2q9/wish/322535116 'The wolves were brought in because the increased elk population was overgrazing the deciduous, woody species such as aspen and cottonwood. ']]> 2019-01-20 22:41:29 UTC https://padlet.com/gyongyver_cseke/qh0g0fulk2q9/wish/322535116 gyongyver_cseke https://padlet.com/gyongyver_cseke/qh0g0fulk2q9/wish/327078131 The Hungarian Natural History Museum, home of more than 10 million species was founded at the beginning of the 19th century
 ]]> 2019-02-03 17:17:54 UTC https://padlet.com/gyongyver_cseke/qh0g0fulk2q9/wish/327078131 Description gyongyver_cseke https://padlet.com/gyongyver_cseke/qh0g0fulk2q9/wish/327086952 The Keszthelyi Mountains is also a geographical unit of the Balaton-felvidéki Natural Park. 

Although the Keszthelyi Mountains does not belong to a biodiversity hotspot area, it has a lot of interesting characteristics.

The area was covered by the Pannonian sea during the Triad period and gradually built up once the sea receded cca 10 million years ago. It is mainly formed by limestone, dolomite and basalt due to volcanic activity. 

It is quite a diverse area, partially covered by natural forests- a mix of oak and ash trees enduring the warm climate as well as colder areas with untouched beech forests- and partially destructed by forestry and agriculture. 
Some parts of the mountains have been massively altered by human activity- for example blank spruce (Pinus nigra) forests were planted.  It is also home to mixed karst forests, as well as to one of the very few remaining alder forests in Hungary along the Gyöngyös creek. There are rare species of plants and mushrooms too,  with records of at least 80 endangered plant species, for example orchids and irises. 
During the autumn of 2018 the National Mushroom Convention was held in the area providing evidence of a massive species richness.
]]> 2019-02-03 18:21:10 UTC https://padlet.com/gyongyver_cseke/qh0g0fulk2q9/wish/327086952 gyongyver_cseke https://padlet.com/gyongyver_cseke/qh0g0fulk2q9/wish/327089739 The high-level overview map of the National Park in Keszthely Mountains]]> 2019-02-03 18:42:56 UTC https://padlet.com/gyongyver_cseke/qh0g0fulk2q9/wish/327089739 Species richness gyongyver_cseke https://padlet.com/gyongyver_cseke/qh0g0fulk2q9/wish/329819965 The yearly National Mushroom convention has been held in the area. From fungi living only in the alder forests to beautiful Cortinarius species we have found and identified several hundreds of mushrooms. ]]> 2019-02-11 12:33:38 UTC https://padlet.com/gyongyver_cseke/qh0g0fulk2q9/wish/329819965 Deadly beauty gyongyver_cseke https://padlet.com/gyongyver_cseke/qh0g0fulk2q9/wish/329821239 Amanita phalloides is a common mushroom in Hungary- The fresh oak forests in the lower area of the mountains are an ideal habitat for this mycorrhizal fungi. 
The deadcap is among the 7 deadly poisonous ones in Hungary. It still takes a toll of about 5-10 deaths in the country every year.]]> 2019-02-11 12:38:37 UTC https://padlet.com/gyongyver_cseke/qh0g0fulk2q9/wish/329821239 Threatened species gyongyver_cseke https://padlet.com/gyongyver_cseke/qh0g0fulk2q9/wish/329825988 The alder forests are receding in Europe as well as in Hungary. Alder prefers wet areas along marshlands, creeks, little mountain ponds. There are mushrooms that are forming symbiotic relationships only with alder, therefore they have become very rare too, like the Gyrodon lividus. This is a protected mushroom in Hungary and an endangered species in whole Europe. ]]> 2019-02-11 12:55:03 UTC https://padlet.com/gyongyver_cseke/qh0g0fulk2q9/wish/329825988 Prey-predator relationship gyongyver_cseke https://padlet.com/gyongyver_cseke/qh0g0fulk2q9/wish/329829106 One day while hiking in the Eastern part of the Keszthelyi Mountains I have come across this scene. A grass snake was on the way to swallow the toad when it realized I was around. It has not let go of its prey but turned its colourful belly towards me - maybe to threaten me away. It took me a while to identify what snake it really was. Photo taken in 2015 by a phone from approx. 1.5 meters away, so it is far from perfect. ]]> 2019-02-11 13:04:16 UTC https://padlet.com/gyongyver_cseke/qh0g0fulk2q9/wish/329829106 Common alder and mushrooms gyongyver_cseke https://padlet.com/gyongyver_cseke/qh0g0fulk2q9/wish/329831952 Along the Gyöngyös creek meandering through the valleys there is a residual alder forest. Examples of mushrooms found in alder forests exclusively: Paxillus rubicundulus, Gyrodon lividus, Lactarius obscuratus,Ciboria viridifusca. This latter mushroom is a tiny little one belonging to the Peziza family and developing on the alder cones.
 


]]> 2019-02-11 13:12:12 UTC https://padlet.com/gyongyver_cseke/qh0g0fulk2q9/wish/329831952 Human activities and habitat degradation gyongyver_cseke https://padlet.com/gyongyver_cseke/qh0g0fulk2q9/wish/329837703 Pinus nigra trees have been planted starting from the 1860s up until the mid 20th century on the southern and south-eastern slopes to cover the exhausted pasture areas- unfortunately it has formed bare forest areas with very thin humus layer. The tress are drying out partially due to the climate change. The trend nowadays is to have them replaced with native oak and ash trees that endure the drought and form lusher lower forest layers. ]]> 2019-02-11 13:27:42 UTC https://padlet.com/gyongyver_cseke/qh0g0fulk2q9/wish/329837703 Ciboria viridifusca gyongyver_cseke https://padlet.com/gyongyver_cseke/qh0g0fulk2q9/wish/329847248 Fragile little mushroom thriving on alder cones. Photo credit: József Vikár. ]]> 2019-02-11 13:49:12 UTC https://padlet.com/gyongyver_cseke/qh0g0fulk2q9/wish/329847248 Parasitic relationship gyongyver_cseke https://padlet.com/gyongyver_cseke/qh0g0fulk2q9/wish/329852864 Hoof fungus on a beech tree near Nemesvita village. This fungus 'attacks' old, damaged or weak trees. In this picture you can see the bark has deep cracks and seems very dry. 

]]> 2019-02-11 13:59:26 UTC https://padlet.com/gyongyver_cseke/qh0g0fulk2q9/wish/329852864 Symbiotic relationship gyongyver_cseke https://padlet.com/gyongyver_cseke/qh0g0fulk2q9/wish/329865568 Orchid-mushroom

The Neottia nidus-avis is quite common in Hungary and in whole Europe actually and it is known for not needing chlorophyll but living in a mycorrhizal relationship with fungi belonging to the Sebacinaeae family. It can be found in the areas where the soil pH is between 5,2-8,0. It is only threatened by deforestation, currently not on the list of endangered species. ]]> 2019-02-11 14:22:27 UTC https://padlet.com/gyongyver_cseke/qh0g0fulk2q9/wish/329865568 Ecological niche gyongyver_cseke https://padlet.com/gyongyver_cseke/qh0g0fulk2q9/wish/329874351 Colourful dung beetles feeding on deer faeces. Deer are abundant in the area, not having any predators that could control their population apart from hunters. ]]> 2019-02-11 14:35:36 UTC https://padlet.com/gyongyver_cseke/qh0g0fulk2q9/wish/329874351 Untouched gyongyver_cseke https://padlet.com/gyongyver_cseke/qh0g0fulk2q9/wish/329879882 The cooler areas of the Keszthelyi Mountains are home to beech trees. ]]> 2019-02-11 14:43:49 UTC https://padlet.com/gyongyver_cseke/qh0g0fulk2q9/wish/329879882 Threats gyongyver_cseke https://padlet.com/gyongyver_cseke/qh0g0fulk2q9/wish/329885926 Climate change- the summers are dryer and dryer

Invasive species: goldenrod and milkweed (photo attached: goldenrod, St John's wort and yarrow collected for medicinal purposes during last summer- the latter two are not invasive plants)

Human activities: little bamboo forest planted by humans very close to the village of Nemesvita. The bamboos are spreading wildly year by year. ]]> 2019-02-11 14:53:23 UTC https://padlet.com/gyongyver_cseke/qh0g0fulk2q9/wish/329885926