Research
Several ecosystem functions provide essential services for people. Our team is especially interested in pollination, biological control, soil fertility, all are supporting key needs of the society.
Our group provides key expertise for the mapping and assessing ecosystems and their services in Hungary, environmental foresight, sustainable development based on ecosystem services, and to the monitoring of mosquitoes as disease vectors. Group members are also active in key science-policy interface bodies, like IPBES (former MEP member, CLA, LA, etc), EU’s MAES working group, and EASAC (European Academies Science Advisory Council).
Two field experiments were established in 2019 and 2020 respectively to manipulate permanent grassland productivity and biodiversity. In the Kiskunság Oldfields Overseeding Experiment (Parlag Felülvetés Kísérlet) we overseeded oldfields with a seed mixture of native local plants, mainly leguminaceae to improve soil properties. The Kiskunság Wildflower Fields Experiment (Vadvirágos Parcellák Kísérlet) has 16 landscape windows with 0.5 ha newly established flower fields of a seed mixture of 32 native local plant species in the middle.