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The European temperate forest zone has great importance, in terms of maintaining the habitats of not only forests but also anthropogenous grasslands, which were formed as a result of habitat reconstruction. These habitats have great importance, by means of nature conservation, landscape use, economy, and forest and grassland use. The mosaic-like habitat complexes that consist of these grasslands and forest patches help to increase biodiversity and supply the habitat for forest game. In this survey, changes in the vegetation of the temperate forests (Fagetum) of the Mátra Mountains of Hungary were investigated after reconstruction. In 2012, shrub cutting was carried out in the area of Parádóhuta, and then three different management methods (abandoning, mowing, and grazing) were utilized. Our goals were the following: to perform a vegetation survey of the sample areas (i); surveying the natural regeneration of the grassland and analyzing its biodiversity, nature conservation, and economical value (ii); and analyzing the vegetation in terms of nature conservation and valuing its life form spectrum, economy values, and livestock-feeding ability (iii). According to our results, systematic mowing and a less-intensive grazing had a significantly positive effect on biodiversity and the coverage of species, thus increasing the naturalness of the studied grassland habitats, while wild game were able to act as ecological engineers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secondary succession and seed bank formation was studied in a formerly grazed, abandoned, eastern Hungarian sandy steppe-meadow (Pulsatillo-Festucetum ).The vegetation was sampled at different elevations of a sand dune which became partly invaded by the tree Robinia pseudo-acacia ca. 10 yr ago. Pre-abandonment vegetation records were used as historic references. Though composition of the non-invaded grassland only changed moderately,dominance of tall grasses (Elymus hispidus, Poa angustifolia) increased significantly at the cost of annuals and low stature perennials. In the stand invaded by Robinia most grassland species were lost and replaced by nitrophytes. Vertical position influenced species abundance, but affected the composition only moderately. Fine-scale zonation of the vegetation also changed with time. Species richness of the above-ground vegetation and the seed density of soil samples at the lower elevation were slightly greater than at the higher sites. Seed banks of sensitive grassland specialists (e.g. Pulsatilla pratensis subsp.hungarica) disappeared during grass encroachment. Following extinction from above-ground vegetation, restoration must rely on dispersal from adjacent areas. In contrast, several annuals and perennials, which survived this degradation stage in the above-ground vegetation, possessed seed banks. Many of these species became extinct from the vegetation during the Robinia invasion but left viable persistent seeds. This fact is promising for restoration of the Potentillo-Festucetum sandy pasture. Competitive weedy species and sprouting Robinia can, however, limit seedling establishment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]