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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]

BackgroundHungary has one of the highest mortality rates due to strokes among the European Union countries. As elevated blood pressure (BP) is the principal risk factor for strokes, we assessed BP levels, as well as awareness and treatment status of hypertension and prehypertension in a working population sample in Hungary.MethodsWorksite employees in Budapest and Szeged were screened for their BP using an automated BP measuring instrument (BpTRU). BpTRU readings of heart rate (HR) were also recorded. Respondents were classified as normotensives (NT), prehypertensives (PHTN) and hypertensives (HTN) according to their BP levels, as defined by the JNC 7 guidelines. Body height and body weight were measured and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Self-reported information regarding smoking was collected.ResultsIn total, 2,012 respondents were recruited (1,000 white collar; 1,012 blue-collar workers), with a mean (±s.d.) age of 34.8 (±9.9) years. Of all respondents, 22.6% were identified as HTN and 39.8% as PHTN. Among HTN, 40% were unaware of their condition and only 18.5% were adequately treated. PHTN were similar in age as NT, but showed significantly higher HR.ConclusionsA high proportion of relatively young and apparently healthy Hungarian employees were diagnosed with prehypertension and hypertension. Only a small proportion of HTN had their BP controlled. BMI and HR were significantly higher among individuals with prehypertension compared to NT. Whether the high rates of hypertension, prehypertension, and low levels of control explain the high stroke mortality and unfavorable cardiovascular disease (CVD) profile of Hungary needs further study.American Journal of Hypertension (2012). doi:10.1038/ajh.2011.199 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: New evidence for high-pressure, eclogite facies metamorphism in the crystalline basement of the Tisza Megaunit (southern Hungary) is reported. The retrogressed mafic eclogite forms a small lens in the orthogneiss and it was found in the borehole near Jánoshalma. The carbonated eclogite contains the peak metamorphic assemblage omphacite+garnet+phengite+kyanite+clinozoizite+rutile+K-feldspar+quartz. Omphacite (Xjd0.40–0.41Xdio0.52–0.53Xhd0.05Xaug1.55–2.85) occurs in the matrix and as inclusions in garnet (Xpy0.37–0.38Xgrs0.21–0.22Xalm0.39–0.40Xsps0–0.01Xadr0–0.01) and kyanite. Thermobarometry based on net-transfer reactions between garnet, omphacite, kyanite and phengite yields P–T conditions of 710±10 °C and 2.6±0.75 GPa. Retrogression during decompression is manifested by formation of symplectites; the most typical are diopside+plagioclase after omphacite, corundum+spinel+plagioclase after kyanite and biotite+plagioclase after phengite. Carbonatization along the veins of the retrogressed eclogite was probably coeval with formation of these symplectites. At places where carbonate is absent the rock was completely hydrated and retrogressed down to the greenschist facies with the development of actinolite. Similar eclogites together with abundant orthogneisses occur mainly in the eastern parts of the Tisza Megaunit, suggesting the existence of an ancient (possibly Variscan) subduction/accretionary complex. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The present study focuses on the mosaic-like occurrences of patches of steppes and fore-steppes in the Pannonian forest-steppe zone. We present the current vegetation, which is maintained including by human landscape use, i.e., grazing and mowing. The area is complex and for this reason it shows the changes in the landscape and differences in the vegetation more diversely. We wanted to answer the questions: Do sand steppes and forest-steppes occur in the Ipoly Valley and what location? What kind of environmental effects influence the species composition on these areas? Besides classic habitat mapping, are the satellite data from Sentinel-2A useful for distinction of different areas? Comparison of vegetation patches was based on the Hungarian habitat classification system (ÁNÉR). Based on satellite images, quantile data of the Normalized Vegetation Index (NDVI) were used for comparison. Based on the result, water bodies and urban areas are clearly distinguishable from other natural habitats. In some natural vegetation types, we found visible differences, such as grasslands, i.e., sandy steppe meadows and shrubby, woody vegetation patches. Sandy vegetation mainly grows on calcareous soils, which appear to be mosaic-like in the landscape on raised alluvials on the patches of past islands and reefs. From open to continuous closed grasslands, these vegetation types mainly grow on lithosoils. New occurrences of Pannonian sandy vegetation were discovered. In the sandy areas along the Ipoly Valley, open sandy grasslands were found, which is where the northernmost known occurrences of this vegetation type are. Besides common sandy grassland species, the vegetation also contains herbs that are typical in loess-grasslands and it is maintained by grazing, similarly to the eastern Pannonian area. This type of grazing can be useful when maintaining the mosaic-like appearance and diversity of the vegetation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]