Nóra Szigeti

Bio: Nóra Szigeti is an academic researcher from University of West Hungary. The author has contributed to research in topics: Monoculture & Vegetation. The author has an hindex of 1, co-authored 2 publications receiving 1 citations.

Soil Moisture and Temperature Characteristics in a Young Silvoarable Agroforestry System

Abstract: The aim of the present research is to investigate the effect of a young alley cropping system (planted for experimental purposes) on the soil microclimate, compared with a control site. The trial system, involving the agroforestry plantation and a control site, has been implemented in 2013 in an intensive monoculture agricultural environment. Measurement of soil microclimatic parameters started in 2014. Based on the results of the examination carried out in an agroforestry and a monoculture production site, there is a clear difference between soil moisture and soil temperature of the two cultivation systems. This effect can be observed even from the second year of the fast growing tree (Paulownia) plantation.

Shelterbelts Planted on Cultivated Fields Are Not Solutions for the Recovery of Former Forest-Related Herbaceous Vegetation

Abstract: Establishing shelterbelts for field protection is one of the rediscovered agroforestry practices in Europe and Hungary. Several studies have focused on the effects of these plantations on agricultural production. Prior scholarship reveals that shelterbelts enhance the diversity of bird and insect communities but generally fail to consider herbaceous cover. Our study aimed to describe the herbaceous vegetation in shelterbelts of different origins, tree species composition, and land management. We investigated surveys in four agricultural landscapes of North West Hungary, where the intensity of the landscape transformation is different. The diversity and species composition of the herbaceous vegetation were analyzed, including plant sociology and forest affinity. Our results highlight the importance of landscape history in herbaceous flora. Shelterbelts planted on cultivated without an immediate connection to former woody vegetation soil are not appropriate for the appearance of forest-related herbaceous species, regardless of tree species composition or the extent of the shelterbelt. On the contrary, the remnants of former woody vegetation are refuges for those herbaceous species that are very slow at colonizing new plantations. These findings expose that protecting existing woody areas is an essential task of agricultural land management.

Plant species as indicator of ancient woodland in northwestern Germany

Abstract: . 315 isolated semi-natural and natural stands in NW Germany were investigated floristically, 285 stands of ancient woodlands and 30 recent ones. In the study area nearly all semi-natural and natural ancient woodlands are found on mesotrophic or eutrophic sites and can be assigned to the Fagetalia. 54 selected herbaceous and five woody Fagetalia-species have been tested in their association to ancient woodlands. 21 of the 59 selected plant species show a highly significant association to ancient woodlands and seven species show a weak significance. 31 plant species are not significantly correlated with ancient woodland sites, but 25 of them have a low frequency. The result shows that investigations of the historical ecology can help to understand floristic composition of present-day woodlands. Restriction of many woodland species to ancient woodlands, especially rare species, emphasizes the importance of woodlands with a long continuous history for the preservation of endangered species. Irrespective of ecological conditions, the restriction of plant species to ancient woodlands seems to be mainly caused by their low ability to colonize recent woodlands, especially isolated stands. Differences in the association to ancient woodlands between European countries are assumed to be a function of both time and degree of isolation of woodlands, of the dispersal mode of the plant species and of the availability of suitable habitats.

The effect of agroforestry farming on wood quality and timber industry and its supportation by Horizon 2020

Abstract: Abstract One of the goals of the European Union’s agroforestry plans is to alleviate the shortage of timber in Europe caused by the growing demand for hardwoods and the declining import of tropical timber. The study shows which tree species can be considered in agroforestry systems in Europe, and which of them can be used as raw material for the wood industry and what quality of wood can be produced in agroforestry systems. Since 2005, the European Union has been officially encouraging farmers to plant the crops in an agroforestry system and parallel try to produce trunks for high quality timber. By analysing the current economic developments of the European Union, especially Horizon 2020, our study provides an overview of what can be expected by the participants of the agroforestry sector and the related primary wood industry in the European Union now and in the future. In addition to the distribution analysis, indices describing projects have also been created. Rank correlation was used to examine the relationship between them. Possible decision mechanisms were also outlined using a custom-built expert software system.