Conservation and management of alkali grassland biodiversity in Central-Europe

Grasslands are vital landscape elements in Europe; the 180 million hectares of grasslands have a crucial role in maintaining the landscape level biodiversity. Alkali grasslands are typical in Central- and Eastern Europe, with large areas in the Carpathian-basin. These types of grasslands were not the most favorable targets of arable farming, but large areas affected by mineral fertilization, drainage, soil melioration and/or commercial seeding in the last 60 years. In our paper we present important vegetation characteristics, species composition and management of five grassland types from the open annual alkali pioneer swards to tall grasses dominated wet alkali meadows. In general, alkali grasslands are usually characterized by short (Festuca pseudovina, F. rupicola, Poa angustifolia) or tall grasses (Alopecurus pratensis, Elymus repens). They harbor several steppe endemics (e.g. Plantago schwarzenbergiana, Cirsium brachycephalum, Limonium gmelinii ssp. hungarica, Puccinellia limosa and P. peisonis) and halophyte species (Salicornia prostrata, Salsola soda, Suaeda pannonica, S. maritima), adapted to high salt contents of soil. According to the uneven pattern of soil salt and water, alkali grasslands are spatially very diverse. Maintaining alkali grasslands the extensive grazing mostly by cattle and sheep is essential. Nowadays, in large areas of alkali grasslands former grazing are ceased or replaced with mowing. This resulted in a change of species composition, decreased richness and/or litter accumulation. Alkali grasslands are refugees of alkali steppe vegetation; thus, restoration and preservation of their biodiversity have a high conservation priority in Habitats Directive of the EU (Pannonic salt steppes and salt marshes, 1530)