Cultural heritage and biodiversity conservation – plant introduction and practical restoration on ancient burial mounds

Abstract

Linking the conservation of cultural heritage and natural values provides a unique opportunity for preserving traditional landscapes and receives an increased awareness from stakeholders and society. Ancient burial mounds are proper objects of such projects as they are iconic landscape elements of the Eurasian steppes and often act as refugia for grassland specialist species. The aim of this project was to reintroduce grassland plant species to burial mounds for representing them as cultural monuments with the associated biodiversity for the public. The effectiveness of seed sowing, transplanting greenhouse-grown plants and individuals from threatened populations on burial mounds in Hortobágy National Park, Hungary was tested. The following questions were answered: (1) which method is the most effective for species introduction? (2) which species can establish most successfully? (3) how does management affect the species establishment rates? It was found advisable to use a combination of seed sowing and transplanting greenhouse-grown plants. Sowing was found as a cost-effective method for introducing large-seeded species, whilst introduction of greenhouse-grown transplants warranted higher establishment rates for a larger set of species. Transplanting adult individuals was more reliable regardless of management regimes, however this method is labour-intensive and expensive. Intensive management, like mowing with heavy machinery and intensive grazing, should be avoided in the first few years after introduction. The authors CONSERVATION IN PRACTICE Launched to accelerate biodiversity conservation A peer-reviewed open-access journalOrsolya Valkó et al. / Nature Conservation 24: 65-80 (2018) 66 highlighted the fact that introducing characteristic grassland species on cultural monuments offers a great opportunity to link issues of landscape and biodiversity conservation. This project demonstrated that, by the revitalisation of cultural monuments, cultural ecosystem services can also be restored.

A review of the nature, role and control of lithobionts on stone cultural heritage: weighing-up and managing biodeterioration and bioprotection

“…Nimis et al 1987;Cicinelli et al 2018;Löki et al 2019). In other cases, cultural heritage sites have been clearly identified as preferential sites for the preservation of threatened species or even their re-introduction (Valkó et al 2018;BLS 2020).…”

Eurasian Kurgan Database – a citizen science tool for conserving grasslands on historical sites

“…Fortunately in recent years the number of studies focusing on the vegetation and ecology of the kurgans shows a continuously increasing trend (Rowińska et al 2010, Pető & Barczi 2011, Sudnik-Wójcikowska et al 2011, Lisetskii et al 2014, Tóth et al 2014, Bede et al 2015, Deák et al 2016a,b, 2017, Wódkiewicz et al 2016, Godó et al 2018, Valkó et al 2018b). In most cases for supporting conservation actions even some byproduct (such as the presence of invasive species, land use or cover of woody vegetation) of these studies would be informative which does not affect the success of the scientific publication or pose threat of revealing the essential parts of the data collected.…”

“…Given the fact that kurgans are interesting historical places they raise the attention of the local population. Even those people who are not definitely engaged in nature conservation, but are interested in history, culture and folklore of their close environment are interested in kurgans (Valkó et al 2018b). This positive attitude might support the involvement of local populations into data collection.…”

“…This problem can be partly solved by involving local communities and NGOs into management actions. As shown by the case study of Valkó et al (2018b) those attributes which often makes kurgans a subordinate target for large-scale management plans allows the effective participation of small voluntary communities. The kurgans which are generally of a size less than 0.3 hectares are proper objects for volunteers aiming to conserve or restore a small, but significant part of their local historical, cultural and natural heritage.…”

Iron age burial mounds as refugia for steppe specialist plants and invertebrates – case study from the Zsolca mounds (NE Hungary)

“…This suggests that for the long-term conservation of the ecological values of the mounds, the estab-18/2 • 2019, 189-200 C. A. Tóth, B. Deák, I. Nyilas, L. Bertalan, O. Valkó & T. J. Novák Iron age burial mounds as refugia for steppe specialist plants and invertebratescase study from the Zsolca mounds (NE Hungary) lishment of an at least 50-metre-wide and uncultivated buffer-zone at the edge of the mounds is essential (see Valkó et al 2018). Hay transfer from the central parts of the kurgans (which are not infested by weedy species) would be the most proper measure to establish such a buffer zone.…”