Budapest

Abstract

Budapest is situated in the Carpathian Basin close to Central Europe. It occupies 525 km² and has a population of 1.7 million. Although the city is built on one of the oldest hominid settlements in Europe, it was not given its present name until 1873 when it was formed by the merging of Buda, Obuda and Pest. The city is divided by the Danube river, which flows from north to south and contains two long islands—Szentendre to the north and Csepel to the south. The solid geology of Buda (on the right bank of the river) is predominantly limestone and dolomite, which form a series of hills and valleys, whereas Pest comprises the Danube floodplain, which overlies the Triassic deposits. The varied geology and geomorphology have given rise to a wide range of habitats, including mountains, lowlands, forests, arable land, wetland and the biggest river in Europe, Danube. The face of Budapest has changed rapidly throughout its history with periods of expansion being punctuated by conflict. There is very little information about the fauna before the eighteenth century, which is restricted to observations and anecdotes in the dailies or hunting magazines. There are two large reviews of the fauna of Budapest, one published in 1879, the other in 1942. The chapter lists the 107 vertebrate species that have been recorded in Budapest in recent times: 33 fish, 10 amphibians, 16 reptiles and 48 mammals. Most of the urban mammal species are common, small-to midsized generalists. The diversity and easy availability of food resources and shelter and the low number of predators and competitors compensate for the fragmented pattern of habitats and human disturbance. The future of urban mammals very much depends on the quality of ‘green’ spaces and the corridors between them.