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Ungulate browsing shapes climate change impacts on forest biodiversity in Hungary

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Abstract

Climate change can result in a slow disappearance of forests dominated by less drought-tolerant native European beech (Fagus sylvatica) and oak species (Quercus spp.) and further area expansion of more drought-tolerant non-native black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) against those species in Hungary. We assumed that the shift in plant species composition was modified by selective ungulate browsing. Thus, we investigated which woody species are selected by browsing game. We have collected data on the species composition of the understory and the browsing impact on it in five different Hungarian even-aged forests between 2003 and 2005. Based on these investigations the non-native Robinia pseudoacacia living under more favourable climatic conditions was generally preferred (Jacobs’ selectivity index: D = 0.04 ± 0.77), while the native Fagus sylvatica and Quercus spp. (Q. petraea, Q. robur), both more vulnerable to increasing aridity, were avoided (D = −0.37 ± 0.11; −0.79 ± 0.56; −0.9 ± 0.16; respectively) among target tree species. However, economically less or not relevant species, e.g. elderberry (Sambucus spp.), blackberry (Rubus spp.) or common dogwood (Cornus sanguinea) were the most preferred species (D = 0.01 ± 0.71; −0.12 ± 0.58; −0.2 ± 0.78, respectively). Our results imply that biodiversity conservation, i.e. maintaining or establishing a multi-species understory layer, can be a good solution to reduce the additional negative game impact on native target tree species suffering from drought. Due to preference for Robinia pseudoacacia selective browsing can decelerate the penetration of this species into native forest habitats. We have to consider the herbivorous pressure of ungulates and their feeding preferences in planning our future multifunctional forests in the light of climate change impacts.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Katalin Mátrai, Zsolt Biró and the other colleagues and students for participating in field works. Zoltán Somogyi provided us valuable comments and information. James Dedon revised the final English version of the manuscript. The Gemenc, SEFAG Forestry and Timber Industry and Egererdő joint-stock companies made the investigations possible on their areas. The work was funded by the Game Management Foundation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FVM 73028/2002). This paper was supported by the János Bolyai Research Scholarship of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (to Katona, K.) and the Research Faculty Grant of the Hungarian Ministry of Human Resources (7629-24/2013/TUDPOL).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Wildlife Conservation, St. István University, Páter K. Street 1, Gödöllő, 2100, Hungary

    Krisztián Katona, Márton Kiss, Norbert Bleier, János Székely, Mariann Nyeste, Vera Kovács, Attila Terhes, Áron Fodor, Tamás Olajos & László Szemethy

  2. Institute of Environmental and Earth Sciences, University of West Hungary, Sopron, P.O.B. 132, 9400, Hungary

    Ervin Rasztovits

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  1. Krisztián Katona
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  2. Márton Kiss
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  3. Norbert Bleier
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  4. János Székely
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Correspondence to Krisztián Katona.

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Katona, K., Kiss, M., Bleier, N. et al. Ungulate browsing shapes climate change impacts on forest biodiversity in Hungary. Biodivers Conserv 22, 1167–1180 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-013-0490-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-013-0490-8

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