Hungary

Baradla Cave System and related wetlands 14/08/01; Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén; 2,075 ha; 48°28’N 020°30’ENational Park, MAB Biosphere Reserve, World Heritage site

The Baradla Cave System is the Hungarian part of the 25 km long Baradla-Domica Cave System that is a typical and the largest subterranean hydrological system of the karst plateau in the territory of Hungary and Slovakia. The site is characterized by a permanent subterranean stream, ponds, rich dripstone formations, and diverse representatives of subsurface fauna as well as rich archaeological remains.
The extended underground world of the Aggtelek & Slovak Karst, of which the site is a large part, provides a habitat for more than 500 species of troglobite, troglophile and trogloxene animals including endemic species (such as Niphargus aggtelekas), as well as species first described from this region. The most important archaeological sites are the settlements of Bükk culture both inside and in front of the cave entrance, with charcoal drawings unique in Central Europe. The importance of the karstic springs was recognized by local people as early as the Middle Ages, particularly for milling grain and crushing ore.
More than 200,000 tourists visit the site annually, for whom tours and study trails, as well as hotels and campsites, are available. The site is a part of Transboundary Ramsar Site with Slovakia’s Domica Ramsar site (designated January 2001) and part of a single ‘Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst’ World Heritage site since 1995. Ramsar site no. 1092. Most recent RIS information: 2007.

Bodrogzug 17/03/89; Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén; 3,782 ha; 48º11’N 021º25’E. Landscape Protection Area.

A floodplain area including several lakes at the confluence of two rivers, with grassland, marshland, lakes, reedbeds, willow scrub and areas of woodland on higher ground. The area is important for breeding and staging numerous species of waterbirds. Several notable plants are supported. Ramsar site no. 422. Most recent RIS information: 2007.

Felsö-Tisza (Upper Tisza). 04/12/04; Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg; 22,311 ha; 48°39'N, 022°12'E; Nature Reserve, Landscape Protection Area.

The site covers the entire active floodplain along a 215 km section of the river Tisza in northeastern Hungary, adjacent to the Bodrogzug Ramsar site; it meets the Ukrainian and Slovakian borders to the east and north, and the catchment is also shared with Romania.
Felsö-Tisza is a typical floodplain with dikes constructed in the late 19th-early 20th centuries. The natural and near-natural habitats consist of large patches of softwood (Salicetum albae-fragilis) and hardwood riverside forests (Querco-Ulmetum), oxbow lakes, filled-in meanders with rich natural flora and fauna, extensively managed or abandoned orchards and plough-lands. The site supports many vulnerable animal species such as Corn crake, Common otter, Danube salmon, Zingel, Sterlet, and Russian sturgeon and is an important migration route notably for the fish Nase (Chondrostoma nasus), Barbel (Barbus barbus), and Sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus). The oxbows perform important ecological functions such as spawning, rearing, feeding, resting and staging, aquifer recharge, aquatic species "banks", and habitat connectivity.
Dry periods in recent years have led to eutrophication and decreased habitat extent. Tourism, fishing, and intensification of forestry are adversely affecting the ecological character. A special program identifying the most important sites along the river has been implemented. The site is part of a Transboundary Ramsar Site designated in conjunction with Tisa River in the Slovak Republic. Ramsar site no. 1410.Most recent RIS information: 2004.

Ipoly Valley, 14/08/01; Nógrád; 2,227 ha; 48°04’N 019°07’E, National Park

A long, flat, and narrow valley containing oxbow lakes as well as shrub and alder bogs which serve to minimize risks of flood damage. Seasonally flooded meadows are partly grazed by cattle and partly mowed, and groundwater recharge supplies drinking water to the population.
The site is an important stopover for migratory waterbirds and offers habitat to a significant number of fish species, some of them endangered, though its role as an important fish spawning ground has declined. Few serious threats to the site are foreseen, though increased overgrazing and greater use of artificial fertilizers would not be welcome. Expanded recreational and eco-tourism for the Budapest region may bring benefits, and a return to traditional, sustainable fishing methods is contemplated.
The site was declared as part of a Transboundary Ramsar Site with Slovakia's Poiplie Ramsar site on 02/02/07, and a unique ethnographic and cultural character binds the sites, as evidenced by the Csadó-tanya prehistoric settlement remains. Ramsar site no. 1093. Most recent RIS information: 2006.

The information used above is from The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands website.