Upper Tisa Transboundary Ramsar Site (SK-HU) and Domica-Baradla Transboundary Ramsar Site (SK-HU)

Upper Tisa transboundary Ramsar site (SK-HU) and Domica-Baradla transboundary Ramsar site (SK-HU)

Workshop on Transboundary Water Resources Management in Eastern and Northern Europe Kyiv, 28 April 2010 András Schmidt, Ministry of Environment and Water, Hungary Courtesy of Prof. Emeritus György Dévai, dr. Margit Miskolczi and dr. András Schmotzer The Upper Tisa valley • Preparatory proposal for Ramsar site designation (Eds: Hamar, J. and A. Sárkány-Kiss), 1999 • Site designation in Slovakia (735 ha) and Hungary (22,311 ha) 2003 • Natura 2000 in 2004 SK site Ecological values of the Upper Tisa

• Unique natural heritage still remaining in certain parts of the meandering river • most important habitat types: lowland river, mudflats, steep banks, willow thickets Ecological values of the Upper Tisa most important habitat types: softwood gallery forests and oxbow lakes Diversity of habitats: different types of oxbows according to age and degree of sedimentation

Open lake Pond Marsh

Bagi-szegi-morotva Liget-szögi-morotva Báka-szegi-morotva

Marshy Gallery meadow forest Cultivated land Füzes-alji-morotva Almás-kerti-Holt-Tisza Zovány-tó-közi-morotva

Dragonfly sampling at different locations with 1. térkép: A Kisar és Tivadar közötti odonatológiai differentexuviumgy hydromorphologicalőjtések helyszínei (K-T/1-9) conditions

2 8 4 5

9 7 6

Gomphus flavipes Gomphus vulgatissimus A B 25 30

20 25 20 15 15 10 10 5 5 0 0 (Kisar) (Kisar) (Kisar) (Kisar) (Kisar) (Kisar) (Tivadar) (Tivadar) (Tivadar) (Tivadar) (Tivadar) (Tivadar) (Tivadar) (Tivadar) (Tivadar) (Tivadar) (Tivadar) (Tivadar) Tisza, JP, K-T1 Tisza, JP, K-T4 Tisza, JP, K-T5 Tisza, JP, K-T8 Tisza, JP, K-T1 Tisza, JP, K-T4 Tisza, JP, K-T5 Tisza, JP, K-T8 Tisza, BP, K-T2 Tisza, BP, K-T3 Tisza, BP, K-T6 Tisza, BP, K-T7 Tisza, BP, K-T9 Tisza, BP, K-T2 Tisza, BP, K-T3 Tisza, BP, K-T6 Tisza, BP, K-T7 Tisza, BP, K-T9

Ophiogomphus cecilia C Onychogomphus forcipatus D 25 100 A 90 20 80 70 15 60 50 10 40 30 5 20 10 0 0 (Kisar) (Kisar) (Kisar) (Kisar) (Kisar) (Kisar) (Tivadar) (Tivadar) (Tivadar) (Tivadar) (Tivadar) (Tivadar) (Tivadar) (Tivadar) (Tivadar) (Tivadar) (Tivadar) (Tivadar) Tisza, JP, K-T8 Tisza,JP, Tisza, JP, K-T4 Tisza,JP, K-T5 Tisza,JP, Tisza, JP, K-T1 Tisza,JP, Tisza, BP, K-T9 Tisza,BP, Tisza, BP, K-T7 Tisza,BP, Tisza, BP, K-T6 Tisza,BP, Tisza, BP, K-T2 Tisza,BP, K-T3 Tisza,BP, Tisza,K-T8 JP, Tisza,K-T1 JP, Tisza,K-T4 JP, Tisza,K-T5 JP, Tisza, BP, K-T9 Tisza,BP, Tisza, BP, K-T2 Tisza,BP, K-T3 Tisza,BP, K-T6 Tisza,BP, K-T7 Tisza,BP,

Endemics: largest mayfly species in the world (Palingenia longicauda) Tisa blooming: mayfly swarming in June Why the Upper Tisa? One example: dragonflies (Gomphus flavipes, G. vulgatissimus, Ophiogomphus cecilia, O. forcipatus)

Tisza: Kisar és Tivadar közötti szakasz A Tisza: Vásárosnaményhez tartozó szakasz B

Gomphus flavipes Gomphus flavipes

Gomphus Gomphus vulgatissimus vulgatissimus Ophiogomphus cecilia Ophiogomphus cecilia Onychogomphus Onychogomphus forcipatus forcipatus

Tisza: Tuzsérhoz tartozó szakasz Tisza: Tiszabercelhez tartozó szakasz C D

Gomphus flavipes A Gomphus flavipes

Gomphus Gomphus vulgatissimus vulgatissimus Ophiogomphus cecilia Ophiogomphus cecilia

Onychogomphus Onychogomphus forcipatus forcipatus

Threats and scenarios for oxbows along the Upper Tisa Examples from the Boroszló-kerti flood plain

Silting up Healthy

Dried out Drained Threats and conservation action needed

• Long (229 km in Hungary) and narrow site • River regulation, water pollution (cyanide, heavy metals, garbage), drainage of flood plain wetlands • Forestry (invasive non-native species) • Agricultural runoff • Dredging for gravel

• Conservation measures: prevention of pollution, hybrid poplar to be replaced with native species; maintenance of flood plain meadows, conversion of flood plain arable land into grassland, ban on dredging Domica-Baradla transboundary RS

Site protection

• Aggteleki NP in Hungary since 1985 (PLA 1978) • Slovensky kras NP Slovakia in 2002 (PLA 1973) • MAB BR 1979, WH 1995 • Subterranean and surface wetlands designated under Ramsar Convention in 2001 Ecological values

• Unique geomorphology providing diverse habitats: 1200 caves in the region, 273 in the Aggteleki NP; 25 km-long Domica-Baradla system is the temperate zone’s longest cave with an active watercourse sinkholes, dolines, dripstone caves, springs, karrs

Ecological values

Carpathian • Unique wildlife: Blue Slug – cave-dwelling species – Carpathian species – thermophilous, karst-loving species Cave shrimp Libellula macaronia Threats & possibilities

Majority of the „Carpathian” wetlands are protected (multi-protected) BUT Climatic changes are significant – major risk of degradation & extinction Agricultural and other pollution quickly appears in karst waters

More attention should be focussed on mountain wetland habitats Prevention of pollution, elimination of invasive species, grazing in meadows, non-intervention in rock grasslands and protected forests More possibilities for transboundary cooperation ThankThank youyou forfor youryour attention!attention!