BIODIVERSITY STUDIES ALONG THE DRAVA RIVER Authors: LEVENTE ÁBRAHÁM, SÁNDOR CSETE, JÁNOS CSIKY, SÁNDOR FARKAS, KINGA FUTÓ, ZOLTÁN HÉRA, GYŐZŐ HORVÁTH, ROLAND KARDOS, BALÁZS KEVEY,TIVADAR KONTOS, SÁNDOR KÖRMENDI, JÓZSEF LANSZKI, GÁBOR LENDVAI,LÁSZLÓ NÉDER, KATALIN PETŐ, DRAGICA PURGER, ZOLTÁN SALLAI, HENRIK SÁRKÁNY,DÁVID SCHÄFFER, LÁSZLÓ SZŰCS, BÉLA TALLÓSI, BALÁZS TRÓCSÁNYI, ÁKOS UHERKOVICH, FERENC VILISICS Reviewers: ATTILA BORHIDI, MARTIN SCHNEIDER-JACOBY Assistant of editor: DRAGICA PURGER Technical editor: SZILÁRD WALTER Translation from Hungarian and language lector: BALÁZS TRÓCSÁNYI ISBN 978-963-642-216-5 Neither this publication nor any part of it may be reproduced in any form or distributed without the prior written permission of the publisher. Published by: University of Pécs Responsible publisher: RÓBERT GÁBRIEL Printed by: Duplex-Rota Nyomdaipari és Szolgáltató Kft. Pécs Distribution in: 1000 copies Biodiversity studies along the Drava river Editor JENŐ J. PURGER Pécs, 2008 The project was carried out as part of Slovenia-Hungary-Croatia Neighbourhood Program, financed by European Union and the Republic of Hungary (SLO-HU-CRO 2006/01/167/HU). In preparation of this book the next institutions and NGO-s participated: University of Pécs, University of Kaposvár, Duna-Drava National Park Directorate, Young Ecologists Environmental Society „FÖTE”, Ecological Society „Friends of Kopacki rit”. For content of this book European Union is not responsible. Contents PURGER, J. J.: Editor’s Preface....................................................................................................................7 SCHHNEIDER-JACOBY, M.: Drava River – a Historic Chance to Monitor Dynamic Rivers in Central Europe..............9 BORHIDI, A.: Preface................................................................................................................................11 CSIKY, J. & PURGER, D.: Monitoring of plant species along the Drava river and in Baranja (Croatia)....................13 KEVEY, B. & CSETE, S.: Oak-hornbeam forests (Circaeo-Carpinetum BORHIDI 2003 em. KEVEY 2006b) of the floodplains of the Croatian Baranja.........................................................................57 KEVEY, B. & CSETE, S.: Beech forests (Circaeo-Carpinetum BORHIDI 2003 em. KEVEY 2006b fagetosum RAUŠ 1975) of the floodplains of the Baranja (NE-Croatia)............................75 KEVEY, B., CSETE, S. & LENDVAI, G.: Gallery forests of the Drava floodplain NE-Croatia, SW-Hungary...................................91 HÉRA, Z. & UHERKOVICH, Á.: Malacological data (Mollusca) from the Croatian Drava region (N Croatia)..................121 KÖRMENDI, S.: Qualitative and quantitative analysis of zooplankton fauna and water quality assessment in Croatian sampling sites along the river Drava..........................................131 FARKAS, S. & VILISICS, F.: Results of the field surveys on terrestrial isopods (Isopoda, Oniscidea) in the Drava basin, Croatia..............................................................................................143 TALLÓSI, B.: Population-level baseline surveying and preparative investigations for the monitoring of carabid beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in areas along the Drava river and in Baranja (Croatia).................................................................165 ÁBRAHÁM, L.: Myrmeleon bore (Tjeder, 1941), an ant-lion species new to the fauna of Croatia (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae).............................................221 UHERKOVICH, Á.: On the caddisflies (Trichoptera) of the common Croatian-Hungarian reach of Drava river.........................................................................225 ÁBRAHÁM, L.: Baseline survey and biological monitoring of butterflies (Lepidoptera) in Croatian areas along the Drava river...............................237 SALLAI, Z. & KONTOS, T.: Data to the fish fauna of Croatian Drava sections.............................................................249 SCHÄFFER, D. A. & TRÓCSÁNYI, B.: Preliminary evaluation of the herpetofauna of habitats selected as sample areas for biomonitoring along river Drava, Croatia..........................275 HORVÁTH,GY., FUTÓ, K., PETŐ, K., SZŰCS, L., NÉDER, L., KARDOS, R. & SÁRKÁNY, H.: Community structure of small mammals in three different forest habitats in the Drava plain region..................................................................................................287 HORVÁTH, GY., FUTÓ, K., PETŐ, K., SZŰCS, L., NÉDER, L., KARDOS, R. & SÁRKÁNY, H.: Population dynamics of dominant rodent species in three different forest habitats......................................................................................303 LANSZKI, J.: Surveying Eurasian otter Lutra lutra distribution and population monitoring in areas along the river Drava................................................317 Editor’s Preface Countries situated within the catchment area of river Drava need to make every possible effort in order to preserve one of Europe’s most beautiful rivers. For this aim to be achieved, thorough investigations have been going on in areas along the Hungarian section of river Drava, for more than twenty years. The exploration of natural values found in this river valley was started in the 1990s, and the results of research into the animal life of the region were first summarised in two volumes (UHERKOVICH 1995, 1998). Research was not discontinued when Duna-Drava National Park was established in this area in 1996, moreover it became even more intensive. One of the reasons was the threat posed by the plans of constructing a hydroelectric power plant at Novo Virje, Croatia. The power station is likely to bring about severe changes in the wildlife of Drava. It would especially threaten organisms that are found in this particular river section because of the fast-flowing water. Results of more recent studies were made available for as wide an audience as possible through the active co-operation between researchers and non-governmental organisations (SALLAI 2004). Based on knowledge about the biodiversity of the region, the monitoring of some distinguished taxa was launched in 2000. The results of the initial years were summarised in a volume published in English (ÁBRAHÁM 2005). Despite the efforts of both researchers and publishers, it is often experienced that research results do not find their way to experts of even very similar fields, not to mention decision makers of various infrastructural investments. Therefore, through this preface I would like to call the attention of the readers of this book to the aforementioned publications having been released earlier. It would be important to further improve and strengthen co-operation between scientists and NGOs working in areas along Drava. Results of the surveys must reach professionals of the neighbouring countries and decision-makers of infrastructural projects, and should also be used for informing the inhabitants of the target areas. Drava as a border river has outstanding significance. It can act as a barrier to the dispersion of certain, mostly terrestrial species, whereas – in the case of others – the river and its bordering forests can serve as a corridor facilitating the movement of species. Therefore it was deemed necessary to extend status surveys and monitoring onto Croatian areas too. With the help of the Slovenia-Hungary-Croatia Neighbourhood Programme we succeeded in turning this idea into reality, as part of the DRAVA-INTERECO project. The first and most important task was to compile a monitoring handbook, through the collaboration of Hungarian experts already having some experience in monitoring along Drava, and their Croatian colleagues. This manual can assist establishing monitoring schemes on the Croatian side of river Drava. This idea came true as a result of joint work between Hungarian and Croatian professionals (PURGER 2007). So as to lay the foundations of monitoring work in Croatian areas along river Drava, status surveys were carried out in the target areas during the year 2007, the results of which are published in this volume. We strongly believe that both the monitoring protocol book, and the collection of study reports with the results having been achieved so far can contribute to the conservation of biodiversity of river Drava and its surrounding areas, and we also hope that our initiative will have many followers. 7 References ÁBRAHÁM, L. (ed.). 2005: Biomonitoring along the river Drava in Hungary, 2000-2004. Natura Somogyiensis 7: 1-207. ISBN 963-7212-47-7, ISSN 1587-1908 (http://www.smmi.hu/termtud/ns/ns7.htm) PURGER, J. J. (ed.) 2007: Priručnik za istraživanje bioraznolikosti duž rijeke Drave. Sveučilište u Pečuhu, Pécs. 248 pp. ISBN 978-963-642-199-1 (in Croatian) SALLAI, Z. (ed.) 2004: Mit veszíthetünk a Drávára terveztt horvát erőművel?... A Drávai táj természeti értékei. Nimfea Természetvédelmi Egyesület, Túrkeve, Nimfea tanulmánykötetek 3:1- 220. ISBN 963-206-154-3, ISSN 1419-7715 (in Hungarian) UHERKOVICH, Á. (ed.) 1995: The fauna of the Drava region, I. Studia Pannonica (A) Series Historico-Naturalis, Pécs. 210 pp. ISSN 0139-0805 (in Hungarian with English summary) UHERKOVICH, Á. (ed.) 1998: The fauna of the Drava region, II. Studia Pannonica (A) Series Historico-Naturalis, Pécs. 509 pp. ISSN 0139-0805 (in Hungarian with English summary) Pécs, 10 February, 2008. JENŐ J. PURGER Project manager of the Slovenia–Hungary–Croatia Neighbourhood Program 2004-2006, INTERREG IIIA (SLO-HU-CRO 2006/01/167/HU) 8 Drava River –