Modelling the potential vegetation of Hungary

Informations

Funding country

Hungary

Acronym

-

URL

-

Start date

4/1/2011

End date

3/31/2014

Budget

47,036 EUR

Fundings

Abstract

Potential vegetation models are of great importance as a baseline of vegetation ecology. They can form the basis of climate change modelling and can assist effective nature conservation and habitat restoration. Nevertheless, large extent models including estimations for the whole range of vegetation types potentially present have not yet been implemented. Partly because of the lack of appropriate data to rely on, partly because of the limited applicability of prediction techniques. In the proposed project I plan to create such a series of models for Hungary based on the unique Landscape Ecological Vegetation Database & Map of Hungary (MÉTA), which allows country-scale predictions in exceptional detail. Recently new prediction methods have also emerged, which have promising feautre for potential vegetation modelling, but have not been tested on such subject yet. I plan to use such a techinque in the proposed project. Major outcomes of the project will be models and maps of the potential vegetation distribution of occurrence probability of each mature vegetation type in Hungary, as well as an evaluation of the modelling techinques. The primary outcome will be further analysed to understand differences in the observed and potential pattern of vegetation types individually as well as in their co-occurrence. This will also provide nature conservation and ecological restoration implications.