Floodplain forests

Abstract

In spite of centuries of forest exploitation and indirect human intervention into their physical environment, the forests along the Hungarian Drava section have preserved much of their natural character. Particularly along the northernmost reaches, where the river arrives from Croatian territory (the Zákány–Őrtilos area of the Somogy Hills), more than 100 protected herbaceous plant species are found in the forests. This chapter provides systematic descriptions of the forest communities found in the Drava Plain: two types of willow shrubs, three associations of riverine softwood groves, three hardwood forest communities and four classes of bog forests. Their successional evolution, significance in the landscape, threats imposed by human activities, proper and improper management and nature conservation aspects are also briefly treated. Coupled with microtopography, pedodiversity and micro-climate, the distribution of forest communities creates a special landscape pattern.