Contribution of invasive bivalves (Dreissena spp.) to element distribution: phase interaction, regional and seasonal comparison in a large shallow lake

After introduction, the invasive bivalve dreissenids became key species in the biota of Lake Balaton, the largest shallow lake in Central Europe. The contribution of dreissenid soft tissue and shell, as biotic phases, in element distribution and its interaction with the water and upper sediment phases were examined in two basins with different trophic conditions in spring and autumn. Six metals (Ba, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, Zn) were detected in all investigated phases. In general, metals were abundant in the water and soft tissue in the eastern basin in spring, and in the sediment and shells in the western basin in autumn. This might be associated with the more urbanized surroundings in the eastern, and the enhanced organic matter production in the western basin. High relative shares of Ba, Cu, Mn, and Pb were associated with the water and shell samples, whereas high shares of Fe and Zn were noted in the soft mussel tissue and sediments. Results suggest that dynamics of metal uptake by dreissenids depend on the seasonal change in metabolic activity. Shell metal content is less changeable; shells might absorb metals from both the soft tissue and water phases. Metallothionein peptides, the scavengers of intracellular metals, were determined to be biomarkers of the bulk contaminants rather than only metals. The present study shows that invasive bivalves, with high abundance, filtering activity, and storing capacity can significantly contribute to element distribution in the shoreline of a shallow lake ecosystem.

The Issue of the Utilization of Thermal Resources in Somogy County (1960-1990)

The purpose of the study. To examine how the situation of thermal tourism in Somogy county developed during the period of socialism. The importance of the use of thermal wells for tourism or industrial purposes was considered by the county council and the organizations of the Hungarian Socialist Workers’ Party (MSZMP). Applied methods. Literature review, especially the development of thermal tourism. The overview includes general processing of economic and tourism history. We place great emphasis on the use of archival materials. It is also important to examine the local press and use the collections of legislation. Outcomes. In Hungary, more and more economic policy measures have been taken since the 1960s to develop tourism. In some rural areas, this was linked to the increased number of oil drillings at the time, as hot water was found in many cases during the test drillings, on which thermal tourism could later be built. Despite the fact that Somogy County was already a prominent tourist destination through Lake Balaton, until the mid-1970s, 22 springs were found during the test drillings where the temperature of the water breaking to the surface exceeded 35 °C. Some of these wells were closed, but the issue of their exploitation could not be circumvented, which caused a number of problems due to a lack of material and human resources. At the same time, the Somogy County Council and county organizations of the Hungarian Socialist Workers’ Party (MSZMP) took the issue of thermal tourism extremely seriously and developed a concept for their development on two occasions. However, this only applied only to four major spas: Nagyatád, Igal, Csokonyavisonta and Kaposvár. The smaller spas were entrusted to local maintainers.

THE IMPACT OF THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC ON THE TERRITORIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF HUNGARIAN SMES (SPECIAL REGARDS TO TOURISM)

The study highlights the economic importance and role of the European and Hungarian SMEs (micro, small and medium-sized enterprises) in reducing territorial inequalities, and in contributing to regional development and gives an overview of their basic features and characteristics. In the preparation of this paper, we have relied on specialist literature and the data available on the website of Hungarian Central Statistical Office. During the 2008 crisis, real estate, real estate renting, computer and business and business support services, trade, construction and manufacturing, and automotive were the big losers. The economic sectors most exposed to the effects of the 2020 health crisis were the so-called IRS sector. The districts most affected by the health crisis were the Hungarian districts most visited by domestic and foreign tourists, namely Lake Balaton, Bük-Sárvár, Sopron-Fertő, Győr-Pannonhalma, Mátra-Bükk, Debrecen and its region.

Resort Architecture in Regional Perceptions

The regional aspirations of resort architecture give specific perspectives on the history of regionalism. The development of the shores of Lake Balaton, the largest lake in Central Europe, was determined by this particular regional aspiration. Iván Kotsis was a defining figure of Hungarian architecture between the world wars, and had a significant impact on the period - not only with his work as an architect, but also as a university professor and a public activist. This paper examines his activity around Lake Balaton on different scales, since it represented a peculiar perspective within the history of regional ideas. The research concludes that Kotsis’ regional perspective focused on resort architecture was an independent conception separated from both modern and local interpretations. Based on his university work and the knowledge transfer resulting from his international relations, he developed an integrated perspective on the region from an academic position. Reflecting on the problems of holiday resorts, he formed an autonomous method with which he experimented, to mediate between the universal modern approach and the local features of the landscape.

Long-Term Land Use and Landscape Pattern Changes in a Marshland of Hungary

This paper presents the trends of landscape change in the marshes on the southern shore of Lake Balaton, a wetland profoundly transformed by human activities. The study does not only deal with alterations in the areal proportions of land use classes but also quantitatively analyses landscape pattern, comparing landscape metrics on different dates. Based on the findings, proposals for rehabilitation are made. Through the restoration of wetland habitats, the provision level of ecosystem services can be raised. Landscape change was investigated from 1783 to 2020. For this purpose, archive maps were digitized, CORINE land cover datasets corrected by Sentinel-2 imagery were employed and from the vector data, the proportions of land use classes were calculated. For landscape pattern perimeter, area, neighbourhood and diversity metrics were used, calculated by ArcGIS vLATE plugin. It was pointed out that in land cover, the share of wetlands considerably declined over the centuries but in recent decades somewhat expanded. In the 20th century, grasslands were the predominant land use class, but with the spread of other categories, land use has become more complex. Landscape metrics show an increased fragmentation of natural habitats, a higher number of patches and edge density, leading to higher landscape diversity. Rehabilitation proposals include the establishment of rainwater retention reservoirs, the conversion of arable land which cannot be cultivated profitably to close-to-natural classes (first of all, grasslands) and the plantation of gallery forests of native tree species along canals. In comparison with other regions, similar temporal trends and spatial distributions are observed. For instance, the internationally well-known transformation of the Doñana wetland started later but was more intensive than in Hungary.

Preliminary Study on Water Bodies’ Effects on the Decomposition Rate of Goldenrod Litter

Leaf-litter input constitutes a major load in natural waters; therefore, to achieve and maintain high water quality, it is important to thoroughly examine and understand the litter decomposition process. The widespread Solidago canadensis exerts a negative effect on the composition of the ecosystem, causes extinction of species, and modifies the function of the system. In Hungary, goldenrod constantly spreads to newer areas, which can also be observed around Lake Balaton and at the bank of the Hévíz canal. In our investigation, we examined the decomposition rate of the leaves and stems of the goldenrod with the commonly applied method of leaf litter bags. As water temperature, ranging from 24.0 °C to 13.7 °C, decreases in Hévíz canal away from Lake Hévíz (−0.32 °C/100 m), we chose three different sampling sites with different water temperatures along the canal to determine how water temperature influences the rate of decomposition. For both leaves and stems, the fastest decomposition rate was observed at the first site, closest to the lake. At further sites with lower water temperatures, leaf litter decomposition rates decreased. Results observed through Hévíz canal demonstrated that higher water temperature accelerated the goldenrod decomposition dynamics, while the drift also impacted its efficiency.

Lake Balaton as an accessible tourism destination – the stakeholders' perspectives

This paper discusses the situation in the emerging field of accessible tourism at the Lake Balaton destination. The main objective of the study was to explore the current situation of accessible tourism at Lake Balaton, focusing on the perspectives of tourism stakeholders. Various issues were reflected upon, such as: a) the “general” accessibility of the destination in terms of the current state of accessibility of the destination as well as the accessibility of information, transportation, accommodation, food and beverage services, tourist attractions, funds and know-how; b) factors that make the destination Lake Balaton competitive as an accessible destination; and c) general attitudes of tourism stakeholders towards accessible tourism. The research focus was on the destination itself, not on individual attractions or tourism service providers. In order to assess the current situation and future prospects for accessible tourism at Lake Balaton, an exploratory quantitative online survey among stakeholders was conducted between 5 September and 5 October 2020. A total of 39 stakeholders participated in the survey, including 11 local municipality stakeholders, 8 local destination management organisations, and 20 tourism service providers (accommodation, catering or attractions/sights). The results show that the Lake Balaton destination accessibility is currently at an early stage of development and tends to target groups with low accessibility needs. Among the factors of destination competitiveness for the accessible tourism market, supportive factors (e.g. accessibility, infrastructure, and the commitment of stakeholders) are ranked first, followed by resources and attractions (landscape, climate, activities, culture, history, tourism service providers, and events) and the quality factor (including value for money, safety, perception and image). Planning and management (including positioning and branding) is the lowest ranked factor even though such aspects are critical factors and foundations for the development of accessible tourism.