Phytosociological analysis of Gladiolus palustris sites in northwestern, western and southwestern Slovenia / Fitocenološka oznaka rastišč vrste Gladiolus palustris v severozahodni, zahodni in jugozahodni Sloveniji

With a phytosociological analysis of more than 200 relevés on more than 25 localities with Gladiolus palustrisand (or) G. illyricusin western and southwestern Slovenia we identified more than 15 communities of association rank that belong to at least eight vegetation alliances and five classes. We determined that these two species can grow on the same localities and sites, but Gladiolus palustrisflowers at least 14 days after G. illyricus. Another reliable distinguishing characteristic is the fibrous tunic covering the corm. Gladiolus palustris is threatened in most of the examined localities, except for the Banjšice Plateau and the Slavnik range in Čičarija, but the current nature conservation policy in Slovenia does not provide for its preservation. Key words: Gladiolus palustris, G. illyricus, phytosociology, syntaxonomy, Natura 2000, nature conservation, Slovenia Izvleček S fitocenološko analizo več kot 200 popisov na več kot 25 nahajališčih v zahodni in jugozahodni Sloveniji, na katerih uspevata vrsti Gladiolus palustrisin (ali) G. illyricus, smo prepoznali več kot 15 združb na rangu asociacije, ki pripadajo vsaj osmim vegetacijskim zvezam in petim razredom. Ugotovili smo, da obe podobni vrsti lahko uspevata na skupnih nahajališčih in rastiščih, toda vrsta Gladiolus palustriscveti vsaj 14 dni kasneje kot vrsta Gladiolus illyricus. Zanesljiv znak za njuno razlikovanje so vlakna, ki obdajajo njun gomolj. Na večini preučenih nahajališč je močvirski meček ogrožen in mu zdajšnja naravovarstvena politika v Sloveniji ne zagotavlja ohranitve, izjema sta planoti Banjšice in pogorje Slavnika v Čičariji. Ključne besede: Gladiolus palustris, G. illyricus, fitocenologija, sintaksonomija, Natura 2000, varstvo narave, Slovenija

The Myrmecofauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of Hungary: Survey of Ant Species with an Annotated Synonymic Inventory

Ants (Hymenoptera: Forimicidae) are exceedingly common in nature. They constitute a conspicuous part of the terrestrial animal biomass and are also considered common ecosystem engineers. Due to their key role in natural habitats, they are at the basis of any nature conservation policy. Thus, the first step in developing adequate conservation and management policies is to build a precise faunistic inventory. More than 16,000 valid ant species are registered worldwide, of which 126 are known to occur in Hungary. Thanks to the last decade’s efforts in the Hungarian myrmecological research, and because of the constantly changing taxonomy of several problematic ant genera, a new checklist of the Hungarian ants is presented here. The state of the Hungarian myrmecofauna is also discussed in the context of other European countries’ ant fauna. Six species (Formica lemani, Lasius nitidigaster, Tetramorium immigrans, T. staerckei, T. indocile and Temnothorax turcicus) have been reported for the first time in the Hungarian literature, nine taxon names were changed after systematic replacements, nomenclatorial act, or as a result of splitting formerly considered continuous populations into more taxa. Two species formerly believed to occur in Hungary are now excluded from the updated list. All names are nomenclaturally assessed, and complete synonymies applied in the Hungarian literature for a certain taxon are provided. Wherever it is not self-evident, comments are added, especially to explain replacements of taxon names. Finally, we present a brief descriptive comparison of the Hungarian myrmecofauna with the ant fauna of the surrounding countries. The current dataset is a result of ongoing work on inventorying the Hungarian ant fauna, therefore it is expected to change over time and will be updated once the ongoing taxonomic projects are completed.

Evaluation of the Operational Environment Factors of Nature Conservation Policy Implementation: Cases of Selected EU and Non-EU Countries

The complex policy decision-making situation around nature conservation requires examination of the operational environment. This study develops and tests a three-phase analytical framework for the evaluation of operational environment factors influencing nature conservation policy implementation. The four important operational environment factors (legal, policy, economic, and social) have been identified, to build up a framework. The framework was tested in selected countries and includes experts’ opinions. Experts (n = 44) from five EU countries (Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy, Slovakia, and Slovenia) and four non-EU countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia) defined and evaluated the factors and sub-factors that affect the operational environment related to nature conservation policy implementation. The results show policy changes arising from the new governance requirements introduced by changed political regime and Europeanization are key driving factors for changes in the nature conservation operational environment. For nature conservation, these wide-reaching changes have led to new political and legal frameworks, new institutional set-ups and multilevel governance frameworks, new establishment of protected areas and Natura 2000 network, and the re-allocation of financial resources and inclusion of non-state actors in policy decision-making. However, there are also some challenges and unsolved problems that need further attention from policy decision-makers and institutions, especially related to the institutional gap, sustainable financing of nature conservation, transposition of the EU Directives into legal systems, designation of sites or improving their implementation, implementation of innovative funding schemes, and a transparent participatory process. This analytical framework can be applied to various problems related to any environmental issues or other policy implementation or management, and other sectors where public decision-making is combined with stakeholders’ engagement.