The Hungarian case study area (CSA) is situated in the South-Heves county, within the borders of the ‘Hevesi Füves Puszták’ Nature Reserve of Bükk National Park. The Bükk National Park Directorate (BNPD) was established in 1977 and covers almost the entire Bükk Mountain range. The protected area of the national park is 42,269 hectares, of which the majority is forest (94%). A small portion is either grassland (3%) or arable land (0.4%).
In the ‘Hevesi Füves Puszták’ Nature Reserve, more than 60% of the area is under arable cultivation, while grasslands account for just over 10%. Within this region, the Hungarian CSA comprises no fewer than 5 Living Lab study sites. Each is complemented by four associated sites: an implementation site, a reference habitat (positive control), an internal control site and an external control site.
The study aims to observe how pollinators benefit from different measures. To guide this process, a collaboration has been established between HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research (HUN-REN CER) and Bükk National Park Directorate. This project started in 2024.
Study sites
The field study aimed to explore how co-designed arable farming methods and local agri-environmental programmes at implementation sites affect wild pollinators. These methods are currently practised by the National Park and are expected to expand through Living Lab sites. The study compared their impact to conventional farming practices at internal and external control sites, as well as grasslands, which served as reference habitats (positive controls).
The researchers survey cereal fields and alfalfa fields. Since cereal fields are rarely visited by pollinators, the team are also monitoring pollinators in green fallows and bee pastures at the Living Lab sites (where available). For a fair comparison, they monitor pollinators in adjacent edges: unmanaged seminatural habitats alongside fallows and pastures on site.
The RestPoll team started the pollinator monitoring in mid-April and finished their fourth round in mid-July. The team also conducted the botanical survey in early May. This way, they gained a detailed overall picture of the pollination ecosystem.
Researcher-led co-design
The co-design is led by the researchers, with Bükk National Park contributing co-designed Living Lab sites as well as some positive control and implementation sites. On these sites, principles of good conservation are practiced or supervised by the park itself and on the farmers to whom it leases the land.
In order to provide additional types of sites, the park also reached out to the local farmers. To establish the Living Lab the park contacted local farmers, who are providing access to their land for the fieldwork on the study sites, and have involved them in the project set-up. Restoration measures include grazed and mown grasslands, flower strips and fallows. The farmers are continually engaged via workshops and other measures by RestPoll members.
Sándor Piross and his colleagues wanted to strengthen the bonds between research and agriculture. To this end, HUN-REN CER held a RestPoll booth at the National Park annual meeting with the local farmers and the other stakeholders (St. George’s Day Herding-Out Festival). There they gathered contacts from farmers interested in implementing measures. As a result, the communities of both farmers and pollinators can be supported in Hungary.
