Actual distribution maps of vegetation types are important data sources of basic and applied research, respectively. Though there were several attempts to map the actual vegetation of Hungary, the MÉTA program was the first to map all the (semi-)natural habitat types on the whole territory of Hungary. The paper discusses the woodland and shrubland habitats. 41 habitats are presented and discussed. The paper provides additional data on the area and distribution of the habitats mainly at the physical geographical macroregion scale.

One of the biggest threats to biodiversity is the loss and fragmentation of (semi) natural habitats. Based on a site condition map (developed from the AGROTOPO database, TAKI), the botanical interpretation of historical maps (I. Military Survey, III. Military Survey), and the actual vegetation map of the region (D-TMap, MÉTA database), we calculated the loss of area for the main habitat types. In 1783 sand dunes and wet habitats were mainly in a semi-natural state, while only about 4% of the landscape was covered with (semi) natural woodlands. Compared to their natural, potential area at present, 99% of the steppe grasslands, 93–94% of the open sand vegetation (incl. juniper-poplar thickets), 82% of the floodplain vegetation, 56% of the alkali vegetation, and 55% of the fen vegetation was destroyed by human activities. The habitat loss is an on-going process which continues. By comparing the Gauss- Krüger topographic map (1985), and a satellite image (SPOT4, 1999), we have documented the loss of 40 074 hectares of (semi) natural habitat in the last 15 years (18% of the total). Of the destroyed habitats, 60% were fen vegetation, 25% alkali vegetation, 8% dry sand vegetation, 1.3% steppe vegetation, and 6% flood-plain vegetation (see maps in the inside covers). The detailed evaluation of landscape changes between 1883 and the present, respectively, have also began.

This paper gives a preliminary report on the mapping of invasive plant species in Hungary done within the framework of the Mapping of the Hungarian Flora Programme. The use of a special "Invasion Data Sheet", showing the occurrence of invasive and other expanding native plant species per grid cell, enables the documentation of further characteristics of these species. Although neither field data collection nor processing of the distribution maps has been finished, both elements are at a high level of completion. All species presented in this study are invasive neophytes in Hungary. The maps show their distribution at a completion rate of data processing of approximately 75%. According to the experience obtained up to now, floristic data collection using the Invasion Data Sheet is less suitable for surveying invasive plants on arable land. It is more convenient for mapping the occurrence of invasive plant species in (semi)natural vegetation, which actually was the main purpose of this work. The results provide data on geographical distribution and will help to determine the dynamics of the spread of invasive plants and their infestation at the landscape level.

Ecosystems contribute inconspicuously, yet fundamentally, to human well-being by supplying vital goods and services, including genetic resources, habitat maintenance and climate and runoff regulation. The combined effects of climate change and other global change drivers may impose dramatic impacts on species and ecosystems worldwide, with potentially detrimental consequences on human society. In this chapter we present a vulnerability assessment for the natural and semi-natural ecosystems of Hungary, calculating the local exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity of different habitat types. Exposure was calculated using six different clobal climate model (GCM) outputs comprising of four different models and three emission scenarios, providing a cross-section of the climatic and socio-economic uncertainties within the projections. To estimate the sensitivity of habitats, four types of climate sensitivity were identified and estimated either quantitatively or semi-quantitatively. Adaptive capacity of habitat occurrences was assessed using landscape ecological evaluation of the quality and distribution of habitat patches. Three potential indicators of adaptive capacity were identified, describing (1) the potential resilience of the individual habitat patches, (2) the local refuge-providing ability of the landscape, and (3) the connectivity and permeability of the landscape. By combining results of exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity, climatic vulnerability maps of natural ecosystems were produced. This case study, prepared for the Hungarian National Climate Change Strategy, provides the first example of a methodology to give quantitative estimation of the potential climatic vulnerability and adaptive capacity of ecosystems based on a detailed habitat database.