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The cooperation between the Botanical Garden of the University of Debrecen (UD) and Hortobágy National Park dates back to the mid-1980s. As part of the cooperation, the seeds of plants that diminished due to the destruction of natural habitats were collected and then planted in the botanical garden in Debrecen with the aim of propagation.
The cooperation was strengthened after 2005, in which László Papp, Director of the Botanical Garden, who retired this spring, played a major role. Among others, a protected plant propagation yard was created in the garden that provided a good background for replantation of protected species in their original habitats. As many as 10 thousand plants of 17 protected and endangered species were taken care of in this work.
“In the framework of the renewed cooperation, we would like to continue and upgrade the work we started with Hortobágy National Park. Our main goal is to protect the emblematic plant species of the Nyírség and Hajdúság regions. This means, in part, the protection and habitat management of natural populations, and in part the artificial propagation of plants and their aftercare in case of replantation. So, the Botanical Garden will operate as a gene bank as well” the new director of the Botanical Garden said to hirek.unideb.hu.
Attila Takács said that currently the garden has smaller or greater stocks of almost a hundred protected plant species, among which 20-25 are from the Nyírség and Hajdúság regions, for example, Hungarian pasque flower, Siberian iris, marsh angelica, orange hawkweed and scalloped spirea. The latter has completely died out in nature and has survived after being planted in a few places, mainly in parks and cemeteries. The botanical garden collected some stems of those, assuming that they are descendants of the original natural population of the Carpathian Basin and replanted them here. The Department of Botany of the Faculty of Science and Technology of UD is now checking with molecular genetic methods if that assumption is correct. If it is confirmed, the replantation of the scalloped spirea in nature may be the next task.
“This cooperation is advantageous for the Botanical Garden because here our visitors can easily and closely view these plants which are normally found in hard-to-reach places in nature. Artificial populations like these also have an educational role and can be inspirational. It is a great professional success that the Botanical Garden is capable of maintaining a plant yard of this size and capacity”, Attila Takács added.
The director also said that the Botanical Garden is working on a popular science book with the Hungarian Natural History Museum and the Hortobágy National Park Directorate. The aim of the book, which is expected to come out next May, is to present 700 protected plants of Hungary.
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