Southern-Mez?föld Landscape Protection Area - Duna-Dráva NP (sitios de interés)
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| Territory of the protected area: 7 546 hectares, of which 965 hectares are under increased protection. Location: The more than ten larger and smaller separate parts of the landscape protection area are located south of the Dunaföldvár–Cece road, in the triangle between the Danube and the Sió (the protected areas are marked by signs). Visitors: Freely accessible for visitors except for certain parts under increased protection. Management: Directorate of the Danube–Drava National Park Son of the Southern Mez?föld author Gyula Illyés wrote about this county in his book People of the Puszta that the beauty of this land was revealed to him as a child, he started to understand its hidden treasures when he heard about local stories or events, when the knowledge acquired earlier helped him revive the otherwise invisible small worlds. Mez?föld has still not changed from this aspect, the visitor must bend closer to it to recognize its values. The pleasant, soothing view of undulating hills, flatlands, meadows, patches of wood and small areas with stagnant water periodically flooded do not promise much at first sight. But it is worth keeping searching, because our efforts are richly rewarded by Mez?föld.  Kölesd The territory of Mez?föld was formed as a result of a geological fault in the Pleistocene, as a result of which an extensive basin lying lower than its surroundings declining to the south was created (roughly from the line of Székesfehérvár to Szekszárd). The northern part of the basin was a marshy wet place till the time of the reclamation and river control works of the 19th century, but the southern part of Mez?föld was even originally characterized by dry loess cover, because the sloping base rock was covered with ever growing layers of loess, which is a good water absorber. First, the Primeval Sárvíz meandered and deposited its alluvium (certain parts of its continuously changing bed can still be recognized), later, at the beginning of the ice age a thick layer of loess was deposited on the lower lying southern parts. That is how the often thirty-fifty metre thick sand and loess ground of the Southern Mez?föld rich in lime was formed (it is freely accessible behind the brick factory of Paks as the loess wall is part of the landscape protection area).  Csákvár In contrast to the first sight the place is quite varied. On the one hand it is characterized by the characteristic forms of loess: the slides, these characteristic surface forms created by erosion, on the other hand by phenomena of sandy territories: for example twenty-fifty (but sometimes one hundred) metre high sand hills of identical orientation. The wet, swampy spots have still remained at the bottom of lower parts. Thanks to the good quality loess soil Mez?föld has become one of the granaries of Trans-Danubia. The mosaic structured landscape protection area tries to preserve the communities surviving on the less effectively cultivable lands for posterity. These spots squeezed between the cultivated fields survive as ecological refuges and present the communities, the rare relics of plants once characterizing the southern dries parts of Mez?föld in a concentrated way. Among the characteristic loess forms of Mez?föld the traveller can often find regions where steep walled deep valleys run between the generally parallel rows of larger and smaller hills. These formations are difficult to pass or cultivate thus enabling the survival of loess steppe grass loess steppe lawns nurturing valuable drought resistant plants. For example the area of the loess hill of Gy?r?s (between Dunaföldvár and Dunaköml?d) is not only famous for the beauty of its surface forms but it also gives refuge to the Tartarian sea kale (Crambe tataria) on the brink of extinction. The uncultivated parts of Southern Mez?föld are covered with sand and loess steppe grass. The Szenes pasture near Nagydorog is well-known, here the sand iris (Iris humilis), pink (Dianthus serotinus), the purple golden-drop (Onosma sp.) blossom on its beautiful sand steppe grass. South of Szedres a sea of crocus (Crocus reticulatus) blossom from early spring on the protected steppe grass of the similarly sandy and loess covered area. It is a magnificent sight. Between Tengelic and Paks several tens of thousands of stems of crocus (Crocus reticulatus) can be found on the side of a sand hill covered with sand steppe lawn. The original plant community of Mez?föld is a steppe dotted with trees, remains of the steppe oak woods of which only some imposingly beautiful patches remained for example near Tengelic.  Polgárd In the Southern Mez?föld from Alsószentiván to Szedres small marshy, boggy spots remained in a number of places, often with wonderful alders, communities of willows and birches and with valuable herbaceous plants such as the marsh helleborine (Epipactis palustris), the green-winged orchid, the marsh orchid (Dactylorhiza incarnata) etc. Several kinds of orchids (early spider-orchid, green-winged orchid and gentian (Gentiana pneumonanthe) live in the deeper lying thus wetter fresh loess steppe grass (e.g. under Hardi hill near Alsószentmárton or around Tengelic). Turkish (blue) iris blossom on the wet meadow stretching along the saffrons of Szedres. Perhaps the most beautiful of these areas is the protected marsh meadow at Kistápé formed around a fish pond created on an originally wet and marshy place with its boggy meadow patched with shrubs (grey sallow bushes) groups of alders and birch trees. The yellow flag (Iris pseudacorus) , the gentian (Gentiana pneumonanthe) and several species of orchid blossom here as well. The largest unit of the landscape protection area is the territory between Cece, Bikács, Nemeskér and Györköny including in addition to the marsh meadow near Kistápé Ökör hill of Bikács, Látó hill at Németkér and the territory stretching between them. There is a sandy pasture on the more than one hundred metre high sand hill on Ökör hill with protected plants such as the feather-grass (Stipa borysthenica), the sand iris or the pasque flower (Pulsatilla nigricans). The other "hill" on the protected area is the one hundred fifty metre high Látó hill near Németkér with pasque flower (Pulsatilla nigricans) St. Bernard's lily (Anthericum liliago), dwarf iris and purple golden-drop blossoming on its side. The fauna of Southern Mmez?föld is also valuable. Several kinds of rare butterflies, praying mantids and snouted grasshoppers live on the dry grass. The territory offers the sight of the most colourful birds of the country: bee-eaters, rollers, kestrels, hobbies, black storks nest in the woods, loess walls and steppes. In addition to the rich variety of amphibia of the marshy meadows the green and the common toad, the spade-footed toad, the edible frog and the moor frog, the fire-bellied toad etc.) the lapwing and the redshank nest here and the common heron and the great white heron hatch in the fen woods. The mosaic structured cultivated lands and grasslands offer habitat for partridges and quails. Wild cats live in the hornbeam and oak woods, otters in wet places and along the fishponds. http://www.foek.hu/zsibongo/termve/tk/angtk/delmezof.htm |