1. „OUT-DOOR” INTERPRETATION OF SATELLITE IMAGES Biró, Marianna, Molnár, Zsolt, Horváth, Ferenc and Révész, András Institute of Ecology and Botany Vácrátót

2. Carpathian Adriatic

3. Peucedanum officinaleAster punctatus

4. Forest-steppe woodland

5. woodland meadow + marsh settlement 5 km 1780 Flood-plain of the Körös river

6. 1822

7. 1860

8. 1884

9. 1940

10. 1950

11. 1998

12. Recent and historical data sources Present-day field data (surveys) Topographic maps, soil maps etc. Aerial photos, satellite images

13. flat steppe landscape

15. Hortobágy alkali steppe

16. Flood-plain Primary alkali steppe 1783 Soil mapLandsat TM, April Hortobágy alkali steppe

17. Pasture map (1805) Pitvaros loess ridge alkali steppe marsh dry seasonally wet wet

18. Alkali steppe landscape (20 000 hectares) Cloudy April image with wetlands Reconstructed wetland network Borsodi-Mezőség

19. „Out-door” interpretation of satellite images Iteration of field observation and interpretation 50-100 times a day for e.g. 20 field days. 1. What is the vegetation of certain areas? 2. What is their pattern in the landscape? 3. How the surrounding landscape looks like?

20. The Hortobágy alkali steppe Covered with semi-natural vegetation Grasslands + wetlands + woodlands Alkali and non-alkali grasslands Primary and secondary grasslands Alkali meadows and marshes Wet meadows and drying-out meadows Drying-out meadows with Agropyron Alkali mud with/without Camphorosma

21. Hortobágy alkali steppe

23. Ancient dunes with native trees Abandoned arable field with non-native trees Low natural value High natural value Kiskunság sand dunes

24. Kiskunság meadows

25. „Out-door” interpretation of satellite images Adventages 1. Quick iteration 2. Locally validated, detailed „legend” 3. Always has some historical aspect Disadventages 1. Need of remote sensing experts 2. Technology is at home 3. Quality of waterproof prints 4. Satellites see „chlorofil+water+ soil”, not species/vegetation types