Diverse Habitat Reconstructions in the Őrség National Park in Hungary

Rehabilitation of habitats where the initial status is still remembered and the land is already publicly owned is a "low hanging fruit" to implement. EU funds have an important role to make these changes happen. While at the same time these good examples are the first but not sufficient elements to initiate similar changes in privately owned agricultural lands.

One key lesson from this case is that small-scale, targeted interventions can deliver both biodiversity and water retention benefits when they are carefully adapted to local landscape structure. Creating forest ponds, re-establishing shelterbelts, and reconnecting floodplain meadows proved mutually reinforcing, improving habitat diversity while enhancing ecological connectivity along the Csörnöc stream.

Another takeaway is the importance of working with a mosaic of landowners. Some measures took place on state-managed land, others on private farmland through cooperation agreements. Building trust with farmers and integrating restoration into agri-environment schemes made it possible to implement actions beyond the park’s own land.

The project also shows that maintaining restored habitats requires long-term commitment. Without regular mowing, invasive control, and upkeep of planted elements, gains can be lost. Integrating these tasks into park operations and involving local partners ensures continuity.

Finally, the case underlines the value of linking site-specific actions to broader programmes. While the original works were local, they later benefited from alignment with larger initiatives such as LIFE IP GRASSLAND-HU and the “Living Landscape” project, which brought additional resources, monitoring frameworks, and visibility.