Abstract:

There are 700 ha of reedbeds and alkaline marshes along the Hajta stream, in eastern Pest county. Although numerous construction works were conducted in the area (e.g. reservoir building, water level control), the reedbeds did not decline until the 1990s, when droughts, and the lack of ecological considerations in the management of the newly privatised lands caused serious harm. In the present study I analyse the qualitative and quantitative changes of the reedbed-breeding bird communities. These communities deteriorated due to lack of water and uncontrolled reed burning. Since 1998, the study area is a part of the Tápió-Hajta Landscape Conservation Area, and the management of reedbeds for conservation purposes has high priority. The paper presents guidelines for the preservation of reedbeds and their bird communities.