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How Many Real Islands Have Existed along a Mid-Danube Section during the Past 250 Years?

Author

Listed:
  • Szilvia Ádám

    (World Wild Fund for Nature Hungary/Central and Eastern Europe, Álmos Vezér útja 69/A, 1141 Budapest, Hungary)

  • Ákos Malatinszky

    (Department of Nature Conservation and Landscape Management, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Páter K. 1, 2100 Gödöllő, Hungary)

Abstract

The consequences of river regulation work and other human interventions from the past can still be followed and cause various effects on the Danube river, especially on the formation and state of the islands. We aimed to compile an inventory of the islands along the Hungarian Danube stretch between Vének (1797 rkm) and Budapest (1647 rkm) during the past 250 years, focusing on their landscape history. Real islands were defined as gravel bars that are permanently covered with pioneer woody vegetation, constantly surrounded by water (side-branch is not closed), and their surface remains unflooded at an average water level. We identified 123 real islands that existed on this 150 km long river stretch in the last centuries. These were real islands for a shorter or longer period between the 18th and the 21st century. A total of 66 of them existed at the same time about 200 years ago, i.e., before the large-scale water regulation works, while today this number is only 18, meaning that 73% of current potential Danube islands are at a stage of side-branch succession. Before the river regulation works, the natural successional changes of a real island occurred over hundreds of years, but today they happen rapidly. The formation of new islands became very limited compared to the past due to the lack of sediments and the altered river dynamics. In order to conserve this unique ecological corridor and green infrastructure element in the long run, and restore its damaged floodplain habitats, no more hard-tech interventions should be allowed in the fluvial system. These aspects need to be taken into consideration in decision-making processes with an integrated approach.

Suggested Citation

  • Szilvia Ádám & Ákos Malatinszky, 2022. "How Many Real Islands Have Existed along a Mid-Danube Section during the Past 250 Years?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-21, February.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:3:p:1829-:d:742714
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sabrina Wagner & Dietmar Moser & Franz Essl, 2020. "Urban Rivers as Dispersal Corridors: Which Factors Are Important for the Spread of Alien Woody Species along the Danube?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-11, March.
    2. Henrich Grežo & Matej Močko & Martin Izsóff & Gréta Vrbičanová & František Petrovič & Jozef Straňák & Zlatica Muchová & Martina Slámová & Branislav Olah & Ivo Machar, 2020. "Flood Risk Assessment for the Long-Term Strategic Planning Considering the Placement of Industrial Parks in Slovakia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-20, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Petra Kinga Kézai & Mihály Dömötör & Dávid Fekete, 2022. "Sustainable and Innovative Cross-Border Regional Development with Focus on Tourism in the Danube Basin—A Case-Study of Szigetköz and Csallóköz (Žitný Ostrov)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-19, June.

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