Research groups
Lendület Seed Ecology Research Group
Members of the research group:
research fellow
Scientific Advisor
assistant research fellow
research fellow
research fellow
assistant research fellow
assistant research fellow
assistant research fellow
Main profile:
Due to the increasing human pressure on Earth, there is an urgent need for maximising the resilience of ecosystems in order to sustain or restore their biodiversity and the ecosystem functions and services they provide. In vegetation dynamics and ecosystem functioning seeds play a crucial role by allowing persistence, recruitment and mobility in populations and facilitating meta-population dynamics. These ecological functions of seeds are in the focus of both ecology and conservation science. Linking these two approaches, the Momentum project aims at developing a conceptual framework on seed-based ecosystem engineering in order to maximise the diversity and resilience of communities. We use grasslands as model system, as they are diverse and dynamic habitats where recruitment by seed is a major driver of vegetation dynamics. Grasslands cover 40% of the global land surface, which allows upscaling the findings validated in our research program. In a series of observational and experimental studies at multiple spatial scales we will push forward the knowledge on the role of seed bank, seed dispersal and seedling establishment in community assembly, and their utilization in restoration ecology and diversity conservation. The results will give new dimensions to seed-based conservation and restoration science by developing new tools, such as activating deeply buried seeds, designing seed mixtures that maximise resilience or using animal perturbations as establishment gaps.
Selected publications
Valkó Orsolya; Bede Ádám; Rádai Zoltán; Deák Balázs.: ‘Sense of place’ and conservation: Toponym diversity helps to maintain vegetation naturalness PEOPLE AND NATURE, 00 pp. 1-7. Paper: 10476 , 7 p. (2023)
2023
Deák Balázs; Bede Ádám; Rádai Zoltán; Dembicz Iwona; Apostolova Iva; Batáry Péter; Gallé Róbert; Tóth Csaba Albert; Dózsai József; Moysiyenko Ivan I.; Sudnik‐Wójcikowska Barbara; Zachwatowicz Maria; Nekhrizov Georgi; Lisetskii Fedor N.; Buryak Zhanna A.; Kis Szabolcs; Borza Sándor; Godó Laura; Bragina Tatyana M.; Smelansky Ilya; Molnár Ábel; Bán Miklós; Báthori Ferenc; Árgay Zoltán; Dani János; Kiss Réka; Valkó Orsolya.: Contribution of cultural heritage values to steppe conservation on ancient burial mounds of Eurasia CONSERVATION BIOLOGY, pp. 1-13. Paper: e14148 , 13 p. (2023)
2023
Valkó Orsolya; Fekete Réka; Molnár V Attila; Halassy Melinda; Deák Balázs.: Roadside grassland restoration: Challenges and opportunities in the UN decade on ecosystem restoration CURRENT OPINION IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & HEALTH, 34. Paper: 100490 (2023)
2023
Lukács Katalin; Tóth Ágnes; Kiss Réka; Deák Balázs; Rádai Zoltán; Tóth Katalin; Kelemen András; Bátori Zoltán; Hábenczyus Alida Anna; Tölgyesi Csaba; Miglécz Tamás; Godó Laura; Valkó Orsolya.: The ecological footprint of outdoor activities: Factors affecting human-vectored seed dispersal on clothing SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 906 Paper: 167675 , 8 p. (2024)
2024
Deák, Balázs; Bede, Ádám; Rádai, Zoltán; Tóthmérész, Béla; Török, Péter; Nagy D., Dávid; Torma, Attila; Lőrinczi, Gábor; Nagy, Antal; Mizser, Szabolcs; Kelemen, András; Valkó, Orsolya.: Different extinction debts among plants and arthropods after loss of grassland amount and connectivity BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION. 264: -
2021
Kiss Réka; Deák Balázs; Tóth Katalin; Lukács Katalin; Rádai Zoltán; Kelemen András; Miglécz Tamás; Tóth Ágnes; Godó Laura; Valkó Orsolya.: Co-seeding grasses and forbs supports restoration of species-rich grasslands and improves weed control in ex-arable land SCIENTIFIC REPORTS 2045-2322 2045-2322. 12: 21239-
2022
Deák, Balázs; Kovács, Bence; Rádai, Zoltán; Apostolova, Iva; Kelemen, András; Kiss, Réka; Lukács, Katalin; Palpurina, Salza; Sopotlieva, Desislava; Báthori, Ferenc; Valkó, Orsolya.: Linking environmental heterogeneity and plant diversity: The ecological role of small natural features in homogeneous landscapes SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT. 763: -
2021
Valkó, O.; Borza, S.; Godó, L.; Végvári, Z.; Deák, B.: Eurasian crane (Grus grus) as ecosystem engineer in grasslands ‒ conservation values, ecosystem services and disservices related to a large iconic bird species LAND DEGRADATION & DEVELOPMENT. 33: -
2022
Valkó, Orsolya; Rádai, Zoltán; Deák, Balázs.: Hay transfer is a nature-based and sustainable solution for restoring grassland biodiversity JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT. 311: Paper 114816-
2022
Kiss, Réka; Deák, Balázs; Tóthmérész, Béla; Miglécz, Tamás; Tóth, Katalin; Török, Péter; Lukács, Katalin; Godó, Laura; Körmöczi, Zsófia; Radócz, Szilvia;Kelemen, András; Sonkoly, Judit; Kirmer, Anita; Tischew, Sabine; Švamberková, Eva; Valkó, Orsolya.: Establishment gaps in species‐poor grasslands: artificial biodiversity hotspots to support the colonization of target species RESTORATION ECOLOGY. 29: -
2021
Deák, Balázs; Bede, Ádám; Rádai, Zoltán; Tóthmérész, Béla; Török, Péter; Nagy D., Dávid; Torma, Attila; Lőrinczi, Gábor; Nagy, Antal; Mizser, Szabolcs; Kelemen, András; Valkó, Orsolya.: Different extinction debts among plants and arthropods after loss of grassland amount and connectivity BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION. 264: -
2021
Deák, Balázs; Rádai, Zoltán; Bátori, Zoltán; Kelemen, András; Lukács, Katalin; Kiss, Réka; Maák, István Elek; Valkó, Orsolya.: Ancient Burial Mounds Provide Safe Havens for Grassland Specialist Plants in Transformed Landscapes—A Trait-Based Analysis. FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION. 9: -
2021
Valkó, Orsolya; Deák, Balázs; Török, Péter; Tóth, Katalin; Kiss, Réka; Kelemen, András; Miglécz, Tamás; Sonkoly, Judit; Tóthmérész, Béla.: Dynamics in vegetation and seed bank composition highlight the importance of post‐restoration management in sown grasslands RESTORATION ECOLOGY. 29: -
2021
Deák, Balázs; Valkó, Orsolya; Nagy, D. Dávid; Török, Péter; Torma, Attila; Lőrinczi, Gábor; Kelemen, András; Nagy, Antal; Bede, Ádám; Mizser, Szabolcs; Csathó, András István; Tóthmérész, Béla.: Habitat islands outside nature reserves – threatened biodiversity hotspots of grassland specialist plant and arthropod species BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION. 241: -
2020
Valkó, Orsolya; Deák, Balázs.: Increasing the potential of prescribed burning for the biodiversity conservation of European grasslands CURRENT OPINION IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & HEALTH. 22: -
2021
Deák, Balázs; Valkó, Orsolya; Tóth, Csaba Albert; Botos, Ágnes; Novák, Tibor József.: Legacies of past land use challenge grassland recovery – An example from dry grasslands on ancient burial mounds NATURE CONSERVATION-BULGARIA. 39: 113-132
2020
Kovácsné Koncz, Nóra; Béri, Béla; Deák, Balázs; Kelemen, András; Tóth, Katalin; Kiss, Réka; Radócz, Szilvia; Miglécz, Tamás; Tóthmérész, Béla; Valkó, Orsolya.: Meat production and maintaining biodiversity: Grazing by traditional breeds and crossbred beef cattle in marshes and grasslands APPLIED VEGETATION SCIENCE. 23: 139-148
2020
Valkó Orsolya; Kelemen András; Kiss Orsolya; Deák Balázs.: Patch and matrix characteristics determine the outcome of ecosystem engineering by mole rats in dry grasslands PEERJ 2167-8359 2167-8359. 10: e14582-
2022
Tóth, Ágnes; Deák, Balázs; Tóth, Katalin; Kiss, Réka; Lukács, Katalin; Rádai, Zoltán; Godó, Laura; Borza, Sándor; Kelemen, András; Miglécz, Tamás; Bátori, Zoltán; Novák, Tibor József; Valkó, Orsolya.: Vertical distribution of soil seed bank and the ecological importance of deeply buried seeds in alkaline grasslands PEERJ. 10: 1-19
2022
Kiss, Réka; Deák, Balázs; Tóthmérész, Béla; Miglécz, Tamás; Tóth, Katalin; Török, Péter; Lukács, Katalin; Godó, Laura; Körmöczi, Zsófia; Radócz, Szilvia; Borza, Sándor; Kelemen, András; Sonkoly, Judit; Kirmer, Anita; Tischew, Sabine; Valkó, Orsolya.: Zoochory on and off: A field experiment for trait‐based analysis of establishment success of grassland species JOURNAL OF VEGETATION SCIENCE. 32: -
2021
Shackelford, Nancy; Paterno, Gustavo B.; Winkler, Daniel E.; Erickson, Todd E.; Leger, Elizabeth A.; Svejcar, Lauren N.; Breed, Martin F.; Faist, Akasha M.; Harrison, Peter A.; Curran, Michael F.; Guo, Qinfeng; Kirmer, Anita; Law, Darin J.; Mganga, Kevin Z.; Munson, Seth M.; Porensky, Lauren M.; Quiroga, R. Emiliano; Török, Péter; Wainwright, Claire E.; Abdullahi, Ali; Bahm, Matt A.; Ballenger, Elizabeth A.; Barger, Nichole; Baughman, Owen W.; Becker, Carina; Lucas-Borja, Manuel Esteban; Boyd, Chad S.; Burton, Carla M.; Burton, Philip J.; Calleja, Eman; Carrick, Peter J.; Caruana, Alex; Clements, Charlie D.; Davies, Kirk W.; Deák, Balázs; Drake, Jessica; Dullau, Sandra; Eldridge, Joshua; Espeland, Erin; Farrell, Hannah L.; Fick, Stephen E.; Garbowski, Magda; de la Riva, Enrique G.; Golos, Peter J.; Grey, Penelope A.; Heydenrych, Barry; Holmes, Patricia M.; James, Jeremy J.; Jonas-Bratten, Jayne; Kiss, Réka; Kramer, Andrea T.; Larson, Julie E.; Lorite, Juan; Mayence, C. Ellery; Merino-Martín, Luis; Miglécz, Tamás; Milton, Suanne Jane; Monaco, Thomas A.; Montalvo, Arlee M.; Navarro-Cano, Jose A.; Paschke, Mark W.; Peri, Pablo Luis; Pokorny, Monica L.; Rinella, Matthew J.; Saayman, Nelmarie; Schantz, Merilynn C.; Schroeder, Tina; Seabloom, Eric W.; Stuble, Katharine L.; Uselman, Shauna M.; Valkó, Orsolya; Veblen, Kari; Wilson, Scott; Wong, Megan; Xu, Zhiwei; Suding, Katharine L.: Drivers of seedling establishment success in dryland restoration efforts NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION. 5: 1283-1290
2021
Török K.; Valkó O.; Deák B.: Ecosystem restoration with local or broad seed provenancing: Debates and perceptions in science and practice BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION, 293. Paper: 110535 (2024)
2024
Lukács, Katalin; Valkó, Orsolya.: Human-vectored seed dispersal as a threat to protected areas: Prevention, mitigation and policy GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION. 31: -
2021
Godó Laura; Borza Sándor; Valkó Orsolya; Rádai Zoltán; Deák Balázs: Owl-mediated diploendozoochorous seed dispersal increases dispersal distance and supports seedling establishment GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION, 45 Paper: e02519 (2023)
2023
Godó, Laura; Valkó, Orsolya; Borza, Sándor; Deák, Balázs.: A global review on the role of small rodents and lagomorphs (clade Glires) in seed dispersal and plant establishment GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION. 33: -
2022
