Connection between Morphology and Ecological Factors of Karst Dolines (Aggtelek Hills, Hungary)

Abstract

The Aggtelek Karst Region was declared as a part of World Heritage on 2 December 1995. Since the formation of the Aggtelek National Park (1985), the measures taken to limit human activity have brought about some predictable improvement in maintaining a state close to the natural conditions. The karst depressions in Aggtelek are situated in various orographic, lithologic, and tectonic situations. On this basis, three main groups may be distinguished: dolines situated at the height 310–350 m, 270–280 m, and around 500 m. The present paper permitted to identify first of all the connection between the doline asymmetry and ecological processes. Karst dolines are environmentally very sensitive site points of the karst region. The climate and the microclimate play the most important role in doline development. The soil covering the karst-forming rock, through the abiogenous and biogenous processes, controls the nature and the order of magnitude of the corrosion process. From this point of view, beside climate and microclimate, the vegetation plays an important role in the intensity of corrosion. In Aggtelek, we have found a lot of degraded grass plots in dolines, where animal grazing used to be intensive. This paper presents some ecological factors and their effects on the development of doline morphology.