Nyugat-Mecsek Tájvédelmi Körzet

The area of the West Mecsek Landscape Protection District is 10 316 hectares, of which 9 625 hectares are newly protected natural area. The landscape protection district belongs to the administration of the Danube–Drava National Park Directorate.

Location

The West Mecsek Landscape Protection District is situated in Baranya County, within the administrative territories of Abaliget, Bakonya, Boda, Bükkösd, Cserkút, Hetvehely, Kővágószőlős, Kővágótöttös, Mánfa, Orfű and Pécs.

Characteristics

With the announcement of Decree No. 4/2009. (IV. 10.) of the State Forest Service, a new, large‑scale protected natural area named West Mecsek Landscape Protection District was established on 25 April 2009 in the Mecsek. Four previously declared protected nature reserves were incorporated into the landscape protection district: the surface protection area of the Abaliget Cave nature reserve, the Jakab‑hill nature reserve, the Meleg‑mány valley nature reserve and the Pintér‑garden nature reserve. The purpose of the protection declaration, as well as of the landscape protection district and the forest reserve establishment, is the long‑term preservation of the West Mecsek’s varied geological values, surface and subsurface karst formations, unique Mecsek plant associations, the protected plant and animal species living here, the cultural‑historical and landscape values of the karst region and its surroundings, as well as the promotion of research and observation of natural processes occurring in the forest and the acquisition of practical knowledge supporting nature‑based forest management.

Flora and Fauna

The flora of the area bears traces of sub‑Mediterranean influence, as indicated by widespread protected plant species such as the pirito root or the spiny wonder‑berry. On the steep, dry southern slopes there are flowering oak‑oak‑heath shrub forests, on the summits mainly hornbeam‑oak forests, while on the northern slopes and in the cool valleys beech woods are the characteristic forest type. On the southern slopes smaller rocky patches and, at the northern foothills, moist meadows increase habitat diversity. Among the botanical values, several native orchid species can be highlighted (monkey orchid, deer orchid, bee orchid, purple lizard orchid), the Pécs gentian, or the mountain meadow grass. The world‑wide only occurrences of the Pécs gentian, the Mecsek lady’s‑tresses, the Hungarian dwarf‑sedge and the Mecsek autumn gentian are found here.

The fauna also includes numerous protected species. Among the arthropods, the Hungarian tarso (a grassland species) and the Mecsek tegzes and yellow-spotted mountain lichen moth, which occur in the valleys of the karst region, must be mentioned. The birdlife is essentially characterized by the species of the Lombrum forest, with the rare and valuable representatives being the mountain nightjar and the small flycatcher, but there is also a strong population of the highly protected harisnak among the mountain-dwelling thrushes. Among the mammal species, thanks to the many caves and cavities, we encounter an exceptionally large number of bat species, such as the short-eared bat, the small and large pawed bat. The life of the bats is also presented in a thematic exhibition in Abaliget. (Bat Museum)