Key Biodiversity Areas

Kesznyéten (1406)
Hungary, Europe

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2002
National site name: Kesznyéten
Central coordinates: Latitude: 48.0167, Longitude: 21.0500
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 89 to 100
Area of KBA (km2): 60.07646
Protected area coverage (%): 98.13
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: An area of flood-plain bordering the River Tisza, located near to the town of Tiszaújváros. The IBA includes areas of wet forest and grassland, and oxbow lakes. Human activities include arable farming, grazing, mowing, reed-harvesting (`Other' land-use, below) and angling. This area includes two sites that were treated as separate IBAs in the previous international IBA inventory (Grimmett and Jones 1989): `Tiszadobiártér' (former site HU034) and `Tiszaluc-Kesznyéten puszta' (former site HU037).
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard.
Additional biodiversity: An important breeding site for herons (Ardeidae) and other waterbirds. Species of global conservation concern that do not meet IBA criteria: Aythya nyroca (3-5 breeding pairs), Haliaeetus albicilla (wintering), Crex crex (breeding).

Habitats

Land use: agriculture (85%) | forestry (10%) | nature conservation and research (5%)
IUCN HabitatCoverage %Habitat detail
Grassland40
Artificial - Terrestrial35
Forest10
Wetlands(Inland)15

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The Tiszatáj Land Trust has acquired the heronry and important areas of grassland, and a management plan for the LPA was prepared in 1997. An area of good-quality Ardeola ralloides habitat, owned by MME, was accidentally burned in 1996.