Venue
Our mission at the Centre for Ecological Research is to carry out high quality research on the biological diversity and functioning of forest, grassland, lake and river ecosystems, to learn about the complex interactions within and between these systems, and to provide evidence on the importance of their conservation. The Centre is home to researchers from various disciplines, including ecology, botany, hydrobiology, meteorology, agronomy, forestry, social as well as interdisciplinary sciences.
The mission of the Centre is the promotion of sustainable development in Hungary and abroad through research evidence on biodiversity and ecosystems. This evidence provides a background to activities in national, international and EU level policy making, education and awareness raising.
Danube Research Institute
The main responsibility of the institue is to study the structure, biological functions and long-term changes of the aquatic ecosystems and their communities (zooplankton, macro-invertebrate, fish, amphibian, reptile, waterbirds, algae and macrophytes) and to reveal the interactions between the groups of organisms and their environment. Special emphasis is on ecosystems of the Danube and Tisza River, with particular attention to climate change, land & water use, river basin management, agriculture and other human activities. Providing scientific basis for the restoration of rivers and related aquatic and wetland habitats is also of special importance.
Balaton Limnological Institute
Research at the Balaton Limnological Institute focuses on hydrobotany (algae and macrophyte research) and hydrozoology (fish and macroinvertebrates mainly) with whole lake long-term monitoring of biota as well as of nutrient dynamics (Lake Balaton LTER site). Research on biogeochemical cycles and on food-webs are overarching topics synthetisizing different level components. A mesocosm facility of 12 adjustable pools gives opportunity to study focal ecological and evolutionary questions.
Institute of Ecology and Botany
The Institue of Ecology and Botany's main tasks are terrestrial topics, with a strong line of botanical and plant ecological research, including climate change and drought effects, forest and grassland ecology, restoration of terrestrial ecosystems. It hosts the Lendület Ecosystem-services Research Group which performs the Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystem Services in Hungary at present.