Fjölrit RALA - 15.06.2004, Page 147

Land use changes of traditional vine-growing areas in volcanic regions of
Hungary.
O. Fehér1, B. Madarász2, Á. Kertész2 and G. Fúleky1
'Szent István University, Department ofSoil Science and Agrochemistry, Gödöllo, Hungary;
2Department for Physical Geography, Geographical Research Institute, Hungarian Academy ofSciences
The Neogene to Pleistocene volcanism of the Carpathian-Basin can be divided into two types:
1) Calc-alkaline, and within this, silicic and intermediate volcanism: includes the territories
of Northem Hungary.Si'h'cic volcanic activity can be characterised by high proportion of
rhyolitic and dacitic rocks. The main products of this activity are ignimbrites (pumiceous
pyroclastic flow deposits), pyroclastic fall deposits and reworked material.The products of
intermediate volcanism are predominantly andesites, dacites, basalt andesites.
2) Alkali basalt volcanism: occured predominantly in the westem part of Hungary in the
Pannonian Basin. Tuff rings, maars and shield volcanoes were formed about 3-7 million years
ago. Neogene basaltic volcanic rocks occur also at the northem and eastem rim of the
Pannonian Basin close to the 16 to 1 million years old calc-alkaline volcanic complexes
(Pannon Encyclopaedia, 1999).
During our field surveys (years 2000-2002) we tried to look to main characteristics of soils
in these regions and also tried to answer: why the soil mantle of these vine-growing areas is
so special? Why production of wine is so successful since the Middle Ages? Was it really
only due to special microclimate, fortunate choice of variety of vine-plant and wine
treatment?
Or is it something related with the special harmony of the vine with the soil/ substratum
below? In different handbooks for vineyard estabhshment one would find that one of the
conditions of successful vine-growing is to have a soil at least 100 cm deep. According to
ejfective soil depth we could differentiate two types:
• Shallow (less than 60-70cm). These soils are developed in situ from the underlying
parent rock. Clear examples we could find only in the areas of silicic volcanism
(Andomaktálya, Erdöbénye, Avastetö).
• Deep soils (> 70 cm depending on the slope position and degree of erosion): these
viticultural soils are mainly formed on loose slope deposits with significant input of
fallen dust and addition of the volcanic debris of the area (Somló, Badacsony, Tihany,
Kopaszhegy).
But the ejfective rooting depth in all cases was more than 150 cm and the other striking
feature was the interaction ofvine-roots with the minerai part:
• in most cases it was more dense around the volcanic debris in case of deep soils
• and in the shallow soils the rooting system became relatively denser in the parent rock.
This interaction of roots with volcanic material would determine the so called “mineral
taste”, which brought the fame of wine produced in these regions. To understand better the
economical and social background of land-use changes our further analysis were based on the
interpretation of maps and written historical records. From data integration we found several
similarities in trends of development and decline:
All of these territories as mentioned earlier are having relevant vine-producing areas with
history since Middle Ages. In case of the Pannonian territories-wine producing dates back to
the Romans. Certain declines of these territories were related with wars, loosing foreign
markets, damage from frost or drought from what were able to renew. Except one, this was
the vine-pest (phylloxera) at the end of the 19* century which transformed dramatically not
only the slopes, but also tradition and culture of production of high quality wine. Between the
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