State and sustainability of grasslands and their soils established in the Atlantic-Montane zone of Hungary

The original soil type of both examined areas was Luvisol, originally covered by forests. Soils undergone extreme changes in the Bukk Mountains, following the forest cuttings, in most of the area lacking the humic layer. The area of thinner soils and sediment areas increased. In the Putnok Hills area the reason of relatively low erosion rate originates in soil texture (clay-clayey loam) and land use (household crop cultivation by hand tools, frequent monitoring of the area and dense grass vegetation). After erosive rainfall events surface is smoothed soon, therefore erosion cannot develop any further on the arable control area. The other reason for slower erosion is the shorter slope and a relatively long non-erosive plateau above the arable land, covered by alfalfa.