One-Week Climate Study Trip of German University Students in Hungary

As a new milestone in a professional partnership spanning more than a decade, thirty German university students and their instructors arrived in Hungary in June 2026 to study the impacts of climate change on our country's natural systems first-hand, under the guidance of experts from the Faculty of Forestry. During the one-week field trip, participants took measurements, analyzed ecological processes, and learned about the practical possibilities of climate adaptation in the most diverse landscapes of the country – from forests and lakes to saline steppes.

The joint work between the Faculty of Forestry at the University of Sopron and the Technische Hochschule Bingen in Germany focuses on climate change and climate adaptation. As part of this, since autumn 2022, several instructors from the Faculty of Forestry have also been teaching online courses in the Bingen institution's international master's program, as well as organizing field trips to broaden practical knowledge.

Between June 8 and 12, 2026, another successful field trip organized by the instructors of the Faculty of Forestry took place with students from the Technische Hochschule Bingen in Germany. The professional program was put together by Associate Professor Dr. Imre Berki, Dr. Pál Balázs and Dr. Adrienn Banadics also participated in the preparations. Following the welcome address, they jointly accompanied the 30-member delegation of students majoring in climate protection and climate adaptation, along with the accompanying instructors, Prof. Dr. Oleg Panferov, Rainer Hartmann, and Marina Bernhard.

The Professional Program and the Main Stations of the Field Investigations

During the field practice, students examined the tangible effects of climate change at various locations across the country:

• Forest ecological challenges (Sopron Mountains, Kovácsi Hill, Koloska Valley): The students analyzed the climate exposure of forest associations along an orographic climate gradient. They observed the dual effect of the microclimate of gorge forests: preserving species but also supporting invasive species. The decay of native and introduced tree species, as well as the expansion of more drought-tolerant tree species emerging from the shrub layer, were also in focus.
• Dwindling waters (Lake Fertő, Outer and Inner Lakes of Tihany, Dunaújváros – oxbow lake): Special attention was given to the nature conservation problems of mountain streams drying up due to climate drying and lakes with decreasing water levels. The students conducted water quality measurements in open water and in the reeds, examining the condition of shallow lakes made endorheic (closed off) for water retention purposes.
• Eutrophication and water quality (Lake Fertő, Balatonfüred, Tihany): They studied the eutrophication that returns during hot summers despite reduced phosphorus and nitrogen loads, which manifests itself in algal blooms, as well as reed and fish mortality.
• Alkali steppes and forest-steppes (Hortobágy, alkali flats of Miklapuszta, Fülöpháza): They examined the effects of the reduced groundwater level on the vegetation and the soil, which was also supplemented by the analysis of a groundwater sample taken from a traditional shadoof (sweep well).
• Climate change in agriculture (Little Hungarian Plain / Kisalföld): They studied the challenges of arable crop production by observing an automated, large-field irrigation system near Nagyszentjános.

The Bingen students showed outstanding interest throughout the one-week trip. They accompanied the field tours not only as observers but also carried out numerous practical measurements and evaluations at individual sites using the microclimate and water-quality measuring instruments they brought. At certain points during the study trip, the students gave short presentations to their peers on the country's geography and site conditions, and in the evenings they reported on their experiences of the day.