Orsolya Valkó

Dr. Valkó currently heads the ‘Lendület’ Seed Ecology Research Group at the Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Ecology and Botany in Vácrátót, Hungary. Her lab focuses on pushing the boundaries of our knowledge on the role of seeds in mitigating degradation processes instigated by human-mediated degradation, which puts native ecosystems under large pressure. Nature conservation and plant ecology have been the focus of her scientific interest since her early university days, where she studied conservation and restoration possibilities in European grasslands. Since then, she has been involved in projects across a plethora of habitats- ranging from urban and agricultural areas to sacred natural sites- with the aim of evaluating and developing new methods for restoration, such as grazing, mowing, shrub cutting, fire, hay transfer, topsoil removal.