The Site is composed of two seasonal saline lakes, Nagy-Sóstó of 100 hectares and Kis-Sóstó of 10 ha, sodic-alkaline pans, steppes, a mosaic of temporarily flooded sodic marshes and meadows of the Danube-Tisza Interfluve area. As it is part of the migration route along the Tisza river valley, the Site supports over 20,000 waterfowl, playing an important role as a resting, feeding and breeding site for the globally endangered saker falcon (Falco cherrug) and regionally threatened species including pied avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta) and black-winged stilt (Himantopus himantopus). It hosts several noteworthy plant species and communities, including the regionally endemic Aster tripolium ssp. pannonicus. Wildfowl hunting has been restricted. Land use is mainly dedicated to agriculture, and a potential threat is the acceleration of the eutrophication process caused by nutrients coming from the arable lands. The wetland plays a significant role in the hydrology of the region through the storage of inland water and the regulation of the groundwater level. However, past melioration measures in the catchment area decreased the extent of wetlands as they lowered the water table.

Last publication date: 25-11-2015