Abandonment, Lawn Aesthetics and Institutional Invisibility: Transformation of Traditional Meadow Orchards in Hungary

Meadow orchards are multifunctional historical landscapes combining scattered fruit trees with extensively managed grasslands. This study investigates the transformation of traditional meadow orchards in southwestern Hungary and the demographic, socio-economic, cultural, and institutional factors associated with these changes. Field surveys of 150 meadow orchard parcels within 37 municipalities were conducted between May and August in 2025 and 2026. Field observations were complemented by informal field conversations with eight farmers, e-mail correspondence with seven regional experts, and an assessment of all surveyed parcels in the Hungarian Land Parcel Identification System (MePAR/LPIS). Abandonment of traditional management was a prominent transformation pathway, linked to the weakening economic role of fruit and hay production, demographic change, and reduced livestock keeping. Additional transformation pathways included the replacement of traditional hay mowing by frequent lawn cutting, particularly in recreational and residential settings, and conversion to other land uses. Frequent lawn cutting was associated with short, structurally homogeneous vegetation and reflected changing expectations of a “tidy” landscape. In MePAR, 136 of the 150 surveyed parcels (90.7%) were located in areas delineated as non-eligible, indicating a potential mismatch between their multifunctional orchard–grassland character and the agricultural support classification system. Conservation should prioritize maintaining appropriate extensive management and preventing abandonment while recognizing changing social and institutional contexts.