Safeguarding and monitoring biodiversity in the core zones of Vienna and Lower Austria

Leben an Land - Nachhaltige Entwicklungsziele

In line with the goals laid down by UNESCO, the core zones of the Wienerwald BR are designated to conserve biological diversity, to monitor ecosystems exposed to anthropogenic disturbance and to implement research projects. Through conservation by non-intervention in natural processes, it is hoped that these areas will become the ‘virgin forests of tomorrow’. Since 2003, there has been no commercial forestry on these sites. In order to obtain evidence and to establish long-term records of changes in biodiversity (thus fulfilling UNESCO’s Research objectives), biodiversity monitoring was introduced by BPWW Management GmbH in 2012 - on completion of the contiguous mapping of vegetation communities in the core zones in 2011. This includes research on a total of 13 groups of organisms at selected sampling points in the core zones. For the purpose of comparison, sampling points were also set up in commercially 52 UNESCO - Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme - Biosphere reserve periodic review – 2015 managed forests. Recording in conjunction with biodiversity monitoring first began in the years 2012 and 2013 respectively. The survey included: mosses, cormophytes, lichens, fungi, land snails, spiders, craneflies, pseudoscorpions, ground beetles, deadwood beetles, amphibians, birds and bats. In order to provide explanatory habitat parameters, the research included detailed surveys on deadwood and on the structure of forest stands.