Model region for promoting and developing sustainabiliy

In conjunction with the project entitled ’Integrative, sustainable wildlife management in the Wienerwald BR’, criteria and corresponding indicators were developed for the sustainable management of wildlife and their habitats.

Biodiversity or biological diversity is not just an important philosophy for all of us; it also provides the foundation for numerous sectors of our economy. In many ways, the commercialsuccess of businesses depends on ecosystems and their species diversity.

The Federal State of Lower Austria joined the Climate Alliance in 1993. To meet the ambitious targets of the Climate Alliance – e.g. reduction of CO2 emissions by 2030 by 50% – is a distinct challenge to the State and its communities.

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’.

The BPWW Management GmbH’s annual wine award competition ’DER WEIN’ aims at making links between the wine theme and the Wienerwald, because there are excellent wine-growing domains in the far corners of the Wienerwald which are characterised by great landscape diversity which affords a high quality of life.

For a long time, vineyard trees such as peach, almond, cherry, apple, cornel cherry, nuts, beam-tree or true service tree were grown in traditional viticultural landscapes, in orchard meadows or even in avenues. These days you would be hard-pressed to spot any fruit-trees, not only in vineyards but also in the Wienerwald generally.

The bat project entitled ’Echoortung – Bildungsecho’ (echo location – educational echo) was part of an initiative entitled ‘generation innovation’, in other words, the promotion of Young talent, taken by the Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology, and produced a positive outcome after a duration of 1.5 years.

In order to create a solid data resource, baseline surveys were conducted in all core zones of theWienerwald BR to establish their actual condition. This kind of ‘stock-taking’ forms the basis for current and future research projects.