On this day, an event to mark the 30th anniversary of the cooperation partner BIOSA – Biosphere Austria at Miller Aichholz Castle draws attention to the importance of nature conservation in the forest.
As part of the Stepping Stone Biotope Program, the BFW is currently dedicating three projects to the active conservation and networking of habitats in Austrian forests.
“With the support of BIOSA – Biosphere Austria and the financial resources of Rural Development with the support of the federal, state and European Commission as well as the Forest Fund of the Republic of Austria, the BFW has so far contracted a total of 350 stepping stone biotope areas with a total of 1050 hectares in Austria’s forests taken. The decommissioning of these forest areas enables the BFW to research the dynamics of forest biodiversity, especially in the context of climate change, over a longer period of time. With this knowledge, the BFW can provide fact-based advice on the topic of ‘forests of the future’.”
Peter Mayer, head of the BFW
“We are particularly interested in how the areas and the species spectrum change due to a lack of management and whether the areas are networked with one another, i.e. fulfill their function as a stepping stone biotope. The program is not just about individual species, but about preserving the entire ecosystem.”
Janine Oettel,
Head of Department for Forest Biodiversity
A practical handbook has recently been published that gives interested forest owners a tool to promote biodiversity in the form of stepping stone elements in their own forest – even if the forest area is not included in the stepping stone biotope program. Stepping stone elements can be individual trees such as dead wood and “habitat trees” (special habitats for certain species such as insects, birds or mammals) and groups of trees. This also includes areas that are important for a particular habitat.
Levels of networking
Stepping stone biotopes are an essential part of the concept Habitat connectivity. It is a crucial factor in maintaining and promoting biodiversity. It forms the basis for important ecological processes such as gene flow and migration and enables threatened populations of animals, plants and fungi to spread and colonize new habitats. Particularly in view of the effects of climate change, with rising temperatures and seasonal fluctuations in precipitation, the ability of species to develop new suitable habitats through habitat connectivity is becoming enormously important. Two central aspects are important: The structural networking refers to the spatial arrangement of stepping stone biotopes within a landscape and focuses on their spatial relationships without taking the behavior of species into account. The functional networking establishes a direct connection between the spatial arrangement of stepping stone biotopes and the ability of species to move or spread across the landscape.
The free stepping stone biotope practical manual and further information can be found at www.trittsteinbiotope.at
Technical queries: janine.oettel@bfw.gv.at
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