Kalk-Hochalpen (spatial unit)

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All Upper Austria room units

The Kalk-Hochalpen are one of 41 Upper Austrian spatial units and are located in the southern Salzkammergut .

location

The spatial unit comprises the southern part of the Kirchdorf and Gmunden districts . The Kalk high Alps consist of three separate areas.

The size of the Kalk-Hochalpen is 583 km² and includes the Dead Mountains and the Dachstein Mountains . The length (west - east) is around 77 km, the maximum width of a sub-area 18 km. The deepest area is around 500  m above sea level. A. near Bad Ischl . The highest elevation in the area is the Hohe Dachstein at 2995  m above sea level. A.

The following municipal areas are predominantly or entirely in the Kalk High Alps (in alphabetical order): Hallstatt , Hinterstoder , Obertraun and Spital am Pyhrn .

The spatial unit is surrounded by the following Upper Austrian spatial units (clockwise, starting in the northeast): Salzkammergut valley , Salzkammergut pre-Alps , Steyr and Teichltal , Windischgarstner basin and Enns and Steyrtal pre-Alps . The spatial unit is divided into three sub-areas by the spatial units Salzkammergut-Talungen and Windischgarstner Basin .

Characteristic

Aerial view of the Dachstein from approx. 3600  m with Niederer Dachstein (left) and Gjaidstein (in the background)
The Haller Walls in contrast to the Windischgarstner Basin in front
  • Extensive limestone mountain range that is intensively karstified and contains the highest mountains in Upper Austria. The large parts of Styria are not part of the Upper Austrian spatial unit.
  • There are extensive high plateaus and ridge mountains ( Gosaukamm , Haller Mauern ) with a rich karst treasure trove.
  • Here you can find the second longest cave in Austria ( Hirlatz cave , 100 km measured passage length) as well as the Dachstein Ice and Mammoth Cave (63 km), other impressive caves.
  • The Dachstein massif is home to the easternmost glaciers in the Alps and is also the easternmost summer ski area.
  • The spatial unit is an important habitat for many wild animal species (e.g. grouse , golden eagle , marmot , ibex and red deer ). Lynx , brown bear or wild boar rarely appear .
  • The rock and rubble corridors in the alpine zone are poor in vegetation. The lower slopes are mostly wooded. In addition, there are extensive pine forests in subalpine plateau areas and many natural forests (dry slope beech forests , snow heather, pine forests and ash and sycamore maple forests ). Spruce forests can usually only be found in locations near the valley.
  • There are hardly any surface waters, the source areas are located at the foot of the mountain as karst sources (including the Pießling origin , Waldbach origin , Steyr origin). The Gosau lakes are also fed by underground karst springs and are partly used to generate energy. Pollution of the water has effects in all surrounding springs and thus in the entire Traunviertel .
  • Raised moors can only be found on the Wurzeralm , otherwise wetlands are rare.
  • Larger alpine pastures only exist in hollows. They are farmed with young cattle and sheep (dairy farming).
  • Strong local tourism through skiers (including ski tourers) and hikers (e.g. Dachstein- Krippenstein , Zwieselalm , Hutterer Höß )
  • There are many alpine pastures and refuges , but no permanent settlement area.
  • Precipitation- rich northern Alps climate, thanks to the altitude also snow-sure.

literature

  • Office of the Upper Austrian Provincial Government, Nature Conservation Department (Ed.): Nature and Landscape / Guiding Principles for Upper Austria. Volume 36: The Limestone High Alps spatial unit . Linz 2007 ( pdf [accessed December 1, 2014]).

Web links