Vienna Woods Biosphere Reserve

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Coordinates: 48 ° 8 '  N , 16 ° 5'  E

Relief map: Lower Austria
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Vienna Woods Biosphere Reserve​
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Lower Austria

The Vienna Woods Biosphere Park is a biosphere reserve in the Austrian federal states of Vienna and Lower Austria . It is located in the Vienna Woods of the same name .

Geographical location

Infopoint "Vienna Woods Biosphere Park" at the " Cobenzl "

To the west and south-west of Vienna, the biosphere park extends south to the Triestingtal and Gölsental . In the west it is limited by the Große Tulln . In the north it ends directly on the Danube . In the east, the foot of the Vienna Woods forms the border with the Vienna Basin . As a result, all higher-lying settlement areas in Vienna and its surrounding areas are in the biosphere reserve.

Within the biosphere reserve there are 51 municipalities in Lower Austria and parts of seven municipal districts in Vienna . Communities on the edges of the park are usually only partially included. Of the 51 municipalities, three have more than 20,000 inhabitants. These are Baden , Klosterneuburg and Mödling . A total of around 282,000 inhabitants live on the much larger area of ​​the individual municipalities. By the proportion of districts of Vienna's population but nearly one increased to about 750,000, 1 / 10 of the population of Austria. This makes it by far the most important biosphere reserve in socio-economic terms.

Several central traffic axes run through the area, namely the West Motorway  A1 and the Vienna Outer Ring Motorway  A21 road-related and the West Railway and the Southern Railway rail-related.

The size is 105,645  hectares and extends over a height of 160  m above sea level. A. up to 893  m above sea level A. with the Schöpfl as the highest elevation.

Emergence

Welcome board in Pfaffstätten for the biosphere reserve

The Vienna Woods have always been exposed to great pressure to use due to the proximity of the city of Vienna. As early as the 19th century, at the beginning of industrialization, the Vienna Woods were severely endangered by their abundance of wood, but on the other hand they were protected from extensive destruction by aristocratic houses such as the House of Liechtenstein and political initiatives such as that of Joseph Schöffel . In 1905, the City of Vienna decided to create a protected area of ​​forest and meadow belts in the western and southern part of the city.

There were similar efforts at the end of the 20th century. In the Vienna Woods Declaration in 1987, the two provincial governments of Vienna and Lower Austria made a clear commitment to protecting the Vienna Woods.

In 1994 the Vienna Woods Conference was held, where the first protective measures, to which most municipalities voluntarily submitted, were already established.

In the Vienna Woods Declaration of 2002 , the first implemented measures were presented and others determined. In addition, a feasibility study was started on behalf of the provinces of Vienna and Lower Austria , on the basis of which it should be determined which of the two protective measures, national park or biosphere reserve, would be more effective for the Vienna Woods. With the result, which spoke in favor of the biosphere reserve and against a national park due to the diverse uses of the region, the first zoning began.

In 2003, the provisional Wienerwald Management Biosphere Reserve was used by the Lower Austria-Vienna Association. Thanks to the intensive preparatory work, the biosphere reserve was recognized by UNESCO in 2005 . The certificate was officially presented on November 28, 2006. In 2006, Biosphärenpark Wienerwald Management  GmbH was established by the two countries , the tasks and financing of which are contractually regulated. Biosphere reserve laws followed in Vienna and Lower Austria.

Zoning

  • The core zones , which according to UNESCO have more extensive protection, relate exclusively to forest areas and are made up of 37 sub-areas, which add up to an area of ​​more than 5000 hectares (proportion of the total area 5%). The selection and delimitation of the core zones was carried out in coordination with the landowners on a voluntary basis, which resulted in a high level of acceptance among landowners. The core zones are protected on the basis of contracts between the federal states and the owners as well as a declaration on nature reserves in Lower Austria and inclusion in the landscape protection areas in Vienna. In these zones, no forest use is made.
  • The maintenance zone (19% share) essentially comprises the open cultural landscape, i.e. meadows, pastures, fields and vineyards, as well as bodies of water. The maintenance zone shapes the landscape of the Vienna Woods and is largely responsible for the diversity of habitats and species. Using best practice models, sustainable, nature-friendly agriculture is to be preserved and further developed. In addition, no reallocation to building land is possible in the care zone.
  • The living and economic space of the residents is in the development zones (76% share). From an economic perspective, a sustainable, environmentally and socially acceptable economy should take place here in all sectors as well as the marketing of sustainably produced, regional products. The agriculture is diverse - from fruit products to hay for horses, riding stables and classic cattle farming, there is also the viticulture located on the thermal bath line , but also in the north of the area .

Protected areas in the biosphere reserve

Large parts of the biosphere reserve are European protected areas according to the Habitats and Birds Protection Directive  (GGB / BSG).

The Lower Austrian part is assigned to the Alpine biogeographical region , the Vienna part - for systematic reasons - to the continental biogeographical region .

All areas of the core zone are declared as nature reserves in Lower Austria . In addition to these, the Eichkogel near Mödling, the Teufelstein and Glaslauterriegel − Heferlberg are also shown ( → list ). In Vienna, the Lainzer Tiergarten is a nature reserve.

The entire Lower Austrian part of the biosphere reserve and the core and maintenance zones in Vienna are also designated as landscape protection areas.

Also nature parks , which are partly already longer are created in the biosphere reserve, namely:

In addition, numerous natural monuments such as waterfalls, springs, rock formations, trees or associated rare habitats are protected. No interventions or changes may be made there. In Vienna and Lower Austria there are also extensive natural monuments such as the Himmelswiese near Kalksburg or a wet meadow near Heiligenkreuz, where interventions are also prohibited. There are also some natural forest reserves . The protected objects also include some caves that have been placed under protection for scientific reasons or to protect bats and are not allowed to be entered (caves are generally protected in Austria ).

Adjacent to the north on the other bank of the Danube is the European protected area Tullnerfelder Donau-Auen ( GGB AT1216000 / BSG AT1216V00 ), in the south the European protected area Northeastern Rim Alps: Hohe Wand – Schneeberg – Rax ( GGB AT1212A00 ) and the landscape protection area Enzesfeld – Lindabrunn – Hernstein  ( No. 18 ). From there, a network of protected areas on the edge of the Alps extends all the way to Styria and the central Eastern Alps. In the north, too, the biosphere reserve with the Danube protected areas is connected to an important corridor.

forestry

Most of the forests in the biosphere reserve are managed by the larger property owners or by municipalities:

Agriculture

The competition “Der Wein” deserves special mention for the existing viticulture , in which every year vintners from the Vienna Woods Biosphere Reserve can submit for tastings and awards. In order to emphasize ecological sustainability, only wines from organic or certified sustainable production are eligible. In addition to the results of the blind tasting, other sustainability criteria are also assessed as additional points for the award.

In the field of agriculture, particular emphasis should be placed on successful collaborations and projects that ensure the continued existence of agriculture through improved sales opportunities for sustainable products such as hay (hay exchange) or lamb and thus the preservation of meadows and pastures that are valuable in terms of nature conservation. The Wienerwald Weiderind was developed as one of the first products between 2005 and 2010 .

research

In the Vienna Woods Biosphere Reserve, numerous research and implementation projects are carried out or supported by management. The topics are spread across all areas of life in the Vienna Woods.

administration

Administration in the Norbertinum

A non-profit limited liability company was established to manage the Vienna Woods Biosphere Reserve . Founded by the two federal states, with the general assembly being formed by the two competent state councils . Biosphärenpark Wienerwald Management GmbH is located together with various schools in the Norbertinum in Tullnerbach.

Four departments are subordinate to the management. These are:

  • Natural management and conservation
  • Development of foundations and research
  • Communication and education
  • Regional management and cooperation with partners

Others

From 2007 to 2010 the biosphere reserve was the focus region of the Lower Austria Climate Alliance with its member communities.

The free newspaper Das Blatt appears twice a year and provides information on activities in the biosphere reserve.

Tourism and leisure activities

With an area of ​​1,300 km², the Vienna Woods Biosphere Park is a popular excursion destination for guests and locals alike. Due to its proximity to Vienna and its public accessibility, the Vienna Woods are a pleasant recreational area that offers varied hiking and cycling routes. The extensive network of paths leads along sandstone in the west, rugged limestone cliffs in the east and through deciduous and pine forests, which are repeatedly interrupted by meadows and fields.

The biosphere reserve is criss-crossed by hiking trails. Most of Vienna's city hiking trails and long-distance hiking trails such as the Via Sara lead through the biosphere reserve. Mountain biking is now also possible and you can drive on 1,250 km of well-marked paths through the Vienna Woods.

natural reserve

Since the biosphere reserve is a protected zone, there are of course restrictions on leisure activities. For mountain bikers these are summarized under "Fair Play". There are many routes in the Vienna Woods, but not all are officially approved. Please stay on the signposted paths to protect animals and nature

The following applies to hikers and visitors in general:

  • Stay on the paths
  • Keep dogs on a leash for self-protection and the protection of wild animals
  • It is forbidden to collect mushrooms in the biosphere reserve
  • Take rubbish back with you

literature

  • Biosphärenpark Wienerwald Management GmbH: Activity reports . Purkersdorf, 2009 ff.

Legal sources:

Web links

Commons : Wienerwald Biosphere Reserve  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Schicker: "Measures to protect the Vienna Woods". Press release on the PGO specialist quete “Future Vienna Woods” - Vienna Woods Declaration 2002. In: ots.at. City of Vienna, October 14, 2002, accessed on September 10, 2019 .
  2. ↑ a b c zoning in the biosphere reserve . Website of the biosphere reserve
  3. ↑ LGBl. 5500 / 6-2, 6th amendment of the Lower Austria Nature Conservation Act 2000.
    AT1302000 Nature reserve Lainzer Tiergarten , Natura 2000 - Standard Data Form, natura2000.eea.europa.eu;
    Province of Lower Austria (publisher): Management plan for European protected areas “Wienerwald – Thermenregion” . May 2007 ( pdf [accessed June 18, 2010]).
  4. ↑ LGBl. No. 15/2017: European Protected Areas Ordinance; Modification. In: ris.bka.gv.at. April 11, 2017. Retrieved February 15, 2019 .
  5. ↑ Ordinance of the Viennese provincial government regarding the declaration of the Donau-Auen National Park, the Lainzer Tiergarten nature reserve, the Liesing landscape protection area (parts A, B, C) and parts of the Bisamberg as European protected areas (European protected area ordinance) . LGBl. For Vienna No. 38/2007 (as amended online, wien.gv.at);
    For the aforementioned ordinances, see Area protection based on the Vienna Nature Conservation Act and the Vienna National Park Act - Important Ordinances , wien.gv.at
  6. ↑ The borders of the biogeographical regions of the European Union partly only follow the political borders, in this case the national borders. When Austria joined the EU, no new regions were necessary for the Alpine region, the Pannonian biogeographical region was only introduced with the accession of Hungary and the neighboring countries, so that the foreland in the east is continental as far as the state border.
  7. ↑ Large forest operations in the biosphere reserve (PDF; 863 kB) on the website of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, accessed on June 2, 2010
  8. ↑ Forests and Agriculture. In: wien.gv.at. City of Vienna, accessed on August 31, 2017 .
  9. ↑ Prince Liechtenstein Foundation. Retrieved September 4, 2019 .
  10. ↑ Vienna Woods Biosphere Reserve - The Wine. In: bpww.at. Retrieved April 29, 2019 .
  11. ↑ project Wienerwald pasture cattle. In: oekl.at. Retrieved January 9, 2019 .
  12. ↑ Climate initiative in the priority region Wienerwald. Retrieved September 4, 2019 .
  13. ↑ Vienna Woods hiking trails | Vienna Woods Tourism. Retrieved September 4, 2019 .
  14. ↑ Mountain biking in Lower Austria I wienerwald.info. Retrieved September 4, 2019 .
  15. ↑ Fair play while biking in the Vienna Woods. Retrieved September 4, 2019 .