Nature reserve (Austria)

The nature reserve ( NSG ) is a form of protected areas anchored in Austria at the state level in nature and landscape protection .

The type can be found in all federal states, there are a total of over 440 nature reserves.

Intention and legal basis

The nature reserves represent one of the strongest large-scale protected area categories at the state level. The definitions are slightly different in each federal state, but they have criteria in common:

1. complete or extensive originality , closeness to nature , or an intact landscape budget
2. rare, endangered or characteristic animal or plant species , plant communities or communities of animals or plants , or a wealth of natural monuments
3. are of particular scientific and ecological interest

In the nature reserve, any interference with nature is prohibited, with the exception of maintenance and development measures and other uses, provided that they do not lead to any significant impairment of the protection purpose - in some state laws there is also a passage ex lege on exceptions with regard to safety of people or to avert the risk of significant property damage, which puts the strictness of the protection overall below that of the national park and world heritage core zones and most of the European protected areas . Usually, in the sense of a buffer zone, peripheral areas can also be placed under protection, the nature reserve also plays a role as a recreational area . In addition, education and research are also a concern, and regional development as well . Even country - and forestry uses, as well as hunting , are allowed to some extent.

The declaration of protection is made by individual ordinance of the state government.

Legal provisions of the state nature conservation laws

• Burgenland : § 21 Burgenland Nature Conservation and Landscape Management Act (NG 1990) determines the nature and protection provisions (§ 21a) of the nature reserve. In contrast to most of the other federal states, Burgenland sets strict general criteria for environmental and landscape protection (II. Section NG). Like Lower Austria and Vorarlberg, there are “rare or scientifically interesting minerals and fossils” as a separate category (Section 21 (1) d).

  Burgenland defines 28 nature reserves → List of nature reserves in Burgenland

• Carinthia : The nature reserve is regulated in Section 23 of the Carinthian Nature Conservation Act 2002 (K-NSG 2002), the protection provisions in Section 24. As in Burgenland, there is a generally strong nationwide protection of the landscape in Carinthia without expressly designated as a protected area ( Ex-Laying Biotopes , Section II K-NSG, in particular Sections 5–8).

  There are 40 nature reserves in Carinthia → List of nature reserves in Carinthia

• Lower Austria : Section 11 of the Lower Austrian Nature Conservation Act 2000 specifies nature reserves as "lying in grassland" and as a special criterion also gives "increased occurrence of rare or scientifically interesting minerals or fossils or geologically interesting phenomena" (para. 1, line 3)

  There are 68 NSG in Lower Austria, 11 of which form the core zone of a biosphere reserve , and one is Rothwald , Austria's only Strict Nature Reserve according to IUCN . The nature reserve area remains below 1% of the state area → List of nature reserves in Lower Austria

• Upper Austria : Nature reserves are one of the three different (national) categories of protected areas, alongside landscape protection areas and protected landscape areas ( nature parks are a special form of landscape protection area). The basis is § 25 Upper Austria. Nature and Landscape Protection Act 2001 .

  There are currently 109 nature reserves, both in terms of their number and area, they represent the largest proportion of the state's protected areas, which make up around 2.1% of the state's area → list of nature reserves in Upper Austria

• Salzburg : Nature are always "areas outside built-up areas ", and there are numerous other types of protected areas. The legal basis is §§ 19 to 21  Salzburg Nature Conservation Act 1999 and various nature reserve ordinances.

  There are 28 nature reserves in the city and state of Salzburg. → List of nature reserves in the state of Salzburg

• Styria : Section 5, Paragraph 1 of the Styrian Nature Conservation Act  1976 clarified the term, Paragraph 2 then cites three express natural forms, lit. a) "Alpine landscapes, mountains, lakes and rivers;" b) "Remnants of primeval forest, moors, boggy areas or swamps;" and c) "Locations and demarcated habitats of plants or animal species that are worthy of protection or endangered (plants or animal protection areas)". Letter a areas are under state protection, letter b and letter c areas are either within the competence of the state (in the case of European protected areas ) or the district administrative authority .

  There are a total of 123 Styrian nature reserves (19 lit.a., 8 lit.b., 96 lit.c.) → List of nature reserves in Styria

• Tyrol : Section 21 of the Tyrolean Nature Conservation Act 2005 regulates the protection category in great detail and individually deals with prohibitions and exceptions to use.

  The 22 nature reserves in Tyrol account for around 25% of the protected areas (81 areas) and a fifth of the protected areas. 3 of the areas are cross-border to Bavaria → List of nature reserves in Tyrol

Vorarlberg: "Plant protection area" sign

• Vorarlberg : The law on nature conservation and landscape development is the only one of the state laws not to mention the term, but speaks of a protected area in Section 26 . These are then designated by the administration - among other forms - as a nature reserve. In addition to the standard, criteria also include the protection of an area that “contains rare or scientifically interesting minerals or fossils” (Paragraph 1d).

  Vorarlberg has 23 nature reserves 

• Vienna : The type is defined according to § 23. (1) Vienna Nature Conservation Act .

  The 2 nature reserves in Vienna are: Lainzer Tiergarten and Lobau → List of nature reserves and nature reserves in Vienna

Overview of the nature reserves in Austria

Nature reserves 1998 and 2010 ^(s)

	1998	2010	1998	2010	1998	2010	1998	2010 (1)
country	Number		Fl.		% d. LFl.		% Fl. d. SFl.
Burgenland	27	28	5.43		0.1
Carinthia	37	40	135.27		1.4
Lower Austria (f)	44	68	55.66	133.00	0.3	0.7
Upper Austria (f)	71	109	87.55		0.7	2.1
Salzburg	21st	28	363.58	367.48	5.1	5.1		16.1
Styria (noun)	112	123	1,276.19		7.9
Tyrol	17th	22nd	710.23	746.62	5.6	5.9		23.1
Vorarlberg	23	23	131.18		5.0
Vienna	2	2	43.51	43.51	10.5	10.5		34.0
Austria	354 (1)	443 (1)	2,809.60	2,99200	3.4	3.6	13.1

• Number ... number of nature reserves (NSG)
• Fl. ... area under protection in km², in total without overlapping of several protected area categories for one area
• % d. LFl. ... percent of the country's area, cf. Tab. Here
• % Fl. d. SFl. ... Percentage of NSG in the protected area of ​​the country (excluding overlaps), see here

^(f)Area data 1998 z. T. missing

^(s)Status: 6/2010; Austria end of 2009; Vienna partly in 2005 without major changes

⁽¹⁾ calculates Wikipedia

literature

• Mario F. Broggi, Rudolf Staub, Flavio V. Ruffini: Large-scale protected areas in the Alpine region: data, facts, background . Blackwell Wissenschafts-Verlag, 1999, ISBN 978-3-8263-3215-9 .
• Peter Aubrecht, Karl Christian Petz: Naturally important areas in Austria. An overview . (M-134). In: Umweltbundesamt (Ed.): Monographs . tape 134 . Vienna 2002, ISBN 3-85457-571-8 , 2.1.1.2 nature reserve ; 3 National Protected Areas , p. 21; 26–92 ( web link , Umweltbundesamt.at, link to abstract (pdf) [accessed on August 25, 2009]).
• Maria Tiefenbach, Gerlinde Larndorfer, Erich Weigand: Nature conservation in Austria . (M-091). In: Federal Environment Agency , Federal Ministry for the Environment, Youth and Family (ed.): Monographs . tape 91 . Vienna 1998, 4.4.1 nature reserve ; Appendix 1: Nature reserves in Austria , p. 48; 98-107 ( pdf , Umweltbundesamt.at [accessed on August 25, 2009]).

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Information as of 6/2010 Nature reserves: An important category in area protection. In: Umweltbundesamt.at »Environmental Issues» Nature Conservation »Protected Areas. Federal Environment Agency , 2010, accessed on May 30, 2010 . 
2. ↑ ^{a b c} National reserve: nature reserve. (No longer available online.) In: Protected areas in Carinthia www.schutzgebiete.ktn.gv.at → Species, habitats. IPAM - Toolbox - Integrative Protected Area Management, archived from the original on February 7, 2011 ; Retrieved June 5, 2010 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
3. ↑ For a comparison of the legal situation (as of 1998) see Tiefenbach: Naturschutz in Österreich . 1998, Tab. 24 Bans and restrictions in nature conservation areas (selection) ; Tab. 25 Exceptions for nature reserves (selection) , p. 48 .
4. ↑ Law of November 15, 1990 on the protection and care of nature and the landscape in Burgenland - Burgenland Nature Protection and Landscape Management Act. LGBl. No. 27/1991
5. ↑ ^{a b} nature reserves. (No longer available online.) In: burgenland.at> Nature & Environment> Protected areas. Office of the Burgenland Provincial Government: Department 5 - Plant law, environmental protection and traffic, archived from the original on April 19, 2010 ; Retrieved June 6, 2010 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
6. ↑ Carinthian Nature Conservation Act 2002 - K-NSG 2002 . LGBl. No. 79/2002
7. ↑ The Office of the Carinthian Provincial Government, Section 20 Provincial Planning , does not keep an explicit list of protected areas, neither does KAGIS
8. ^ Lower Austria Nature Conservation Act 2000 (Lower Austria NSchG 2000) LGBl. 5500
9. ↑ nature reserves. In: noe.gv.at »Environment / Nature Conservation» Protected Areas. Office of the Provincial Government of Lower Austria: Nature Conservation Department, archived from the original on January 31, 2010 ; Retrieved June 1, 2010 . 
10. ↑ State law on the preservation and care of nature (Upper Austrian Nature and Landscape Protection Act 2001 - Upper Austrian NSchG 2001). LGBl. No. 129/2001
11. ↑ Protected areas: National protected areas. (https) In: land-oberoesterreich.gv.at> Topics> Environment> Nature and Landscape ( NaLa ). Office of Upper Austria. State government: Directorate for State Planning, Economic and Rural Development - Nature Conservation Department, accessed on May 29, 2010 . 
12. ↑ Salzburg Nature Conservation Act 1999 - NSchG. LGBl. No. 73/1999
13. ↑ nature reserves. (No longer available online.) In: salzburg.gv.at> Environment / Nature / Water> Nature Protection> Nature Protection Law and Landscape Protection. Nature Conservation Department State of Salzburg, State Press Office, archived from the original on May 22, 2010 ; Retrieved May 29, 2010 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
14. ↑ Law of 16 May 2017 on the protection and care of nature (Styrian Nature Conservation Act 2017 - StNSchG 2017) LGBl. No. 71/2017
15. ↑ Nature reserves in general. In: Administration of Styria ›Steir. Protected Areas ›Nature Reserves. Office of the Styrian Provincial Government, FA13C-Naturschutz, accessed on May 30, 2010 . 
16. ↑ Biogeophysical reserves , Digital Atlas Styria: NSGA, NSGB, NSGC
17. ^ Announcement of the state government of April 12, 2005 on the re-publication of the Tyrolean Nature Conservation Act 1997. LGBl. No. 26/2005
18. ↑ Nature reserves in Tyrol. In: tiroler-schutzgebiete.at. Office of the Tyrolean Provincial Government, Dept. Environmental Protection, accessed on May 30, 2010 . 
19. ^ Kaisergebirge , Arnspitze , Kufsteiner and Langkampfener Innauen - at TIRIS marked with NSGA for the Austrian part
20. ↑ Law on Nature Conservation and Landscape Development LGBl. No. 22/1997
21. ↑ Protected areas. In: The state of Vorarlberg on the Internet vorarlberg.at · Nature and environmental protection → Data & facts. Office of the Vorarlberg state government, accessed on May 23, 2010 . 
22. ↑ The NGS Verwall was declared an NSG for a limited period from 1995–2004 on the occasion of a mediation process for Natura 2000 status. Mediation process Natura 2000 area Verwall. (No longer available online.) In: rosinak.co.at. Rosinak & Partner, Office of the Vorarlberg State Government, archived from the original on September 3, 2010 ; Retrieved May 30, 2010 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
23. ↑ Law that enacts the Vienna Nature Conservation Act. LBGl. No. 45/1998
24. ↑ ^{a b} Protected areas and objects to be protected. In: wien.at> Environment & Climate Protection> Environmental Protection> Nature Conservation> Area and Property Protection. Magistrate of the City of Vienna, accessed on May 29, 2010 ( Protected areas in Vienna: Area statistics (status: December 31, 2005) ( Memento from March 1, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) (rtf; 65 kB)). 
25. ↑ ^{a b} Tiefenbach: Nature conservation in Austria . 1998, 4.4 Areas protected by nature conservation law Tab. 22: Number and area of ​​selected areas protected by nature conservation law in the federal states , p. 47 . ; Figures 1998 see Aubrecht, Petz: Naturschutzfachliche important areas . 2002, table, p. 8/9 . ;
26. ↑ Nature and Landscape , Protected Areas: National Protected Areas , land-oberoesterreich.gv.at
27. ↑ Nature Conservation Book : Statistics ( Memento of the original from June 15, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The  archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . service.salzburg.gv.at
28. ↑ Nature and Landscape , tirol.gv.at; Protected areas - overview , tiroler-schutzgebiete.at; Subject search: Protected Areas Nature Conservation Act  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , TIRIS (https)  
29. ^ Tiefenbach: Nature Conservation in Austria . 1998, 4.4 Areas protected by nature conservation law Tab. 23 Number and area of ​​selected areas protected by nature conservation law in Austria , p. 48 .
30. ↑ Protected areas: National parks, nature reserves & Co. In: Umweltbundesamt.at »Environmental topics» Nature conservation. Federal Environment Agency Austria, 2010, accessed on May 30, 2010 .