Development of a concept for Biodiversity Monitoring for Austria
Abstract
The Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management initiated a project to control and to document the changes of biodiversity in Austria. This project takes into account international commitments particularly the Biodiversity Convention. In 2003 the Centre of Environmental Research and Nature Conservation (Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Research, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna; project leader) and the Umweltbüro Klagenfurt (project management) were assigned to elaborate a concept for a monitoring of biodiversity in Austria. Experts from the Federal Environment Agency, the Federal Research and Training Centre for Forests, Natural Hazards and Landscape (BFW) and the consulting office stadtland completed the MOBI-e project team. An advisory board consisting of interdisciplinary experts consulted the MOBIteam. An indicator set consisting of 47 indicators (among 16 headline-indicators) is the result of the two years of work. The indicators were organised in the main sectors forest, cultural landscape, alps, settlements, waters and the cross section matters soil, genetics awareness, fragmentation and nature protection. The indicator set achieves the following attributes: Comprehensible for decision makers and publicity. Coherent about the importance of indicators and their connection to biodiversity. Aligned to concrete measures to conserve biodiversity. Economic: In the international context MOBI is very efficient. Immediate: As a result of the cooperation with amateur biologists (e.g. BirdLife) and laities (e.g. farmers counting species on their own land) the indicator set makes available rapid results of specific indicators (some of them provide results every year). Active in public and important for policy as a result of a cooperation with many people (e.g. school-activities of the Naturschutzbund Austria). Efficient by the use of existing data, particularly the Austrian Forest Inventory, the Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) and the agricultural soil map or gene data bases. Statistical validated by the documentation of the state of cultural landscape on the one hand through a Sampling Design and on the other hand through a modeling of existing data (modeling of extensive grassland). Accurate by case studies in selected regions (current only mountain pastures). Innovative by consideration of indicators for increasing awareness. Calculable and realisable by determination of feasibility (test runs) and costs for implementation of the indicators. International harmonised and compatible to European Union acitvities and international activities. Synergies with other commitments (part. Natura 2000) were aspired for using synergies.
Publikationen
Project staff
Monika Kriechbaum
Ao.Univ.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.nat.techn. Monika Kriechbaum
monika.kriechbaum@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-83411
Project Staff
01.01.2004 - 31.12.2005
Baerbel Pachinger
Dipl.-Ing. Dr.nat.techn. Baerbel Pachinger
baerbel.pachinger@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-83414
Project Staff
01.01.2004 - 31.12.2005
Silvia Winter
Dipl.-Ing. Dr.nat.techn. Silvia Winter
silvia.winter@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-95307
Project Staff
01.01.2004 - 31.12.2005
BOKU partners
External partners
Bogner & Golob, office for Ecology and Agriculture
Daniel Bogner
coordinator