UNTERSBERGFORELAND LIFE NATURE PROJECT

A NATURAL SALZBURGJEWEL BLOSSOMS!

1 PREFACE

Only when we look at nature together, can we preserve this treasure in the province of . Nature conservation is only successful when working together with citizens and land owners.

This is why this Natura 2000 site, The importance of the region I am pleased that the conservation with the new observation tower, becomes particularly clear in the of this valuable landscape is the butterfly educational path and “Land of Butterflies” film. We have successful through the support the hay meadow exhibition is so a natural treasure at our doorstep, of the European Union. important. It offers everyone the which we have to take good care opportunity to come in close con- of. This film shows us before our Your Member of the Regional tact with the various animals and eyes, how diverse our nature can Government plants. At the foot of the Unters- be. The citizens and farmers have Sepp Eisl berg mountain, in the Salzburg newly discovered the importance open-air museum the visitors can of the Untersberg Foreland. experience a cultural treasure, as well as an animal and plant world of European importance.

02 033 THELAND

OFBUTTERFLIES…

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At the foot of the Untersberg mountain, before the gates of Salzburg lies the Natura 2000 site Untersberg Foreland, a butterfly paradise, where 70 different butterflies are found, some of which are very rare Europe-wide

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he “star” among them is the Scarce bedding in the stables. Since the Fritillary (Euphydryas maturna) 1 meadows are not fertilized and only Natura 2000 who has one of its last significant mowed once a year in the autumn, habitats here in all of Central they are particularly rich in meadow “Natura 2000” is a European Europe! The butterflies are depen- flowers and insects. Their attractive network of protected areas. dent on the traditional agricultural flowering plants, many of which are With Natura 2000 all European Tcultivated landscape of the Unters- botanical rarities, are also particu- Union member states cooper- berg Foreland. Here, there is still larly pretty to look at. The Salzburg ate to secure the unique Euro- the typical near-natural mosaic of open-air museum also lies in the pean natural heritage for the only extensively used habitats, middle of the Natura 2000 site. upcoming generations. from forests with structural-rich forest edges to species-rich hay meadows 2.The grass cuttings of these hay meadows are used as

04 … WAS IN GREAT

DANGER

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But there were problems in the Land of Butterflies: Some hay meadows were abandoned years ago because the laborious scythe mowing was not productive for the farmers anymore. The tractors could not be used on the wet meadows which could not bear the load.

Woods began to overgrow the mead- less and less suitable ash-rich forest ows 3 and threatened the butter- edges and clearings needed for living What is LIFE? fly’s habitat. In addition, the still space and walking passages. High existing meadows and forest bio- time to do something! LIFE is a European Union topes were often separated from subsidy program to co-finance each other by spruce forests 4 and Therefore in 2006, a European nature conservation projects monotone intensely used grassland Union co-sponsored LIFE Nature in the NATURA 2000 sites. 5, so that butterflies from different project was started with the goal parts of the area found it ever more of preserving the various species difficult to find common ground. and habitats of the Untersberg The genetic exchange and therefore Foreland. The local farmers and the the long-term survival of the species citizens should also be made more were in danger. The Scarce Fritillary aware of the value and the worthi- was particularly affected which found ness of the Nature 2000 site

05 THELIFE

MEASURES

INOVERVIEW

I Three and a half kilometers of I Two hectares of grassland were I Numerous small ponds to be forest edges were reshaped in such purchased and regeneration into a used as spawning pools were laid a way that they could be used as species-rich wet meadow was out for the Yellow-bellied toad. habitat for the Scarce Fritillary. initiated. I There are new guided tour offers I Six hectares of hay meadows and I The maintenance of 20 hectares for school classes about “Butterflies fens were restored and saved from of hay meadows was optimized and Hay Meadows” at the open-air being overgrown. together with the farmers for the museum. I A special “mowing-mobile” for butterflies and plants present there. I The film “Land of Butterflies” the maintenance of particularly wet I A “butterfly path”, an “obser- was produced in professional hay meadows was acquired. vation tower” and a “hay meadow quality and is continually shown I Typical hay meadow plants were exhibition” were established for in the open-air museum. bred and then planted in the area. the visitors of the Salzburg open-air I Various public relations and museum. conscious-shaping information

06 NEWFORESTEDGES

FORTHESCARCE

FRITILLARY

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3.5 km of monotone forest edges were reshaped into new habitats for the Scarce Fritillary.

were provided (flyers, brochures, For this purpose spruce groups were posters) and numerous excursions removed and young ashes were and informational meetings were newly planted in suitable locations held for farmers, other interested (southeast facing, damp grounds). people and students. By doing so innumerable forest edge I The project website bays 1 were developed thus creating www.untersberg-vorland.at humid microclimates important for supplies background knowledge the Scarce Fritillary caterpillar 2. Groves about the Natura 2000 site and Young ashes current information about the Forest edge LIFE project.

Sketch of an ideal

www.untersberg-vorland.at Scarce Fritillary Habitat © Landschaft + Plan

07 INSTEADOFSHRUBS

MULTICOLORED

HAY MEADOWS AGAIN

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At the beginning of the LIFE project many former hay meadows had already nearly disappeared. After many years the abandoned land was heavily overgrown with bushes and trees and the tufts of the hay meadow grasses formed half meter high mounds and the so-called “Bulte” developed.

Mowing the meadows with normal the meadows were cleared with light-needy plants, such as the equipment, at the time was not a € 300,000 mowing-crawler 1. insect-eating sundew spread once possible. One could hardly cross The extremely robust mowing again. In this way over six hectares these areas by foot. In order to attachment had its European pre- of hay meadows were restored and achieve hay meadows that could miere in the Untersberg Foreland! thus secured the butterfly’s habitat be mowed, a lot of effort had to Step by step real hay meadows for the future! be put into “initial care”. developed again. Now they can be mowed by farmers again, who in First the trees and shrubs were re- return are offered special subsidies. moved - partly by hand, partly with the help of a power saw and partly A further desired effect of the with special machines. Afterwards, maintaining strategies was that

08 AMOWINGMOBILE

FOR “DIFFICULT MEADOWS”

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Some particularly wet hay meadows could not be cultivated with normal agricultural equipment even after the LIFE “initial care”. Tractors and self-loading bale trailers would have sunk into the soft ground. Also the previous scythes mowing technique cannot be expected to be done today by anyone.

Thus an alternative had to be found. the soil pressure is comparatively areas in Salzburg for example in After a long search and critical ex- low. the Natura 2000 site Weidmoos. pertise by experts and field workers Within the framework of a school one finally found the ideal equip- Purchasing the mowing mobile wit- project Großgmain students created ment: hin the LIFE project insures that af- a colorful-bright design for the ter the conclusion of the LIFE pro- mowing mobile. The mowing mobile 2, developed ject further maintenance of the by the inventor Peter Estner from “difficult hay meadows” will be Großgmain, can complete mowing continued. The farmers can rent the and loading in one operational step. mowing mobile for a reasonable The delicate meadows must be price. Meanwhile, the mowing mo- driven on much less. Furthermore, bile is also used in other protected

09 NEWFLOWERS

FORTHE

UNTERSBERGFORELAND

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nder the leadership of the Univer- exhibition in the Salzburg open-air sity of Salzburg Botanical Gardens museum, in order to be able to pre- seeds from typical hay meadow sent the typical hay meadow plants plants in the Natura 2000 site were there. collected and 1,500 pot plants were cultivated 1. The reproduction pro- Uject took place in cooperation with the HALM Biotope Nature Conser- vation Group. Some of the plants were planted on the purchased two hectares grassland 2 – as a “star- ting-help” for regeneration into a species-rich damp meadow. Another part was used in the hay meadow

10 NATURE EXPERIENCE

INTHESALZBURG

OPEN-AIRMUSEUM

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The Salzburg open-air museum with its excellent infrastructure offers the ideal conditions for many people to come in closer contact to the Natura 2000 site without harming nature.

In close cooperation with the mu- vated landscape of the open-air meadow flowers during the seum management the new nature museum and at the same time a changes of the seasons. These experience facilities were established look into the Scarce Fritillary’s habi- three attractions are complemented around the so-called “Sillweiher” tat. Climate measuring instruments by the new guided tours for school (pond). They consist of three ele- illustrate the special warm-humid groups about “Butterflies and Hay ments: “butterfly path” 3, “obser- microclimate in this habitat. The Meadows”. This offer is rounded vation tower” 4 and “hay meadow third element is the innovative hay off by the film “Land of Butterflies” exhibition” 5. On the butterfly path meadow exhibition. Here the visitor which is presented in the museum. one becomes acquainted with the immerses into a light and rain The film shows the unique pictures miraculous world of butterflies at nu- permeable metal platform and into of the diversity and beauty of the merous partially interactive stations. a typical hay meadow, which was butterflies and hay meadows in “enriched” with numerous bred the Natura 2000 site and presents From the observation tower one has hay meadow plants. The visitor the LIFE project. an overview of the traditional culti- can experience all of the typical

11 HAY MEADOWS –

OPTIMAL

MANAGEMENT

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The LIFE project also served to find out, which maintenance for which hay meadows is best. Together with the farmers five different types of care were developed. Depending upon plant population and present butterflies every hay meadow was assigned a certain type of care.

long with the nature conservation found for the caterpillars of the plants again. In order that this requirements a practice-oriented Marsh Fritillary 2 as well as many maintenance can be continued cultivation was naturally also taken other insect species. Also late after “LIFE”, special subsidies will in consideration. A characteristic of blooming and fruit-bearing hay be offered. most management types is the meadow plants such as the Marsh so-called “migrating piece of fallow Gentian can mature their seeds in Aland” 1. Thereby, five to ten per peace here. However, it is important cent of a meadow are left to stand that the piece of fallow land is and not mowed. Here, an important moved every year, so that it will retreat and hibernation area can be not become overgrown with woody

12 HOWHASTHIS

ALLHELPED? 185 171 Individual number with blossoms Individual number without blossoms 157 Start of the 154 LIFE tending 82 45 measures 27 22 38 9 4 2000 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 © S. Gewolf (modified)

Development of the Fen Orchid population in the Natura 2000 site

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I The population of the Fen I Consciousness for the unique- I Through the initial care measure- Orchid 3, one of the rarest orchids ness and worthiness of protection ments and the guaranteed sub- in Europe, has multiplied thanks of the Natura 2000 site clearly rose sequent care of the hay meadows to the optimized hay meadow from the property owners and the a unique cultivated landscape was maintenance 4. citizens. Many farmers actively take protected from disappearance. part in the nature conservation I Scarce Fritillary: Newly created measures and identify themselves habitats were already populated by with THEIR hay meadows and the butterflies’ caterpillars. Thus the butterflies. project made an important contri- bution to conserve the Scarce Fritillary before becoming extinct.

13 FURTHER INFORMATION

ABOUT

THEPROJECT

LIFEPROJECT DATA AND FACTS

ackground information about the phone under: +43 662 8042 5532. Duration: October 2006 – October 2010 project and brochures to download Information on guided school Size of the area: 190 hectares are on the project website groups about “Butterflies and www.untersberg-vorland.at Hay Meadows” in the Salzburg Responsible Land Salzburg – open-air Museum is under: for the Project: Nature Conservation Department The official final project report is www.freilichtmuseum.com Project Partner: Großgmain Municipality available starting at the beginning and/or by telephone under: B € Budget: 819.500 of 2011 which is also possible to +43 662 85 00 11 download. Financing: 50% EU-LIFE 46% Land Salzburg The 17 minute film “Land of 3% Federal Ministry of Agricul- Butterflies” can be ordered at the ture, Forestry, Environment webshop “LandVersand” at and Water Management www.salzburg.gv.at or by tele- 1% Großgmain Municipality

14 PHOTO

REFERENCES

Page 1: View in the project area, hay Small Scabious also multiplied from the meadow in foreground, Untersberg wild seeds; members of HALM biotope mountain in the background protection group while planting the bred hay meadow plants Page 4: Scarce Fritillary on a dogwood blossom; hay meadows with orchids Page 11: The hay meadow exhibition, (Green-winged Orchid) with the light and rain permeable visitor platform; one of the interactive stations Page 5: Species-poor spruce forest on the butterfly path; the observation without forest edge; abandoned hay tower; Member of the Regional Govern- meadow with wide-spread trees and ment, Sepp Eisl (right in picture) and shrubs; species-poor grassland. LIFE project manager, Bernhard Riehl Page 6: The project area in the summer at the presentation of the film“Land from a birds perspective of Butterflies” Page 7: Scarce Fritillary butterfly eggs on Page 12: In the annual migration of ash leaf; newly established forest edge the fallow land on the hay meadows the bay with ash saplings; Scarce Fritillary seeds of late flowering species can also caterpillar on ash leaf mature; the European-wide protected Marsh Fritillary also profits from the Page 8: Hay meadow with fallow land mountain in the background; the mowing caterpillar, a converted snowcat, with Page 13: Fen Orchid initial care of a hay meadow which was Page 14/15: The Natura 2000 site uncultivated many years Untersberg Foreland in the overview Page 9: The Stemless Gentian benefits Page 16: Hay meadow with the Hoch- from the tending strategies during care staufen mountain in the background; operations; the purchased LIFE “mowing students on a LIFE excursion; beetle on mobile”; the Peacock butterfly also loves a Laserpitium prutenicum. the flowery hay meadows Page 10: Offspring of the hay meadow plants in the University of Salzburg Botanical Gardens; the attractive

15 A hearty thank you to everyone who contributed to the successful implementation of the LIFE project! Bernhard Riehl, Project Manager

Freilassing Linz/Wien A1

SALZBURG München

A8 Sbg.Westv Exit 297

Bad Reichenhall Großgmain Bayer. Gmain UNTERSBERG A10

Berchtesgaden Villach Imprint: Publisher: Großgmain Municipality Conception and Text: Bernhard Riehl, Nature Conservation Department English translation: Andrea Sando-Seitlinger Photographs: Christian Eichberger (p. 10), Johannes Gillmann (p. 12), Paul Heiselmayer (p. 10), Thomas Herrmann (p. 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 12, 16), Klaus Leidorf (p. 6/7, 14/15), Bernhard Riehl (p. 5, 11), Science Vision (p. 5), Oliver Stöhr (p. 10, 13), Franz Wieser (p. 11) Graphics: graficde’sign pürstinger, Salzburg Printer: Druckerei Land Salzburg Date: October 2010

LIFE is a EU Natura 2000 is a subsidy program European network of SALZBURGER to co-finance nature protected areas to secure FREILICHT conservation projects Europe’s rich and diverse MUSEUM in Natura 2000 sites. natural heritage. Gemeinde Großgmain Salzburgs größtes Museum