Monitoring Dry Grasslands

Within the LIFE Project framework a scientific program for observation (“monitoring”) has been launched in several branches, in order to document the influence of the caring measures. The effects of the grazing and other caring measures are being analyzed in the area of the Hundsheimer Mountains. The dynamics of the loessial dry grasslands in the northern Weinviertel in the area of the Zeiserberg should be depicted. The goal of these examinations is to improve the management measures.


Monitoring - Hundsheimer Mountains
(Coordination: Thorsten Englisch)

The Hundsheimer Mountains are characterized by highly bio-diverse fauna and flora from dry locations. They are a home to a variety of plant species of southern and eastern continental heritage. The animal world is likewise characterized by a variety of species that thrive on warmth and are adapted to aridity.

Large portions of the dry locations are old landscapes formed by humans who have cleared it, cut the grass and grazed livestock. Without continuous care (grazing animals or cutting grass, removing brush, wood and undergrowth), the overgrowth of bushes would threaten these areas and numerous species would disappear due to the reduction of their habitats. As the grazing of cattle was reestablished on the Königswarte (2000) – as had been done earlier on the Hundsheimerberg with sheep – a good long-term basis was created to safeguard the dry grasslands from the overgrowth of bushes.

At the beginning of 2004, a scientific monitoring program was launched to document the influences of grazing, positive as well as negative. In addition, on Hundsheimerberg, Spitzerberg and on Königswarte, four to eight observational areas were determined and placed with different intensities of grazing, on which yearly surveys are carried out according to scientific criteria. In this way, changes in the animal and plant species at different intensities of grazing can be observed and analyzed. All plant species as well as selected groups of animals (such as ants, grasshoppers, grand beetles, butterflies, bugs and wild bees ) are under observation.

Within the five-year-observational phase, the following concrete questions should be answered:

• Are these types of dry grasslands promoted by the continual grazing measures in the desired way or are the endangered species of animal and plant nationalizations damaged or possibly driven away?
• Can the objective of the grazing in relation to the endangered plants and animal species be achieved?
• Which measures (intensity and time of grazing) can best bring about the desired effects?

In order to be able to follow the progressing developments well, a few groups of animal and plant species, which react sensitively to grazing, are chosen and characterized for long-term observation. These so-called ‘indicator species' allow for a constant control of the effects of grazing and other caring measures.

The monitoring of dry grasslands is not only to document and assess the effects of grazing on the animal and plant world. Suggestions should, above all, be worked out for possible grazing improvements, in the end, and strategies should be developed for sustainable protection of the endangered animal and plant world in the Hundsheimer Mountains.


Monitoring - Loess Steppes
(Coordination: Manuela Zinöcker)

The monitoring of loess steppes serves to optimize the management plans of the Zeiserlberg and Mühlberg branches and documents the dynamics of the population of characteristic species, especially the Crambe tatarica . On the basis of these surveys it is possible to assess the different caring measures with regard to the achievement of the project goals for loessial steppes.