Project process

The work was carried out on the basis of a comparison of existing concepts for biodiversity assessment on farms. The following were examined in detail and described in the interim report: (1) the life cycle assessment approach “SALCA biodiversity”, (2) the “biodiversity points system”, which emerged from the project “Scoring with diversity – farmers revitalize nature” and (3) that “Agriculture for Biodiversity” project. Based on the evaluation of the concepts with regard to the biodiversity construct, the validation of the resulting point values ​​and the practical testing, the decision was made to use the Swiss “biodiversity point system” as the basis for further concept creation. For the “biodiversity point system”, the indicator species groups of vascular plants, grasshoppers, butterflies and birds were mapped as part of a validation study on arable land and grassland. The concept has been in use at thousands of companies in Switzerland since 2010.

Final report

The final report contains a presentation of the concept and describes its transfer and adaptation to Austrian conditions. The management of operational areas, potentially valuable habitats and species diversity per se serve as indicators for biodiversity. The starting points of the survey are agricultural land use and diversity of uses, structural and landscape elements, special biodiversity areas, plant varieties and animal breeds as well as feeding and fertilizer management. The report describes the relevant parameters in the categories (a) operational areas and diversity of use, (b) management of grassland, arable land, other areas and farms and (c) additional information on operational management.

The results describe the concept for integration into the existing FarmLife operations management concept.