On Saturday, May 24th, the Provincial Councillor for Nature Conservation, Mag. Hannes Amesbauer, together with representatives of the Nature Conservation Association and the HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein, the Trautenfelser Iris meadows and renaturation areas of the HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein at the foot of the Grimming.
10 million irises have bloomed!
At the first location, Dr. Andreas Steinwidder and Renate Mayer presented the renaturation project of the HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein . On the grounds of the Biology Institute in Trautenfels, approximately 4 hectares of overgrown, species-poor land have been restored to ecologically valuable meadows in recent years. Together with project partners such as the Styrian Nature Conservation Association and our students, the habitat management measures were carried out to transform the fallow land back into species-rich flowering areas. At the same time, these areas serve as natural retention basins for flood protection between the Enns Valley Railway and the B320 federal highway.
The partnership between the Biology Institute of the HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein and the Nature Conservation Association enables the coordinated management of these litter meadows in the protected areas at the foot of the Grimming mountain. The harvested material is used as bedding at the Biology Institute. These areas, with their diverse habitats and species, are also important for research and teaching, serving as open-air classrooms and providing opportunities for recreation, and are equipped with appropriate facilities for knowledge transfer. The Raumberg students participated in the construction of watering holes for amphibians, nesting boxes, information panels, and small-scale biotopes, and they are also helping to control invasive neophytes.
The President of the Styrian Nature Conservation Association, Prof. Dr. JohannGepp, concluded the visit by leading the regional councilor to the blooming iris meadows in the Natura 2000 area , where the delegation admired the sea of blue blossoms at the foot of the Grimming mountain. During the visit, ideas for further collaborations and biodiversity projects were discussed. The aim is to utilize the synergies between nature conservation and agriculture and to promote biodiversity, particularly in agriculturally used protected areas. This includes the possibility of harvesting seeds from crop residues and establishing new flowering areas. In this way, even uneconomical field margins or heavily waterlogged, difficult-to-cultivate areas can be integrated into the network as green corridors and stepping-stone habitats. The development of new biodiversity areas provides opportunities for research through long-term monitoring of biodiversity, soil and water balance, climate change, and its impact on land use.
The added value of species-rich flowering meadows can be made particularly apparent at these locations in Trautenfels.
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