Management Plans

It is one of the goals to convert ecosystems that have been heavily modified by human use to near-natural systems again.

The prescribed management plans of the national park administrations define the type and extent of measures designed for the conversion of affected stands (e.g. forest vegetation, grassland).  In national parks that are on the territory of the Austrian Federal Forestry Company (Österreichische Bundesforste AG ÖBF), staff members of the ÖBF are in charge of parts of the natural area management.

In Austrian as well as in most other European national parks, the land in the conservation zone that has been developed and cultivated by local farmers is preserved for the sake of maintaining biological diversity.  This means, for instance, that traditional uses of alpine pastures (Hohe Tauern, Upper Austrian Limestone Alps) or grazing (Lake Neusiedl - Seewinkel) are subsidised provided that certain conditions made by the authorities are fulfilled.
 
Meadows represent an ecologically important part of our national parks owing to their diversity in plant species and their role as valuable habitat for many animal species.  Consequently, special measures have been developed to care for meadows such as mowing in the Thaya Valley National Park or cattle, horse and donkey grazing in the Lake Neusiedl – Seewinkel National Park. Of course, meadow management also implies doing without fertilisers and pesticides.

In the case of fishery, regulations are required with regard to stocking with non-native species as well as the reduction of fishing quantities.  Electro-fishing provides information on the composition of fish species, which serves as an important basis for management plans and stock control.

In forest management, indispensable interventions are tried to be carried out with the greatest possible care.  Basically, the forest shall remain as natural as possible. In the Upper Austrian Limestone Alps National Park, for instance, the "forest national park" of Austria, spruce stands are again converted into mixed-species stands suited for the site by appropriate conversion measures.

03.11.2005, Lebensministerium II/4