Wild nature in Vorarlberg: 30 years of undisturbed forest magic!

Wild nature in Vorarlberg: 30 years of undisturbed forest magic!

in Vorarlberg, in the impressive Natural Waldreservat Rohrach, there are significant progress in research on biodiversity. Since its protection position 30 years ago, this 50 hectare forest in the municipalities of Hohenweiler and Möggers has been carefully observed and provides valuable data for European natural forest research. In the protected area, any forest use was banned in 1992, which made an undisturbed development of flora and fauna possible. For the first time, impressive 26 large mushroom types in Vorarlberg and even two throughout Austria were demonstrated. In addition, 34 beetle species were documented on the Red List, including the bark crew and the shovel beetle, as reported.

A key to the amazing biodiversity in this natural forest is the high proportion of dead wood, the dying trees and branches that are crucial for the living space of numerous animal and plant species. The recommended amount of dead wood in forests is five to ten percent, but there is increasing a deficiency in these habitats. However, the steady increase in the standing dead wood stock in Austrian forests since 1960, which is now almost triple, shows positive developments. Austria now has a larger standing dead wood supply than the entire wood stock level of Luxembourg, with an average of 30 m³ dead wood per hectare, as well as waldeschichten.com

Innovative measurement methods for dead wood determination

In order to measure the dead wood content precisely, the geodät Jakob Galle from the Vienna University of Technology is testing various techniques for its master's thesis. He compares the traditional field measurement, drone laser scanning and the terrestrial laser scanning method. Galles conclusion is that none of the methods alone is perfect. The most effective solution is a combination of drones that offer an overview and floor scanners for detailed.