1. NATURA 2000
a practicable tool for the
protection of semi natural
grassland?
SALVERE - 26.5.2009; G.Gubisch

2. Natura 2000 sites - Styria
41 styrian Natura 2000-sites:
617.763 acres (ca. 15% of total styrian area)
 Bird Directive (SPA): 5 sites
 FFH Directive (SAC): 23 sites
 FFH / Bird Directive: 13 sites
Habitat Directive Annex 1 (habitats): 53
Habitat Directive Annex 2 (animal and plant species): 65
Bird Directive Annex 1 (bird species): 35
Federal government of styria - Department for nature conservation

3. Styrian Natura 2000 sites
FA13C-Naturschutz

4. Federal Environmental Agency, 2008:
HNVF / UAA utilised agricultural area
FA13C-Naturschutz

5. NATURA 2000
NATURA 2000-goals:
 Cooperation with land users / Information
 Drafting of management plans for Natura 2000 sites
 Realisation of planned targets
 Conservation and developement of habitat types, plant and
animal-species (directives)
 Funding nature conservation measures:
− EAFRD European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development
− EU-cofinanced
− National financed
Federal government of styria - Department for nature conservation

6. N/SN Grassland formations
Habitat Directive Annex 1:
Styria: 10 Natural and semi-natural grassland formations (Austria: 15 formations)
61. Natural grasslands
*6110 Rupicolous calcareous or basophilic grasslands of the Alysso-Sedion albi /
Lückige basophile oder Kalk-Pionierrasen (Alysso-Sedion albi)
6130 Calaminarian grasslands of the Violetalia calaminariae / Schwermetallrasen (Violion calaminariae)
6150 Siliceous alpine and boreal grassland / Boreo-alpines Grasland auf Silikatsubstraten
6170 Alpine and subalpine calcareous grasslands / Alpine und subalpine Kalkrasen
62. Semi-natural dry grasslands and scrubland facies
*6210 Semi-natural dry grasslands and scrubland facies on calcareous substrates (Festuco-Brometalia) (*important orchid sites) /
Naturnahe Kalk-Trockenrasen und deren Verbuschungsstadien ( Festuco-Brometalia)
(*besondere Bestände mit bemerkenswerten Orchideen)
*6230 Species-rich Nardus grassland on siliceous substrates in mountain areas and submountain areas in continental Europe /
Artenreiche montane Borstgrasrasen (und submontan auf dem europäischen Festland) auf Silikatböden
64. Semi-natural tall-herb humid meadows
6410 Molinia meadows on calcareous, peaty or clayey-silt-laden soils (Molinion caeruleae) /
Pfeifengraswiesen auf kalkreichem Boden, torfigen und tonig-schluffigen Böden (Molinion caeruleae)
6430 Hydrophilous tall herb fringe communities of plains and of the montane to alpine levels /
Feuchte Hochstaudenfluren der planaren und montanen bis alpinen Stufe
65. Mesophile grasslands
6510 Lowland hay meadows (Alopecurus pratensis, Sanguisorba officinalis) /
Magere Flachland-Mähwiesen (Alopecurus pratensis, Sanguisorba officinalis)
6520 Mountain hay meadows / Berg-Mähwiesen
xxx…no or small importance in connection with grassland mowing/pasturing
xxx…increased importance in connection with grassland mowing/pasturing
xxx…high importance in connection with grassland mowing/pasturing
Federal government of styria - Department for nature conservation

7. HNVF / Landscape elements
Federal government of styria - Department for nature conservation

8. HNVF / Landscape elements
Federal government of styria - Department for nature conservation

9. Nutzung - Gefährdung
HNVF / Landscape elements
Federal government of styria - Department for nature conservation

10. Nature conservation fund - Styria
Areas funded by contracting programs (2008):
 EAFRD: M 214 - ÖPUL 2008:
3.044 contract-partner
8.734 ha
Mio € 4,58
 BEP 2008 - national financed:
740 contract-partner,
1.000 ha
€ 328.456,-
 5 other national financed site-specific programs 2008:
€ 277.003,-
Federal government of styria - Department for nature conservation

11. Nature Kontrollen fund – Styria
CC conservation
Projects funded:
EAFRD (cofinanced EU/national)
2007-2013:
− M 213 Payments Natura 2000 and agriculture
− M 323a Rural development
Nature Conservation projects: ca. € 2 Mio p.a.
(6% Leader)
Further project-details: www.netzwerk-naturschutz-le.at
www.naturschutz.steiermark.at
Federal government of styria - Department for nature conservation

12. a practicable tool?
Declining of grassland
numerous examples:
• BFN–Germany
• Coracias garrulus
European roller
dramatic decline
• Crex crex
Corn crake
dramatic decline
• Statistics of some styrian
N2000-sites
• … Cross compliance?
Federal government of styria - Department for nature conservation

13. Conservation status of 6210
Conservation status e.g. of:
6210: Semi-natural dry grasslands
and scrubland facies on
calcareous substrates
ESG Biogeographische Region
FFH-LRT 6210 alpin kontinental
Erhaltungszustand [ha] [ha]
A 0 11,12
B 1,20 58,83
C 0 34,72
gesamt 1,20 104,66
• rate of coverage continental region: ca. 80 %
• rate of coverage alpine region: < 5 %
Federal government of styria - Department for nature conservation

14. Trockenrasen Stmk!!!
Conservation status of 6210
Resume I:
 25% of the inquired 6210 habitats have national relevance;
more than 50% have regional relevance;
 For some of the habitats the botanical and the zoological
importance highly differ from each other.
Collecting datas of both is important, botany as well as
zoology.
 Many of the 6210 habitats are extremely small:
on average 0,46 ha.
21 of 66 habitats are smaller than 1 ar!
 27% currently seem not endangered (e.g. nitrification, fallow
land)
Federal government of styria - Department for nature conservation

15. Conservation status of 6210
Resume II:
 High importance of securing and optimization 50 % of the
habitats within the next 1 or 2 years.
 Currently 24 % of the habitats are secured;
4 of 5 zoological important habitats are not secured
 6210 is mainly used for pasturing
 Within the „6210-projekt“ 92% of the 20 ha are classifiabled
as *important orchid sites (outside of Natura 2000 sites)
 6210: rate of coverage in the continental region within Natura
2000-sites is ca. 80 %
 6210: rate of coverage in the alpine region within Natura
2000-sites is < 5 %
Federal government of styria - Department for nature conservation

16.  NRS …
Ramsar/SAC/SPA-
site Lafnitztal:
Declining of grassland
• Lack of voluntary
contracting-
programs
• Lack of sovereign
regulations
Federal government of styria - Department for nature conservation

17.  NRS …  ERS
Our goal:
previously Ramsar/SAC/SPA-Site Lafnitztal:
information • Enacted since 2005
instead of • 2002-2008:
afterwards Declining of grassland: ca. 24%
imposing sanctions Declining of fallow land: ca. 40%
• Plowing of grassland mainly since 2006
 Thus: Implementation of a regional
NATURA2000-manager
(Information, Screenings, …)
 Thus: Implementation of a voluntary
regional site-specific contracting-program
Federal government of styria - Department for nature conservation

18. NATURA 2000 seed production
Semi-natural grasslands seed production
within Natura 2000 sites:
Aspects to be considered:
 Cooperation with regional managers of the respective natura
2000 site and the department for nature conservation
 Consideration of site-targets and parcel-targets
 Implementation of a GIS-based register
 Documentation of seed-harvesting (when, where, who, …GIS)
 Optionally adjustment to altered specifications (related to
species/habitats)
 Monitoring of the croped parcels
 Possibly adjustments of existing contracts.
Federal government of styria - Department for nature conservation

19. This
Thank you
for your
attention
Federal government of styria - Department for nature conservation