Research

The REGRASS 3 project builds on the findings of the previous REGRASS 1 and 2 projects. It serves to maintain 10 m wide meadows established in 2016 in the years 2024-26. This is essential in order to carry out the comparative survey of plants and animals in the meadows newly established in 2016 and ÖPUL-funded biodiversity areas in 2026. These surveys are necessary to see how the contribution to the promotion of insect biodiversity of the established meadows is developing 10 years after sowing. The continuous intensive observation of a biodiversity-promoting landscape element over 10 years is unique and allows conclusions to be drawn about its long-term success. REGRASS 3 serves to provide management and action recommendations in order to test the flowering mixtures developed in REGRASS for ÖPUL suitability. Ultimately, the added value of maintaining a biodiversity-promoting landscape element over 10 years is to be demonstrated. Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

Extensively managed agricultural habitats such as meadow orchards are of great importance as high-quality habitats for many animal and plant species. However, meadow orchard areas are declining, but precise data is lacking as there is no nationwide survey of meadow orchard areas. The "meadow orchard" habitat is also underrepresented in other biodiversity monitoring projects. As part of the DivMoSt project, the meadow orchard in selected test areas are to be surveyed using remote sensing methods and the biodiversity in the areas is documented on reference areas by examining certain animal groups. The selection of test areas and reference areas will be carried out on a representative basis throughout Austria. Relevant regional orchard stakeholders are to be involved in the selection of areas. The objectives of the DivMoSt project are: 1) Development of methods for surveying meadow orchards using remote sensing data (evaluation of satellite photos, orthophotos, laser scans, etc.) 2) Recording the structure of the orchards by documenting nesting cavities, shrubs/hedges, deadwood elements. 3) Surveying wild pollinators by focusing on wild bees and butterflies. 4) Recording bat species using of acoustic detectors and net trapping; 5) Recording bird species using acousitc detectors and field observations

In Austria, several biodiversity monitoring and inventories are currently being carried out for various species and ecosystems. In recent years, vascular plants, grasshoppers, butterflies and wild bees have been systematically recorded as part of the BINATS (Biodiversity-Nature-Safety) and ÖBM (Austrian Biodiversity Monitoring of the Cultural Landscape) projects. Despite these surveys, there is still no systematic monitoring of soil organisms and their threat assessment in Austria. This is surprising, as soils are among the most species-rich habitats. In addition, they play an outstanding role in buffering extreme climate events such as heavy rainfall or drought, as well as in carbon storage. The present project, BodenBiodiv, pursues three objectives in order to close this glaring data gap for Austria and to investigate the causes of different soil biodiversity. Objective 1 is the establishment of a systematic monitoring of the earthworm fauna and soil microorganisms in the open cultural landscape on the 200 plots of the biodiversity monitoring projects BINATS and ÖBM throughout Austria. Lists of the earthworm species present, their abundances and biomasses, and a distribution map for Austria will be compiled. In addition, a manual for monitoring soil biodiversity will be compiled using harmonized terminology. Objective 2 deals with the analysis of factors that are decisive for the occurrence of earthworms. For this purpose, site characteristics (land use, altitude) and soil properties (pH, nutrients, moisture, carbon content, soil microorganism activity) are recorded and correlated with the earthworm parameters recorded. Objective 3 deals with the compilation of a provisional Red List for earthworms in Austria, based on the model of the Red List of earthworms in Germany. To this end, several expert workshops with national and international experts are being held to produce a draft based on current and historical findings and threat assessments in accordance with IUCN guidelines. BodenBiodiv processes indicators on the status of species and biotope types and genetic diversity and provides data for the first compilation of the Red List of earthworms in Austria. By compiling a very comprehensive data set, BodenBiodiv also allows an assessment of the consequences of climate change from the perspective of soil organisms. Last but not least, the surveys of this project allow a differentiated analysis of the interaction between below-ground and above-ground biodiversity from other surveys on the study areas. SoilBiodiv is therefore also of great importance in the European context in terms of nature conservation and science.