Alpine pastures in the Styrian Eisenwurzen Nature Park

In the Styrian Eisenwurzen Nature and Geopark, 55 alpine pastures with a total area of 2860 ha are currently managed. These alpine pastures are of central importance for the Nature and Geopark - as a fodder base for ruminants in the region, as a traditional cultural landscape, as important destinations for hikers and as refuges for many special animal and plant species. The two-year EU-funded project "Alm & Wald - Kulturlandschaften Steirische Eisenwurzen" aims to help preserve the alpine pastures in their species and habitat diversity and restore ecologically valuable alpine pasture habitats.

Alpine pasture habitats with a high natural value are surveyed by experts in order to subsequently communicate the importance of alpine pasture farming for the preservation of the cultural landscape to the public. In addition, this project will improve networking among the alpine farmers in the nature park.

We are in lead role in the entire implementation of this project. In a meeting with alpine pasture managers from the Nature and Geopark Steirische Eisenwurzen we collect challenges and opportunities of alpine pasture management at the beginning. At the same time, individual alpine pasture managers will be contacted and asked in a standardized manner what ecological characteristics and what need for action there is for the further preservation of their alpine pastures. Two alpine pastures will be established as showcase alpine pastures - on them, alpine pasture maintenance and restoration measures will be made visible to everyone and they will serve as a model for other alpine pasture managers with regard to ecologically sensible management. These two showcase alpine pastures will be surveyed in detail on the basis of nature conservation and alpine pasture management criteria. In addition, 8 further alpine pastures will be surveyed by means of short inspections. In a second meeting with alpine pasture managers, goals and measures will be developed on the basis of the data collected, which will serve to preserve or restore alpine pastures. For further networking of the alpine pasture managers, two events will be held on the showcase alpine pastures. Accompanying awareness-raising activities will be carried out to sensitize visitors to the alpine pastures.

Further activities of the Nature and Geopark Steirische Eisenwurzen on https://www.eisenwurzen.com