Client: VERBUND Hydro Power GmbH
River landscapes are constantly being reshaped by the dynamics of the flowing waters, as rock and soil are eroded, transported away and deposited elsewhere. In many places, this dynamic has been lost due to riverbank construction and dam regulation which is why certain habitats such as sparsely vegetated gravel areas or sand banks have become rare.
Renaturation can improve the ecological condition and attractiveness of flowing waters. Accordingly, the construction of the Altenwörth organism migration aid is also expected to improve the habitat for highly specialized bird species. This 12.5 km long, continuous and dynamic bypass arm on the left bank of the Danube creates a constant connection for fish from the tailwater of the Altenwörth Danube power plant to the Altenwörth reservoir.
In order to assess the impact of the renaturalized areas on the avifauna, surveys of the breeding bird fauna are carried out and data from resting or wintering birds are also taken into account. Using the BACI monitoring design, a reference section that is completely untouched by the renaturation measures is compared with the restoration area as part of the bird monitoring in question. This makes it possible to isolate the influence of the construction measures on the avifauna from those effects that arise, for example, from stochastic events, environmental influences, etc.
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