Forest Management in Natura 2000 Areas

Transcription

1 Forest Management in Natura 2000 Areas Dr. Kirchmeir 6. October 2014 Ferlach. E.C.O. Institut für Ökologie Kinoplatz 6, 9020 Klagenfurt

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4 Content Total Forest Cover, Naturalness of forests FFH Forest Habitats Austria/Carinthia Favourable State definition: Austrian Indicators Management principles

5 Forest cover in Austria is increasing

6 Natural Forest in the Eastern Alps (Mayer 1977)

7 43% Beech forests

8 Tree composition

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11 Naturalness of Austrian Forest Ecosystems Naturalness of Austrian Forest Ecosystems mäßig verändert 41% moderatly altered stark verändert altered 27% naturnah, seminatural 22% künstlich, artificial 7% natürlich, natural 3% Source: Grabherr, Koch, Kirchmeir & Reiter 1998

12 mäßig verändert 43% Kärnten: Österreich: mäßig verändert 41% stark verändert 23% künstlich 5% natürlich 5% naturnah 24% stark verändert 27% künstlich 7% natürlich 3% naturnah 22%

13 Actual and potential cover of tree species in the southern limestone Alps in Carinthia Amount of total cover for each elevation belt Beech Buche Spruce Fichte hochsubalpin hochsubalpin tiefsubalpin tiefsubalpin e f u t s n e h ö hochmontan mittelmontan e f u t s n e h ö hochmontan mittelmontan H tiefmontan H tiefmontan submontan submontan -100% -50% 0% 50% 100% -60% -40% -20% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% Anteil an der Gesamtüberschirmung je Höhenstufe Anteil an der Gesamtüberschirmung je Höhenstufe aktuell potentiell aktuell potentiell Source: Kirchmeir et al.1999

14 Forest Habitats of Annex 1 in Austria Code Habitat 9110 Luzulo-Fagetum beech forests 9130 Asperulo-Fagetum beech forests 9140 Medio-European subalpine beech woods with Acer and Rumex arifolius 9150 Medio-European limestone beech forests of the Cephalanthero-Fagion 9170 Galio-Carpinetum oak-hornbeam forests 9180* Tilio-Acerion forest of slopes, screes and ravines 91D0* Bog woodland 91E0* Alluvial forests with Alnus glutinosa and Fraxinus excelsior 91F0 Riparian mixed forest of Quercus robur, Ulmus laevis and U. minor 91G0* Pannonic woods with Quercus petraea and Carpinus betulus 91H0* Pannonian woods with Quercus pubescens 91I0* Euro-Siberian steppic woods with Quercus spp. 91K0 Illyrian Fagus sylvatica forests(aremonio-fagion) 91L0 Illyrian oak-hornbeam forests(erythronio-carpinion) 91M0 Pannonian-Balkanic turkey oak-sessile oak forests 91T0 Central European lichen Scots pine forests 9260 Castanea sativa woods 9410 Acidophilous Picea forests of the montane to alpine levels (Vaccinio-Piceetea) 9420 Alpine Larix decidua and/or Pinus cembra forests 9430* Subalpine and montane Pinus uncinata forests (*if on gypsum or limestone) 9530* (Sub-)Mediterranean pine forest with endemic black pines

15 Forest Habitats in the Carinthian boarder region to SI Code Habitat 9110 Luzulo-Fagetum beech forests (9130) (Asperulo-Fagetum beech forests) 9140 Medio-European subalpine beech woods with Acer and Rumex arifolius 9150 Medio-European limestone beech forests of the Cephalanthero-Fagion 9180* Tilio-Acerion forest of slopes, screes and ravines 91E0* Alluvial forests with Alnus glutinosa and Fraxinus excelsior 91K0 Illyrian Fagus sylvatica forests(aremonio-fagion) 91L0 Illyrian oak-hornbeam forests(erythronio-carpinion) 9410 Acidophilous Picea forests of the montane to alpine levels (Vaccinio-Piceetea) 9420 Alpine Larix decidua and/or Pinus cembra forests 9530* (Sub-)Mediterranean pine forest with endemic black pines

16 Forest Habitats in Carinthian Natura 2000 sites Code Habitat ha Number of sites 9110 Luzulo-Fagetum beech forests 11, Asperulo-Fagetum beech forests 143, Medio-European subalpine beech woods with Acer and Rumex arifolius 81, Tilio-Acerion forest of slopes, screes and ravines 25, D0 Bog woodland 42, E0 Alluvial forestswithalnus glutinosa andfraxinus excelsior (Alno-Padion, Alnion incanae, Salicion albae) 542, K0 Illyrian Fagus sylvatica forests(aremonio-fagion) 678, L0 Illyrian oak-hornbeam forests(erythronio-carpinion) 2, AcidophilousPicea forests of the montane to alpine levels (Vaccinio-Piceetea) 954, Alpine Larix decidua and/or Pinus cembra forests 1.935, (Sub-)Mediterranean pine forest with endemic black pines 107,00 1 Total: 4.524,35 = 0,9% of the total forest area of Carinthia

17 Management of Natura 2000 sites Paragraphs 6(1) and 6(2)require that, within Natura 2000, Member States: Take appropriate conservation measures to maintain and restore the habitats and species for which the site has been designated to a favourable conservation status; Avoid damaging activities that could significantly disturb these species or deteriorate the habitats of the protected species or habitat types

18 Definition of favourable conservation status conservation status of a natural habitat means the sum of the influences acting on a natural habitat and its typical species that may affect its longterm natural distribution, structure and functions as well as the longterm survival of its typical species within the territory referred to in Article 2. The conservation status of a natural habitat will be taken as favourable when: its natural range and areas it covers within that range are stable or increasing, and the specific structure and functions which are necessary for its long-term maintenance exist and are likely to continue to exist for the foreseeable future, and the conservation status of its typical species is favourable as defined in (i);

19 Break down on Habitat Level is needed Development of Indicators and tresholds for the three categories of favourable conservation value (A,B,C) Austrian Concept developed by Ellmauer et al German Concept (BfN 2010)

20 Indicators for Forest Habitats (Ellmauer et al. 2005) Indicator Method of assessment Size of Area Mapping on Airborne Images >= 1: Tree species composition Structure Assessment of the cover of the tree species on a sample area of 25x25m by abundance classes defined by Braun-Blanquet; if forestry base management plans are available, the 10% classes can be used as well. The structure will be assessed by the distribution of growth-classes (0-10cm, 10-20cm, 20-35cm, 35-50cm, >50cm) Logging and forest management Dead Wood Disturbance indicator species Game influence Different classes of intensity of the forest management are defined (size of clear-cuts, Amount of tree cover remaining after impact) The total volume as well as the quality (laying, standing, diameter) are evaluated The amount of plant species in the herb layer that are indication an human introduced disturbance (grazing, soil-disturbance, disturbance of nutrient-balance) is assessed. Lists of disturbance indicators are provided for different groups of habitats Assessment according the national Game-influence-monitoring schema. The assessment is done on the percentage of damaged terminal and side shoots

21 Example of indicator values for the Galio odorate Fagetum

22 Size of Area A 30ha B 5-30haandatleast100mwide C 0,5-5ha,or>5habutlessthan100mwide

23 Tree species composition A Natural: no human introduced tree species, composition of tree species according the natural composition given in the description of the phytosociological description. B C Close to nature: All obligatory tree species of the natural phyto-sociological description are represented. Artificial alteration of dominance do not exceed one dominance class (dominant %<> subdominant 25-50%, or subdominant <> admixed (5-25%) Amount of tree species not mentioned in the list of the potential natural forest type 30% Altered: obligatory tree species are present, but the composition does not meet the potential natural tree composition. Amount of tree species not mentioned in the list of the potential natural forest type 30% <50%

24 Structure A Natural: More than 40 trees per ha have a diameter of > 35 cm. B Closetonature:11-39treesperhahaveadiameterof>35cm C Altered:max.10treesperhahaveadiameter>35cm

25 Logging and forest management A B Low Intensity: no logging or thinning impact is visible or the resulting tree cover after the impact is >6/10 (e.g. selective logging or shelter wood logging) or clearings < 0,5ha it the total siteis>30ha Medium intensity: cuttings with remaining tree cover > 3/10 and <6/10 (selective logging, shelter wood logging) or clearing on an area >0,5ha and <2ha when total size of the site > 30ha orclearingonanarea<0,5hawhensizeoftotalsiteis5-30ha C Highintensity:clearings>0,5haorshelterwoodlogging>2ha

26 Dead Wood A high: >5 m³/ha dead wood with diameter > 20cm, a significant amount (>50%) standing; all stages of dead wood decay are present. B Medium: 2-5 m³/ha dead wood with diameter > 20cm; standing deadwood 1-49% C low:<2m³/hadeadwoodwithdiameter>20cm

27 Disturbance indicator species A Non-low: disturbance indicator species like grazing or nutrient indicatorsdonotcovermorethan5%ofthesurface. B Medium: disturbance indicator species like grazing or nutrient indicators cover 5-20% of the surface C High: disturbance indicator species like grazing or nutrient indicatorsdocovermorethan20%ofthesurface

28 Game influence A Bearable Game influence B Pre-warning level C unacceptable Game influence

29 Additional recommended indicators/indicator values Soil disturbance (Damage of upper soil layer by harvesting measures, length of forest roads per ha) Number of special habitat trees per ha Dead wood: The amount of 5m³/ha is quite low Results of research of primeval beech forest in the Carpathians (Commarmot 2013) shows the following numbers for natural beech forest Standing 26m³/ha Laying 135m3/ha Total 162m³/ha To ensure conservation of natural biodiversity of main bird and invertebrate species an amount of m³ are requested

30 Management Principles Assessment on Natura 2000 site level (not on the individual stand level!) The amount of area of conservation status A must not decrease The amount of area of conservation status A + B must not decrease

31 2014: A: 45% B: 30% C: 25% Hardly accessible sites with low economic value 2044: A: 50% B: 25% C: 25% A Commercial forest management zone A New management unit without logging A B C A B C C A B C A B Forest stand unit Border of Natura 2000 site

32 Future challenges Designation of new Natura 2000 sites covering: 91K0 Illyrian Fagus sylvatica forests (Aremonio-Fagion) 91L0 Illyrian oak-hornbeam forests (Erythronio-carpinion) 9110 Luzulo-Fagetum beech forests 9180 Tilio-Acerion forest of slopes, screes and ravines Definition of Favourable State of Conservation for the new Habitat Typs: 91K0 Illyrian Fagus sylvatica forests (Aremonio-Fagion) 91L0 Illyrian oak-hornbeam forests (Erythronio-carpinion) Improvement of FSC indicators and aggregation method Set up of funding instruments (e.g. in rural development fund) Set up clear mechanisms for assessing plans and projects (standard regulations for frequently provided forest management activities)

33 Proposed Measures (Forest-Environmental Program, Based on concept 2009) Cells of old growth forest (Protection of ecological important old growth forests, limited interventions allowed) Areas without forest management (Protection of natural forest and their ecological processes, sites without intervention) Habitat trees (Conserve trees with aeries, nests, holes, rare lichens or insects) Zones of nesting protections (temporary zone of limited interventions during breeding seasons of birds of prey or other sensitive bird species) Advancement of rare management practice Alpine pastures/meadows with larch trees Coppice woods management

34 Proposed Measures (Forest-Environmental Program, Based on concept 2009) Development of secondary tree species (of less economical but ecological importance like shrubs and minor trees) Introduction or maintenance of rare, ecological important tree species (Ulmus, Tilia, Sorbus, Malus, Taxus.) Dead wood (preserve dead wood as an important habitat for organisms) Sivicultural Measures (conversion of altered stands into stands close to the potential natural forest type and to enhance the conservation status)

35 Danke für die Aufmerksamkeit Hvala lepa za vašo pozornost

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