Feasibility Study German Tamariske, Myricaria germanica, in the Gesäuse

The German Tamariske, Myricaria germanica, was formerly a communal shrub on our rivers from the upper reaches to the deepest locations. But since then, the picture of our flowing waters has changed drastically with the regulation and straightening of rivers for the purpose of preparing neighbouring land and, above all, the supposed reduction of harmful floods. The dynamics have been deprived of the rivers and thus the space for wild river landscapes with great relocation areas, as they still exist on the Tagliamento, for example. The rest in the cessury of the power of the rivers led to the construction of power plants and slurry restraints, the latter especially on the feeders to the larger floods. This lays the foundation for the decline in Tamarisken populations, which specialises in dynamic shore pioneering sites. This led to the fact that Myricaria germanica now has to be classified as “endangered by extinction” or has already died in sub-regions due to its pronounced rarity. The “Artenschutzprojekt Deutsche Tamariske” attempted to show the possibilities and prospects of a re-establishment of Myricaria germanica in the Gesäuse. Building on the findings gained, the resettlement project Deutsche Tamariske in the Gesäuse National Park was launched. The project findings and results that have been achieved so far are documented with this report. They include a collection of know-how on tamariske, obtained from various re-establishment attempts in Austria and South Tyrol, as well as observations at autochthonous sites. With a photo monitoring of selected locations in the Gesäuse, potential relocation areas were observed over a growing season and their dynamics were documented and interpreted. In the Gstatterboden area, a specifically planned planting garden was built, which serves the pre-cultivation of tamarisks. The aim is to ensure that tamarisks are cultivated in sufficient numbers and as fully developed plants in order to have them properly prepared for application within the national park. In another chapter, the previous application tests in the national park are documented and finally the collected findings for future applications are compiled. To which in the foreseeable future the German Tamariske, Myricaria germanica, returns to the Gesäuse and a stable, self-sustaining population can be built.