FFH affiliation and conservation status of beech forests of the low and high-mountain heights in the Natura-2000 area Ennstaler Alpen National Park Gesäuse

The FFH affiliation and the conservation status of beech forests in the low-mountain and high-montane transition zone between the habitat types 9150, 9130 and 9140 were investigated. The 1.016 ha verified beech forests (54 % of the total modelled beech forest) account for 60 % of LRT 9130 (Adenostylo glabrae-Fagetum, Galio odarati- Fagetum, Cardamino trifoliae-Fagetum), 25 % LRT 9140 (Saxifrago rotundifoliae-Fagetum) and 15 % for LRT 9150 (Helleboro nigri-Fagetum incl. Seslerio-Fagetum); a single small occurrence in the Johnsbach Valley belongs to LRT 9110 (Luzulo-Fagetum). For 948 ha, the forest site type according to CARLI 2008 was determined as part of the FFH allocation. 73 % of the sites visited are made up of variants of the lime-hang beech forests, 15 % by variants of the clay beech forests and 12 % to lean sites with acidic humus cover (shade-sided slopes). The conservation status indicators were determined for 776 ha. Accordingly, 42 % of the total area under investigation is in an excellent, 54 % good and 4 % in an unfavourable state of conservation, based on a stricter calculation scheme than in Ellmauer 2005, whose balance sheet would be 61 % A, 38 % B and 1 % C. The small proportion of C-areas is due to the fact that heavily altered, potential occurrences that are currently coniferous forest, balding or foreforest have been excluded from mapping. The main causes of failure to achieve an excellent conservation status are lack of stratification due to age class structure, too low wood content, lack of strong dead wood, and, first of all, insufficient rejuvenation; currently, site-oriented rejuvenation with all pnV tree species (especially beech, fir, maple, ash) is not guaranteed on more than half of the area. Whether the rejuvenation impulses due to natural processes (spruce beetle wood, wind and avalanche throws) are sufficiently strong to survive against the high bit pressure remains to be seen.