FINAL REPORT: Monitoring in the Piffkar Special Protection Area 2004-2005: Positive vegetation development due to natural succession after the end of grazing?

St. Johann: unpublished report commissioned by the Glockner-ÖKO Fund, 2007, 121 pp In the Pifffkar the grazing was abandoned in parts of the former alpine pastures. The consequences of this nature conservation measure on alpine vegetation were investigated by means of permanent areas using statistical methods. The evaluation was carried out under two face points: Special Protected Area — any intervention is prohibited and aims of Natura 2000 as the protection of FFH habitats. Due to the utilisation task below the natural forest boundary, there is a succession from the now existing blue grasslands towards the dwarf shrub heath or Latschengebüsch. In the area above the forest boundary, succession is associated with a decline in species. The expected succession goes towards the typical formation of the Elynetum, the Hygro-Caricetum curvulae and Caricetum curvulae.