Stock and habitat use of alpine owls in the Gesäuse National Park

Karl Franzens University of Graz, Institute of Zoology Graz Using the self-collected data and data provided by BirdLife, the free software Maxent (MAXimum Entropy software for species habitat modeling, version 3.3.1) was used to model and attempt to predict the occurrence of the three species throughout the national park. These data sets served as the basis for the modeling mentioned above. Habitat models are very well suited as a complement to mapping work, on the one hand, since they narrow down the potential habitats of the respective target species, on the other hand, as they represent an optimal way of assessing areas that are difficult to map, for example due to their inaccessibility. The results of the maxent modelling were largely in line with the data from the literature and the results of the inspections: The dependence of chewing species on certain altitudes, tree species compositions and age groups of forests was confirmed. Nevertheless, it must always be borne in mind that a model is only one model and many other essential habitat factors, such as the presence of prey animals or the presence of breeding caves, etc., could not be included in the modelling process. The data, results and reflections of the present work should ideally serve as a basis or support for further monitoring, as meaningful results can only be obtained through long-term observation.