Vegetation ecological analyses of differently intensively managed alpine pastures in the Gesäuse National Park

In this thesis, three alpine pastures were investigated with regard to succession and occurrence of plant societies. The alpine pastures are located in the southeastern area of the Gesäuse National Park. The national park is located in the Ennstal in northern Styria, Austria. The three alpine pastures are managed differently. The Haselkaralm is a relatively intensively managed area, and is characterised above all by alpine pastures in the classical sense. In 2004, 21 cattle flocked here for 97 days. It is also operated directly on the alpine dairy industry. In Scheuchegg you can find relatively wet and mostly moderately steep pastures as well as impact or old wind throws. Here, 19 cattle feed 64 days a year. The Hüpflingeralm is considered a little extensively grazed pasture. Today it serves only as a grazing for the cattle before they are driven into the Scheuchegg, so it is only grazed on a few days a year. The alpine pastures were studied vegetation ecology according to the Braun-Blanquet system and evaluated by mapping plant societies. For this purpose, a vegetation survey was carried out at 72 points. The points were obtained by a semi-objective method. By means of visual aerial image interpretation and subsequent random selection, investigation areas were determined on which the recording points were then subjectively selected in the open ground. It turns out that the Haselkaralm is clearly characterised by pasture companies (80 %), the Hüpflingeralm by Hochtauden and Weiden (48 %, 34 %) and the Scheuchegg by high-congestion and impact corridors (50 %, 17 %). This picture can be well reconciled with today’s and past management. From the data obtained in this way and the existing literature, it became clear that the number of species after the task of use is not at first seriously threatened, but the typical picture of the alpine landscape is very well. An ecosystem created over centuries with all its components is doomed to disappear. The areas would be blurred and more or less rapidly reforested. This poses further dangers and would significantly reduce the attractiveness for people seeking recovery. Therefore, the interest of the National Park should be on maintaining traditional alpine pasture management. For this purpose, the already existing management plan Almwirtschaft serves. This work provides the basis for further measures within the framework of this management plan by including the actual state.