National Park Hohe Tauern Biodiversity Day 2023 - 21 to 23 July 2023 - Deferegger Sonnseite (Osttirol) - Results report

From 21 to 23 July 2023, the 17th edition took place in the area of the Deferegger Sonnseite (Osttirol). National Park Hohe Tauern Biodiversity Day. During this event, 75 experts were able to identify 1,167 animal, plant and fungal species (as well as subordinate systematic units) for the entire study area. 4,082 observation data (i.e. 86% of all data collected as part of the 2023 Biodiversity Day) were submitted via the online portal Observation.org for integration into the biodiversity database (as of 06/2025). Remarkable was the detection of the worldwide only in East and South Tyrol occurring False Bullet-Fransenhauswort (Jovibarba globifera ssp. pseudohirta). Particularly noteworthy is the discovery of the sand bee Andrena amieti, a species that was only scientifically described in 2019 and of which there has been very little evidence from Austria so far. Before Biodiversity Day 2023, some groups of organisms were not yet represented in the database of the Hohe Tauern National Park for the De-feregger Sonnseite area. This concerns e.g. centipedes, crustaceans, molluscs and net-wingers. Not a single discovery report from the entire area of the National Park has been recorded in the database of the Hohe Tauern National Park so far by the "Gemeiner Taghaft" (Hemerobius humulinus), a net-flyer. All proven species were integrated into the biodiversity database of the Hohe Tauern National Park at the Haus der Natur in Salzburg, which experienced a total increase of 4,742 data sets in 2023 as a result of the Hohe Tauern Day of Species Diversity National Park. A total of 1,764 animal, plant and fungal species (as well as subordinate systematic units) from the investigated area of the Deferegger Sonnseite have now been detected. Prior to Biodiversity Day, 1,269 taxa had already been recorded for this area in the biodiversity database of the Hohe Tauern National Park. The days of biodiversity in the Hohe Tauern National Park impressively show that despite the restriction to a short period of time and individual national park valleys remarkably many species could be detected by the experts. Since 2007, a total of around 78,000 data sets have been collected from these focal points, which currently accounts for about 12% of the total amount of data in the biodiversity database of the Hohe Tauern National Park (as of: 06/2025). The Hohe Tauern National Park, together with the Haus der Natur in Salzburg, has been holding so-called Biodiversity Days every year since 2007. Scientists from different countries and different disciplines travel to these events to intensively investigate the presence of species in a demarcated area within two days (or nights). Without the many dedicated experts, the Hohe Tauern National Park would not be possible. For food and lodging, they made a significant contribution to the study of the fauna and flora in the Hohe Tauern. This Biodiversity Day has also shown that without the voluntary commitment and commitment of the researchers, the days of biodiversity could not be so successfully carried out. The Hohe Tauern National Park and the House of Nature would like to thank all participants of the 17th Day of Biodiversity in the Hohe Tauern National Park 2023 in the Deferegger Sonnseite area.