Modeled potential for near-natural habitats

Between 2000 and 2002, the Department for Nature Conservation analysed a large part of the available GIS foundations of the canton and federal agencies in order to find the potentially best locations for new lean meadows and for wetland supplement areas from a nature conservation point of view. The identified habitat potentials form an important planning basis for the development of landscape development concepts and networking projects according to ÖQV. The potential maps together with the defined implementation objectives from the overall nature conservation concept and the objectives of the KEF (Consolidated Development and Financial Plan) are an important basis for the assessment of project perimeter and habitat-related area targets for networking projects. The modelling of the potentials took place over the entire canton area in a 25 m grid. The data is available both as Arc/Info GRID and as georeferenced TIFF’s in grid format. Three habitat types were modeled separately: 1. Potential for wetland supplementation areas and new wetland areas 2. Potential for dry lean meadows (concentration on extremes and low precipitation, warm areas) 3. The two types of lean meadows were combined to form a lean meadow potential and then merged with the wetland potential into a single map basis. The few overlapping potentials (dry — humidity) have been identified as ‘change damp’ in the combined data level of the lean meadows. In 2004, these habitat potentials were complemented by further habitat potentials as part of an internship: 4. Potentials for oil-rich landscapes (including assessment of the special openland locations and tending to forested or cluttering landscapes) 5. Potentials for cross-linking of extensive habitats along rivers 6. Potentials for mosaic habitats consisting of more biotope types in close proximity. The model-based maps/data in the 25 m grid can provide hints and suggestions in the planning of ecological development measures, but do not replace detailed clarification and on-site inspection for specific projects.