Vienna forest (3215)
Austria, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2009
National site name: Wienerwald
Central coordinates: Latitude: 48.2000, Longitude: 16.2667
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 190 to 893
Area of KBA (km2): 847.03346
Protected area coverage (%): 99.74
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The Vienna forest covers the north-eastern foothills of the Alps. The northern and western parts have rolling hills and valleys, whilst the southern part is limestone with steep cliffs and quarries. Approximately 25% of the forest is coniferous, the remainder being dominated by Carpinus, Fagus and Quercus. Forestry and tourism are the main human activities.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard.
Additional biodiversity: The site holds significant populations of species that occur in broadleaved forests.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture (10%) | forestry (90%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Grassland | 5 | |
| Forest | 90 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 5 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The major threat is from intensive forestry with few near-natural areas remaining. Increasing tourism is leading to more house-building and traffic. Non-intensive use of meadows is rare.