Riverine forests in the Tullnerfeld (3218)
Austria, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2009
National site name: Donauauen im Tullnerfeld
Central coordinates: Latitude: 48.3500, Longitude: 15.9667
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 164 to 200
Area of KBA (km2): 183.55276
Protected area coverage (%): 93.70
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The area encloses the flood-plain forests of the Danube between Krems and Klosterneuburg. Only small remnants of the original forest communities still exist. Today, most of the area is covered by Populus plantations and stands of Fraxinus and Alnus. Within the forest are numerous oxbow lakes, with reedbeds (Phragmites), as well as hay- meadows, arable fields and gravel-pits. Human activities include forestry, agriculture, gravel extraction, recreation, hunting and angling.
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: This site is important for species typical of riverine forests.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture (15%) | forestry (70%) | hunting (15%) | not utilised (10%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 10 | |
| Grassland | 10 | |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 10 | |
| Forest | 70 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Major threats come from intensive forestry and gravel extraction. Two power plants on the Danube negatively affect the water regime of the forest.