What are natural forest reserves?
National issues:
* First and foremost, the biological diversity of the forest should be preserved and improved.* This diversity is an absolute prerequisite for the sustainable existence of healthy forests that are able to fulfil their functions, in particular to safeguard our habitat.
* In addition, the reserves also serve for research purposes. The aim of this research is to gain new insights into an ecologically oriented, semi-natural forest management.
In Austria, there are about 125 forest community in 22 growth regions. This means that a total area of at least 10,000 hectares is required in the final phase of a natural forest reserve network.
The Austrian Natural Forest Reserve Programme is a contractual forest protection programme (20 years, with the intention of extending this term), in which the forest owners make the areas available for a fee on a voluntary basis.
For more information, please visit the homepage of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management.
11.11.2005,