introduction | protecting threatened species | safeguarding biodiversity | improving water quality | enhancing the landscape | managing the archaeological heritage | restoring land for recreation | reducing neighbourhood noise | blending into the landscape | informing the community | creating nature reserves | conserving geological heritage | reducing environmental impacts

Protecting Threatened Species

BACKGROUND

The triel is the rarest breeding bird threatened with extinction. It is very sensitive to disturbances and has a low reproduction rate. It is threatened with extinction in Austria since there have remained only two breeding areas: Steinfeld and Marchfeld.

This mudflat bird used to live in the wide crushed rocks fields and in the gravel banks of the river landscapes and scant dried areas.

Nowadays the triel is forced to move to the habitats which have been created by man. These are mostly sand and gravel pits which are situated in the open and flat landscape where the disturbances are minor. The sensitive trier needs to have an unrestrained view and free running possibilities on wide and clean surfaces. As a migrant it arrives at its breeding place in April and leaves in August for Africa.

ACTION

The Austrian Stone and Ceramic industry has been successfully working together with the WWF (World Wildlife Fund) over the last 5 years. The cooperation results in taking measures for protection of the flora and fauna species which are rare or threatened with extinction. The companies operating the quarries, sand, clay and gravel pits contribute significantly to the cooperation since the conservation of the biodiversity is only possible when due care is given to the ecosystem, making it able to function and regenerate.

At the beginning of 2002 a species protection project was launched by the trade association, Ready Mix Kies Union AG, Bird Live Austria and WWF. It aims at protection of the unique ratite triel.

There is 20 km dry grassland in the ice-age shaped landscape of the crushed stone deposit in Steinfeld, which can be maintained only by means of landscape-care measures.

The operating companies remove the vegetation from the sand and gravel surfaces in order to keep the wide fields clean and open (brush-free), responding to the bird's needs.

RESULTS

During the breeding season between April and August the quarrying activities have to be ceased and the area protected against any disturbances. This is the only measure to secure the survival of the nocturnal and dawn active birds.

A long-term strategy for Steinfeld has been drafted. This allows the protection the triel's habitat despite the ongoing quarrying activities.

The areas where the quarrying activities are not carried out are assigned to the farmers who create their dry grassland or fallow lands.

Establishing the rest areas for birds in sand and gravel pits and the assistance of the ornithologists complete the species protection project.

This is only one from a wide range of examples regarding the successful cooperation between the Resources Panel of the Stone and Ceramic trade association and the WWF which is going to be continued in the future.

introduction | protecting threatened species | safeguarding biodiversity | improving water quality | enhancing the landscape | managing the archaeological heritage | restoring land for recreation | reducing neighbourhood noise | blending into the landscape | informing the community | creating nature reserves | conserving geological heritage | reducing environmental impacts