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Austria has an impressive species diversity: there are around 45,000 animal species (Zulka 2005) and 2,950 ferns and flowering plants. Of these, 581 animal species and 167 plant species are found only in Austria (Rabitsch & Essl 2009). Many species are at risk, however. Their often close connection with particular biotope types is the key to explaining the extent and causes of the threat.
Plant groups (selected) |
Total number of species in Austria |
Number of species by threat category |
Number and percentage of extinct and threatened species | |||
|
|
Extinct (Cat. 0) |
Critical (Cat. 1) |
Endangered and vulnerable (Cat. 2 and 3) |
Early warning list (Cat. 4) |
|
Ferns and flowering plants |
2,950 |
36 |
172 |
813 |
166 |
1,187 (40 %) |
Mosses, liverworts and hornworts |
1,018 |
40 |
34 |
204 |
154 |
432 (42 %) |
Lichens |
2,100 |
95 |
57 |
386 |
735 |
1,273 (61 %) |
Updated Red Lists of Austria's endangered animals are available for 19 groups of animals (see Table 2).
Animal groups (selected) |
Total number of species in Austria |
Number of species by threat category |
Number and percentage of extinct and threatened species | |||
|
|
Extinct (Cat. RE Regionally Extinct und EX Extinct) |
Critically endangered (Cat. CR) |
Endangered and vulnerable (Cat. EN and VU) |
Early warning list (Cat. NT Near Threatened) |
|
Mammals |
101 |
4 |
4 |
23 |
14 |
45 (45 %) |
Birds |
242 |
21 |
33 |
33 |
52 |
139 (57 %) |
Reptiles |
14 |
|
3 |
6 |
5 |
14 (100 %) |
Amphibians |
20 |
|
1 |
11 |
8 |
20 (100 %) |
Fish |
84 |
7 |
6 |
33 |
9 |
55 (65 %) |
Grasshoppers |
126 |
5 |
10 |
38 |
19 |
72 (57 %) |
Cicadas |
626 |
2 |
88 |
144 |
64 |
298 (48 %) |
Minute moss beetles |
54 |
2 |
7 |
12 |
7 |
28 (52 %) |
Riffle beetles |
21 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
8 (38 %) |
Butterflies |
215 |
5 |
12 |
46 |
48 |
111 (52 %) |
Moths (various families) |
800 |
35 |
65 |
133 |
93 |
326 (41 %) |
Caddis flies |
308 |
1 |
9 |
146 |
32 |
188 (61 %) |
Lacewing flies |
121 |
1 |
10 |
19 |
21 |
51 (42 %) |
Scorpion flies |
10 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
|
4 (40 %) |
Crayfish |
7 |
|
2 |
2 |
|
4 (57 %) |
Scorpions |
3 |
|
1 |
2 |
|
3 (100 %) |
Harvestmen |
62 |
|
6 |
29 |
7 |
42 (68 %) |
Snails |
455 |
11 |
67 |
91 |
54 |
223 (49 %) |
Molluscs |
35 |
|
4 |
9 |
4 |
17 (49 %) |
Austria has a list of 488 biotope types, the vast majority of which involve forests, waterbodies or grassland. 383 have been assessed for their threat level. Biotope types heavily influenced by manmade factors, such as roads and reservoirs, were not assessed (Essl & Egger 2010).
Main groups |
Total number in Austria (incl. biotope types which are not at risk or were not assessed) |
Number of biotypes by threat category |
Number and percentage of destroyed and endangered biotope types | |||
|
|
Completely destroyed (Cat. 0) |
At immediate risk (Cat. 1) |
Heavily endangered and endangered (Cat 2 and 3) |
Presumed endangered and early warning stage (Cat. P and E) |
|
Water system |
92 |
3 |
15 |
52 |
0 |
70 (76 %) |
Moors, marshes and spring vegetation |
24 |
|
3 |
17 |
|
20 (83 %) |
Grassland |
61 |
|
4 |
51 |
|
55 (90 %) |
Alpine meadows, cushion vegetation, meadow fragments and snow beds |
15 |
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 (20 %) |
Arable land and ruderal sites |
26 |
|
2 |
17 |
|
19 (73 %) |
Tall forb communities |
18 |
|
|
6 |
|
6 (33 %) |
Dwarf scrub heaths |
12 |
|
|
3 |
|
3 (25 %) |
Open scrubland, brushwood |
48 |
|
3 |
24 |
|
27 (56 %) |
Woods, forests, preforests |
93 |
|
5 |
48 |
|
53 (57 %) |
Geomorphological biotope types |
45 |
2 |
1 |
19 |
4 |
26 (58 %) |
Settlement biotope types |
54 |
0 |
0 |
8 |
0 |
8 (15 %) |
Conservation status of species and habitats of European importance
The conservation status of around 18% of the 66 habitat types and 11% of the 172 species found in Austria is favourable. For 70% of the habitat types and 85% of the species it is unfavourable. The remaining habitats and species could not be assessed due to lack of data.
Bird species as indicators of habitat quality
To determine the status of habitats, an Ecosystems project, commissioned by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management (Ministry of Life), proposed that groups of bird species should be used as an indicator of habitat quality (Holzner et al. 2006). Birds are suitable for mapping the biodiversity of other groups of organisms and respond quickly to environmental changes.
The common buzzard population appears to fluctuate around an average value and may be considered as stable. The skylark population has slightly declined since 1998. The numbers of winter wren and coal tit are also declining.
For references, please go to https://www.eea.europa.eu/soer/2010/countries/at/nature-protection-and-biodiversity-state or scan the QR code.
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