Styria, Austria

Our Living Lab in Styria, Austria is located in the forest district of Wegscheid, a landscape still marked by the scars of past bark beetle outbreaks that devastated its spruce stands. As part of the TRANSFORMIT project, this living lab demonstrates how Integrated Forest Management can turn crisis into resilience, weaving biodiversity into the everyday practice of a commercially used forest.

About this living lab

In collaboration with stakeholders and experts, Österreichische Bundesforste (ÖBf AG) has developed strategic guidelines for integrated forest management tailored to the unique ecological context of each internal forestry area.

Additionally, ÖBf AG has collaborated with several further stakeholders to deliver guidelines applicable for every forest owner in a selected district.

The ÖBf AG are managing natural resources including 15% of the total forest area and more than 100 lakes on behalf of the Republic of Austria.

Promoting biodiversity

The management puts a special focus on promoting biodiversity as for each of the forest districts ecological plans are being drawn up to promote and increase the diversity of species and habitats. These jointly developed guidelines can serve as a blueprint for maintaining biodiversity and ecological balance within the region’s forested landscapes.

ÖBf AG has designed best practice examples in selected districts, with a focus on identifying and documenting rare species and habitats, developing measures for maintenance and restoration, and creating step-stone key habitats to facilitate connectivity between biomes. Through TRANSFORMIT, we will evaluate the impact of conservation measures on the provision of other ecosystem services in this Living Lab.