Objectives NATURA 2000 and LIFE+
NATURA 2000 - Aims
"NATURA 2000“ is the European-wide net of thousands of nature reserves, by which special animal and plant types as well as habitats worthy for protection should be remained for future generations. This network for nature reserves shall make a substantial contribution on European level to the stoppage of the global decrease of the biological variety. Basis for the “NATURA 2000” network are two nature protection guidelines of the European Union:
- The bird protection guideline
- Fauna Flora Habitat (in short: FFH-) directives
The declaration of these NATURA 2000-areas means a new chance for nature conservation.
LIFE+ - Objectives
LIFE+ is the EU's funding instrument for nature conservation. The focus lies on Nature and Biodiversity, i.e .cofinancing of the Natura 2000 protected areas system. Measures for preservation or re-establishment of natural habitats for animals and plants can be supported from the „LIFE-nature-program „ of the European Union. In the so-called “LIFE nature projects“ of this program subsidies can be utilised, which supports important nature protection projects throughout Europe. "Murerleben" is a Styrian LIFE-project on the upper river Mur.
Species and habitats that will benefit from the project
Danube salmon
The Danube salmon is one of the world-wide largest fresh water fish. In Austria the Danube salmon
was originally far common. Today, a stock of the Danube salmon with natural reproduction
is only present, however, on the upper river Mur, the river Drau and the lower Austrian Pielach. For the protection of the population of the Danube salmon on the river Mur open sections of running water and feeders with high quality of living spaces are necessary as well as a sufficient supply of prey fish.
Italian crested newt
The female of the Italian crested newt is black coloured with a yellow back strip, the males carry a remarkable serrated crest on the back during the mating season in spring. The Italian crested newt prefers standing spawning water, which are more than 1 m deep and are fishless. They spend a relative long time of about 4 months on average in the standing spawning water compared to the most of the other amphibians.
Yellow-bellied toad
The yellow-bellied toad is a little, warty frog with flattened body and yellow-black spotted lower
underside. The frog is considered as a kind of pioneer, as he discovers and uses recreated
standing spawning water rapidly. While flood plain pools, source pools and occasionally flown
scour belong to the original standing spawning water of the Yellow-bellied toad; he uses landscapes affected by humans for spawning above all wheel traces, cattle watering tank, ditches and sewers. The remarkable coloured underside warns enemies - Yellow-bellied
toads are considered as almost inedible!
Kingfisher
The remarkable coloured kingfisher hunts on slowly flowing or standing waters with a great supply of small fish. He is a typical „impact diver „, who lies in a waiting position from a hide for booty and dips in a suitable moment very fast into the water. The kingfisher digs nests into steep embankments. The nests are scarcely a meter long tubes with a roundish nest chamber.
Alder-Ashes-Floodplain forest
The alder-ashes - floodplain forest grows on streams. The most frequent woods are various
alders, ashes, kinds of pasture and kinds of poplars. This type of forest needs periodically
varying water levels including annual flooding.