Nature Conservation Union Austria
For the first time this year, the Europe-wide Day of the Orchard Meadow will be celebrated. The last Friday in April was chosen for this special occasion on the initiative of the ARGE Streuobst and the environmental umbrella organization. On the one hand, this is intended to highlight traditional fruit growing as a biodiversity hotspot and, on the other hand, to plead for its preservation. Also the │ nature conservation association │ points on April 30th to the great importance of orchards for the local biodiversity and implements projects for hoopoe and scops owl.
Picking fruit, drinking sweet cider and mowing with a scythe - all these images come to mind when you think of the rustic orchards that were around every farm until a few years ago. Not only humans benefit from this part of the cultural landscape, a large number of animals and plants are dependent on this special habitat.
What makes orchards so special
On the one hand, with a large variety of old apple, pear, cherry and plum varieties that are typical of the region, they represent an important gene reservoir for crop cultivation. The fruit trees of all ages and sizes are randomly scattered on grassland. On the other hand, the combination of trees and meadows imitates both the living space of the open forest and the open field. In addition, there is a plentiful supply of food: while in spring the splendor of flowers attracts wild bees, honey bees and all kinds of other insect species, in autumn the fruits are appreciated by a variety of birds and mammals, including blackbirds and deer. This large community is supplemented by the hoopoe, scops owl and little owl, which use the tree hollows as a breeding ground.
Care and maintenance necessary
The "habitat for orchards" is, however, severely endangered. In the years 1965 to 2000 alone, it is assumed that 70 percent of the meadow orchards will be lost in Central Europe. Above all, the high cost of cultivation, which is very time-consuming and labor-intensive, causes the orchards to dwindle. In order to maintain or create new orchards, not only is active commitment required, but also special funding such as B. those for nature conservation services in agriculture (ÖPUL).
Naturschutzbund - commitment for the people living with orchards
The Naturschutzbund is currently in charge of several projects to ensure the survival of people living with orchards: In Burgenland, for example, there is a project to protect and promote the scops owl, which lives in around 17 territories in the south of the country. “The second smallest native owl is considered endangered and prefers small-structured, tree-rich, semi-open landscapes with extensive use as a habitat. As a cave breeder, it is dependent on larger tree hollows or nesting boxes, ”says project manager Klaus Michalek. As part of the project, 20 nesting boxes will be installed at suitable locations and regularly checked in order to improve the nesting area and to be able to track an increase in the population.
In Upper Austria, the Naturschutzbund has set itself the goal of encouraging migrating hoopoes, which are included in the Red List as threatened with extinction, to stay and breed. "We would like to supplement the range of natural caves with special boxes in suitable areas in order to encourage permanent settlement of orchards such as in the Obst-Hügel-Land Nature Park," reports Julia Kropfberger from the Upper Austrian Nature Conservation Union.
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