According to the Forestry Act forests fulfil different functions, for example economic, protective, beneficial and recreational function. The public interest in the guiding functions is represented by the Forest Development Plan.
The map of potential protective forests shows potential protective forest areas. The model-based map differentiates between the various protective forest categories according to the Forest Act. According to the evaluated assessment (as of July 2022), 15.7 percent of the forests in Austria have an forest with object-protective function and 26.1 percent are forest with object-protective and/or site-protective function. Forests with a protective function comprise 42 percent. Almost every fourth Austrian benefits from the protective forest and its services such as protective against avalanches, rockfall, erosion and floods.
In the future, the map will serve as a basis for prioritizing the planning of measures and for investment management.
Detailed information on the map of potential protective forests.
For purposeful and effective measures in Protective Forests it is important to know the areas, their condition and the stability of the stand. Monitoring and local inspections play a central role in this context. For half a century, the Austrian Forest Inventory has periodically collected a variety of data on the condition of and changes in the Austrian forest.
Facts and figures on protective forests in Austria
| Indicator | Figures | Source |
|---|---|---|
|
Map of potential protective forests Forest with object-protective function Forest with object-protective and/or site-protective function Forest with protective function Forest without primary protective function |
15,7 percent, or 615.852 hectares 26,1 percent, or 1.028.057 hectares
42 percent, or 1.6 million hectares 58 percent, or 2.3 million hectares |
Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Regions and Water Management, Directorate III/4 |
| Riparian forests with protective effect against floods | 95,000 hectares | Forest Strategy 2020+ and Austrian floodplain inventory (“Auinventar Österreich”) |
| Stable protective forest area | 56 percent | Austrian Forest Inventory |
| Protective forests terminal phase or decay phase | 34 percent | Austrian Forest Inventory |
|
Amount of areas in protective forests in need of rejuvenation due to browsing by game |
76 percent |
Austrian Forest Inventory |
|
Area of protective forests declared by official notice (“Bannwald”) |
12,719 hectares |
Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Regions and Water Management |
| Tree species in protective forests | 52 percent spruce 17 percent larch 13 percent beech 7 percent Arolla pine 6 percent other coniferous species 6 percent other broadleaved species |
Austrian Forest Inventory |
|
Societal demands and leisure activities |
2019: 100,000 mountain bikes sold |
Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Regions and Water Management |
