Schloss Orth: visitor centre and administration centre
The German word Aue (variant Au) means "river island, wetland, floodplain, riparian woodland", i.e. a cultivated landscape in a riparian zone. The words Aue and Au occur in a large number of German place names—including Donau, the German word for the Danube River—and refer to forests, meadows, and wetlands in river and stream lowlands and floodplains. The Danube-Auen National Park protects a large area of lowland forests, meadows, wetlands, and other riparian habitat along the Danube just downstream of Vienna.
Until the 19th century the Danube was an untamed river. In the 19th century, extensive engineering began to alter the natural balance of the river landscape dramatically. Many side-channels were dammed so that they now carry water from the Danube only at flood stages. Ever more intrusive engineering interventions were accompanied by decades of heavy forestry use in many parts of lowland forests. In the 1950s, development began of a nearly unbroken chain of hydroelectric power plants and associated dams on the Austrian section of the Danube River.
In 1984, the planned construction of the Hainburg hydroelectric power plant, just downstream from Vienna, threatened to destry one of two remaining free-flowing sections of the Danube in Austria and its riparian forests (the other remaining free-flowing section in Austria is upstream, near Wachau). An outcry by environmental and nature protection groups caused nationwide protests against the project. The operator of the power plant project disregarded the protests and began work to clear the area. Protests stepped up, eventually leading to the occupation of the Hainburg wetlands by thousands of people from all ages and professions (the so-called "Hainburg Movement"). After police tried several times to clear protestors from the area, in December 1984 the Federal Government declared a pause for reflection. In January 1985 the Austrian Supreme Court forbad further deforestation. In March 1985, the so-called Konrad Lorenz-Volksbegehren (petition), signed by 353,906 people, demanded the prohibition of large power plants such as Hainburg and the establishment of a national park in the area of Hainburg. On 1 July 1986, the Administrative Court released a decision cancelling the water rights of the planned power plant.
Extensive scientific studies were then made of the area, with surprising discoveries. More species of fish were observed than was known at the time the planning of the power plant.
The most important result of these studies was that the Danube lowlands area (Donau-Auen) in and east of Vienna was determined to be worthy of becoming a national park. It was also determined that creating a power plant in the area would not be compatible with national park status for the region. On October 27, 1996, a State Treaty between the Republic of Austria and the federal states of Vienna and Lower Austria was signed. With that treaty, Donau-Auen National Park was officially opened.
With the variety of insects living on both land and water, and other invertebrates, the total number of species in Donau-Auen National Park is estimated to be at least 5,000.
The River
Monument with high water marks near Stopfenreuth – highest: August 15th, 2002
The main channel of the Danube was separated from its side channels by the flood control measures that were constructed around the year 1900. The outcome was a higher current velocity in the main channel, with a resulting deepening of the river bed, while in the side channels—which no longer had current flowing through them—sand and loam deposits were no longer removed by the current. In a natural riparian ecosystem woody plants and deadwood have a strong impact on the natural flow dynamics, by stabilizing riverbanks, by reducing erosion, and by creating areas of reducing or increased flow rates, and thus affecting in which areas sediments are deposited or removed. Large tree trunks and accumulations of smaller flotsam cause the water to stagnate and the speed of the current to drop, leading to increased sedimentation.
To counteract the effects of the flood control measures, beginning in 2002 individual side channels were tied in with the main channel again—at least at high water times—via Gewässervernetzungen ("water crossings"), which lower or remove the levees protecting those channels.
In a 2006 pilot project created with the support of the LIFE+ Program of the European Union and the Austrian riverways agency via donau, about three kilometers of the complete flood works were removed across the river from Hainburg, so that the river once again could spread into the floodplain areas. In a similar project near Witzelsdorf, about one kilometer of the levees were removed. After the completion of the pilot projects in Hainburg and Witzelsdorf, future plans for this river engineering project are for removal of 50% of the levees and flood control works between Vienna and the eastern border of Austria.
Aside from a revitalization of the Au (riparian zone), the project promises to mediate the effects of floods on the river and to stabilize the riverbed to the benefit of both river ecology and navigation.[1]
The flowers of the very endangered early spider-orchid imitate the female sand bee, and so entice the male bees to land and thus pollinate the plants[2]
^Andrea Katschthaler: (Titel), Der Standard, Print, 28 August 2007, S. 9. – Onlineversion: Die Donau bekommt wieder mehr Platz derstandard.at, 29 August 2007, retrieved 21 October 2016.
^ abcdefManfred A. Fischer, Karl Oswald, Wolfgang Adler: Exkursionsflora für Österreich, Liechtenstein und Südtirol. 3., verbesserte Auflage. Land Oberösterreich, Biologiezentrum der Oberösterreichischen Landesmuseen, Linz 2008, ISBN978-3-85474-187-9.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nationalpark Donau-Auen.
www.donauauen.at (in English and German)
[1] Wikipedia commons photo gallery
Infothek - Dateien und Medien rund um den Nationalpark Donau-Auen zum Download
Juniorranger - Website für Jugendliche, die im Nationalpark mithelfen wollen
Camps - Website über das Camp-Angebot der Nationalpark Donau-Auen für Kinder, Familien, Vereine und Schulklassen
Blog - Aktuelles rund um den Nationalpark Donau-Auen
Donau-Auen (Lobau) - Erholungsgebiet in Wien (Webservice der Stadt Wien)
Life Natur Projekte in Nationalpark Donau Auen (Life Nature Projects in Donau Auen National Park, in German)
March 09, 2023
danube, auen, national, park, donau, auen, national, park, german, nationalpark, donau, auen, covers, square, kilometres, vienna, lower, austria, largest, remaining, floodplains, danube, middle, europe, donau, auen, national, parkiucn, category, national, park. Donau Auen National Park German Nationalpark Donau Auen covers 93 square kilometres in Vienna and Lower Austria and is one of the largest remaining floodplains of the Danube in Middle Europe Donau Auen National ParkIUCN category II national park Donau Auen near HainburgLocationVienna and Lower AustriaNearest cityViennaCoordinates48 8 N 16 55 E 48 133 N 16 917 E 48 133 16 917 Coordinates 48 8 N 16 55 E 48 133 N 16 917 E 48 133 16 917Area93 km2 36 sq mi EstablishedOctober 27 1996Map of Donau Auen National Park Schloss Orth visitor centre and administration centre The German word Aue variant Au means river island wetland floodplain riparian woodland i e a cultivated landscape in a riparian zone The words Aue and Au occur in a large number of German place names including Donau the German word for the Danube River and refer to forests meadows and wetlands in river and stream lowlands and floodplains The Danube Auen National Park protects a large area of lowland forests meadows wetlands and other riparian habitat along the Danube just downstream of Vienna The Park was designated an IUCN category II national park and spans the areas of Vienna Lobau Gross Enzersdorf Orth an der Donau Eckartsau Engelhartstetten Hainburg Bad Deutsch Altenburg Petronell Carnuntum Regelsbrunn Haslau Maria Ellend Fischamend and Schwechat The Park near Lobau and Gross Enzersdorf with Vienna International Airport on the left Contents 1 Creation of the National Park 2 Flora and fauna 3 The River 4 Photo gallery 5 External linksCreation of the National Park EditUntil the 19th century the Danube was an untamed river In the 19th century extensive engineering began to alter the natural balance of the river landscape dramatically Many side channels were dammed so that they now carry water from the Danube only at flood stages Ever more intrusive engineering interventions were accompanied by decades of heavy forestry use in many parts of lowland forests In the 1950s development began of a nearly unbroken chain of hydroelectric power plants and associated dams on the Austrian section of the Danube River In 1984 the planned construction of the Hainburg hydroelectric power plant just downstream from Vienna threatened to destry one of two remaining free flowing sections of the Danube in Austria and its riparian forests the other remaining free flowing section in Austria is upstream near Wachau An outcry by environmental and nature protection groups caused nationwide protests against the project The operator of the power plant project disregarded the protests and began work to clear the area Protests stepped up eventually leading to the occupation of the Hainburg wetlands by thousands of people from all ages and professions the so called Hainburg Movement After police tried several times to clear protestors from the area in December 1984 the Federal Government declared a pause for reflection In January 1985 the Austrian Supreme Court forbad further deforestation In March 1985 the so called Konrad Lorenz Volksbegehren petition signed by 353 906 people demanded the prohibition of large power plants such as Hainburg and the establishment of a national park in the area of Hainburg On 1 July 1986 the Administrative Court released a decision cancelling the water rights of the planned power plant Extensive scientific studies were then made of the area with surprising discoveries More species of fish were observed than was known at the time the planning of the power plant The most important result of these studies was that the Danube lowlands area Donau Auen in and east of Vienna was determined to be worthy of becoming a national park It was also determined that creating a power plant in the area would not be compatible with national park status for the region On October 27 1996 a State Treaty between the Republic of Austria and the federal states of Vienna and Lower Austria was signed With that treaty Donau Auen National Park was officially opened Flora and fauna EditIn the National Park area there are more than 700 species of higher plants more than 30 mammals 100 species of breeding birds 8 reptiles 13 amphibian species and around 50 species of fish Among the most characteristic inhabitants of the wetlands of the National Park are the Danube crested newt European pond turtle European mudminnow white tailed eagle Eurasian kingfisher and Eurasian beaver With the variety of insects living on both land and water and other invertebrates the total number of species in Donau Auen National Park is estimated to be at least 5 000 The River Edit Monument with high water marks near Stopfenreuth highest August 15th 2002 The main channel of the Danube was separated from its side channels by the flood control measures that were constructed around the year 1900 The outcome was a higher current velocity in the main channel with a resulting deepening of the river bed while in the side channels which no longer had current flowing through them sand and loam deposits were no longer removed by the current In a natural riparian ecosystem woody plants and deadwood have a strong impact on the natural flow dynamics by stabilizing riverbanks by reducing erosion and by creating areas of reducing or increased flow rates and thus affecting in which areas sediments are deposited or removed Large tree trunks and accumulations of smaller flotsam cause the water to stagnate and the speed of the current to drop leading to increased sedimentation To counteract the effects of the flood control measures beginning in 2002 individual side channels were tied in with the main channel again at least at high water times via Gewasservernetzungen water crossings which lower or remove the levees protecting those channels In a 2006 pilot project created with the support of the LIFE Program of the European Union and the Austrian riverways agency via donau about three kilometers of the complete flood works were removed across the river from Hainburg so that the river once again could spread into the floodplain areas In a similar project near Witzelsdorf about one kilometer of the levees were removed After the completion of the pilot projects in Hainburg and Witzelsdorf future plans for this river engineering project are for removal of 50 of the levees and flood control works between Vienna and the eastern border of Austria Aside from a revitalization of the Au riparian zone the project promises to mediate the effects of floods on the river and to stabilize the riverbed to the benefit of both river ecology and navigation 1 Photo gallery Edit An old channel of the Donau Auen near Schonau Spring flood waters between Schonau and Orth an der Donau Levee field and woodland in the Donau Auen Beaver lodge Hotspot microclimate in the Lobau with European feather grass and several Orchid varieties The Wild Weinrebe wild grapevine appears very seldom in the Austrian Donauauen and is extremely endangered 2 The Broad leafed Solomon s seal is a typical variety in the Harten Au 2 Orchids like green winged orchid that thrive in hotspot microclimates are endangered in Austria 2 A stand of endangered military orchid 2 The flowers of the very endangered early spider orchid imitate the female sand bee and so entice the male bees to land and thus pollinate the plants 2 The Swiss spikemoss Schweiz Moosfarn is a nondescript spikemoss and is endangered in the Austrian portions of the Pannonian geobotanical region in Central Europe 2 Andrea Katschthaler Titel Der Standard Print 28 August 2007 S 9 Onlineversion Die Donau bekommt wieder mehr Platz derstandard at 29 August 2007 retrieved 21 October 2016 a b c d e f Manfred A Fischer Karl Oswald Wolfgang Adler Exkursionsflora fur Osterreich Liechtenstein und Sudtirol 3 verbesserte Auflage Land Oberosterreich Biologiezentrum der Oberosterreichischen Landesmuseen Linz 2008 ISBN 978 3 85474 187 9 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nationalpark Donau Auen www donauauen at in English and German 1 Wikipedia commons photo gallery Infothek Dateien und Medien rund um den Nationalpark Donau Auen zum Download Juniorranger Website fur Jugendliche die im Nationalpark mithelfen wollen Camps Website uber das Camp Angebot der Nationalpark Donau Auen fur Kinder Familien Vereine und Schulklassen Blog Aktuelles rund um den Nationalpark Donau Auen Donau Auen Lobau Erholungsgebiet in Wien Webservice der Stadt Wien Life Natur Projekte in Nationalpark Donau Auen Life Nature Projects in Donau Auen National Park in German Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Danube Auen National Park amp oldid 1119133094, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
