baumzaehlen - Primeval Forests & Their Trees

Rothwald is the largest remnant of primeval forest in the Alps ¹ . Although there were large fellings in the region from the mid-1700s, Rothwald was saved thanks to its remoteness, topography and location between two Austrian states ² . In 1875 it passed into the ownership of the Rothschild family, which did not allow any wood removal in Rothwald but preserved it for use as a hunting and recreation area ² . In 1943 the primeval forest was officially protected ² and is today a part of Dürrenstein Wilderness Area. Pollen analyses have also confirmed that this is a true virgin forest ¹ . Rothwald is nowadays divided in two separate parts: “big primeval forest” (2.4 km ² ) and “small primeval forest” (0.5 km ² ). Originally, the primeval forest was contiguous and its area larger; unfortunately wood removal along the Moderbach (creek) between today’s two parts after storm damage in 1966 resulted in the separation of the primeval forest into two parts ² .

Rothwald grows on limestone from 940 m elevation up to the forest limit at 1500 m ³ and comprises both steep slopes and almost level ground. The main tree species are Fagus sylvatica (European beech), Abies alba (European silver fir) and Picea abies (Norway spruce). There are over 500-year-old A. alba and P. abies , and 450-year-old F. sylvatica specimens ² . The other, much less common, trees are Acer pseudoplatanus (sycamore maple), Acer platanoides (Norway maple), Ulmus glabra (wych elm), Salix caprea (goat willow), Aria edulis (syn. Sorbus aria , whitebeam) ² , Hedlundia austriaca (syn. Sorbus austriaca ), Sorbus aucuparia (European rowan) and Taxus baccata (European yew) ¹ . These are easy to distinguish from each other. “Small primeval forest” has some heavily wooded sites, even 1577 m ³ /ha has been measured in a small area ³ . However, most of the forest has much lower wood volume. On the other hand, dead wood volumes are high throughout the forest.

Although there has been no wood use, the forest is not in its natural state: The density of the large herbivores was natural until about 1870 but has increased since due to the extirpation of predators and winter feeding ¹ . Consequently, the most herbivore sensitive tree species A. alba has not been able to regenerate since the late 1800s ¹ and will disappear if the extant herbivore density continues ³ . The new growth of other tree species, even P. abies , is also damaged.

Average annual temperature is 3.7°C and annual precipitation approx. 2300 mm; average monthly precipitation year-round is over 100 mm ² . The forest can be classified as temperate rainforest ⁴ .

References :

1 Mayer, H., Neumann, M. & Schrempf, W. (1979): Der Urwald Rothwald in den Niederösterreichischen Kalkalpen. In Mayer, H. (ed.): Urwaldreste, Naturwaldreservate und Schützenswerte Naturwälder in Österreich . Institut für Waldbau, Universität für Bodenkultur, Wien.

2 Gratzer, G. & Splechtna, B. (2014): Wissenschaftlicher Rundgang Rothwald.

3 Schrempf, W. (1986): Waldbauliche Untersuchungen im Fichten-Tannen-Buchen-Urwald Rothwald und in Urwald-Folgebeständen. In Mayer, H. (ed.): Urwaldreste, Naturwaldreservate und Schützenswerte Naturwälder in Österreich . Institut für Waldbau, Universität für Bodenkultur, Wien.

4 DellaSala, D. A. (ed.). 2011: Temperate and Boreal Rainforests of the World. Island Press.

Official site:

http://www.wildnisgebiet.at/en/