Beiträge zur Tier- und Pflanzenwelt der Schottergruben an der Unteren Enns

Between 1990 and 1993 faunistic and floristic investigations were carried out in 25 gravel pits of various successional stages in the area of the Lower Enns and Lower Steyr rivers north of Steyr and Sierning. The authors tried to find out wether these man-made biotops offer important habitats for certain animal and plant species. The results show that 76 bird species use these gravel pits as breeding and feeding habi- tats (10 species of the Austrian Red List). 3 amphibian species, 5 reptile species and 16 species of Orthoptera and the European Rabbit are ecologically bound to the gravel pits. 30 plant species are recorded in detail. Gravel pits can offer valuable habitats for a num- ber of threatened species but they cannot hold the species numbers of the original bio- topes. Management measures for nature conservation are proposed. "Nirgendwo sonst findet man leicht zuganglich und auf kleinstem Raum in ungewohn- licher Dichte soviele interessante Tiere und Pflanzen. Kiesgruben sind deshalb ein Do- rado fur Naturbeobachtung und Exkursionen (ESCHER 1974)."