GEO day of nature and ABOL BioBlitz in the Biosphere Reserve Nockberge
The third ABOL BioBlitz of this year took place as part of the GEO day of nature in the Biosphere Reserve Nockberge in Carinthia. 70 experts and companions surveyed animal, plant and fungus species at the basis of the Zunderwand and in the vicinity of the Erlacherhaus. Due to the special geological situation, where limestone islands protrude from the silicate bedrock, the diversity of species is particularly great here, as lime- and silicate-loving species coexist. The focus was also on the numerous peculiarities occurring here, especially species that are very rare or only narrowly distributed. The study area was rich in different habitats such as pastures, limestone grasslands, rock crevices and scree slopes, bogs, drainage fields and creeks. Therefore, more than 1180 species could be registered within 24 hours. The beautiful weather also contributed to the success. On the other hand, there were also groups that were surprisingly rarely found, such as bumblebees, whose main season had obviously not yet started. However, the exact number of species that was recorded will only be known after extensive post-processing by the respective experts. We hope for active participation in the ABOL BioBlitz and are confident that we can close one or the other gap in the DNA barcode reference data for Austria.
We would like to thank the organizers and the participants in the ABOL BioBlitz!
Impressions from the event and the study area (Photos: M. Sonnleitner):
