!!!Wald, in Österreich

Woods and Forests in Austria: They cover an area of 3.92 million 
hectares (1998), i.e. 46 % of the total area and are constantly 
increasing in size. Austria ranks third as the most densely forested 
country in Europe (behind Finland and Sweden). The most densely 
forested regions lie in the Pre-Alps from Salzburg to Lower Austria 
and at the eastern edge of the Alps, from the Koralpe and the Saualpe 
mountains via the mountains in the Mur-Muerz region to the Wechsel 
region. Because of Austria´s mountainous character a large part 
of the Austrian woods and forests are protective forests (755,000 
hectares), the majority of which are not used for commercial purposes 
(466,000 hectares). However, about 83 % of the woods and forests 
in Austria can be used for commercial purposes (commercial forests): 
mainly timber forests (regeneration by seed, long utilisation cycle), 
only approx. 3 % are copses. Commercial forests are made up of 
61.4 % spruces, 9.2% beeches, 9.0 % pine trees and 6.8 % larch 
trees; the percentage of fir trees had fallen to under 3 % due to 
browsing by game and air pollution ( Forest Dieback) but has recently 
risen to 4.6%, oaks make up 2.4 %. The natural composition of 
woods and forests in terms of various tree species has undergone 
constant changes since the Middle Ages due to forest management 
measures (firewood and construction timber, forest pastures, 
clearances), and the percentage of coniferous trees has increased over 
the last 150 years. The make-up of the forest communities depends on 
sea level and Alpine location (central or marginal). Among the main 
tree species, spruce dominates the Central Alps, the Limestone Alps 
and the Bohemian Massif, pine dominates the Waldviertel region, 
Burgenland, south-eastern Styria and the Carinthian basin; beech is 
predominant in the Pre-Alps, the south-eastern plains and hills 
(Styria) and the area south of the River Drau, but is not found in 
Alpine regions. Forests rich in oak trees are found at altitudes below 
300-400 m sea level in the plains and hills of eastern Austria. 
As a rule the percentage of natural coniferous tree populations 
increases with the sea level. A zone of coniferous forests, with 
spruce, larch, Swiss pine or dwarf pine, is found above 1,400 m sea 
level. At the edge of the Alps the forest line lies at 1,600 m, 
in the central Alps at 2,000 m sea level.


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