Monitoring quarry OMYA

Associated persons Tobias Köstl
Clients OMYA
Regions Austria
Year 2017

The aim of this project is the eighth survey of the implementation of the Longterm Biodiversity Index (LBI) in the limestone quarry Gummern of the company OMYA. The LBI is an innovative measuring instrument that provides information about the biodiversity of a mining area. For this purpose, the quarry and the mining area and operating area (mining area) as well as the surrounding landscape (surrounding countryside) were divided into homogeneous evaluation zones. The basic data for the calculation of the LBI are the species groups "vascular plants" and "avifauna". In addition, other species groups have been and will be involved over a number of periods, such as Arachnidae, Chiroptera or, currently, the herpetofauna. In order to ensure objectivity for several monitoring runs, a grid was laid over the entire study area as a basis for the vegetation analysis and randomly selected samples were determined for each zone. With the appropriate restoration measures, it should be possible to create a valuable and diverse alternative habitat for the mining area in the future.