Juniper Heathlands in the Leiser Berge

A project to protect Austria’s largest known juniper population

The entire ridge of the Buschberg and the surrounding Leiser Berge region has been a traditional area of pasture and settlement for thousands of years.

Grazing animals have always played a central role in the lives of rural communities. The poor, shallow soils in this region allowed little in the way of crop farming. As a result, pastoralism shaped the landscape and its vegetation over centuries. The outcome was an expansive, steppe-like landscape with grazing-resistant shrubs. Juniper, with its extremely sharp needles, was well protected from the appetite of livestock. Today, juniper heathlands are relics of historic land use and tell the story of how this landscape was once managed.

The Leiser Berge Nature Park is home to what is likely Austria’s largest known population of wild juniper, with around 1,200 individual plants.

In the first phase of the project, large-scale mapping was carried out to identify juniper-rich areas. These areas then formed the basis for clearing encroaching shrubs and freeing the old juniper stands. The work is being done gradually, with the aim of reintroducing sheep grazing to the selected areas.

In November 2019, together with Nature Park schools and many dedicated volunteers, young juniper plants were planted on future pasture areas.

This project proudly earned us the “BRENNNESSEL 2019” Award, one of Austria’s most prestigious nature conservation prizes.

Juniper is a slow-growing and non-competitive species, dependent on open, sunny habitats. It is an exceptionally rare and ecologically valuable shrub species. By protecting it, we are also helping to restore a whole semi-dry grassland habitat, home to many rare and highly endangered species.

In June 2020, we visited the project site for an on-location inspection – more details can be found [here] (link).
In September 2020, Austrian broadcaster ORF featured the project in its program “Land und Leute”, highlighting the importance of juniper conservation.