Reforestation at Kitzsteinhorn

“Uschi” swept across the Pinzgau region with devastating force on November 20, 2002. The foehn windstorm, with peak wind speeds exceeding 200 km/h, caused extensive forest damage throughout the region. Spruce trees snapped like matchsticks. After “Uschi” came the bark beetle, which claimed many more trees.

The situation required swift action from everyone involved in forestry, hunting, and tourism. Fischhorn’s hunting and forestry estate, which owns the land, joined forces with Gletscherbahnen Kaprun AG to reforest the newly cleared areas with tree species adapted to the local climate.

Josef Zandl is the estate manager at Gut Fischhorn, the largest individual landowner around Kitzsteinhorn alongside the Austrian Federal Forests and private forest owners. As a farmer, hunter, and forester, he still clearly remembers the natural disaster:

“Protective forests were destroyed within a very short period of time. Our forests are home to an incredible diversity of species. Roe deer, red deer, chamois, owls, Eurasian eagle-owls, eagles, and woodpeckers all lost their habitats as a result of the windthrow.

Restoring the forest while the cleanup work was still underway was our highest priority. Major storms have always occurred periodically in this region, and this was taken into consideration during the restoration. Instead of restoring the predominantly spruce monocultures, we used a variety of tree species suited to the individual sites.”

Before reforestation began, a comprehensive assessment was carried out to determine which tree species were best suited to each location.

Josef Zandl explains:

“Deciduous trees are better than spruce in rockfall corridors. If the bark of a spruce tree is damaged, the tree can rot and break. A sycamore maple, however, can live for as long as 300 years even if its bark has been damaged.

Once deciduous trees have shed their leaves, they are also less vulnerable to fall storms. Spruce trees, on the other hand, are ideally suited to steep slopes exposed to avalanche risk because their dense crowns keep freshly fallen snow off the ground until it falls in compacted clumps.”

While the damaged timber was being removed, the terrain was carefully examined. With scientific support from the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, the team determined which tree species were best suited to each location.

When hunting, forestry, and tourism work together, a variety of interests must be considered. Wildlife needs quiet areas where it can retreat. At the same time, young forests must be protected from browsing damage, the protective forest shielding tourism infrastructure such as lift stations and roads must be strengthened, and the forest’s recreational value for hikers and nature lovers must be restored.

By working together on this reforestation project, everyone involved was able to combine their efforts and achieve comprehensive results. The project moved into its implementation phase with the establishment of the Kaprun Valley Protective Forest Management Association.

Josef Zandl recalls:

“When red deer are stressed or lack food in winter, they strip bark from trees. This can damage the trees’ growth or allow fungal infections to develop, causing them to rot.

To keep red deer away from the protective forest and guide them toward more suitable areas, we encouraged the growth of rowan and goat willow in those locations. Neither species is particularly valuable from a forestry perspective, but both are very popular with red deer.

It was not necessary to replant every area with saplings. Through the forest’s natural regeneration, we made sure that naturally established sycamore maples, beeches, wych elms, ash trees, birches, and gray alders had enough light and space to grow.

Hunting measures were used to guide red deer away from important protective forests, while the young trees were given additional protection from browsing.”

At higher elevations and on steep terrain, the trunks of fallen trees were left lying across the slope.

Josef Zandl explains why:

“In nature, young trees grow better around dead trees or rootstocks because these offer protection. In these tree clusters, the young trees in the center develop better because the surrounding saplings protect them from extreme weather.

We recreated this effect by removing the bark from tree trunks and leaving them in place. Young trees were then either planted around them or allowed to establish themselves naturally.”

In addition to supporting the forest’s natural regeneration, countless saplings were brought into the Kaprun Valley. During site inspections, the individual reforestation areas were marked and divided into grids.

Different-colored stakes indicated which tree species should be planted in each location. A red stake, for example, indicated that larch trees were to be planted there. The team then planted 30 saplings within each grid, leaving enough space between them for further natural regeneration.

It was backbreaking work for the employees, who had to carry saplings and tools through extremely steep terrain.

Josef Zandl explains:

“Our estate quickly recognized that this natural disaster was also an opportunity to create a forest better suited to the valley’s current needs. We wanted a forest that would provide a stable ecosystem and remain resilient to wildlife damage by offering red deer natural sources of food, such as the leaves of sycamore maple and ash trees.

Wintering areas with feeding stations and sheltered stands of spruce forest were also incorporated into the plans. This reforestation project was never about maximizing the interests of any one group. It was about finding the best possible balance for everyone involved in forestry, agriculture, hunting, and tourism.”

The restoration project was completed in 2023, but its first successes had already become apparent years earlier.

Josef Zandl explains:

“Thanks to the scientific support provided by the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, we were able to determine in 2012 that our rapid response had already restored erosion protection across 50 percent of the affected areas. Today, that figure is close to 100 percent.

During the reforestation process, scientists and practitioners also launched a three-year research project called ‘Integrated Red Deer Management.’ Its goal was to find a way to guide and manage the red deer population that would serve the interests of all the groups involved.”

The reforestation program, which spanned more than two decades, has proven to be a success. The countless deciduous trees and larches now growing throughout the new forest also create a spectacular display of fall color that is likely unique in the Hohe Tauern.