EBW App vVARY

Normally, concrete measures or waivers are agreed in the nature conservation contract on valuable areas - e.g. no fertilization or a later mowing time. In the "result-oriented management" (EBW) concrete goals and indicators are agreed on the area instead of measures. The measures to achieve the goals are decided year by year by the farmer himself.
The goals on the EBW area are very simple, but they are kept concrete and indicate the main direction of how the existing area should be dealt with. They are based on the habitat type of the area and the condition of the habitat. For example, a goal can be called "Preservation of the poor meadow" if the condition of this meadow is good. If the condition is not optimal (e.g. intrusion of trees or neophytes), the goal can also be "development of a poor meadow".
The indicators are very important. They indicate the condition of the surface. The indicators available in the EBW measure have been selected for each habitat in such a way that the connection with the cultivation of the area is very high. Indicators can describe both the presence of species or structures (e.g. meadow sage) and the absence of species or structures (e.g. problem plants). Indicators must be constantly checked by the farmer. In the case of an on-site inspection, they are inspected by the AMA.
To ensure that this new system works well, the companies receive comprehensive advice from an ecologist at the beginning. The relevant areas are all walked on together. After the farm inspection, the farmer receives a project confirmation in which goals and indicators are given for all agreed areas. The farmer then uses this app to document what is happening on the field and how the indicators are developing.
More information about the project and the contact details of the coordination office can be found on the project website at www.ebw-oepul.at

The interactive app and the user community run on the SPOTTERON Citizen Science platform at www.spotteron.app.