FORESTS ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT IN AUSTRIA: They provide the valuable raw material of wood and protect humans and infrastructures against natural hazards. They provide for clean air and clean water while at the same time capturing carbon and thus a major portion of our CO2 emissions. Moreover, forests are among the most important areas of recreation for the whole population. Together with the downstream sectors, Austria‘ forests offer secure jobs to over 300,000 persons and, according to most recent figures, generate a trade surplus of 3.41 billion euros. Almost 50 percent of our national territory is covered by forests. They are managed by about 145,000 forest owners whose overall concept — sustainable forest management — is exemplary and extraordinarily successful.
The value of forests is continuously rising, both in quantitative and in qualitative terms. The Austrian Forest Report 2015, too, demonstrates this impressively. Since 2001 its structure pursues the approach of the Pan-European Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management, which is of great relevance also in international reporting. In 2005 our country incorporated these parameters also in the national forest programme and added Austria-specific values. The next major step is the preparation of an Austrian „Forest Strategy 2020”: Sustainable forest management
for a liveable Austria! The Forest Strategy 2020 is intended as an instrument which is to help meet present and future challenges in the best possible way and to ensure the multi-functional services provided by forests for future generations. 2015 is an important year for the forest - the United Nations declared it the International Year of Soils. As regards Austria‘s forests, we can say: They are firmly anchored both in soils and in the heads of Austrians. Introduction: Sustainable forest management — the Austrian way ; The philosophy of sustainability for Austria‘s forests; Legal framework; Institutional structure; Cash flow; Public participation; Control system; Forest Strategy 2020; Sustainable forest management in Austria; Quantitative Indicators; Criterion 1: Maintenance and Appropriate Enhancement of Forest Resources and Their Contribution to Global Carbon Cycles; Indicator 1.1: Forest area; Indicator 1.2: Growing stock; Indicator 1.3: Age structure and diameter distribution; Indicator 1.4: Carbon balance of Austrian forests; Criterion 2: Maintenance of Forest Ecosystem Health and Vitality; Indicator 2.1: Deposition of air pollutants; Indicator 2.2: Soil condition; Indicator 2.3: Defoliation; Indicator 2.4: Forest damage; Criterion 3: Maintenance and Encouragement of Productive Functions of Forests (Wood and Non-Wood); Indicator 3.1: Increment and fellings; Indicator 3.2: Roundwood; Indicator 3.3: Non-wood products; Indicator 3.4: Services; Indicator 3.5: Forests under management plans; Criterion 4: Maintenance, Conservation and Appropriate Enhancement of Biological Diversity in Forest Ecosystems; Indicator 4.1: Tree species composition; Indicator 4.2: Regeneration; Indicator 4.3: Naturalness; Indicator 4.4: Introduced tree species; Indicator 4.5: Deadwood; Indicator 4.6: Genetic resources; Indicator 4.7: Landscape pattern; Indicator 4.8: Threatened forest species; Indicator 4.9: Protected forests; Criterion 5: Maintenance and Appropriate Enhancement of the Protective Functions in Forest Management (notably Soil and Water); Indicator 5.1: Protective forests — soil, water and other ecosystem functions; Indicator 5.2: Protective forests — infrastructure and managed natural resources; Criterion 6: Maintenance of Other Socio-Economic Functions and Conditions; Indicator 6.1: Forest holdings; Indicator 6.2: Contribution of forest sector to gross domestic product; Indicator 6.3: Net revenue; Indicator 6.4: Expenditures on services; Indicator 6.5: Forest sector workforce; Indicator 6.6: Occupational safety and health; Indicator 6.7: Wood consumption; Indicator 6.8: Trade in wood; Indicator 6.9: Energy from wood resources; Indicator 6.10: Accessibility for recreation; Indicator 6.11: Cultural and spiritual values; Criterion 7: Austria‘s International Responsibility for Sustainable Forest Management; Indicator 7.1: Forest-related projects in development cooperation; Indicator 7.2: Austria‘s contribution to international and multilateral forest governance; Indicator 7.3: Public funds for forest-relevant, internationally active organisations and for the participation of Austrian experts in forest-related international bodies; Indicator 7.4: Austrian contribution to efforts on combatting illegal logging; Qualitative Indicators; Indicator A.1: National forest programmes and the like; Indicator A.2: Institutional framework; Indicator A.3: Legal/Statutory framework and international commitments; Indicator A.4: Financial instruments/Economic policy; Indicator A.5: Information tools Einleitung: Nachhaltige Waldbewirtschaftung - der österreichische Weg; Die Philosophie der Nachhaltigkeit für die österreichischen Wälder; Rechtliche Rahmenbedingungen; Institutionelle Struktur; Bargeldumlauf; Öffentliche Teilnahme; Kontrollsystem; Waldstrategie 2020; Nachhaltige Waldbewirtschaftung in Österreich; Quantitative Indikatoren; Kriterium 1: Erhaltung und angemessene Aufwertung der Waldressourcen und ihr Beitrag zu globalen Kohlenstoffkreisläufen; Indikator 1.1: Waldfläche; Indikator 1.2: Wachstumsbestand; Indikator 1.3: Altersstruktur und Durchmesserverteilung; Indikator 1.4: Kohlenstoffbilanz österreichischer Wälder; Kriterium 2: Erhaltung der Gesundheit und Vitalität des Waldökosystems; Indikator 2.1: Ablagerung von Luftschadstoffen; Indikator 2.2: Bodenzustand; Indikator 2.3: Entlaubung; Indikator 2.4: Waldschaden; Kriterium 3: Aufrechterhaltung und Förderung produktiver Funktionen der Forstwirtschaft (Holz und Nichtholz); Indikator 3.1: Inkrement und Fallenlassen; Indikator 3.2: Rundholz; Indikator 3.3: Nicht-Holzprodukte; Indikator 3.4: Dienstleistungen; Indikator 3.5: Wälder unter Bewirtschaftungsplänen; Kriterium 4: Erhaltung, Erhalt und angemessene Verbesserung der biologischen Vielfalt in Waldökosystemen; Indikator 4.1: Baumartenzusammensetzung; Indikator 4.2: Regeneration; Indikator 4.3: Natürlichkeit; Indikator 4.4: Eingeführte Baumarten; Indikator 4.5: Totholz; Indikator 4.6: Genetische Ressourcen; Indikator 4.7: Landschaftsmuster; Indikator 4.8: Bedrohte Waldarten; Indikator 4.9: Geschützte Wälder; Kriterium 5: Pflege und entsprechende Verbesserung der Schutzfunktionen in der Waldbewirtschaftung (insbesondere Boden und Wasser); Indikator 5.1: Schutzwald - Boden, Wasser und andere Ökosystemfunktionen; Indikator 5.2: Schutzwald - Infrastruktur und bewirtschaftete natürliche Ressourcen; Kriterium 6: Aufrechterhaltung anderer sozioökonomischer Funktionen und Bedingungen; Indikator 6.1: Waldbestände; Indikator 6.2: Beitrag des Forstsektors zum großen Inlandsprodukt; Indikator 6.3: Nettoumsatz; Indikator 6.4: Ausgaben für Dienstleistungen; Indikator 6.5: Arbeitskräfte im Forstsektor; Indikator 6.6: Arbeitssicherheit und Gesundheitsschutz; Indikator 6.7: Holzverbrauch; Indikator 6.8: Handel mit Holz; Indikator 6.9: Energie aus Holzressourcen; Indikator 6.10: Erreichbarkeit für die Erholung; Indikator 6.11: Kulturelle und spirituelle Werte; Kriterium 7: Österreichs internationale Verantwortung für nachhaltige Waldbewirtschaftung; Indikator 7.1: Waldbezogene Projekte in der Entwicklungszusammenarbeit; Indikator 7.2: Österreichs Beitrag zur internationalen und multilateralen Forstverwaltung; Indikator 7.3: Öffentliche Mittel für forstrelevante, international tätige Organisationen und für die Beteiligung österreichischer Experten in forstlichen internationalen Gremien; Indikator 7.4: österreichischer Beitrag zur Bekämpfung des illegalen Holzeinschlags; Qualitative Indikatoren; Indikator A.1: Nationale Waldprogramme und dergleichen; Indikator A.2: Institutioneller Rahmen; Indikator A.3: Gesetzlicher / gesetzlicher Rahmen und internationale Verpflichtungen; Indikator A.4: Finanzinstrumente / Wirtschaftspolitik; Indikator A.5: Informationstools
