Metschacher Moos

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Basic Information

Site Name

Metschacher Moos

Short name

MeMo

Country

Austria

Operating Organisation

Carinthia University of Applied Sciences

Site Manager

Dr. Franz Hoelzl

Gerfried Anton Pirker

Site Description

During the Würm glaciation, the Glantal valley and its side valleys lay at the edge of the Alpine ice sheet and were fed by glacial movements and ice melt. The multi-layered soils and large amounts of groundwater turned the valley floor into moor landscapes -one of which we know as ‘Metschacher Moos’, located west of Zweikirchen in the municipality of Liebenfels. The land was gradually drained 150 years ago and the valley floors have been used for agriculture ever since. The presence of rare animal and plant species was recognised, as various areas in the valley were repeatedly surveyed and observed. In the 1990s, an area was leased by the state of Carinthia to study succession on agricultural land. When this project ended in 2022, attempts were made to protect the area from rezoning and the associated return to intensive agriculture. A joint effort led to the purchase of the land by the Sparkasse Kärnten private foundation, followed by a dedication to the University of Applied Sciences for the purposes of research and development and renaturation. Recently, the heavily degraded area was scarified, tilled and mowed repeatedly to reduce nitrogen and neophytes. Subsequently, a network of soil sensors was set up along the succession areas and expanded with water level loggers, acoustic loggers and camera traps. Nesting aids were set up, conservation measures were implemented and various modelling exercises were carried out. Grazing was also made possible in part of the area. Thanks to a comprehensive management plan, the once degraded area can now be transformed into both a biodiversity hotspot, and a unique outdoor laboratory for research, teaching and innovation.

Last modified

2026-06-19 09:03:27

General Characteristics and Status

Site Status

Partly operational

Year Established

2023

Observed properties

Climate

Precipitation Sum: 869 mm
Temperature Mean: 7.98 °C
Standard Reference Period: Other, non-standardised or incomplete reference period

Affiliation and Network Specific Information

Affiliation

Photos

Areal image of the whole research area

Lying dead wood at the research area

Parial areal image of the research area

Northern part of the research area

Neophytes on the southern part of the research area

Soil profile at one site of the research area

Partially working drainage ditch

Geographic

View in site map

Centroid/Representative Coordinates

Latitude: 46.706596 Longitude: 14.240907

Size

ca. 14.52ha

Elevation (average)

520.00msl

Elevation (min)

519.00msl

Elevation (max)

521.00msl

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Site information [.json]

Centroid/representative coordinates [.shp] [.kml] [.geojson]

Bounding Box [.shp] [.kml] [.geojson]

Boundaries [.shp] [.kml] [.geojson]

Site Details

Ecosystem and Environmental Characteristics

GEO-BON Biome

Terrestrial

Biome

Alpine

Ecosystem Type

Agricultural

Alpine

Biogeographical Region

Alpine Bio-geographical Region

EUNIS habitat

Habitat complexes (X)

Habitat complexes (X) » Land sparsely wooded with broadleaved deciduous trees (X13)

Mires, bogs and fens (D)

Regularly or recently cultivated agricultural, horticultural and domestic habitats (I)

Air Temperature: Average Annual

8.00°C

Precipitation Annual

868.70mm

Vegetation

In 2024–2025, a total of 103 plant species were recorded, most of which are typical of nutrient-rich, ruderal-influenced grass and shrub communities. The vegetation is dominated by a few highly competitive species such as Elymus repens, Calamagrostis epigejos, Carex hirta, and Rubus fruticosus agg. A notable trend is the increase in tall perennials and grasses in the peripheral areas, while the central southern areas are becoming more grassy.
Both study plots were mowed in the summer and the clippings removed, thereby establishing a uniform management stimulus. The southern plot was additionally tilled and reseeded, which is clearly reflected in the species composition—particularly in the decline of Solidago canadensis, a highly competitive, ruderal neophyte species that is sensitive to disturbance. The edge communities also show changes, including declines in Urtica dioica and Quercus robur, indicating altered light or competitive conditions.
Overall, the plant community shows a succession toward denser, competition-dominated vegetation with persistently high nutrient availability.

Soils

During the relocation of groundwater monitoring wells, five test pits were dug and the subsurface conditions encountered were documented. The characteristics of the gray clay layer and the brown sandy gravel were determined more precisely through these test pits. The gray clay layer contains a small amount of fine sand but has a high silt content, or is dominated by silt. The brown sandy gravel formed as a result of the leaching of the mineralized components of the post-bog soil. It can be assumed that this layer originally corresponded to the gray sandy gravel layer and that the brown gravelly sand layer formed due to the decomposition of the organic-rich portion of the post-bog soil. Therefore, these layers must be addressed separately.
In all test pits, the top layer is dark brown to black in color due to its high organic content. The grain size ranges from clay to fine sand. The layer is permeated with plant material. Test pits 1, 2, and 3 have a thickness of the dark, organic-rich layer of approximately 25–40 cm, test pit 4 of 240 cm, and test pit 5 of 40 cm. The organic-rich layer in test pits 4 and 5 exhibits high water absorption capacity. Test pits 1, 2, and 3 exhibit advanced mineralization due to the decomposition of organic material and consequently have a lower capacity to store water. Only in test pit 4 was an intense sulfuric odor detected, which is caused by the microbial decomposition of organic material. The reddish discoloration in Test Pit 4 indicates oxidation processes of iron minerals. Due to drainage and earlier intensive agriculture on the Metschacher Moos site, the former bog shows signs of mineralization and decomposition of organic material and can therefore be classified as post-bog soil.

Hydrology

A small stream ("Rohnsdorfer Bach") flows through the project area from west to east. This watercourse is fed, among other sources, by the drainage ditches that surround the project area. Despite the presence of these drainage ditches—which are now only partially functional—the groundwater level remains relatively high, reaching just below the soil surface depending on precipitation events. The high level is also attributable, among other things, to the low permeability of a layer of gray clay and silt. The groundwater level has been continuously monitored since the winter of 2024 using five water level loggers distributed across the entire area.

Protection Level and Land Use

Protection Level (IUCN category)

not applicable

Land Use

tertiary production

tertiary production » other services

other uses

Type, Design and Scale

Site Type

Stationary land-based site

Design of Experimentation

partly experimentation