The University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) perceives itself as a teaching and research center for renewable resources, which are necessary for human life. It is BOKU's objective to help make a considerable contribution to the conservation and protection of resources for future generations by providing diversity in its fields of study. Connecting natural sciences, engineering and economic sciences, BOKU wishes to increase knowledge of the ecologically and economically sustainable use of natural resources to provide a harmoniously cultivated landscape. BOKU teaches 12 000 students, and currently employs around 1 500 people, of which about 1 000 are scientists. Two of BOKU’s institutes are involved in the DTP Interreg project MEASURES (Managing and restoring aquatic EcologicAl corridors for migratory fiSh species in the danUbe RivEr baSin).

Involved Institutes

The Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management (IHG) is an interdisciplinary group of aquatic ecologists, landscape ecologists, river engineers, biogeochemists and historians organised in seven working groups. The institute’s research deals with the functions, processes, and structures of aquatic ecosystems and their environment with a focus on hydromorphological dynamics, nutrient cycles, food chains, habitat demands, biotic interactions, aquaculture and fishery. Next to its scientific know-how, IHG has a solid experience in coordinating research projects (national and EU-wide) and played a key role in the Europe-wide development of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) compliant assessment systems for rivers. IHG has developed competence in river management and restoration within eight EU LIFE-Nature projects, one of them dealing with conservation and management of sterlet. Furthermore, IHG is in close cooperation with stakeholder organisations like the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) to align management, restoration and conservation of riverine ecosystems and has taken part in all Joint Danube Surveys so far. Further, IHG is part of the Danube Sturgeon Task Force.

The Institute of Forest, Environmental and Natural Resource Policy (InFER) is concerned with political science research on institutions, governance processes and instruments in the fields of forest, environmental and natural resource policies. Research and teaching in the field of forest policy is a traditional focus at InFER. The institute particularly deals with national, European and international forest policy issues, innovation in the forest-wood-chain, and criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management. The research staff of InFER is regularly engaged in research-based policy consulting for associations, provincial governments, federal ministries in Austria and other EU Member States, the European Commission, and international organisations.

The role of BOKU in the MEASURES project

BOKU is the lead partner of the project and contributes to all work packages of MEASURES. The project and financial management team is made up of members of the IHG. They ensure the smooth implementation of the work, the timely production of deliverables, managing inter-work-package dependencies, and reporting the project progress to the Danube Transnational Programme. BOKU also communicates the findings of the project on a national level.

In work package T1 ‘Info-System Eco-Corridors’, BOKU IHG is supporting the creation of a database and library on migratory fish, called the MEASURES Information System (MIS). On the other hand, BOKU InFER is advising on the task of building national networks, the work with stakeholders, and designing workshops.

Experts from IHG provide advice to work package T2 ‘Mapping the Corridor’, contributing to the methods for habitat mapping and the compilation of a habitat manual for migratory fish. As IHG already has experience with breeding and restocking sterlets (A.ruthenus) in the Danube, it also has a counselling role in work package T3 ‘Strengthen Migratory Fish’. This work package includes the release of sterlets (A. ruthenus) and Russian sturgeons (A. nudiventris) into the wild, creating ex-situ gene stocks and designing preservation facilities, the development of an eDNA based method on the presence of rare sturgeon species, and writing a basin-wide manual to conserve the genetic pool of Danube sturgeon species.

BOKU IHG also leads work package T4 ‘Securing the Eco-Corridor’, in which a strategy for the Danube as an ecological corridor will be developed, a lessons learnt manual will be written, and the results of MEASURES will be transported in workshops for important stakeholders in the Danube region.

left to right: Daniel Trauner, Thomas Kaufmann, Thomas Hein, Gertrud Haidvogl, Thomas Friedrich, Paul Meulenbroek, Astrid Schmidt-Kloiber, Thomas Bauer. Not in the photo: Karl Hogl, Patrick Scherhaufer