Celebrating 25 Years of Action for Biodiversity

Protected Areas in Liechtenstein cover 12.3 per cent of national territory [ ] 144 Conservation in protected areas and beyond There are four categories of legally protected areas in Liechtenstein, covering natural protected areas, forests, plants and landscape. Natural and forest protected areas are the two most strictly protected categories, with a focus on the conservation of habitats for threatened animal and plant species that are protected by law or ordinance. These areas cover 12.3 per cent of Liechtenstein’s territory. The 11 natural protected areas are largely wetlands and are situated in the Rhine Valley. The biggest nat- ural protected area, the Ruggeller Riet (93ha) is the most significant bird-breeding site in Liechtenstein and is a Ramsar wetland of interna- tional importance. The 30 forest protected areas, which include forest reserves and special forest areas, are mainly located at higher elevations as well as along the river Rhine as remainders of former alluvial forests. The Liech- tenstein mountain area is a contig- uous plant protection area with less stringent protection provisions than in the nature and forest protection areas. In addition, there are 28 land- scape protected areas. These land- scapes are of exceptional importance due to their natural scenery or their cultural-historic value. The inventory of these areas serves as an instruction framework that must be taken into account by the state and the munic- ipalities, especially when it comes to land-use planning. Nine of the eleven nature protec- tion areas were established in the 1960s and 1970s, with two more areas declared in 2012 and 2013. The In- ventory of Nature Priority Areas still includes various small-scale biotopes that should be placed under protec- tion. There is no need for additional action with respect to the designation of forest protection areas, which were almost all placed under protection by ordinance in 2000. The ordinance was amended several times in order to al- low for the extension of landfill areas. Conservation of animal and plant species in Liechtenstein is not possi- ble with the designation of protected areas alone. Accordingly, measures are also undertaken outside these areas to conserve habitats for animals and plants. The inventory of rough pastures covers wet bedding mead- ows, moors and dry meadows. Culti- vation agreements for these areas are based on the Law on the Protection of Nature and Landscape. Published in 2013, the first coun- trywide mapping exercise for these areas revealed that almost all the wet rough pasture locations have been conserved, along with the majority of dry rough pasture locations. This is remarkable since the ecological criteria applied in 2013 were far more stringent than those applied in 1990. S ituated between Switzerland and Austria and, at 160 km 2 , the fourth smallest sovereign state in Europe, Liechtenstein has natural boundaries created by the Alpine Rhine to the west and the Rätikon massif to the east. Nestling at the transition point between the Eastern and the Western Alps, it incorporates the Rhine Valley plain and slopes in addition to the mountainous region. The plain in the west is dominated by intensively used agricultural areas and settlements and covers about one-third of the country’s territory. There is a great diversity of flora and fauna with plant communities occurring at all altitudinal levels between colline and alpine altitudinal zones. Vineyards in Vaduz Andrew Bossi on Wikimedia Commons Liechtenstein