Project description and objectives: Orchard meadows not only visually enrich our cultural landscape, but they are also a valuable habitat for numerous animals and plants. Unfortunately, “Anger” or “Pangerter”, as they are called in South Tyrol, occur only very sporadically in our cultural landscape. In many cases, they have had to make way for more intensive land use or have been abandoned due to the high amount of work involved. Systematic studies on this habitat in South Tyrol are still largely missing.
The surveys, conducted in 2021, providee more clarity on the species inventory in orchard meadows. Subsequently, it will also be possible for the scientists to provide more precise information on species numbers or the occurrence of rare or endangered species. The surveys are embedded in the Baumgart initiative, which aims to create awareness for the orchard habitat.
Methods: In the year 2021, we were surveying a total of five orchard meadows. These are located at Lichtenberg in Vinschgau, at Tisens/Tesimo , at Ritten/Renon, at St. Leonhard near Brixen/Bressanone and at Thuins near Sterzing/Vipiteno. In these 5 orchard meadows we carried out the standard survey program of the BMS: we studied birds, bats, butterflies, grasshoppers, vascular plants and various soil invertebrates. As an additional group, we collected data on wild bees with the help of colored pan traps, which we set up on a total of three dates. For the coming years, we plan to conduct surveys in other orchards as well as in chestnut groves.
Partners: Baumgart Initiative: Eurac Research, Roter Hahn (South Tyrolean Farmers’ Union), Bioland South Tyrol, Heimatpflegeverband, Sortengarten Südtirol, Office for Nature of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol, Dachverband für Natur- und Umweltschutz
Contact: Contact person for further information is Lisa Obwegs: Lisa.Obwegs@eurac.edu
Orchard Meadows are an important habitat for many birds. 
Fumewort is a typical flower growing in Orchard Meadows.
