ABOL-BioBlitz at Hohe Tauern National park
Fortunately, the weather in the Hohe Tauern was kind to us this year, from July 18-20, 2025. At the National Park’s Day of Biodiversity, in the Gradental and Gartltal valleys in Carinthia, not only was the weather record-breaking, but so was the number of participating experts, with almost 100 registrations.
Many were already out in the field on Friday, searching for species. In the evening, nocturnal insects were attracted using light traps, photographed, identified, and recorded on Observation.org. Shortly after the light was set, over 160 species of moths from the study area were already registered on Observation.org!
While the majority of the researchers visited the Gradental valley on Saturday—a high valley that extends southwest from the Mölltal and is surrounded by 3,000-meter peaks—we, the ABOL delegation, explored the Gartltal valley to the south. The tall herbs along the forest clearings, with Heracleum, Filipendula, thistles, and other flowering perennials, were particularly interesting and productive in terms of insects. Further up, subalpine larch forest and grasslands rich in Nardus with characteristic silicate flora followed. The fens near Fleckmoos at about 2000 m were also very attractive and rich in flowers. In the late afternoon, we were picked up by the shuttle bus from the parking lot in Ranach. As usual, the transport was very well organized. We were back in the valley just in time before the thunderstorm.
On Sunday morning, the majority of the participants met in Döllach for the closing presentation. In addition to various contributions, the experts presented interesting species they had discovered – from the first record of a cave cricket in the area to the luminous moss, which is often found in semi-caves.
After the final group photo, most of the participants headed home.
From ABOL’s perspective, these opportunities are ideal for connecting with taxonomists—from long-time acquaintances to the many young participants. The one or other DNA barcode references from these biodiversity days will also contribute to filling the DNA database. We thank the organizers for their commitment and everyone who participates in the ABOL BioBlitz.
Impressions (Photos: M. Sonnleitner):
