MonitoringProject news

Habitat Restoration in Stoissengraben: Strengthening the Apollo Network

On 26 April 2025, a dedicated volunteer team carried out a targeted shrub-clearing operation in the Stoissengraben valley near Saalfelden—a key stepping-stone habitat within the expanding ecological network centered around Lofer, the stronghold of Parnassius apollo ssp. loferensis.

The steep slope in Stoissengraben had become heavily overgrown with dense hazel and willow thickets, large stands of pestwurz, and other encroaching vegetation. These shaded out the sunlit, dry grassland niches essential for host plants like white stonecropwild carrot, and cypress spurge—and with them, the rare butterflies that depend on these habitats.

To reverse this trend and restore ecological function, the team implemented the following measures:

  • Manual removal of shrubs and undergrowth
  • Opening up rocky patches to allow pioneer plants to return
  • Targeted clearing of pestwurz-dominated areas
  • Release of Euphydryas cynthia caterpillars into restored microhabitats

This restoration builds on earlier interventions in the Stoissengraben, including Sedum planting, nectar plant sowing, and habitat management dating back to 2010. The 2025 action was supported by 12 committed volunteers, including local conservationists, land users, and Lepidoptera experts.

Importantly, Stoissengraben is now recognized as one of more than a dozen confirmed Apollo butterfly sites that together form a functioning landscape network in the Pinzgauer Saalachtal. This network spans elevations from 620 m to 1690 m and includes locations such as Waidringer JochGrubhörndlPass StrubPürzelbach, and Weißbach bei Lofer—all linked ecologically to the central core habitat in Lofer.

“Lofer is not an isolated refuge—it’s the ecological hub of a thriving regional network. Stepping-stone habitats like Stoissengraben are essential to support population exchange, resilience, and long-term survival.”

Thanks to continued local engagement, Stoissengraben is once again a valuable microhabitat—and a vital puzzle piece in the larger conservation landscape for Parnassius apollo and other rare alpine butterflies.

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