Part Of Austria Research Articles

Comparison of the Spatial Wind Erosion Patterns of Erosion Risk Mapping and Quantitative Modeling in Eastern Austria

Various large-scale risk maps show that the eastern part of Austria, in particular the Pannonian Basin, is one of the regions in Europe most vulnerable to wind erosion. However, comprehensive assessments of the severity and the extent of wind erosion risk are still lacking for this region. This study aimed to prove the results of large-scale maps by developing high-resolution maps of wind erosion risk for the target area. For this, we applied a qualitative soil erosion assessment (DIN 19706) with lower data requirements and a more data-demanding revised wind erosion equation (RWEQ) within a GIS application to evaluate the process of assessing wind erosion risk. Both models defined similar risk areas, although the assignment of severity classes differed. Most agricultural fields in the study area were classified as not at risk to wind erosion (DIN 19706), whereas the mean annual soil loss rate modeled by RWEQ was 3.7 t ha−1 yr−1. August was the month with the highest modeled soil loss (average of 0.49 t ha−1 month−1), due to a low percentage of vegetation cover and a relatively high weather factor combining wind speed and soil moisture effects. Based on the results, DIN 19706 is suitable for a general classification of wind erosion-prone areas, while RWEQ can derive additional information such as seasonal distribution and soil loss rates besides the spatial extents of wind erosion.

First insights into the distribution and ecology of Tortula schimperi in Austria

Kropik, M., Zechmeister, H. G. & Moser, D. 2021. First insights into the distribution and ecology of Tortula schimperi in Austria. – Herzogia 34: 162–172.Tortula schimperi was described in 2005, but knowledge on its distribution and ecology is still fragmentary for Europe. Here we present data on its distribution and ecology in Austria based on a revision of 122 herbarium specimens of Tortula subulata and its synonyms. Locations of Tortula schimperi were most common in the eastern part of Austria. The examined specimens of Tortula schimperi and Tortula subulata differed significantly in terms of altitude and climate (annual precipitation sum, mean annual temperature). Tortula schimperi exhibited a much narrower ecological amplitude with emphasis on drier and warmer sites and slightly acidic substrates at lower altitudes. The study provides the first data on Tortula schimperi in Austria, which can serve as a basis for further investigations throughout Europe.

Increasing installable photovoltaic power by implementing power-to-gas as electricity grid relief – A techno-economic assessment

The integration of renewable electricity generation poses challenges for today's energy system. Since renewable potentials are geographically unevenly distributed, solutions to overcome bottlenecks such as grid congestion are necessary to raise as much renewable potentials as possible. In specific, a part of Austria is characterised with high photovoltaic installation inquiries and low electricity demand. Electricity grids are designed to cope with today's loads, therefore the integration of inquired photovoltaic would overstrain the built infrastructure. In this paper we investigate how power-to-gas can ease this photovoltaic related grid strain. The feed-in of hydrogen into natural gas transmission pipelines and the usage of hydrogen and biogas from local fermentation plants for methanation feeding synthetic natural gas (SNG) into local distribution grid is assessed in various scenarios. Based on the technical assessment results, an economic evaluation of each scenario is performed to determine generation costs of hydrogen or SNG. Depending on the electrolysers location in the electricity grid, the installable photovoltaic power can be increased significantly without causing electricity grid congestion. Costs for hydrogen and SNG vary across each scenario, mainly influenced by CapEx for electrolyser and methanation as well as electricity purchasing costs.

Estimation of groundwater recharge from groundwater levels using nonlinear transfer function noise models and comparison to lysimeter data

Abstract. The estimation of groundwater recharge is of paramount importance to assess the sustainability of groundwater use in aquifers around the world. Estimation of the recharge flux, however, remains notoriously difficult. In this study the application of nonlinear transfer function noise (TFN) models using impulse response functions is explored to simulate groundwater levels and estimate groundwater recharge. A nonlinear root zone model that simulates recharge is developed and implemented in a TFN model and is compared to a more commonly used linear recharge model. An additional novel aspect of this study is the use of an autoregressive–moving-average noise model so that the remaining noise fulfills the statistical conditions to reliably estimate parameter uncertainties and compute the confidence intervals of the recharge estimates. The models are calibrated on groundwater-level data observed at the Wagna hydrological research station in the southeastern part of Austria. The nonlinear model improves the simulation of groundwater levels compared to the linear model. The annual recharge rates estimated with the nonlinear model are comparable to the average seepage rates observed with two lysimeters. The recharges estimates from the nonlinear model are also in reasonably good agreement with the lysimeter data at the smaller timescale of recharge per 10 d. This is an improvement over previous studies that used comparable methods but only reported annual recharge rates. The presented framework requires limited input data (precipitation, potential evaporation, and groundwater levels) and can easily be extended to support applications in different hydrogeological settings than those presented here.

Monitoring Debris-Flow Surges and Triggering Rainfall at the Lattenbach Creek, Austria

ABSTRACT Debris-flow events often comprise a sequence of surges, sometimes termed “roll waves.” The reason for this surging behavior is still a matter of debate. Explanations include the growth of hydraulic instabilities, periodic sediment deposition and release, or grain size sorting. High-resolution field measurements together with triggering rainfall characteristics are rare. We present results for 3 years of monitoring debris-flow events at Lattenbach Creek in the western part of Austria. The monitoring system includes a weather station in the headwaters of the creek, radar sensors for measuring flow depth at different locations along the channel, as well as a two-dimensional rotational laser sensor installed over a fixed cross section that yields a three-dimensional surface model of the passing debris-flow event. We find that the debris flows at Lattenbach Creek were all triggered by rainstorms of less than 2 hours and exhibited surges for each observed event. The velocities of the surges were up to twice as high as the front velocity. Often, the first surges that included boulders and woody debris had the highest flow depth and discharge and showed an irregular geometry. The shape of the surges in the second half of the flow, which carried smaller grain sizes and less woody debris, were rather regular and showed a striking geometric similarity, but still high velocities. The results of our monitoring efforts aim to improve our understanding of the surging behavior of debris flows and provide data for model testing for the scientific community.

Intra-individual variation across the lifespan: Results from an Austrian panel study

Abstract This article explores intra-individual variation and language change across the lifespan of eight speakers from a small Austrian village. Four phonological variables in two settings (informal conversation vs. formal interview) are traced across longitudinal panel data that span 43 years. The analysis reveals an increase of dialect features (retrograde change), even though apparent-time as well as real-time trend studies indicate dialect loss in the Bavarian speaking parts of Austria. The panel data also indicate that neither the group means at one moment in time nor their averaged changes are representative of the intra-individual variation of any of the eight speakers. Regarding this non-representativity, the article introduces the classical ergodic theorem to variationist sociolinguistics. Evidence will be provided that change across the lifespan of an individual is a non-ergodic process. Thus, it is argued that variationists have to be more cautious when they generalise from group-derived estimates to individual developments and vice versa.

ІСТОРИЧНИЙ ДОСВІД РЕГУЛЮВАННЯ ІНТЕЛЕКТУАЛЬНОЇ ВЛАСНОСТІ В ГАЛИЧИНІ У СКЛАДІ АВСТРІЇ ТА АВСТРО-УГОРЩИНИ (1772–1918 РР.)

The article analyzes the features of the legal regulation of intellectual property in Ukraine, in particular in the Ukrainian lands of Austria and Austria-Hungary (1772-1918). The author shows that the main source of legal regulation of civil relations, in particular intellectual property, in Galicia as part of Austria and Austria-Hungary (1772–1918) was the Austrian Civil Code of 1811. Property rights under the Austrian Civil Code of 1811 were the right of ownership, the right of possession, the right to pledge, and easements. The author highlights that things were divided into corporeal, disembodied, movable and immovable, used and unused, with price and without price. The bodily things were those perceived by the sense organs. Disembodied things included, first of all, property rights - the right to fish, hunt, and so on. It is shown that in the Austrian Empire for the first time the provisions on the legal regulation of intellectual property were provided for in the Civil Code of 1811 (Articles 1164‒1170). The author shows that the Austrian legal acts of 1846 for the first time regulated the free use of works, including the right of translation, citation. According to the law of 1846, the artist had to reserve the right of reproduction and exercise it for 2 years under the threat of losing his rights. It is emphasized that the presence of Western Ukrainian lands in the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, in comparison with the previous period of the Commonwealth, contributed to the spiritual progress of the Ukrainian nation, intensified cultural and artistic processes in Ukrainian lands. The author reveals that an important and new normative act in the field of intellectual property regulation was the Austrian Copyright Act for works of literature, art and photography, adopted on December 26, 1895. Attention is focused on the fact that the development of industrial property rights was carried out under the influence of economic development, which in the western Ukrainian lands as part of Austria was slower than in the economically developed regions of Austria, and thus - Austria-Hungary. It is concluded that the development of legal regulation of intellectual property in Galicia as part of Austria and Austria-Hungary (1772-1918) formed a certain experience, which was characterized by the specification of objects, subjects, the definition of intellectual property, the consolidation of copyright and their defense in court.

Realisation of Fertility Intentions in Austria and Hungary: Are Capitals Different?

The study of fertility intentions has gained importance in the literature during the last decades. Nevertheless, research focussing on their realisation is still scarce due to limited availability of longitudinal data. Although a bulk of existing studies demonstrated regional variation and rural-urban differences in fertility, respective differences in the realisation of fertility intentions have not been addressed in prior research. We address this shortcoming by analysing the realisation of short-term fertility intentions in Vienna and Budapest as opposed to the remaining parts of Austria and Hungary, using two waves of the Generations and Gender Survey (GGS). Results clearly demonstrate that those two capitals are different: Although short-term childbearing intentions are very similar in capitals and other parts of the countries, probabilities of realisation are lower in capitals. These differences in realisation are at least partly explained by individual characteristics of inhabitants. There are, however, also factors that affect realisation differently in metropolitan than in less populated regions.

Tularemia Goes West: Epidemiology of an Emerging Infection in Austria.

The zoonotic disease tularemia is caused by the Gram-negative bacterium Francisella tularensis, with the two major subspecies tularensis and holarctica being responsible for infections in humans and animals. The F. tularensis subspecies holarctica is less virulent and prevalent in Europe and Asia. Over the last few centuries, few epidemic outbreaks and low numbers of infections have been registered in the eastern part of Austria, specifically in the provinces of Lower Austria, Burgenland, and Styria. The reported infections were mostly associated with hunting hares and the skinning of carcasses. Within the last decade, ticks have been identified as important vectors in Tyrol and served as first evidence for the spread of F. tularensis to Western Austria. In 2018, the pathogen was detected in hares in the provinces of Tyrol, Vorarlberg, and Salzburg. We presume that F. tularensis is now established in most regions of Austria, and that the investigation of potential host and vector animals should be spotlighted by public institutions. Tularemia in humans presents with various clinical manifestations. As glandular, ulceroglandular, and typhoidal forms occur in Austria, this infectious disease should be considered as a differential diagnosis of unknown fever.

Choleraepidemien in den Städten der österreichischen Alpenländer in den 1830er Jahren

In 1831 the first European cholera epidemic hit most parts of Lower Austria hard. The traditional system of fighting plague epidemics based on advance warning, cordons sanitaire and quarantine proved to be ineffective in the case of cholera. Shocked by the sudden death of many cholera victims the imperial government tried to push forward investments in sewers and the water supply at least in the capital Vienna. Unfortunately these investments showed no improving effect on cholera morbidity and mortality in the 1830s, because the quality of filtered water from the river Danube that supplied the Kaiser-Ferdinand-Wasserleitung build in 1836-1843 was inadequate and the new sewer-system, the so called Cholera-sewers, lacked functional capability in summer and during floods. Due to the fact that most of the cholera epidemics entered the Habsburg monarchy from the east or from the Adriatic sea, the inner Alpine provinces with the exception of South Tyrol remained almost untouched by cholera epidemics of that era. The east-west-gradient in mortality cannot be explained by any measures to improve the water supply or sewer system in these parts of Austria. Most households in cities of these provinces were supplied with drinking water by domestic wells and sanitation was dominated by cesspools, which was the case even in most parts of Vienna. What might explain the difference in mortality is the lower population density correlated with the better quality of water from the wells in the Alpine zone.

Analysis of the Tourism Policies under the Background of Austrian Tourism Economy

The paper starts by analysing the past years tourism trends in Austria, we all know it is clearly that the tourism industry has been an important part of Austria's economy. Tourism sector accounts for considerable value in the country Gross Value, the improvement of tourism is not only to affect the GDP but also to provide work opportunities for employment marketing. Government had revised tourism policy that generated the new challenge in the future in the tourism. Moreover, Austria’s tourism would face more opportunities and changes because of the international economic environment and climate change trend.

Generalized Tuberculosis Due to Mycobacterium caprae in a Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) in Austria

Mycobacterium caprae subtype Lechtal was detected in a red fox (Vulpes vulpes) shot by a hunter in 2018 in the western part of Austria, where, among wildlife, tuberculosis is known to occur in red deer (Cervus elaphus). The red fox showed a generalized (disseminated) manifestation of the disease and a multibacillary distribution of mycobacteria in the inner organs.

Epidemiology of Respiratory Syncytial Virus-related Hospitalizations and the Influence of Viral Coinfections in Southern Austria in a 7-year Period.

The aim of this study was to determine the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) epidemiology and to analyze the influence of risk factors and coinfections over the last years. Retrospectively all infants, children and adolescents hospitalized due to respiratory disease with positive RSV test [hospitalized for RSV infection (RSV-H)] between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2015, at a tertiary care center in the southern part of Austria were included for analysis. Patients were all identified by a search via International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Edition codes, and all medical data were collected from the local electronic databases called openMedocs. RSV tests had to prove true infection case definition. During a 7-year study period, 745 infants, children and adolescents exhibited RSV-H. Main diagnosis was bronchiolitis (70%). Nearly half of all cases (44%) were born during the first half of the RSV season (November-January), and seasonal peak of RSV-H was in January. Predominant underlying condition was history of prematurity in 15% followed by neurologic impairment (3.5%) and hemodynamically significant congenital heart disease (2.95%). Age ≤2 months and underlying conditions/morbidities were associated with more severe disease. The majority of cases (96%) had an age below 24 months, and 91% below 12 months. Viral coinfection (most common influenza virus, adenovirus and rhinovirus) was diagnosed in 37 cases (5%) resulting in a more severe course of disease. Main risk factors of coinfection were siblings and crowding. Mortality was 0.27% (2/745). Both children had coinfection with influenza A virus and were multihandicapped (15 and 20 years of age, respectively). Prematurity and underlying morbidities play a marked role in RSV-H. Viral coinfections aggravated disease with death in 2 multihandicapped adolescents.

The presence of elk (Alces alces) in Austria since the upper Pleistocene

Abstract This study reports new data on the occurrence of elk remains in the western, mountainous part of Austria and also provides a compilation of all currently known 107 elk finds of the upper Pleistocene to upper Holocene in this country. The altitudinal distribution reveals two maxima for Austria: a lower one at about 400 m a.s.l., which comprises the alpine foreland, and a second one at about 1600-1800 m a.s.l., reflecting the abundance of vertical caves in the Northern Calcareous Alps at this elevation (animal traps). Vorderkarhöhle in Tyrol is the highest known elk find in Austria (1860 m a.s.l.), interestingly located above the tree line. Although only 11% of all elk sites in Austria have been radiocarbon-dated, stratigraphic and archaeo-logical constraints allow to assign 90% of those sites that lack radiometric dating to either the upper Pleistocene (18%) or the Holocene (72%). Among the latter, upper Holocene sites dominate (78%), followed by middle (16%) and lower Holocene (6%) sites. The youngest radiocarbon-dated elk find in Austria is from Gaflein Valley (Tyrol, 1285-1359 cal BP), in agreement with data from the Swiss Alps, showing that the elk survived beyond Roman times in the Alps and became extinct before the onset of the Middle Ages.

Regional context and realization of fertility intentions: are capitals differente? The examples of Austria and Hungary

Despite regional variation in fertility, within-country differences have hardly been addressed in the realm of realizing fertility intentions. We address this shortcoming by analyzing the realization of short-term fertility intentions in Austria and Hungary, comparing data from the capitals (Vienna and Budapest) to the remaining regions. Results demonstrate that realization is lower in Hungary than in Austria and lower in Vienna than in the remaining parts of Austria, whereas in Hungary, behavior tends to be similar in the capital and other regions. Apart from individual characteristics (e.g. age), housing turned out to matter for realization of short-term fertility intentions in both countries. Decomposition analyses reveal that population composition plays a role in differences concerning the realization between countries and at the regional level. Compositional effects refer to partner context, parity and economic situation at the country level, and to age structure, partner context and attitudes towards parenthood at the regional level. In both countries, housing conditions also contribute to differences in realization rates between capitals and other regions.

Land Cover Classification using Random Forest Technique and DEM Auxiliary Data

This article has been written based on findings and results of author’s master thesis. Nowadays, every month/year changes occur on the surface of the Earth from a small build ups till large-scale natural disasters that destroyed entire settlements. Observations and analysis using satellite data can help to improve and prevent any natural or anthropogenic disaster, plan and calculate beneficial usage of the land cover. Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis tools are one of the approaches for them. This study tries to sustain one of the advantageous approaches for extracting information from semi-automatic mapping. Besides, article provides semi-automatic methodology of extracting information from multispectral image for large areas. For that, the Sentinel-2a (S2) optical data with 10 m resolution for Land Cover Classification System (LCCS) classification and as auxiliary data to extract the urban and industrial areas DEM and build up indices were used. Object-based image classification with random forest classification techniques using LCCS classes was done with an accuracy of 88%. Moreover Salzkammergut was chosen as a study area. The Salzkammergut is a historical and recreational area part of Austria, consisting of 52 districts from three federal states and with no official administrative boundaries.

Mapping the core and periphery applied to a choronym (the case of Székely Land)

Abstract. A cultural region could be only a choronym in the common knowledge. This choronym is applied with different intensity to different geographic locations. In the core a lot of criterion is present, in periphery they may be missing. The cultural criteria can be transformed to Boolean indicators, so we can understand the phenomenon as a 3D statistical surface.We analyze the case of Székely Land. The Székelys are a subgroup of Hungarians, who use the Hungarian language; they live in Romania. The Székely seats were administrative regions from approx. 1300 until 1876: in Hungary, later in Transylvania and in the Habsburg Empire. After the dissolution of the seats, the area of the former seats was part of Austria–Hungary and after 1918 (mostly) of Romania. Since 1876 several administrative reorganizations touched the region. The Székely population at censuses professes itself ethnically and linguistically as Hungarian. The choronym is applied to a cultural region, where a set of similar characteristics occurs all over this region, but the boundaries of these characteristics are different. The perception of Székely Land has adapted to these administrative or ethnographic– linguistic factors, its former historical borders became fading.The author compiled 6 criteria (2 historic, 2 administrative and 2 linguistic one) to define the core and periphery of the area to which is applied this choronym. The paper summarizes the local intensity of these criteria on choropleth map, this thematic map shows the core and periphery of the area applied to the choronym of Székely Land.

Ripple dynamics over various microtopographical roughness elements and their implications for river management

AbstractSpecific problems in connection with the sediment regime have arisen in the granite and gneiss area in the northern part of Austria due to the increased sediment supply of coarse sand and fine gravel as a product of rock weathering. One of the physical characteristics of these sediments is their high mobility in form of ripple bedforms along the surface. In these rivers, the microtopographical structures of the bed surface are hydraulically active, especially in the initial stages when ripples have not overtopped the largest elements of the bed's roughness elements. There is a lack of detailed studies of the impacts of these microtopographical structures on ripple dynamics. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of various microtopographic roughness elements on ripple movement. This study was performed using a 1:1‐scaled physical laboratory experiment. The results showed, in all repetitions of the experiment with variable grain sizes, that the higher the microtopographical variability of the river substrate and turbulence was, the higher the measured transport velocities of the ripples were. The expected hidden impacts on sediment transport were not documented. Important implications for sediment management were discussed, as river sections with high accumulation rates of coarse sand and fine gravel are prone to additional degradation as downstream transport decreases over smooth ripple–dune morphologies. Additionally, structural elements such as exposed rocks may increase the downstream transport due to the increased variability in turbulence.

The impact of rising temperatures on water balance and phenology of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) stands

In this article, we outline the set-up and the application of an eco-hydrological box model, with the aim to describe the water balance of deciduous (Fagus Sylvatica L.) forest stands. The water balance model (WBM) uses standard meteorological parameters as input variables and runs on a daily time step. It consists of two modules. The aboveground module (1) comprises routines for fog precipitation generation, precipitation interception and snowfall/snowmelt dynamics. Covered belowground processes (2) are bypass flow, percolation, soil evaporation and transpiration, where the latter two processes are considered separately. Preceding to the WBM, a routine is introduced, specifying the intra-annual foliage dynamics of beech. Emphasis is also laid on the inter-annual variation of beech phenology. Leaf sprouting and leaf senescence are calculated as functions of day-length and air temperature. The WBM was applied to four European beech dominated forest stands in the northeastern part of Austria. They are located on a gradient of declining annual precipitation (from west to east). The two easterly sites are located close to the (dry) limit of the natural distribution of beech. Records of soil moisture were used for the adjustment of 26 parameters. On all sites the calibration process (simulated annealing) delivered good predictions of soil moisture (Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency ≥ 0.925). Then, the obtained parameterization was used to apply different scenarios of global warming. The temperature was increased step-wisely up to 4 °C. All scenarios were run (1) with present phenological conditions and (2) with phenology responding to higher temperatures. This way, we wanted to assign the effect of higher temperatures and longer growing seasons on the water dynamics of the forest stands. A warming of 1 °C corresponded roughly to an elongation of the growing season of 4.5 days, where the start of the growing season was affected more strongly than the end. Apparently, higher temperatures led to drier soils. The strongest change was observed in early summer, also amplified by an earlier start of the growing season. Rising temperatures led to lower export fluxes of liquid water, simultaneously increasing evapotranspiration (ET). The gain in ET was almost entirely assignable to increased soil evaporation. Drier soils led to a sharp depression of transpiration during summer months. This decline was compensated by the effect of elongated growing seasons. The risk of severe drought was increased by higher temperatures, but here the contribution of growing season length was negligible. Drier soils seem to hamper the stands’ productivity. For all warming scenarios, the estimated increase of the gross primary production, caused by longer periods of assimilation, is nullified by the effect of soil water deficit in mid-summer.

Hereditary angioedema in Austria: prevalence and regional peculiarities.

SummaryBackgroundData on the prevalence and clinical features of Austrian patients with hereditary angioedema (HAE) with C1‐inhibitor (C1‐INH) deficiency (HAE‐1) or dysfunction (HAE‐2) are lacking.MethodsCurrent baseline data were collected in a national survey. The records of HAE patients at the Medical University of Graz were analyzed with regard to clinical characteristics.ResultsA total of 137 patients were identified, yielding a prevalence of 1 : 64,396. The median age at the onset of symptoms was 6.5 years, and the median age at the time of correct diagnosis 21.0 years. The median delay in diagnosis was 15.0 years for newly diagnosed patients without a family history of HAE. Patients with a family history of HAE received an immediate diagnosis. HAE patients without a family history of HAE and born before 1960 had to wait a median of 16.0 years until they were diagnosed correctly. Patients born after 1980 still experienced a median diagnostic delay of 6.5 years.ConclusionPatients with this condition still face an excessive diagnostic delay in some parts of Austria, or their disorder may even remain unrecognized by specialists. This underlines the need for better awareness of the disease.