Austrian military training area tests climate-resilient trees in joint research project

Other species under examination include the Greek fir, hemlock, Trojan fir, American honey locust, European hackberry and various hickory varieties. The Lebanese cedar has proven particularly resistant during the investigations conducted so far. According to the Austrian Ministry of Defence, "Ähnliche Projekte laufen laut Aussendung des Verteidigungsministeriums auch in Deutschland und in der Schweiz," with comparable trial areas established in Germany and Switzerland.

The Bruckneudorf training area covers approximately 4,130 hectares and lies within the European protected area "Neusiedler See - Nordöstliches Leithagebirge." In addition to the trial forest, around 110 hectares are designated as natural forest reserves where the forest is left to develop without forestry intervention. The preservation of these reserves was decided in 2021 for a further 20 years.

A protected landscape with multiple uses

Climate change impacts, including heat and drought, are causing forest damage and tree mortality among native species across Austria. The Bundesheer is responding by increasingly using climate-fit tree species and species-rich mixed forests for reforestation. Across the country, the armed forces manage roughly 12,000 hectares of forest, making the military estate a significant testing ground for new approaches.

Beyond forestry, the site supports biodiversity through extensive grazing with Dexter cattle on a 22-hectare area. The grazing creates a short-grass meadow structure that serves as habitat for the protected European ground squirrel (Ziesel). Shrubs and hedges at the site also provide retreat and breeding habitats for numerous bird species. A management plan is intended to secure the preservation of protected plant and animal species across the training area.

The long-term goal of the research is to make forestry climate-fit across Austria. By identifying which non-native species can thrive under warmer and drier conditions, the partners hope their findings will guide reforestation decisions well beyond the military estate. The project underscores how defence land, often shielded from intensive commercial use, can serve as a laboratory for ecological experimentation and adaptation.

Lessons for climate-adapted forestry

Officials from both the Bundesheer and Boku see the Bruckneudorf trial as a model for integrating biodiversity conservation with climate adaptation. The combination of natural forest reserves, grazing management and experimental plantings is intended to demonstrate how military land can host multiple land-use objectives simultaneously. Researchers will continue to monitor growth, survival and ecological interactions of the planted species over the coming years.

The findings are expected to feed into national and European discussions on forest resilience. With native forests under mounting stress from rising temperatures and recurring droughts, the trial offers policymakers and foresters data on which species may help diversify Austria's woodlands in the decades ahead. Comparable projects in Germany and Switzerland suggest a broader European interest in the question of which trees can survive a warming continent.