Horses for nature conservation

These Icelanders have a special taste

Icelandic horses on their fenced pasture near Lassee in the district of Gänserndorf.

(Bild: Christoph Roland)

In Marchfeld, which is not normally blessed with much rainfall anyway, another project has now been launched to compensate for the increasing decline in pastureland. Icelandic horses graze on a fenced-in 8-hectare area near Lassee and ensure water-permeable soils and healthy biodiversity. 

Historically, it was the grazing animals that brought biodiversity of fauna and flora to the Marchfeld." Petra Busam is the owner of a horse farm whose "Icelanders" perform a valuable function: They "maintain" pastureland in the market town of Lassee in the district of Gänserndorf, which had previously lost much of its biodiversity with the increasing decline of pasture farming. "I am delighted to be able to do my bit here with my horses as part of a project," says Busam.

The water seeps away better on the pastureland
The project has several advantages: "Grazing creates open areas of ground where the water can seep away better," explains protected area manager Tobias Schernhammer. In addition, the Icelandic horses promote biodiversity through their "selective grazing" - in other words: "Unlike pure mowing, the diversity of herbs and flowers is preserved, while grasses are cut back," says the expert.

The diversity of the natural landscape is better protected
Curious: grazing also protects the protected sand steppes in the region from increasing "bush encroachment", as Susanne Rosenkranz, Provincial Councillor for Nature Conservation, emphasized during a local inspection. René Lobner, Chairman of the Leader Region, which is overseeing the project with EU funding and funds from a Billa foundation, and Laasee's mayor Roman Bobits are delighted: "The project helps nature and also strengthens tourism." And intact nature is an important pillar here. A robust pasture fence has also been erected around the almost eight-hectare area.