Have a personal or library account? Click to login

Burning or cutting? Comparing methods for bird conservation in the reedbeds of Lake Neusiedl/Fertő

Open Access
|Oct 2025

References

  1. Antoniazza, M., Clerc, C., Le Nédic, C., Sattler, T. & Lavanchy, G. 2018. Long-term effects of rotational wetland mowing on breeding birds: evidence from a 30-year experiment. – Biodiversity and Conservation 27(3): 749–763. DOI: 10.1007/s10531-017-1462-1
  2. Armstrong, J. & Armstrong, W. 2001. An overview of the effects of phytotoxins on Phragmites australis in relation to die-back. – Aquatic Botany 69(2–4): 251–268. DOI: 10.1016/S0304-3770(01)00142-5
  3. Armstrong, J., Armstrong, W. & van der Putten, W. H. 1996. Phragmites die-back: bud and root death, blockages within the aeration and vascular systems and the possible role of phytotoxins. – New Phytologist 133(3): 399–414. DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.1996.tb01907.x
  4. Bácsatyai, L., Csaplovics, E., Márkus, I. & Sindhuber, A. 1997. Digitale Geländemodelle des Neusiedler See-Beckens [Digital terrain models of the Lake Neusiedl basin]. – Burgenländisches Landesmuseum, Eisenstadt (in German)
  5. Báldi, A. 2004. Area requirements of passerine birds in the reed archipelago of Lake Velence, Hungary. – Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 50(1): 1–8.
  6. Báldi, A. & Moskát, Cs. 1995. Effect of reed burning and cutting on breeding birds. – In: Bissonette, J. A. & Krausman, P. R. (eds.) Integrating People and Wildlife for a Sustainable Future. – Proceedings of the First International Wildlife Management Congress, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
  7. Berner, R., Neumann, M., Müller, M., Hollaus, M., Maier, A., Zechmeister, T. & Glatzel, S. 2025. Prescribed burning as a potential regeneration technique for reed stands – a pilot study at Lake Neusiedl, Austria. – Wetlands Ecology and Management 33(4): 1–16. DOI: 10.1007/s11273-025-10063-2.
  8. Biró, M., Molnár, Z., Öllerer, K., Lengyel, A., Ulicsni, V., Szabados, K., Kiš, A., Perić, R., Demeter, L. & Babai, D. 2020. Conservation and herding co-benefit from traditional extensive wetland grazing. – Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 300: 1–10. DOI: 10.1016/j.agee.2020.106983
  9. Buckland, S. T., Anderson, D. R., Burnham, K. P., Laake, J. L., Borchers, D. L. & Thomas, L. 2001. Introduction to Distance sampling. Estimating abundance of Biological Populations. – Oxford University Press, Oxford
  10. Čížková, H., Květ, J., Comín, F. A., Laiho, R., Pokorný, J. & Pithart, D. 2013. Actual state of European wetlands and their possible future in the context of global climate change. – Aquatic Sciences 75(1): 3–26. DOI: 10.1007/s00027-011-0233-4
  11. Copete, J. L. & Christie, D. 2021. Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus), version 1.1. – In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D. & de Juana, E. (eds.) 2020. Birds of the World. – Ithaca, NY, USA. DOI: 10.2173/bow. reebun.01.1species_shared.bow.project_name
  12. Cramp, S., Brooks, J. D., Dunn, E., Gillmor, R., Hall-Craggs, J., Hollom, P. A. D., Nicholson, E. M., Ogilvie, M. A., Roselaar, C. S., Sellar, P. J., Simmons, K. E. L., Snow, D. W., Vincent, D., Voous, K. H., Wallace, D. I. M. & Wilson, M. G. 1992. Handbook of the Birds of Europe the Middle East and North Africa. The Birds of the Western Palearctic. – Oxford University Press. New York
  13. Csaplovics, E. 1985. Die land- und seeseitige Ausdehnung des Schilfgürtels am Neusiedler See [The extension of the reed belt on the land and lake sides of Lake Neusiedl]. – Wissenschaftliche Arbeiten Burgenland 72: 631–632. (in German)
  14. Csaplovics, E. 2019. Der Schilfgürtel des Neusiedler Sees [The reed belt of Lake Neusiedl]. – Österreichische Wasserund Abfallwirtschaft 71(11–12): 494–507. DOI: 10.1007/s00506-019-00622-2 (in German)
  15. Csörgő, T. 1995a A nádas zonációk és szegélyvegetációk énekesmadarai [Niche segregation and microhabitat preference of warblers within a reed stand]. – In: Vásárhelyi, T. (ed.) A nádasok állatvilága [The Animals of Reed Beds in Hungary]. – Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum, Budapest, pp. 138–144. (in Hungarian with English Summary)
  16. Csörgő, T. 1995b Madarak (Aves) [Birds (Aves)]. – In: Vásárhelyi, T. (ed.) A nádasok állatvilága [The Animals of Reed Beds in Hungary]. – Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum, Budapest, pp. 98–105. (in Hungarian with English Summary)
  17. Csörgő, T., Karcza, Zs., Halmos, G., Magyar, G., Gyurácz, J., Szép, T., Bankovics, A., Schmidt, A. & Schmidt, E. (eds.) 2009. Magyar Madárvonulási Atlasz [Hungarian Bird Migration Atlas]. – Kossuth Kiadó Zrt., Budapest (in Hungarian with English Summary)
  18. Dinka, M., Ágoston-Szabó, E. & Szeglet, P. 2010. Comparison between biomass and C, N, P, S contents of vigorous and die-back reed stands of Lake Fertő/Neusiedler See. – Biologia 65(2): 237–247. DOI: 10.2478/s11756-010-0006-x
  19. Dinka, M. & Szeglet, P. 1999. Carbohydrate and nutrient content in rhizomes of Phragmites australis from different habitats of Lake Fertő/Neusiedlersee. – Limnologica 29: 47–55.
  20. Dokulil, M. T., Eyto, E. de, Maberly, S. C., May, L., Weyhenmeyer, G. A. & Woolway, R. I. 2021. Increasing maximum lake surface temperature under climate change. – Climatic Change 165(3–4): 1–17. DOI: 10.1007/s10584-021-03085-1
  21. Dvorak, M. 1985. Siedlungsdichte und Biotopwahl von Kleinem Sumpfhuhn (Porzana parva) und Wasserralle (Rallus aquaticus) im Schilfgürtel des Neusiedler Sees [Population density and habitat selection of Little Crake (Porzana parva) and Water Rail (Rallus aquaticus) in the reed belt of Lake Neusiedl]. – Wissenschaftliche Arbeiten Burgenland 72: 3–35. (in German)
  22. Dvorak, M., Grüll, A., Ranner, A., Laber, J., Berg, H.-M., Pellinger, A., Hadarics, T. & Kohler, B. 2024. Die Vogelwelt des Neusiedler See-Gebietes [The Avifauna of the Lake Neusiedl Area 1st ed.]. – Verlag Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, Wien (in German)
  23. Dvorak, M., Nemeth, E., Tebbich, S., Rössler, M. & Busse, K. 1997. Verbreitung, Bestand und Habitatwahl schilfbewohnender Vogelarten in der Naturzone des Nationalparks Neusiedler See – Seewinkel [Distribution, population and habitat selection of reed bird species in the protected area of the Lake Neusiedl – Seewinkel National Park]. – Biologisches Forschungsinstitut für Burgenland 86(1): 1–69. Illmitz (in German with English Summary)
  24. Dyrcz, A. 2020. Sedge Warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus). version 1.0. – In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D. & de Juana, E. (eds.) 2020. Birds of the World. – Ithaca, NY, USA
  25. Engloner, A. I. 2009. Structure, growth dynamics and biomass of reed (Phragmites australis). – A review. – Flora – Morphology, Distribution, Functional Ecology of Plants 204(5): 331–346. DOI: 10.1016/j.flora.2008.05.001
  26. European Space Agency 2023. Sentinel-2 Satellite Imagery https://dataspace.copernicus.eu/explore-data/data-collections/sentinel-data/sentinel-2. Accessed: 21.02.2025.
  27. Führer, E. 2010. Schnittpunkte der Schilfwirtschaft und des Naturschutzes am Neusiedler See [Intersections of Reed Management and Nature Conservation at Lake Neusiedl]. – Master Thesis. Supervised by Brandenburg, C. Universität für Bodenkultur Wien (in German)
  28. Goc, M., Iliszko, L. & Kopiec, K. 1997. The effect of reed harvesting on reedbed birds community. – The Ring 19(1–2): 135–148.
  29. Graveland, J. 1999. Effects of reed cutting on density and breeding success of Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpacaeus and Sedge Warbler A. schoenobaenus. – Journal of Avian Biology 30(4): 469–482. DOI: 10.2307/3677019
  30. Graveland, J. 1998. Reed die-back, water level management and the decline of the Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus in The Netherlands. – Ardea 86(2): 187–201.
  31. Grüll, A. 2001. Populationsuntersuchungen am Weißsternigen Blaukehlchen (Luscinia svecica cyanecula) im Neusiedler See-Gebiet [Investigations on the population of the White-spotted Bluethroat (Luscinia svecica cyanecula) in the area of Lake Neusiedl (Burgenland, Austria)]. – Egretta 44: 1–44. (in German with English Summary)
  32. Grüll, A. & Zwicker, E. 1993. Zur Siedlungsdichte von Schilfsingvögeln am Neusiedlersee [On the population density of Reed Warblers at Lake Neusiedl]. – Veröffentlichungen für Naturschutz und Landschaftspflege in Baden-Württemberg 68: 159–171. (in German)
  33. Haraszthy, L. 2019a Magyarország fészkelő madarainak költésbiológiája. Fácánféléktől a sólyomfélékig (Non-Passeriformes) [Breeding Biology of the Nesting Birds of Hungary. From Pheasants to Falcons (Non-Passeriformes) 1st ed.]. – Pro Vértes Nonprofit Zrt., Csákvár (in Hungarian)
  34. Haraszthy, L. 2019b Magyarország fészkelő madarainak költésbiológiája. Sárgarigóféléktől a sármányfélékig (Passeriformes) [Breeding Biology of the Nesting Birds of Hungary. From Orioles to Buntings (Passeriformes) 1st ed.]. – Pro Vértes Nonprofit Zrt. Csákvár (in Hungarian)
  35. Hu, S., Niu, Z., Chen, Y., Li, L. & Zhang, H. 2017. Global wetlands: Potential distribution, wetland loss, and status. – Science of the Total Environment 586: 319–327. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.02.001
  36. Kennerley, P. & Pearson, D. 2010. Reed and Bush Warblers. – Christopher Helm, London
  37. Land Burgenland 2024. Brandschutzübung im Schilfgürtel des Neusiedler Sees bei Jois mit wissenschaftlichem Monitoring [Fire exercise in the reed belt of Lake Neusiedl near Jois with scientific monitoring]. – https://www.burgenland.at/news-detail/brandschutzuebung-im-schilfguertel-des-neusiedler-sees-bei-jois-mitwissenschaftlichem-monitoring/ Accessed: 27.01.2025. (in German)
  38. Leisler, B. 1981. Die ökologische Einnischung der mitteleuropäischen Rohrsänger (Acrocephalus, Sylviinae). 1. Habitattrennung [The niche occupation ecology of Central European Reed Warblers (Acrocephalus, Sylviinae). 1. habitat separation]. – Die Vogelwarte – Zeitschrift für Vogelkunde 31: 45–74. (in German)
  39. Leisler, B. & Schulze-Hagen, K. 2011. The Reed Warblers. Diversity in a Uniform Bird Family. – KNNV Publishing. Zeist, Netherlands, Seewiesen, Germany DOI: 10.1163/9789004278028
  40. Mérő, T. O., Lontay, L. & Lengyel, S. 2015. Habitat management varying in space and time: the effects of grazing and fire management on marshland birds. – Journal of Ornithology 156(3): 579–590. DOI: 10.1007/s10336-015-1202-9
  41. Mérő, T. O. & Žuljević, A. 2014. Effect of reed quality on the breeding success of the Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus (Passeriformes, Sylviidae). – Acta Zoologica Bulgarica 4(66): 511–516.
  42. Mérő, T. O., Žuljević, A., Varga, K., Bocz, R. & Lengyel, S. 2014. Effect of reed burning and precipitation on the breeding success of Great Reed Warbler, Acrocephalus arundinaceus, on a mining pond. – Turkish Journal of Zoology 38(5): 622–630. DOI: 10.3906/zoo-1311-54
  43. Mester, B., Szalai, M., Mérő, T. O., Puky, M. & Lengyel, S. 2015. Spatiotemporally variable management by grazing and burning increases marsh diversity and benefits amphibians: A field experiment. – Biological Conservation 192: 237–246. DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2015.09.030
  44. Moga, C. I., Öllerer, K. & Hartel, T. 2010. The effect of reed burning on the habitat occupancy of passerine species. – North-Western Journal of Zoology 6(1): 90–94.
  45. Nemeth, E. & Dvorak, M. 2022. Reed die-back and conservation of small reed birds at Lake Neusiedl, Austria. – Journal of Ornithology 163(3): 683–693. DOI: 10.1007/s10336-022-01961-w
  46. Nemeth, E., Dvorak, M., Busse, K. & Rössler, M. 2001. Estimating distribution and density of reed birds by aerial infrared photography. – In: Field, R., Warren, R. J., Okarma, H. & Siewert, P. R. (eds.) 2001. Wildlife, Land, and People: Priorities for the 21st Century. – Bethesda, Maryland, USA, pp. 379–399.
  47. Nemeth, E., Dvorak, M., Glaser, F., Kohler, B. & Schwienbacher, M. 2022. Entwicklung nachhaltiger Schilferntetechniken und Monitoring Schilfgürtel Neusiedler See. Projektbericht an das Amt der Burgenländischen Landesregierung Abt. 4. Hauptreferat Naturschutz und Landschaftspflege [Development of sustainable reed harvesting techniques and monitoring of the reed belt of Lake Neusiedl. Project report to the Office of the Burgenland Provincial Government, Department 4, Nature Conservation and Landscape Management]. – Wien (in German)
  48. Ostendorp, W. 1987. Die Auswirkungen von Mahd und Brand auf die Ufer-Schilfbestände des Bodensee-Untersees [The effects of mowing and burning on the reedbeds on the shores of the lower Lake Constance]. – Natur und Landschaft 62(3): 92–102. (in German)
  49. Ostendorp, W. 1995. Impact of winter reed harvesting and burning on the nutrient economy of reed beds. – Wetland Ecology Management 3: 233–248. DOI: 10.1007/BF00179839
  50. Perlinger, H. 2022. Klassifikation heterogener Vegetationsstrukturen mittels Airborne Laserscan-Daten und Machine Learning am Beispiel der Schilfbestände des Neusiedler Sees [Classification of Heterogeneous Vegetation Structures with the Aid of Airborne Laser Scan Data and Machine Learning Using the Example of the Reed Beds of Lake Neusiedl]. – Master Thesis. Supervised by Riedl, A. Universität Wien (in German)
  51. QGIS.org 2009. QGIS Geographic Information System. Maidenhead. Version: 3.36.1. – Open Source Geospatial Foundation Project
  52. R Core Team 2024. R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing. – R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna. Version 4.3.3. – https://www.R-project.org/
  53. RStudio Team 2024. RStudio: Integrated Development for R. – RStudio, PBC, Boston. Version 4.3.3. – http://www.rstudio.com/
  54. Soja, G., Züger, J., Knoflacher, M., Kinner, P. & Soja, A.-M. 2013. Climate impacts on water balance of a shallow steppe lake in Eastern Austria (Lake Neusiedl). – Journal of Hydrology 480: 115–124. DOI: 10.1016/j. jhydrol.2012.12.013
  55. Tolotti, M., Guella, G., Herzig, A., Rodeghiero, M., Rose, N. L., Soja, G., Zechmeister, T., Yang, H. & Teubner, K. 2021. Assessing the ecological vulnerability of the shallow steppe Lake Neusiedl (Austria-Hungary) to climate-driven hydrological changes using a palaeolimnological approach. – Journal of Great Lakes Research 47(5): 1327–1344. DOI: 10.1016/j.jglr.2021.06.004
  56. Tóth, V. R. 2016. Reed stands during different water level periods: physico-chemical properties of the sediment and growth of Phragmites australis of Lake Balaton. – Hydrobiologia 778(1): 193–207. DOI: 10.1007/s10750-016-2684-z
  57. Vadász, Cs. & Csörgő, T. 2009. Az agrár-környezetgazdálkodás nádgazdálkodási célprogramjában szereplő előírások értékelése a nádban költő énekesmadár fajokra gyakorolt hatásuk alapján [Evaluation of the specifications of the agri-environmental target programme for reed management in relation to their impact on reed-breeding songbird species]. – Természetvédelmi Közlemények (15): 235–245. (in Hungarian)
  58. Valkama, E., Lyytinen, S. & Koricheva, J. 2008. The impact of reed management on wildlife: A meta-analytical review of European studies. – Biological Conservation 141(2): 364–374. DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2007.11.006
  59. Verhoeven, J. T. A. 2014. Wetlands in Europe: Perspectives for restoration of a lost paradise. – Ecological Engineering 66: 6–9. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoleng.2013.03.006
  60. Wasserportal Burgenland 2024. Mittlerer Wasserstand Neusiedler See [Mean water level Lake Neusiedl]. – https://wasser.bgld.gv.at/hydrographie/die-seen/mittler-wasserstand-neusiedler-see. Accessed: 21.02.2025. (in German)
  61. Wolfram, G., Déri, L., Zech, S., Ambrus, A., Bőr, F., Brasch, A., Csaplovics, E., Dokulil, M. T., Donabaum, K., Dvorak, M., Eitzinger, J., Herzig, A., Homoródi, K., Horváth, H., Hutflesz, M., Istvánovics, V., Janák, E., Józsa, J., Király, G., Kirschner, A., Kiss, M., Kohler, B., Krámer, T., Kreuzinger, N., Korner, I., Kubu, G., Kutrucz, G., Lang, A., Márkus, I., Mikschi, E., Mohácsiné Simon, G., Nemeth, E., Móra, A., Páliné Keller, C., Pállfy, K., Pannonhalmi, M., Pellinger, A., Présing, M., Riedler, P., Rojacz, H., Somogyi, B., Sütheő, L., Székely, I., Szilágyi, J., Takács, G., Takács, P., Tóth, A., Tóth, I. G., Tóth, L., Tóth, V. R., Trauner, A. & Vörös, L. 2014. Strategiestudie Neusiedler See – Phase 1. Studie im Auftrag der Österreichisch-Ungarischen Gewässerkommission [Strategy Study Lake Neusiedl – Phase 1. Study commissioned by the Hungarian-Austrian Water Commission]. – Wien – Szombathely (in German)
  62. Zwicker, E. & Grüll, A. 1985. Über die jahreszeitliche Verteilung, Brutphänologie und nachbrutzeitliche Wanderungen bei Schilfsingvögeln am Neusiedler See [On the seasonal distribution, breeding phenology and post-breeding migrations of reed songbirds at Lake Neusiedl]. – Wissenschaftliche Arbeiten Burgenland 72: 413–445. (in German)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/orhu-2025-0028 | Journal eISSN: 2061-9588 | Journal ISSN: 1215-1610
Language: English
Page range: 189 - 211
Submitted on: Apr 22, 2025
Accepted on: Aug 1, 2025
Published on: Oct 31, 2025
Published by: MME/BirdLife Hungary
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 2 issues per year

© 2025 Benjámin Gábor Balog, Michael Dvorak, Benjamin Schmid, Erwin Nemeth, published by MME/BirdLife Hungary
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.