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areas like Munich and thereby is preferred for winter recreation by its inhabitants.
This gives rise to ecological conflicts. One example among others, which requires
management solutions, refers to the impact of ski-touring and snow-shoeing on the
grouse species. For several reasons management initiatives focus on the four grouse
species native in the Bavarian Alps. Investigations on their population dynamics
indicate negative trends. Besides other factors, this is caused by habitat degradation,
fragmentation and loss. Further, many grouse species are regarded as species with
a high degree of sensitivity to disturbance. Experts draw attention to the growing
danger of disturbance by recreation principally during winter (energetic bottleneck
for most wildlife) as well as spring and summer (reproduction time with courtship
and breeding: key phase for species survival) (Bezzel et al.,
2005
; Marti,
2002
;
Zeitler,
2005
). Today, in the Alps all four grouse species are designated as endan-
gered species (LWF,
2005
; Marti,
2002
). They are listed in the Bavarian Red List
(RL-BY) and the Conservation of Wild Birds Directive of the European Committee
(VS-RL). For a number of other species grouse function as umbrella species. Hence,
they can occupy key positions in nature conservation decision making.
Large protected areas like national parks are suitable for developing proto-
type conservation management programmes which pay attention to recreation and
nature conservation. These areas are mainly managed for conservation, scientific
research, environmental education and recreation, i.e. tourism (see, e.g. BNatSchG,
IUCN Management Categories). According to the management objectives
conser-
vation
and
recreation
, especially national parks demand for scientific research to
provide management solutions that interface between both. In the Bavarian Alps
Berchtesgaden National Park is a satisfactory study area to develop an integra-
tive management programme example that takes into account wildlife (i.e. grouse
species) and winter recreation (i.e. ski-touring and snow-shoeing).
20.3 Protected Area Berchtesgaden National Park
The study area of Berchtesgaden National Park is situated in the south east of
Germany. The only German Alpine national park (accepted by the IUCN as man-
agement category II) covers an area of about 21,000 ha. It ranges in altitude from
600 m AMSL (Lake Königssee) to 2,700 m AMSL (peaks of the Watzmann massif)
and comprises the different elevation zones (montane, sub-Alpine and Alpine). As
a natural landscape unit, it is part of the Northern Limestone Alps and provides a
home to numerous (endangered) floristic and faunistic species. As one of the oldest
holiday destinations in the Alps, the whole region “Berchtesgadener Land” has a
long history of recreation and tourism. Both still play an important role in the area
today. The natural world and spectacular Alpine scenery are what attracts visitors.
Landscape attractions include viewing points, Alpine meadows, wildlife observa-
tion points and lakes. Further, the protected area provides about 240 km of official
trails, numerous visitor facilities and services such as six national park information
centres, nine Alpine huts, several options to stop for a bite to eat and places to
rest (see
Fig. 20.3
). Currently, more than 1.3 million people visit the protected area
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