Background The (semi-)natural habitats in the Natura 2000 areas of the Danube valley in the county of Kelheim cover an area of 2 768 ha and belong to a pan-European Ecological Network along the Danube River. Of particular importance is the direct neighbourhood of dry slope forests and wet alluvial sites along the banks of the Danube. The water level of the Danube is not regulated in this river section and the natural flood dynamic has enabled an alluvial forest to develop. In the southern part of the project area cohesive white willow alluvial forests and the remains of mixed oak elm ash forests as well as oak-hornbeam forests can be found. Bird species characteristic of alluvial forests, including the Ficedula albicollis and the Picus canus, breed in the area. Semi-natural water habitats such as 3270, 3150 and 3260 are found in old arms and creeks, providing excellent conditions for the following fish species: the streber (Zingel streber), schraetzer (Gymnocephalus schraetser), common zingel (Zingel zingel), pigo (Rutilus pigus), asp (Aspius aspius) and bitterling (Rhodeus sericeus amarus). Temporary ponds create spawning habitats for the yellow-bellied toad (Bombina variegate), European green toad (Bufo viridis) and the European tree frog (Hyla arborea). Objectives The DONAUKEH project aimed to help set up and preserve an ecological network along the Danube consisting of woodlands as well as of dry calcareous sites of high conservation value. Another objective was to demonstrate how to establish a coherent Natura 2000 network of closely connected habitats and their typical species. The projects goal was to preserve 13 habitat types (including five priority habitats) and 10 species (including two priority species) and to improve their conservation status. The improved habitats would support populations of 16 bird species in the Birds Directive. In the short term, the project also wanted to introduce ecological forestry management practices in an area of 230 ha (including some 17 ha of purchased plots). In the medium and long-term, it wanted to create a network of natural succession woodlands in an area of nearly 45 km along the hillsides of the Danube and the Altmühl River. Woodland communities would be adapted to the location and will, in the course of time, contain a high number of mature trees and deadwood. Substantial improvement of the conservation status of various beech, alluvial and ravine forests was also expected. Expected project results included: Securing favourable conservation status for the Myotis bechsteinii and improve the conservation status of the Cypripedium calceolus, Dryocopus martius, Picus canus, Picoides medius, Ficedula albicollis, Osmoderma eremita, Columba oenas, Aegolius funereus, Glaucidium passerinum, Pernis apivorus and Milvus milvus; Optimising and developing some 5 ha of calcareous dry grasslands with extensive stands of orchids and species-rich shoulders; Securing and optimising (through clearing) calcareous grasslands, calcareous screes and rocky slopes in an area of around 3 ha between Kelheim and Matting; Creating a network of sites on dry soils of high conservation value in an area of around 42 km along the hillsides of the Danube; Ensuring the long-term conservation of potential breeding sites that will preserve local populations of the Bubo bubo and Falco peregrinus; Creating thorny hedges and species-rich edges which are 5 km long to benefit the Lanius collurio, Sylvia communis and the Euplagia quadripunctaria; and Creating 46 small water body complexes to help stabilise and greatly increase the populations of the Bombina variegata. Results The DANUBIA project achieved its objectives and nearly all of its quantitative targets to stop forest exploitation and to establish the near natural management of forests in an area of 240 ha, to restore semi-natural dry grasslands on calcareous substrate in an area of 4.5 ha and Rupicolous calcareous grasslands and Medio-European calcareous scree of hill and montane levels in an area of 4.6 ha. Semi-natural dry grasslands that were cleared by the project will be partly integrated into an existing grazing scheme and partly managed by mowing after the project has finished. In total, 9.8 ha of forest sites were restored; 3.7 ha of invasive alien plants removed, 5.8 ha of woods cleared, 3.9 ha of semi-natural dry grassland cleared and 0.7 ha developed. Mapping and the protection of black woodpecker holes was carried out in 2010 and 2013. There was a slight increase from 63 to 66 trees with black woodpecker holes in them and the number of breeding pairs in the project region remained stable throughout the project. In addition, about 100 small ponds were created in the upper regions of the Danube hills in the project area and these are now occupied by the Bombina variegata. The winter habitats of bats were also mapped and protected and the monitoring of bat populations still continues. Further, Bubo bubo and Falco peregrinus habitats were protected in the canyon “Weltenburger Enge” particularly during breeding seasons. An interesting concept for a nature trail was developed in cooperation with the University of Munich. No large information boards are erected along the trail. Instead modern communication techniques, such as QR-codes, are used to guide the visitor’s attention to specific objects and thus provide them with the most important information on relevant Natura 2000 habitat types and LIFE actions. Different best practice management methods were employed to maintain and improve the variety of habitat types found in the seven Natura 2000 sites included in the project. Coherence between these sites had not been addressed before the project and it managed to better link each of the sites as well as to create a better consistency within and between them. Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report and After-LIFE Conservation Plan (see "Read more" section).