FieldResearch Lab (+LTER)

CUAS operates a unique field research lab in Metschach (Liebenfels), at the border of three Carinthian districts:

Klagenfurt, Feldkirchen, and St. Veit. The area is approximately 15 ha in size, and is owned by the Privatstiftung Kärntner Sparkasse, who acquired the area in 2023 to protect the long-term research area from intensive farming and husbandry.

Since 1990, the area was leased by the state of Carinthia and has undergone frequent biodiversity research, such as bi-yearly analysis of vegetation and succession. The immense data acquired can now be built upon for many years to come.


The site’s 10-year management plan details ways to create and promote microhabitats, including partial rewetting of the former fen/bogland. In addition, the plan outlines mowing and grazing guidelines, which will be carried out by a neighboring farmer in consultation with our field engineer, to preserve native plants and contain invasive species.Vegetation analysis will continue with a network of sensors documenting abiotic factors and fauna.
In addition, the lab will serve as a unique research and educational area for both CUAS researchers and students, other institutions and schools, and the interested public.

Between 2023 and 2026, CUAS researchers have tested a wide variety of sensors and methods in the field, including but not limited to: audio sensors for bird and bat assessment; wildlife camera systems to capture vertebrates and insects; drones with different sensory systems, as well as eDNA and physiochemical test kits to survey soil quality and organic communities.

In 2026, a large infrastructure project will bring additional key research instruments to the field. The central component is a field research lab in the form of a container encompassing office space, servers, cooling equipment, batteries, tools, and a sterile bench for conducting genetic research.

Another key component is a certified climate station and associated key measuring equipment, embedding the lab within the Long-Term Ecological Research network (LTER Net), creating knowledge, inspiring solutions, and cultivating learning through inclusive and interdisciplinary long-term ecological research.