Ecological route management

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Ecological route management refers to the management of underground or surface routes in which the measures to secure the purpose of the route (e.g. rail traffic, power transmission, gas transport) are planned and implemented in such a way that a long-term benefit for animal and plant species or habitats is created. This applies to underground cables or gas pipeline routes as well as to overhead lines such as overhead lines, railways or road routes.

The management and the implemented measures follow a maintenance and development plan that defines nature conservation development goals for species or habitats ( e.g. biotope network , protection, development). Particularly suitable habitats for endangered, valuable and characteristic species and their functional connection are sought. Nearby nature conservation priority areas or existing nature conservation planning should be included. Ideally, measures for effective route management are introduced during the planning approval process and then implemented.

The ecological route management is a classic work field of landscape management and landscape management associations and the volunteers and nature conservation.

Action areas

Measures that can be part of ecological route management:

Keeping it open through extensive cultivation

Creation of woody biotopes

  • Structuring of stepped forest edges
  • Coppice management
  • Forest bar as a connection between separate forest areas
  • Planting and maintaining hedges
  • Bundled storage of dead wood
  • Mast locations as refuges in intensively used arable land

Measures for rare target species

  • Planting wild fruit
  • Establishment of open ground for warmth-loving species such as lizards, insects or silver grass
  • Creation of small bodies of water, e.g. for yellow-bellied toads and dragonflies

Implementation in practice

The German Association for Landscape Management (DVL) , in cooperation with landscape management associations, network operators and planning offices, aims to generate additional ecological benefits from the expansion and reconstruction of the power grid. The DVL would like to show possibilities of how valuable biotope network structures can be created through the maintenance and management of pipeline routes and how the route can form the backbone for biological diversity. At the same time, the interference with the landscape on the routes can be reduced or compensated for in a space-saving manner. Route areas in forests that require maintenance for technical reasons are particularly in focus. Compensation measures for the network expansion are to be used to improve Natura 2000 areas or to implement the European Water Framework Directive . In addition to the creation of new biotope structures (e.g. micro-relief design), extensive agricultural use, for example with year-round grazing, can improve the networking of existing biotopes. The DVL expects this approach not only to have an effect on nature conservation, but also better acceptance among the population for this necessary intervention to increase the use of renewable energies. Information offers for the local population should also contribute to this.

Projects

When it comes to ecological route management, the landscape conservation associations contribute their expertise and experience in the field of tension between nature conservation and agriculture. Together with practitioners from model regions, guidelines for effective route management are developed. Projects are funded by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation with funds from the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety .

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Weidewelt-Frankenwald ( Memento of November 27, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) - extensive grazing on the line road
  2. ^ German Association for Landscape Management - Overview of the route projects
  3. ↑ Biotope networking through pipeline routes