Stream and gorge forest near Untermässing

	Stream and gorge forest near Untermässing IUCN Category IV - Habitat / Species Management Area
	Entrance to the nature reserve
location	Undermassing
surface	12.2 ha
Identifier	NSG-00447.01
WDPA ID	162312
Geographical location	49 ° 6 ′ N , 11 ° 19 ′ E Coordinates: 49 ° 5 ′ 59 ″ N , 11 ° 19 ′ 0 ″ E
Setup date	May 29, 1993
administration	District of Roth

The creek and ravine forest in Untermässing is a nature reserve in Untermässing , a district of Central Franconia town of Greding in the district of Roth in Bavaria .

location

The nature reserve is located in the Altmühltal Nature Park, around 2 kilometers northeast of Untermässing and 1.5 kilometers south of Obermässing . It is located in the Kreuzfeldgraben valley between the Bürschelleite and Katzenberg mountains .

description

The area is a designated, 12.2 hectare nature reserve and has the cadastral number NSG-00447.01. It is part of the Fauna-Flora-Habitat- Area Trauf of the southern Franconian Jura (FFH-No. 6833-371; WDPA-No. 555521725) and of the protected landscape area in the Altmühltal Nature Park (LSG-No. LSG-00565.01; WDPA-No. 396115).

The nature reserve is located in a wooded hillside on the upper reaches of the Kreuzfeldbach, a side stream of the Schwarzach . The stream rises in the source area of the Ornatentons . It runs through the geological layers of the night eaves and has partially dug itself deep into them. The stream is fed from several source horizons . Again and again one finds tufa formations at the source outlets, which have developed as flat and moss-covered tuff terraces. The terraces owe their creation to the lime dissolved in the spring water, which is deposited on mosses and coats the streams in a thick layer.

Until 1912, Österberg's emergency water supply was located on the upper reaches of the brook . In dry years the farmers transported the good spring water in the Burschl with the help of animal teams.

Flora and fauna

In the upper slope, impressive ravine forests grow on the steep slopes, in the lower slope mixed alder , ash and wet forests grow. In the forest-free lower slope, the stream is lined with light trees with a riparian forest character . On a small scale, these dovetail with flat moor areas and spring waterlogging. Here you can find orchids , calopterygidae , Spring frogs and other rare animal and plant species.

Sinter terraces in Heinrichsgraben

Sinter terrace in Heinrichsgraben

There is a similar valley cut about 1.5 kilometers to the south. The Heinrichsgraben is designated as a geotope and protected landscape component. Here in Heinrichsgraben rises on the Malm lower limit a lime-rich source that feeds the small Schmiedackerbach in the ditch. The high lime content causes tuff precipitation in small mossy cascades over a length of around 100 meters.