Parade ground (nature reserve)
| Parade ground (nature reserve) | |||
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| Location: | Bavaria , Germany | ||
| Specialty: | Sand biotope | ||
| Next city: | gain | ||
| Surface: | 25 ha | ||
| Founding: | 2001 | ||
| Visitors: | public | ||
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The parade ground is a nature reserve located on a former military site in the city of Erlangen . It is one of the few nature reserves within a major German city and part of the Franconian sand axis .
history
In the years 1890 to 1894, a 150 hectare parade ground was laid out south of the new infantry barracks on the road to Buckenhof for the Royal Bavarian Infantry Regiment No. 19 established in Erlangen . The artillery, Rhineland and tank barracks were built on this site until 1938.
After the Second World War, the parade ground was taken over by the US Army, who also built apartments and an airfield there. After the Americans left in 1994, the city of Erlangen acquired the area and built the new Röthelheimpark district there . 25 hectares of the area were declared a nature reserve in 2001 to protect rare and threatened plants.
In the south, a further 11 hectares of ecologically valuable open space that is not under nature protection are seamlessly connected. This area is now being built on step by step, against which a citizens' initiative is resisting. In May 2012, the Bund Naturschutz brought an action against the development plan.
description
The sandy soil of the parade ground is predominantly nutrient-poor and dry and, with its animals and plants specializing in these conditions, represents a biotope that has become rare in Franconia . In order to preserve these habitats, seven districts, five independent cities and several nature conservation associations joined forces in July 2000 to form the Franconian sand axis , the largest nature conservation project in Bavaria.
The area is home to a number of pools that dry up in summer and provide spawning grounds for rare amphibians such as the natterjack toad . Characteristic are also the open sand areas, which are distributed over the area and offer a special habitat for plants and animals, as well as single or small groups of trees, especially pines and birches.
The area is often used by the residents of the neighboring settlements for walking, jogging, dog running, etc. Dogs must be kept on a leash, but this is difficult to enforce. To protect the ground-nesters, access to the inner part of the area is not permitted from March 15 to July 31.
Numerous information boards and a small visitor pavilion with a sand garden have been created to inform visitors.
maintenance
One of the greatest dangers for the sand habitat is bush encroachment. While the area was being used as a military training area, this was prevented by being driven by tracked vehicles. This option is no longer available after the garrison has withdrawn. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that the area is often used for running dogs. The nutrient-rich droppings of the animals destroy the typical lean soils.
Possible solutions consist in the regular removal of humus layers, exposure of open sand areas and the setting up of "dog toilets" with plastic bags for the manure. In addition, a flock of sheep is driven into the nature reserve every year.
Toad fence
The natterjack toads that occur in the area overwinter in the Buckenhofer forest east of the actual nature reserve. In spring, the animals migrate in large numbers to the pools of the protected area to spawn. They have to cross Kurt-Schumacher-Straße. To prevent the animals from being run over, a toad fence is erected along the road every year from February. The animals run along the fence until they fall into collecting bins that have been set up, from where they are picked up by volunteers every morning and released again in the nature reserve.
No toad fence is set up for the return of the animals, as this hike is not concentrated in a few weeks, but spread over the entire summer and autumn. A collection of the animals over such a long period of time cannot be realized due to the lack of helpers. It is also assumed that the number of toads run over is limited due to the temporal distribution. Since the toads, which can live up to eight years and are sexually mature at the age of two, produce by far the largest number of eggs when they first spawn, it is at least sufficient for species conservation if they make it across the street.
Flora and fauna
In the heather-like area there are over 380 plants, 172 beetles and 40 bird species as well as rare lizards, toads and insects. These include u. a .:
- insects
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- The blue-winged wasteland insect, called "Ödi", the heraldic animal of the Franconian sand axis
- Sand dune beetle
- Ant lion
- plants
- Sand thyme
- Sandgrass
- Evening primrose
- Adderhead
- juniper
- Broom
- jaw
- Mountain sand bells
- Silver grass
- Little sorrel
- Farm mustard
- Reindeer lichen
- Glass hair hat moss
- Little hawkweed
- Red volatile columnar lichen
- Spring spörgel
- Birds
- Green woodpecker
- Goldhammer
- Bloodline
- Woodlark
- Red backs
- Chaffinch
- Wheatear
- Little ringed plover
- Kestrel
- Amphibians
literature
- Christoph Friederich, Bertold Freiherr von Haller, Andreas Jakob (Hrsg.): Erlanger Stadtlexikon . W. Tümmels Verlag, Nuremberg 2002, ISBN 3-921590-89-2 ( online ).
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Page of former soldiers of the "Ferris Barracks" . As of October 10, 2013.
- ^ Website of the citizens' initiative ( Memento of the original from June 29, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . As of May 29, 2012.
- ↑ Erlanger Nachrichten : Dispute over green oasis in court . As of May 7, 2012.
