Big horn

Coordinates: 51 ° 12 ′ 35 ″  N , 10 ° 46 ′ 10 ″  E

Big horn​

Thuringia

The Großer Horn is a forest area that is located in the Unstrut-Hainich district and in the adjacent part of the Kyffhäuserkreis in northern Thuringia . The 158.8 hectare area was declared a nature reserve in 1961 . As a total reserve , an isolated forest complex of the subcontinental bedstraw-oak-hornbeam forest and the woodruff beech forest is particularly protected.

geography

Geographical location

The nature reserve lies on the northern edge of the Thuringian Basin and is part of the Heilinger Heights with the southern roofing of the Sommerschen Heights to the Schlotheimer Graben. It is surrounded by the communities of Freienbessingen in the north, mid-summer in the south-east and Blankenburg in the south-west and is located at an altitude of 290 to 350 m above sea ​​level .

geology

The soil structure of the primeval forest zone mainly contains loess loam , which is particularly found in the north of the forest. In addition to the loess soils, loam and clay soils as well as shell limestone weathered soils can also be detected. The soils of the forest area have a proportion of basic silicates, but also a good water holding capacity, which is particularly important for the soil quality. Strong roots are typical of the forest floor. In the south of the nature reserve, in addition to the small amount of loess deposits, there are also limestone from shell limestone , and base-rich, weathered calcareous soils that only occur in their pure form in small areas. The soils in the forest area and the arable soils in the area are considered particularly fertile. This can be seen in the vegetation, which is a special feature of this nature reserve.

climate

The Great Horn nature reserve lies on the edge of the continental subatlantic climate zone . The area around the Großer Horn is still part of the so-called Börde climate.

The decisive factor for the prevailing climate is the geographical location of the nature reserve, where the annual average temperature is 7.8 ° C and 14.2 ° C during the growing season. Overall, the area is fairly low in precipitation with an annual rainfall of 515 mm. Despite often snowy winters and strong but short rainy periods, the climate is determined by dry periods. However, characteristics typical of the climate, such as the heavy precipitation that is widespread in the summer months, threaten the area with erosion damage, which is intensified by the heavy agricultural use. However, these criteria do not apply to the forest area, because the wooded area has a balanced function on the water balance and thus affects the climate.

Name development

The forest's proper name "Großer Horn" is synonymous with the greater hornwood , as it is popularly known. The word "Horn" comes from the Old High German word Hochawien . It means wet or swampy land.

particularities

In the nature reserve there are several groups of barrows and numerous boundary stones (border between the former Kingdom of Prussia, the province of Saxony and the Principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen), as well as an old oak tree in the extreme southwest, which has been secured as a natural monument.

Soft tourism is promoted for the economic development of the nature reserve .

Web links

• Nature reserves (status: 03/2018) - Unstrut-Hainich-Kreis on tlug-jena.de, accessed on February 22, 2019

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c} nature reserves in the Unstrut-Hainich district. Thuringian State Institute for Environment and Geology (TLUG), September 2009, accessed on April 14, 2011 .