Hohekopf near Großalmerode

Hohekopf near Großalmerode IUCN Category IV - Habitat / Species Management Area
View of the summit from the southeast.
location	In the district of Epterode , part of the town of Großalmerode in the Werra-Meißner district in northern Hesse .
surface	13.72 hectares
Identifier	1636014
WDPA ID	1163742
Natura 2000 ID	4724-311
FFH area	48.11 hectares
Geographical location	51 ° 15 '  N , 9 ° 48'  E Coordinates: 51 ° 14 '45 "  N , 9 ° 47' 52"  E
Sea level	from 415  m to 539  m
Setup date	NSG 1986, FFH area 2008
particularities	Special protection as a nature reserve and Natura 2000 area.

The Hohekopf near Großalmerode rises to a height of 539.4  m east of Epterode from the low mountain range of northern Hesse . Semi- arid grasslands and swamp meadows have developed on the mountain ridge and a depression adjacent to the east , which have become the habitat of rare plants and animals. In order to maintain and develop the location for the endangered species, almost fourteen hectares on the summit, also known colloquially as the Epteröder Kopf , were designated as a nature reserve in 1986 . With expansion areas adjoining to the south and enlarged to around 49 hectares, the area later also became part of the Europe-wide " Natura 2000 " protected area system as a flora-fauna-habitat area of ​​the same name , which aims to cross-border networking of threatened habitats.

location

Administratively , the protected area is located in the district of Epterode, a district of the city of Großalmerode in the Werra-Meißner district in northern Hesse . The southern areas of the FFH area extend into the district of Laudenbach .

The reserve is located in the " Geo-Naturpark Frau-Holle-Land ". In terms of its natural surroundings , it is assigned to the " Rommeroder hill country ". To the north the area merges into the plateau of the Kaufunger Forest , to the west it borders on the Söhre and to the east it slopes down to the “ Velmed Valley ”. These sub-units all belong to the " Fulda-Werra-Bergland " in the main unit group of the " Osthessischer Bergland ".

Soil and climate

From a geological point of view, the area around the Hohekopf lies in a fracture zone that is part of the branched sequence of depressions in the Witzenhausen-Altmorschen valley . The relief of the area crossed by fault lines is strongly structured. The rocks lying on or near the surface of the earth are Keuper in the southeast, shell limestone on the ridge in the north and west and red sandstone in the northeast.

Shallow , stony rendzines have formed on the shell limestone soil of the ridge and limestone brown soils are present on the flatter areas , while deep soils predominate on Keuper and Röt . In the ground water affected areas of the source areas and swamp sites coming soil type Gleye ago. The base supply of the soils is rated as good to very good everywhere.

The climate of the protected area, which extends over an altitude of 415  m in the south to 539.4  m in the northeast, is characterized as a rainy, relatively cool mountainous climate, which is reflected in the flora with the occurrence of spherical devil's claw , meadow flax leaf and Globe flower reflecting. Due to the differences in altitude and the various exposures, there are considerable local climatic differences. It can get very dry on the south side in summer and the warming of the soil surface can reach considerable values, while in the damp depressions, such as in the north-east of the Hohekopf, cold air accumulates with frequent ground frosts in spring and autumn.

Historical use

The poor soils in the mountainous landscape forced the inhabitants in the area around Großalmerode to use the existing coal and clay deposits and to make them the basis of their economic existence . The mining and ceramics industries provided jobs. The lignite seams in the region have been developed and used since the 17th century, and with the beginning of industrialization in the 18th century, the extensive clay deposits gained in importance. Großalmerode became one of the most important ceramic centers in Central Germany with the production of melting pots , pipe bowls , roof tiles and other products . Agriculture was often only pursued as a sideline.

The parcels on the Hohekopf, some of which are very small and owned by the family, were traditionally used as grassland for mowing and for producing hay . They are therefore not formed as juniper hats like other Hessian limestone grasslands . The mowing was fed to cows and goats that were kept in their stalls or on pastures near the village all year round. The grass on a large part of the meadows grew so slowly that it could only be mowed once a year before the introduction of artificial fertilizers in agriculture. Since there was relatively little arable land in the area around Großalmerode, but at the same time a lot of dairy cattle were kept, there was a lack of litter for the stables. Presumably, therefore, the wet meadows, which developed particularly late in the year and in which there were only a few forage grasses, were mostly used as litter meadows that were only mowed in late summer or autumn.

nature

Above all, species - rich semi -arid lawns , extensively used mowing and marsh meadows, in which small areas of whistle-grass meadows and a lime-rich fen bog are located, as well as a woodruff beech forest are protected . According to Annex I of the Habitats Directive, they are considered habitats of community interest, for the preservation of which special protected areas are to be designated in the Natura 2000 network. It is noteworthy that the habitat types (LRT) on the Hohekopf with 16.83 hectares have an area share of around thirty-five percent, which is considered to be relatively high for an FFH area in an open landscape .

Habitat types

Dry grass area on the Hohekopf.

• "Sub-Mediterranean semi-arid grasslands" (LRT 6212). - The grassland made up of shell limestone occurs on the Hohekopf as a subtype of the "natural limestone dry grassland and its bushing stages" (LRT 6210) with a total area of ​​around two hectares. In terms of vegetation , this form is assigned to the association of gentian-schiller grass lawns. Depending on the soil, the lawn comes in different forms. Gap, lichen-rich stands, in which types of pioneer lawns occur, exist on shallow sites. Plants that have migrated from other meadow types can be found on the deeper soils, which are better supplied with water and nutrients.

The occurrence of numerous “ Red List species ” is regarded as remarkable . The endangered German gentian , the spherical devil's claw and the common cat's paw as well as the endangered species Nordic bedstraw , fringed gentian , marsh finial and meadow flax leaf grow here . Among the lichens, three Cladonia species are considered endangered. The occurrence of the woolly thistle is considered to be a special feature . It is viewed as threatened throughout Hesse and classified as a rarity in northeast Hesse.

• "Pfeifengraswiesen" (LRT 6410). - Within the FFH area, in the transition area from Muschelkalk to Röt, there are two very small and one larger meadow grass on lime-rich soil. Together they cover an area of ​​about 0.38 hectares. In the past, they were mainly used to obtain litter and were traditionally mowed on the Hohekopf towards the end of the growing season. There is no fertilization. This original type of vegetation is endangered both by the intensification of use and by the abandonment of use. According to the Red List of Endangered Biotope Types in Germany, the pipe grass meadows are nationwide as "threatened with complete destruction" due to loss of land and quality.

Many of the typical plants, such as the pipe grass from which it is named , are adapted to this late mowing. During this time they have relocated large parts of their nutrients back into the underground parts. In addition to other characteristic types as medicinal Ziest , blue-sedge , Devil's and Zittergras the occurrence of threatened plants is considered to be remarkable. They include the Davalls sedge , yellow sedge , broad-leaved cottongrass and globe flower, which are endangered in Hessen , as well as the endangered species broad-leaved orchid , narrow-leaved cottongrass and Nordic bedstraw.

View from the top to the south.

• "Lean flatland hay meadows" (LRT 6510). - According to the FFH guidelines, this type of vegetation is species-rich, extensively managed hay meadows in the flat and hilly areas, which have become rare due to the intensification of agriculture in Germany. In terms of plant sociology , they are counted among the smooth oat meadows and have a total area of ​​almost thirteen hectares in the north of the protected area. Due to the low growth rate, the areas on the Hohekopf are only mowed once a year. Mostly in July and on the damp sites not until the end of August. The late mowing enables the meadows to be rich in flowers.

Typical plant species of the hay meadows are the grass oats , meadow ball-grass and meadow fescue . In the species-rich middle class, in addition to the not so vigorous grass species, common yarrow , meadow knapweed , meadow pippau , field scabious , marguerite , sharp buttercup , meadow sorrel , wild goat , clover , vetch and germander speedwell Establish conspicuously blooming flowers.

• "Lime-rich fens" (LRT 7230). - This habitat type occurs on a small area of ​​0.01 hectares within extensive wet grassland. The permanently wet source is populated by Davall, blue, yellow and millet sedge , swamp Pippau , narrow-leaved and broad-leaved cotton grass, pipe grass and swamp valerian .

• "Waldmeister-Buchenwald" (LRT 9130). - In the small forest, on an area of ​​one and a half hectares south of Epterode, the common beech is the dominant tree species in the tree layer . Because of its small size and age structure, the forest is classified as not "significant" in terms of representativeness in the basic data collection on the FFH area .

fauna

Due to the type of use, with a mosaic-like grazing of the areas of the limestone grasslands and a late mowing of the unfertilized meadows, flower-rich grassland has developed on the Hohekopf. It provides habitat and food for a butterfly population that is rich in individuals . Among the recorded species are highly endangered in Hesse Gray Brown and Hesperia comma , erebia medusa and purple-edged copper and the endangered Big fritillary , white clover-Gelbling , small blue , Hamearis Lucina and Speedwell Fritillary .

The rare and endangered species that are classified in the Red Lists of Hesse or Germany in category 3 or higher and have been seen at the Hohekopf include Esparsette , Sumpfhornklee and Small Five- Spotted Ram, as well as the grasshopper short-winged bite insect , heather grasshopper and two-point Thorn insect.

Protected position

• Nature reserve

With an ordinance of November 28, 1986, the District Directorate for Forests and Nature Conservation at the regional council in Kassel , the semi-arid grassland and marsh meadows on the Hohekopf were declared a nature reserve. The purpose of the protection was to "preserve and develop" the area that had become the location of rare and highly endangered plant species. Apart from the ban on the use of fertilizers and plant treatment products, extensive use of the grassland areas remained permitted. The protected area with a size of 13.72 hectares has the national identifier 1636014 and the WDPA code 163742.

• Flora-fauna habitat area

As part of the Flora-Fauna-Habitat Directive , the nature reserve and other areas adjacent to the south were reported to the EU Commission for the transnational network of special protected areas Natura 2000. In addition to area management and the associated monitoring, the EU requested a formal declaration of protection, which was issued in January 2008 with the “Ordinance on Natura 2000 areas in Hesse”. The FFH area has a size of 48.1 hectares, has the area number 4724-311 and the WDPA code 555520064. Obligatory protection purposes are the preservation of the open land character of the sites as well as the maintenance of the "nutrient-poor cultivation".

Tourist development

Rest area with table and benches on the Hohekopf.

The area can be accessed via existing farm roads. The “Technical-Historical Educational and Hiking Trail” runs through the protected area, which aims to “explain visible traces of industrial culture” and “recall the invisible to memory”. Information boards along the way provide information about production sites and the history. The forest-free summit of the Hohekopf offers views of the landscape of the western Meißner foreland and the mountains of the Kaufunger Forest.

literature

• Lothar and Sieglinde Nitsche, Marcus Schmidt: Nature reserves in Hessen, protect-experience-maintain. Volume 3, Werra-Meißner district and Hersfeld-Rotenburg district . cognitio Verlag, Niedenstein 2005, ISBN 3-932583-13-2 .
• Office for Applied Ecology and Forest Planning (BÖF): Basic data acquisition for FFH area DE 4724-311 "Hohekopf bei Großalmerode" . Client: Kassel Regional Council, Kassel 2010.

Web links

Commons : Hohekopf bei Großalmerode  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Profile of the FFH area 4724-311 "Hohekopf bei Großalmerode". In: Website of the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN); accessed on August 19, 2020.
2. ^ Otto Klausing: Natural Spatial Structure. In: Environmental Atlas Hessen ; accessed on August 19, 2020.
3. ^ ^{A b} Sieglinde and Lothar Nitsche: Nature reserves in the Werra-Meißner district. In nature reserves in Hessen, protect-experience-care. Volume 3, p. 127 f.
4. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k} Office for Applied Ecology and Forest Planning (BÖF): Basic data acquisition for the FFH area DE 4724-311 "Hohekopf bei Großalmerode"
5. ↑ Red list of endangered biotope types in Germany. In: Website of the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN); accessed on August 19, 2020.
6. ↑ Red List of Fern and Seed Plants in Hesse. In: Nature Conservation Information System of the State of Hesse “Natureg-Viewer”; accessed on August 19, 2020.
7. ^ Red list of butterflies in Hesse . In: Nature Conservation Information System of the State of Hesse “Natureg-Viewer”; accessed on August 19, 2020.
8. ↑ The ordinance came into force the day after its publication in the State Gazette for the State of Hesse on December 15, 1986.
9. ^ Ordinance on the "Hohekopf bei Großalmerode" nature reserve from November 28, 1986. In: State Gazette for the State of Hesse. Edition 50/86 of December 15, 1986, p. 2483 f.
10. ↑ "Hohekopf bei Großalmerode" nature reserve. In: World Database on Protected Areas; accessed on August 19, 2020.
11. ↑ Ordinance on the Natura 2000 areas in Hesse of January 16, 2008. In: Law and Ordinance Gazette for the State of Hesse, Part I, No. 4 of March 7, 2008.
12. ↑ FFH area "Hohekopf bei Großalmerode". In: World Database on Protected Areas ; accessed on August 19, 2020.
13. ↑ Conservation objectives of sites of Community importance. In: Ordinance on the Natura 2000 areas in the Kassel administrative region. ; accessed on August 19, 2020.
14. ↑ Großalmerode, a technical and historical educational and hiking trail. Flyer from the city of Großalmerode; accessed on August 19, 2020.