Wood grove
Holzwäldchen is a former district name in Krofdorf-Gleiberg and is now a nature reserve .
location and size
Today's nature reserve is located south of the Wettenberg district of Krofdorf-Gleiberg in a triangle that is enclosed by the end of the extension of the Autobahn 480 and the former " Kanonenbahn " Lollar-Wetzlar and the Fohnbach ( called "Kropbach" from the boundary of Heuchelheim ). A paved dirt road crosses the area and divides it into an eastern third and the western side. The protected area is around 9 hectares. It can be reached on foot or by bike from Krofdorf-Gleiberg, Heuchelheim or Gießen. However, the routes from the roads to the protected area are closed to motor traffic. In addition, the area itself should not be entered. From the central path you have a good view, especially of the western part, there is an information board at the motorway underpass.
Emergence
In the course of the new construction of the A 480 ( Reiskirchen - Wetzlar ), soil material was removed from the sides to fill the road embankment. In the resulting hollow south of the motorway embankment, water soon collected. The dam, which was built between 1927 and 1974, is around 20 m high. Where there were high voltage pylons at the time, the site has been preserved in its original level, so that it can still be seen today. However, further construction of the motorway was abandoned and the area was left to its own devices. Due to the lack of vegetation, a pioneer habitat was created and animal species quickly established themselves that depend on such biotopes and are rare. At the time of the city of Lahn, it was planned to use the Mulde as a garbage dump. The then Association for Bird Protection Krofdorf-Gleiberg protested against the project and applied for the area to be placed under protection. On July 13, 1983, the "Holzwäldchen bei Krofdorf-Gleiberg" nature reserve was designated by the Darmstadt District Directorate for Forests and Nature Conservation.
Habitats, species spectrum and development
In the early years the "wood forest" was practically a pure pioneer habitat. Areas with little vegetation and shallow waters alternated. The distinctive species included the yellow-bellied toad , the natterjack toad and the little ringed plover, as well as a number of dragonfly and other insect species. Without further intervention, however, the picture changed over the years as the succession spread further. The surfaces and bodies of water grew over, and little ringed plover and yellow-bellied toad disappeared from the area. Cattails and willows and other woody plants appeared. However, other amphibian, bird and insect species appeared. In 1990 the long overdue maintenance plan was approved by the upper nature conservation authority. This was then implemented in the following years by the NABU Krofdorf-Gleiberg and the Wettenberg Forestry Office. Debushing was carried out, dredging operations were carried out to clear the silting water again, the cattail was pushed back. Today there is a mosaic of different habitats in the “wood forest”, but they have a completely different character than at the time of the protection. Shallow and deep waters, open and with reeds and reeds, grasslands, hedges and woody stands characterize the picture today. Many of the species that existed in the early 1980s have either disappeared or are only present in small populations. For this, however, numerous new species have emerged. B. to find a species-rich population of amphibians and dragonflies. The little grebe is now a regularly occurring breeding bird species that has only appeared in recent years. The water rail, however, has disappeared. The miniature snipe, snipe and wood sandpiper overwinter or use the area to rest. As part of the designation of fauna and flora habitats in Hesse , the “Holzwäldchen” nature reserve was included in the Natura 2000 European system of protected areas together with parts of the adjacent former railway line .
Further information
- German Association for Bird Protection - Wettenberg Working Group: Habitats worth protecting in Wettenberg . 1989.
- Association for Bird Protection Krofdorf-Gleiberg: 40 years Association for Bird Protection Krofdorf-Gleiberg e. V. 2001.
- Nitsche, L .: Nature reserves in Hessen - protect, experience, maintain. Volume 5: Marburg-Biedenkopf district, Lahn-Dill district, Gießen district . 2009.
Web links
Coordinates: 50 ° 36 '14.7 " N , 8 ° 38' 7.5" E