Little Lautertal

	Small Lautertal nature reserve IUCN Category IV - Habitat / Species Management Area
	Valley area and rocks in the NSG near Lautern
location	Baden-Wuerttemberg , Germany
surface	2.785 km²
Identifier	Protected area no. 4,262
WDPA ID	164136
Geographical location	48 ° 27 ' N , 9 ° 52' E Coordinates: 48 ° 26 '49 " N , 9 ° 51' 36" E
Setup date	July 25, 1995
administration	Regional Council Tübingen

The Kleine Lautertal is a nature reserve of around 280 hectares (NSG number 4.262) in the Alb-Donau district in Baden-Württemberg . It was designated by ordinance of July 25, 1995 by the Tübingen regional council. The name is derived from the Lauter , a tributary of the Blau , which runs through an open meadow valley here.

location

The area designated as a nature reserve belongs to the districts of Bermaringen , Herrlingen and Wippingen of the city of Blaustein and to the district of Asch of the city of Blaubeuren and extends at an altitude between 512 and 647 m above sea level. NN.

Protection purpose

The main protective purpose is the preservation of the high-quality juniper heather with steppe heather elements and various succession stages with the extremely diverse and rare flora and fauna of the dry and semi-arid grasslands, the preservation of rocky and slippery dry slopes, the preservation and promotion of near-natural forest communities in the dry valley and the shady valley slopes protected fauna and flora, as well as an open meadow valley with the meandering Kleine Lauter. The purpose of protection is in particular:

Protection of a species-rich vegetation that has arisen due to various uses or naturally formed by a small-scale mosaic of various plant communities. It is the habitat for numerous animal species that depend on it. Many of the plants and animals found in the area are specially protected or threatened with extinction;
Preservation and development of the juniper heaths with the gentian semi-dry lawns (Gentiano-Koelerietum) and dry lawn areas, as well as the remains of the middle forest and huteward and their succession stages as culturally and historically significant areas, from which the history of use of this region can be read;
Protection of the natural plant communities, in particular the dry grassland (Xerobromium), the rock grass and rock band societies (Sedo-Scleranthetalia), the thermophilic fringing societies (Trifolio-Geranietea) as well as the animal world that specializes in them. In particular, butterflies and wild bees, which need certain caterpillar forage plants or egg-laying facilities and food plants, and xerothermal grasshoppers should be mentioned here;
Protection of near-natural forest communities such as ravine, rock rubble forests (Tilio ‑ acerion) and mixed beech forests (Luzolo ‑ Fagetum or Lathyro ‑ Fagetum) with partially endangered plant species in their natural habitat-specific formation;
Preservation of the open valley area with the meandering Kleine Lauter, protection and regeneration of the wet meadows (cabbage thistle and marsh marigold meadows) as well as a species-rich brook-accompanying tall herbaceous area as a recreation area with a high experience value and control of recreational use
Preservation of the geological and geomorphological formations with the characteristic sequence of layers.

The protection goal is the preservation of limestone grasslands that were once widespread in the Swabian Alb, here in interweaving with various stages of succession and a vegetation mosaic of natural plant communities, as well as the optimization of the biological and cultural-historical value of this area. Spruce forests are to be converted into near-natural forest communities in the long term. Interventions that affect the Kleiner Lautertal should be prevented. The valley area should be preserved as a resting place for migratory bird species.

Adjacent protected areas

As early as 1974, in the area of today's nature reserve, 263 hectares of trees were designated as protected forest . Today's forest reserve Kleines Lautertal (SGN 200029) is largely congruent with the wooded area of the nature reserve of the same name.

To the west, the nature reserve borders the Blaustein nature reserve (LSG 4.25.105), which was established in 1990 as a recreational area for Ulm close to the city . To the east it touches the Blaubeuren landscape protection area established in 1994 (LSG 4.25.108).

literature

Regional Council Tübingen, Division 56 / State Nature Conservation Administration Baden-Württemberg (Ed.): Nature reserve Kleines Lautertal - gem of the Swabian Alb. (Brochure, PDF)
Department for nature conservation and landscape management: nature reserves in the administrative district of Tübingen . Ed .: Regional Council Tübingen. Second revised and expanded edition. Thorbecke, Ostfildern 2006, ISBN 978-3-7995-5175-5 , pp. 190-192 .