Nature in North Rhine-Westphalia

The nature in North Rhine-Westphalia is typical of the Central European natural area . Species that have been adapted to open cultural landscapes or wooded low mountain ranges are particularly widespread in North Rhine-Westphalia . Flora and fauna are, however, due to the high density of settlements, the large industrial centers of the country, mining, the almost extensive agricultural and forestry use and the dense traffic development changed like in hardly any other region of Europe. The original, species-rich flora and fauna of the country was partially destroyed. The environment has therefore in recent decades become an outstanding issue for politicians of the various state governments.

The focus of this description is the living nature (flora and fauna, etc.). Aspects of inanimate nature such as outstanding abiotic natural monuments are only dealt with marginally. For a large-scale consideration of the inanimate nature of North Rhine-Westphalia (geology, climate, landscapes and natural spaces, etc.), reference is made to the geography of North Rhine-Westphalia .

flora

Forest in the Eifel National Park

In North Rhine-Westphalia around 2040 plant species (in the narrower sense, i.e. pteridophyta and spermatophyta ), almost 1000 mosses and almost as many lichen species make up the native flora.

Without human settlement, North Rhine-Westphalia, like almost all of Central Europe, would be largely covered with beech and oak deciduous forests. Predominant forest communities were in North Rhine-Westphalia Luzulo -Buchenwälder, oak and beech forests and Drahtschmielen -Buchenwälder. Today North Rhine-Westphalia is about 27 percent covered with forest. It is primarily a commercial forest that is subject to intensive forestry use and has a high proportion of conifers , especially spruces , for this latitude . While conifers would be almost absent in the natural forest (with the exception of a few Scots pine stands on the edges of the bog) and associated yew trees , their share in today's commercial forest is 42 percent. In the forests there are also occasional imported species such as Douglas fir (share about 1 percent), red oak , gray alder and robinia .

Specifically, the tree population consists mainly of beech (19 percent of the total forest area), oak (17 percent), other deciduous trees (22 percent), spruce 30 percent, pine (8 percent), larch (3 percent), Douglas fir (1 percent) ) the forest area. Currently there are grove beech forests on over 40 percent of the area, followed by "Montane beech forests, some with spruce" on around 14 percent of the forest area. Larger alder or alluvial forests in the river lowlands or Sieken were largely deprived of their habitat through hydraulic engineering measures such as river straightening or embankments , so that only remnants of these naturally occurring tree populations in the native latitudes are preserved. Around two thirds of the entire tree population is considered damaged. The main reason is the air pollution from industrial plants and traffic emissions.

The open land areas are almost entirely subject to intensive or extensive agricultural use. In the Münsterland Bay and in other regions, the landscape is often characterized as the " Münsterland Park Landscape ". This cultural landscape offers little biodiversity. Are cultivated cereals , maize , oilseed rape , beet and potatoes , on sandy soil and asparagus . Grassland areas are mostly used as pasture . Wild daffodils can be found on such green spaces in the Eifel . Valuable landscape elements in park landscapes such as hedges or avenues are increasingly being reduced due to agricultural use; the Monschau Heckenland can be considered an exception . The humid or boggy landscapes in the Rhine Plain and in the lowlands were almost completely drained. Only a few remains of the unique moor vegetation have been preserved. One example is the large peat bog , which is considered the last large raised bog in Westphalia. In some areas there are heather landscapes such as Senne or Wahner Heide with their special vegetation such as juniper bushes or broom bushes . It should be borne in mind that the heath landscape would also be populated in the long term by pioneer trees such as birch and later by mixed deciduous forests , as elsewhere .

Heavy metal lawns with unique vegetation are a specialty in the country . In particular, the landscape around Stolberg (see also nature in Stolberg ), which has been heavily influenced by mining and metalworking for centuries, as well as parts of the Ruhr area and Siegerland are habitat for this type of vegetation.

Funga

The poisonous toadstool is one of the best-known mushrooms in North Rhine-Westphalia because of its striking appearance and its wide distribution

In addition to flora and fauna, the mushrooms form their own kingdom . Around 1550 species are known in North Rhine-Westphalia. There are also around 1000 lichens , which are often included in the flora. Of all the manifestations of this group of species, the mushrooms in particular are known. Their striking shape and the popularity of many species as edible mushrooms contribute to this. The particularly popular edible mushrooms that can be collected mainly in autumn in the North Rhine-Westphalian regions include, for example, many types of mushrooms , porcini mushrooms and chanterelles .

fauna

The fauna of the country, like the flora, has been subject to considerable anthropogenic changes, especially in the last 1000 years . In particular, the large animal fauna has been enormously reduced and changed in number and diversity and therefore today only shows a fragmentary picture of the original diversity.

Mammals

Dülmen "wild horses"

Wild cat

In North Rhine-Westphalia 51 mammals in the narrower sense occur regularly. Together with the rare grazing guests, over 80 species of mammals have been detected in the last few decades. This includes around 20 bat species .

The country's forests, especially the larger contiguous forest areas in the Eifel, Sauerland, Bergisches Land and Weserbergland are or were habitat for the largest mammals in the country. The two native wild cattle species aurochs and bison as well as the western Eurasian wild horse were probably already massively decimated as particularly rewarding hunted prey in the early Middle Ages and completely exterminated by the High Middle Ages at the latest . Moose probably existed until the 11th century, if the poor sources are to be trusted. Since the mid-1960s, isolated animals have migrated from Eastern Europe. In 1972 a moose - called "Kasimir" in the press - made it to Dinslaken, where it was killed in a traffic accident.

The large mammal species that still exist today are mainly articulated ungulates such as deer species (especially roe deer , more rarely also fallow deer and red deer , even more rarely sika deer ) and wild boar . These species are intensively hunted and cherished . Their population therefore rarely corresponds to the naturally expected population sizes in commercial forests. Some of these species, such as ski deer and fallow deer, are introduced species. The mouflon , which is now widespread in the forests of North Rhine-Westphalia, mainly in the Eifel, is one of the neozoa . In the forests, sometimes also in open landscapes, there are also many Central European species of small game , including often wild rabbits and brown hares , the latter, however, are considered endangered in North Rhine-Westphalia, as open fallow landscapes are becoming increasingly rare due to intensive agriculture and urban sprawl. The red fox , on the other hand, is considered a non-endangered species in North Rhine-Westphalia, as it can assert itself as a cultural follower in urban areas. Other predators in the state include the polecat (population focus: Münsterland ), the stone marten , the pine marten (considered an endangered species in North Rhine-Westphalia), the weasel , badger and ermine . In the meantime, the raccoon that has been introduced has also established a permanent place in the local fauna; the raccoon dog, which immigrated from the east, is rarer . The beaver , which was once exterminated in North Rhine-Westphalia, has been able to spread again in parts of the Eifel and the Lower Rhine since the 1980s following successful reintroduction measures. It also occurs again in the Lippe district of Soest.

All of the country's larger predators, in contrast to the predator species mentioned above, were exterminated or greatly reduced by hunting a long time ago. The brown bear was indigenous until the late Middle Ages . The last relatively reliable evidence of wild bear populations is 1445 (Soest), 1446 (Münster) and 1551 (Wittgenstein). The otter was also long considered to be extinct in North Rhine-Westphalia. Until around 1850 the animal was still widespread everywhere. From 1875 the stocks collapsed due to hunting (“otter premiums” of the fishing industry) and the discharge of toxic waste water into the rivers. From 1900 the otter was considered rare and by 1950 it was considered extinct. Since 2009 another population has been known in the Münsterland that is constantly expanding. The lynx was decimated early on and was already considered very rare at the beginning of modern times . The last Westphalian lynx was shot in the Rothaar Mountains in 1745. Due to the resettlement measures in the Harz National Park since 2000, the largest native cat species is also spreading to the west again. In the north Hessian mountainous region there is now a small population, from which the animals that are seen from time to time in the Weserbergland probably originate. The isolated sightings in the Eifel and other forest areas in North Rhine-Westphalia are no indication of a reproductive population. Due to its large territories, the lynx hardly finds suitable large habitats in the country. The wolf was also long considered to be extinct in what is now the country. Until the beginning of the 18th century it was still widespread and quite common. The last packs were able to hold their own in the Eifel until 1872. No wolf has been sighted in North Rhine-Westphalia since 1900 at the latest, until the end of 2014 in the Oppenweher Moor its genetic traces were detected after the first sighting of a single specimen , presumably immigrated from Northern Hesse, in 2010 near Höxter on the Weser . The wildcat , which is now very rare in Europe, has a stable population in the Eifel . The Eifel is the area with the largest wildcat population in Germany; an estimated 1,000 animals live here. Growing populations of wild cats from the Weser Uplands, the Sauerland and the Siegerland have also been known for a number of years.

The smaller mammal species are mainly represented by the smaller rodents and insectivores . These include, for example, numerous species of mice , field hamsters , hedgehogs , garden dormice , dormouse , muskrat , squirrel and the mole .

Among the 20 detectable species of bats in North Rhine-Westphalia , the city dwellers are particularly common pipistrelle , Serotine and Daubenton's bat , and the forest dwellers Noctule , brown long-eared , Natterer's bat and Pipistrelle the most common.

The Dülmen wild horses are a specialty in the country . This horse breed is one of the few horses living in the wild in Europe, but it must not be regarded as a real western wild horse . They are robust domestic horses with distinctive wild horse characteristics, into which various other breeds have been crossed over and over again. There are plans for the dairyman to return to the wild . Since 2010 attempts have been made to reintroduce the bison , which was once widespread in Central Europe, to the wild in the Rothaar Mountains.

Birds

The blackbird is the most common bird species

The kingfisher is one of the most colorful birds in North Rhine-Westphalia

The red kite is one of the largest birds of prey in North Rhine-Westphalia

Around 270 bird species can be identified in North Rhine-Westphalia . Among the most common bird species in North Rhine-Westphalia there are many of the numerous smaller songbirds in Central Europe. A census carried out in 2010 identified the most common bird species in North Rhine-Westphalia. The 40 most common species are (in order of frequency of observation): blackbird , house sparrow , great tit , blue tit , common swift , magpie , wood pigeon , chaffinch , green finch , jackdaw , starling , robin , house martin , carrion crow , brown swallow , turkey dove , mallard , black redstart , Wren , Schwanzmeise , Feldsperling , swallow , Jay , Gimpel , thrush , Bachstelze , road Taube , Zilpzalp , Mönchsgrasmücke , Stieglitz , Kleiber , Buntspecht , Graureiher , Buzzard , pheasant , Rook , Gartenrotschwanz , Grünspecht , Raven and tit .

The common buzzard is the most common local bird of prey . The largest birds of prey in North Rhine-Westphalia include the osprey , the red kite , which is now threatened with extinction in North Rhine-Westphalia . Other common birds of prey in the country include the kestrel , peregrine falcon , sparrowhawk and hawk . The North Rhine-Westphalian corvids are among the largest songbirds in the country , including the magpie , the carrion crow , the rook , the common raven , the jay and the jackdaw. Among the major species of owls in North Rhine-Westphalia include the barn owl , long-eared owl , forest and little owl and the owl ; most of these species of owls, except tawny owl and barn owl, are considered endangered. The long-eared owl, which is otherwise often found in Central Europe, is almost lost in North Rhine-Westphalia . Among the most common woodpecker in North Rhine-Westphalia include great spotted woodpecker , green woodpecker , black woodpecker , lesser spotted woodpecker , which in North Rhine-Westphalia endangered middle spotted woodpecker and the gray-headed woodpecker .

White storks are the largest native stork species. They are dependent on moist meadows and alluvial areas to look for food. Due to the extensive destruction of these habitats, North Rhine-Westphalia only offers a few habitats for their summer quarters. Smaller populations are mainly found in the Lower Rhine and Upper Weser Valley . The population focus of this endangered species in North Rhine-Westphalia is the Mindener Land . The black stork is the smaller and rarer species of stork in the country. It breeds mainly in the dense forests of the Eifel , Siegerland and Sauerland , as well as occasionally in the Weserbergland . Cormorants and gray herons have their home in the floodplains along the rivers and in the still waters of the country . Along the Rhine and Weser, seagulls advance from the coast far into the inland North Rhine-Westphalia and sometimes breed here, as the example of the herring gull shows. Probably the most colorful local birds also live in the waters: the kingfishers .

In autumn and winter, the Lower Rhine in particular, but also other grassland areas in the North Rhine-Westphalian lowlands, are resting and migration areas , and more rarely summer roosts for numerous wild geese , including Canada , Nile and gray geese . In the cultural landscapes of North Rhine-Westphalia, the partridge is also one of the largest native species. For some years now there have also been wood ducks and buffalo head ducks in North Rhine-Westphalia. Bird species that have been excellently adapted to urban habitats include the pigeon species , especially the ringed , Turkish and street pigeon . In the Ruhr area they were once held in large numbers by humans for the pigeon sport . The most well-known followers of civilization who are dependent on human development include swifts , kestrels and most of the swallow species in the country. The two most common species of swallow are the meal and barn swallow . These species, which breed in or on structures, are however less and less tolerated by people who close gate gates , wall niches and attics, church towers etc. or remove nests.

The best-known neozoa in North Rhine-Westphalia include swans , pheasants , Alexander and ring-necked parakeets . The parakeets are originally at home in warmer latitudes, but were able to develop stable populations in the warm regions of the southern Rhineland based on a few escaped specimens from cages.

Fish and round mouths

eel

pike

salmon

Naturally, pure freshwater fish are found almost exclusively in inland North Rhine-Westphalia . Around 52 species were found in North Rhine-Westphalia.

An important factor for the population size of the individual fish species is above all their suitability for fish farming and their popularity in fishing . Particularly popular species in the country's fish ponds are most species of trout , perch, and carp . These species, which are popular in breeding, are considered not endangered in aquaculture, along with some other species, even if they can sometimes occur very rarely in the wild and their populations are sometimes only secured through continuous stocking. Some of these food fish such as rainbow trout or grass carp and “common” carp are considered alien species . In the ponds and lakes as well as slowly flowing waters of the country, in addition to the ones listed above, the catfish is one of the large fish species. The running waters (partly also in breeding facilities) are home to other species, including the largest fish, the local trout species ( brown and rainbow trout, again more often sea trout ), eels , pike , barbel and salmon . In the Rhine, the pikeperch is the most common predatory fish . Like brown trout, salmon are a highly regarded indicator of the water quality in the country. After the water quality in the Rhine has improved significantly due to great efforts in water protection, hydraulic engineering demolition measures increased the passage of the rivers and young salmon was specifically released in the Rhine and its tributaries (see Salmon 2000 ), the salmon that once completely disappeared in North Rhine-Westphalia is now moving to spawn again in the upper reaches of the North Rhine-Westphalian rivers. The brown trout is an indicator of the ecological conditions of their natural habitat in the low mountain range of the country.

Amphibians

In North Rhine-Westphalia only about 19 amphibian species can be detected. Less than half of them are considered safe in their species in North Rhine-Westphalia. Traffic routes and the drainage of many wetlands threaten these species in a special way. Frog and toad species are mainly represented , including the common toads , pond and grass frogs . The group of native amphibians also includes the fire salamander and four types of newts such as pond and mountain newt .

Reptiles

The grass snake is the largest native species of snake. It becomes up to 120 centimeters long.

North Rhine-Westphalia is the habitat for ten reptile species . Many of these species are particularly threatened by the destruction of their habitats and, like all smaller animals living on the ground, acutely by road traffic. The common slow worm, for example, belongs to the group of reptiles . The local snake species adder , smooth snake and grass snake are considered threatened in North Rhine-Westphalia. In addition, the group of reptiles includes four types of lizards . The forest lizard is particularly common . The wall lizard is often found in the relatively warm southern Rhineland. The sand lizard is now limited to a few isolated occurrences in North Rhine-Westphalia. A population of the western green lizard has not been established with certainty.

In addition to the exposed, presumably incapable of reproductive and neozoan species of ear turtle species (especially the North American letter ear turtle ), there are no other secured turtle populations in North Rhine-Westphalia that are capable of reproducing in the local area . Evidence of the European pond turtle is rare and probably goes back to specimens released.

Others

See also:

Natural monuments

Externsteine

The most famous natural monuments include the Externsteine rock formations in the Eggegebirge, the Hanoverian cliffs on the Weser, the Bruchhauser stones in the Hochsauerland and the crouching woman near Ibbenbüren . Optically prominent mountain formations are the Siebengebirge and the Drachenfels located there at the entrance to the Middle Rhine Valley , which is one of the most striking mountains in the country. Another striking feature is the Porta Westfalica breakthrough in the Weser, which gives the Weser its influence in the North German Plain. The volcanic mountain Desenberg rises in the middle of the otherwise flat Warburg Börde . With a drop of around 20 meters, the Plästerlegge in the Sauerland is the highest waterfall in North Rhine-Westphalia. Alluvial spring cones are probably only found on the Paderborn plateau . Well-known and partly also culturally and historically significant caves are the Atta and Balver caves . The Atta cave is one of the largest and most beautiful stalactite caves in Germany. One of the oldest oak trees in Germany that counts Femeiche in the district of Borken . The Fürstenallee is one of the most beautiful avenues in North Rhine-Westphalia. The impressive "landscape forms", however created by human hands, certainly include the large opencast mining areas such as the Hambach opencast mine .

See: List of natural monuments in North Rhine-Westphalia

natural reserve

Ranger in the Eifel National Park

The Senne in Ostwestfalen-Lippe is one of the few heathlands in the state.

Overall, North Rhine-Westphalia is about 25 percent forested. This is only a slightly below average value in a national comparison. On the other hand, the share of settlement and traffic areas reaches peak values for a German land area. The peripheral regions of the state play an important role in nature conservation and local recreation for the residents, especially in the densely populated Rhine-Ruhr region. The structural change in the Ruhr area and environmental protection measures led overall to a strong improvement in air and water quality in the Rhine-Ruhr region. In total, North Rhine-Westphalia has a share in 14 nature parks , some of which also border one another. The largest of these parks is the Teutoburg Forest / Eggegebirge nature park in East Westphalia-Lippe . If you include cross-border areas, the Hohes Venn-Eifel nature park is the largest nature park in the country. The Eifel National Park was created in 2004 and is the country's first national park . The creation of a Senne-Egge National Park is being discussed . The establishment of a national park in the Siebengebirge has failed after a referendum in 2009. In addition, there are over 2,700 nature reserves in the country . Around 8 percent of the country's area (275,144 hectares ) is protected . This is the third largest proportion of all countries. The Natura 2000 areas include around 34,000 km² (around 8% of the land area). This is a relatively low figure in a national comparison. The establishment of so-called "wilderness forests" in North Rhine-Westphalia (see also: Wilderness development area ) is part of Natura2000 . As in the natural forest cells (1,575 ha) that have existed since the 1970s, no forestry may take place here; there is process protection . By designating 7,910 hectares of wilderness areas in 2013, the proportion of totally protected forest areas was increased considerably. This area is distributed over 109 wilderness forests. In addition, there are 544 hectares of wilderness area owned by the private nature conservation organization, Beautification Association for the Siebengebirge, and 3,975 hectares of the core zone of the Eifel National Park.

Species extinction and loss of land

The animal, fungus and plant species in North Rhine-Westphalia include over 43,000 different species . Around 45 percent of animal and plant species are endangered, threatened with extinction or already extinct. According to the “Red List NRW”, butterflies (55 percent), mosses (60 percent), reptiles (71 percent), birds (52 percent) and wild bees / wasps (52 percent) are at above-average risk. The causes include the overly intensive cultivation of agricultural land, the destruction and fragmentation of near-natural habitats and the progressive loss of land in NRW due to the development of around 10 hectares per day.

literature

Bruno P. Kremer, Wilhelm Meyer, Hermann Josef Roth: Nature in the Rhineland. North Rhine-Westphalia. Rhineland-Palatinate. Hessen . H. Stürtz, Würzburg 1989, ISBN 3-8003-0284-5 .
Andreas Schulte (Ed.): Forest in North Rhine-Westphalia . Two volumes, a total of 1082 p. Aschendorff, Münster 2003, ISBN 3-402-06481-2 .

Web links

Commons : Nature of North Rhine-Westphalia - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Website of the Ministry for the Environment and Nature Conservation, Agriculture and Consumer Protection of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia

State Office for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection North Rhine-Westphalia

State Office for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection North Rhine-Westphalia: Red lists of endangered plants and animals in North Rhine-Westphalia (with list of species)

Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe; Geographical Commission for Westphalia (Ed.): Westphalia Regional. Natural space.

Naturschutzbund Deutschland NABU: Animals and Plants

BUND regional association of North Rhine-Westphalia

Axel Steiner: Nature in NRW (species list) - natur-in-nrw.de

Floristic mapping NRW

Atlas of the mammals of North Rhine-Westphalia

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b Natur-in-nrw.de: Animal, plant and fungus species lists for the distribution area of North Rhine-Westphalia.

↑ ^a ^b Protection Association of German Forests. Landesverband NRW: Forest types in NRW.

^ Richard Pott: Potential natural vegetation in Westphalia. Regional Association Westphalia-Lippe (ed.).

↑ Herbert Hesmer & Fred-Günter Schroeder: Forest composition and forest treatment in the Lower Saxony lowlands west of the Weser and in the Munster Bay until the end of the 18th century. Forest historical contribution to the clarification of the natural composition of wood species and their artificial changes up to the early silviculture period. Decheniana, Supplement 11 (1963), 304 pp.

↑ ^a ^b Landesbetrieb Wald und Holz NRW: The forests of North Rhine-Westphalia at a glance. Results of the national forest inventory 2014. Brochure, 46 pages.

↑ Lutz Falkenried: Monitoring the vitality of the treetops 2009 . Brief report on: Landesbetrieb Wald und Holz NRW (Ed.): Forest status report 2009 (PDF; 1.6 MB).

↑ Karl-Heinz Otto: “You can trust red and brown, green and yellow, God help!” - over high moors in Westphalia. Regional Association Westphalia-Lippe (Ed.)

↑ Ingo Hetzel and Thomas Schmitt: My memory goes over the heath ... - heath areas in Westphalia. Regional Association Westphalia-Lippe (ed.).

↑ Natur-in-nrw.de: Mushroom lists (Fungi).

↑ ^a ^b ^c AG Mammal Studies in NRW: Atlas of the mammals of North Rhine-Westphalia.

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d Rüdiger Schröpfer, Reiner Feldmann a. Henning Vierhaus (ed.): The mammals of Westphalia. Published as issue 4, volume 46, treatises, Westfälisches Museum für Naturkunde, Münster 1984, ISBN 3-924590-04-4 . Pp. 9, 270, 269-270, 320-322, 326-327, 359-360.

↑ Naturschutzbund Deutschland e. V. (ed.); Ralf Schulte: Back on the dam. The beaver's comeback. ( Memento of the original from February 3, 2015 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.

↑ NRW Foundation: The beaver is spreading again in the Rhineland. The client from the brook.

^ AG Mammals in NRW: Atlas of the mammals of North Rhine-Westphalia: Dalbeck L (2015): Biber (Castor fiber).

^ AG Mammals in NRW: Atlas of the mammals of North Rhine-Westphalia: Kriegs JO (2015): Fischotter (Lutra lutra).

↑ Hessen: Lynx at home again, article by Diana Wetzestein in the FAZ from January 19, 2012.

↑ Bernd Pieper: In the realm of the little tiger. Wildcats and other attractions in the Eifel National Park. NABU magazine "Nature Conservation Today", year 2005, issue 4.

↑ The wolf returns to NRW . Article from January 23, 2015 in the portal rp-online.de, accessed on January 24, 2015.

↑ WDR.de: The wolf is back. ( Memento of March 7, 2010 in the Internet Archive )

^ AG Mammal Studies in North Rhine-Westphalia : Atlas of the mammals of North Rhine-Westphalia: Drinking M (2015): Wildcat (Felis silvestris).

↑ Natur-in-nrw.de: Mammals in NRW.

↑ Fledermausschutz.de: Our bats. Bats in North Rhine-Westphalia. ( Memento from June 29, 2012 in the Internet Archive )

↑ : Wisente-Rothaargebirge.de dismissed bison reintroduction into the enclosure ( Memento of 23 March 2011 at the Internet Archive )

^ NABU North Rhine-Westphalia: Species profiles.

↑ ^a ^b Natur-in-nrw.de: Bird species in NRW.

↑ ^a ^b Naturschutzbund Deutschland (Ed.): Results of the garden bird census 2010.

↑ Natur-in-nrw.de: White Stork.

↑ Natur-in-nrw.de: Black Stork.

↑ Naturschutzbund Deutschland (Ed.): Hunting.

↑ Natur-in-nrw.de: Fish (Pisces) in NRW.

^ ASV Dalbke: Fish species in NRW.

↑ Natur-in-nrw.de: Lurche (amphibians) in NRW.

↑ Herpetofauna-nrw.de: Part III.1 - The Reptiles: Lizards. Sand lizard (Lacerta agilis) ( Memento from January 3, 2005 in the Internet Archive )

↑ Herpetofauna-nrw.de: Part III.1 - The Reptiles: Lizards. Western green lizard (Lacerta bilineata) ( Memento from October 13, 2009 in the Internet Archive )

↑ Herpetofauna-nrw.de: The amphibians and reptiles in North Rhine-Westphalia - Part IV - Released species and neozoa - North American jewelry and ornamental turtles ( Memento from July 1, 2004 in the Internet Archive )

↑ Martin Schlüpmann, herpetofauna-nrw.de: The amphibians and reptiles in North Rhine-Westphalia - Part IV - Released species and neozoa - European pond turtle. ( Memento of the original from August 4, 2012 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. @1@ 2
↑ Natur-in-nrw.de: Reptiles (reptiles) in NRW.
↑ State-wide NSG statistics and statistics for the administrative districts at the State Office for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection in North Rhine-Westphalia (as of July 31, 2015)
↑ Federal Agency for Nature Conservation: Nature Reserves. ( Memento of the original from June 6, 2017 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. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.bfn.de
↑ State Office for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection North Rhine-Westphalia: Which protected areas form NATURA 2000 ( Memento of the original dated December 6, 2008 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. @1@ 2
↑ Federal Environment Agency: Environment Germany ( Memento of the original from January 7, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2
↑ Wilderness in North Rhine-Westphalia, Landesbetrieb Wald und Holz Nordrhein-Westfalen, accessed on February 3, 2015.
↑ LANUV NRW: Red List of Endangered Plants, Fungi and Animals in North Rhine-Westphalia, 4th version, accessed on February 18, 2016.

51.478333333333 7555Coordinates: 51 ° 29 ' N , 7 ° 33' E

[Tier-,_Pflanzen-_und_Pilz-Artenlisten-1] Natur-in-nrw.de: Animal, plant and fungus species lists for the distribution area of North Rhine-Westphalia.

[Waldtypen_in_NRW-2] Protection Association of German Forests. Landesverband NRW: Forest types in NRW.

[3] Richard Pott: Potential natural vegetation in Westphalia. Regional Association Westphalia-Lippe (ed.).

[4] Herbert Hesmer & Fred-Günter Schroeder: Forest composition and forest treatment in the Lower Saxony lowlands west of the Weser and in the Munster Bay until the end of the 18th century. Forest historical contribution to the clarification of the natural composition of wood species and their artificial changes up to the early silviculture period. Decheniana, Supplement 11 (1963), 304 pp.

[Waldinventur_2014-5] Landesbetrieb Wald und Holz NRW: The forests of North Rhine-Westphalia at a glance. Results of the national forest inventory 2014. Brochure, 46 pages.

[6] Lutz Falkenried: Monitoring the vitality of the treetops 2009 . Brief report on: Landesbetrieb Wald und Holz NRW (Ed.): Forest status report 2009 (PDF; 1.6 MB).

[7] Karl-Heinz Otto: “You can trust red and brown, green and yellow, God help!” - over high moors in Westphalia. Regional Association Westphalia-Lippe (Ed.)

[8] Ingo Hetzel and Thomas Schmitt: My memory goes over the heath ... - heath areas in Westphalia. Regional Association Westphalia-Lippe (ed.).

[9] Natur-in-nrw.de: Mushroom lists (Fungi).

[Atlas_der_Säugetiere_NRW-10] AG Mammal Studies in NRW: Atlas of the mammals of North Rhine-Westphalia.

[Säugetiere_Westfalens-11] Rüdiger Schröpfer, Reiner Feldmann a. Henning Vierhaus (ed.): The mammals of Westphalia. Published as issue 4, volume 46, treatises, Westfälisches Museum für Naturkunde, Münster 1984, ISBN 3-924590-04-4 . Pp. 9, 270, 269-270, 320-322, 326-327, 359-360.