Zittau Mountains Nature Park

Zittau Mountains Nature Park
	Nuns rock
Location:	Saxony , Germany
Specialty:	Diversity in the smallest of spaces
Next city:	Zittau
Surface:	133 km²
Founding:	2008
Address:	Nature Park Association Zittauer Gebirge eV; Hauptstrasse 28 ; 02799 Großschönau OT Waltersdorf
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The Zittau Mountains Nature Park is located in the triangle between Germany , the Czech Republic and Poland in the Zittau Mountains of the same name . The area consists partly of the landscape protection areas "Zittauer Gebirge" and "Mandau Valley". It was founded in 2008 as the hundredth nature park in Germany.

Protection zones of the nature park

The nature park has an area of about 13,337 hectares. That is 0.7 percent of the area of the Free State of Saxony . The nature park is divided into three protection zones:

Protection zone I with 1,207 hectares (9.05%) includes areas with particularly valuable natural features, such as the nature reserves " Lausche ", " Jonsdorfer Felsenstadt " and the following other areas:

Eichgraben wetland,
Tapping,
Pochebach Valley,
Jonsberg,
East waste Ameisenberg,
Little potter, Felsengasse
Shingle holes, badger holes, Hainberg,
Northeast waste high forest,
Owl stones, fox pulpit

Roschertal, Gampenstein, Spitzberg,

Schülertal,

South corridor Seifhennersdorf,

Landwasser between B96 and Mandau.

Protection zone II with 7,518 hectares (56.37%) includes the landscape protection areas “ Zittauer Gebirge ” and “ Mandau Valley ”. In addition to the agricultural and forestry use, these should serve for nature-friendly recreation.

Protection zone III (infrastructure and development zone) with 4,612 hectares (34.58%) includes the settlement areas and their adjacent areas. It serves a landscape-compatible settlement and commercial development, as well as the development of sustainable tourism.

fauna

The rich structure of the landscape with a wide variety of habitats creates ideal living conditions and hidden retreats for many animal and plant species.

More than 40 species of mammals have been observed in the area so far. These include nature conservation significant species such as otter ( Lutra lutra ), lynx ( Lynx lynx ), greater mouse-eared ( Myotis myotis ), Barbastelle ( Barbastella barbastellus ) Pond bat ( Myotis dasycneme ) and Lesser Horseshoe Bat ( Rhinolophus hipposideros ), which in the Annex II of the Habitats Directive includes "animal and plant species of Community interest" for which special protection areas are to be designated. Furthermore, a number of the mammal species listed in Appendix IV of the FFH-RL have been detected in the area. These include Northern bat ( Eptesicus nilssonii ) Serotine Eptesicus serotinus, Daubenton's bat Myotis daubentonii, whiskered bat ( Myotis mystacinus ), Natterer's bat ( Myotis Natteri ) Noctule ( Nyctalus noctula ), Common Pipistrelle ( Pipistrellus pipistrellus ), brown long-eared ( Plecotus auritus ) and hazel dormouse ( Muscardinus avellanarius ). The relic occurrence of the Alpine shrew ( Sorex alpinus ) on the Lausche summit deserves special attention . It is the only known occurrence of the species in Saxony. In the old beech forests around the summit of the Lausche, the highest mountain in the Zittau Mountains at 793 m above sea level, this small mammal, which actually only occurs in high alpine areas, has been observed repeatedly. However, there are other occurrences in the Czech part of the mountains, which belongs to the same natural area.

More than 100 species of birds breed in the area. Notable types include:

for the forest and rocky areas: the species of Annex I of the EU Birds Directive eagle owl ( Bubo bubo ), peregrine falcon ( Falco peregrinus ), rough owl ( Aegolius funereus ) and black woodpecker ( Dryocopus martius ),
for grassland areas: Corncrake Crex crex (as a species in Annex I of the EU Birds Directive), lapwing ( Vanellus vanellus ) and whinchat ( Saxicola rubetra ),
for the fallow land in the vicinity of the former Olbersdorf opencast mine: stonechat ( Saxicola torquata ),
for hedgerows: Red-backed Shrike ( Lanius collurio ) and barred warbler ( Sylvia nisoria ) (as species listed in Annex I of the EU Birds Directive) and Dunnock ( Prunella modularis )
for the waters: Marsh harrier ( Circus aeruginosus ), kingfisher ( Alcedo atthis ) (both species in Annex I of the EU Birds Directive) and dipper ( Cinclus cinclus ).

In particular, the heavily weathered sandstone formations with the pronounced longitudinal bands offer ideal nesting and hiding places for the eagle owl. This and the abundant food supply in the foothills mean that there has been a small but stable uhu population in the Zittau Mountains for many years.

Of the fish species that occur in the area, the mud whip ( Misgurnus fossilis ) (species in Annex II of the Habitats Directive) is particularly worth mentioning. 9 amphibian species live in the nature park including endangered species such as crested newt ( Triturus cristatus ) (species in Annex II of the Habitats Directive) and tree frog ( Hyla arborea ), small water frog ( Pelophylax lessonae ) and common spadefoot ( Pelobates fuscus ) (all three species in Annex IV of the FFH-RL). There are also 6 species of reptiles. The occurrence of the smooth snake ( Coronella austriaca ) (species of Annex IV of the Habitats Directive) and adder ( Vipera berus ) is particularly noteworthy .

The diversity of invertebrate species is almost unmanageable. As are remarkable, among other things dragonfly species Nordic leuccorhinia ( Leucorrhinia rubicunda ), rare beetle species such as the Great Oak Bock ( Cerambyx cerdo ) (species in Annex II of the FFH-RL) and the Rostbeinige spot Bock ( Evodinus clathratus ), lepidoptera such as the Dark burnet-Large Blues ( Glaucopsyche nausithous ) (species in Annex II of the Habitats Directive) and the occurrence of the common river mussel ( Unio crassus ) (species in Annex II of the Habitats Directive) in the Mandau. Comparable to the flora, the high altitudes of the mountains are home to a number of invertebrates that are bound to cool, humid habitats in Saxony. Representative are:

the "giant collembola " Tetrodontophora bielanensis the largest known collembola species,
the earthworm species Eisenia lucens which was first detected in 2001 on the Lausche in Germany,
the alpine planarie ( Crenobia alpina ) is a type of planaria that is strictly bound to clean, year-round cool and oxygen-rich streams, which still occurs in some spring streams in the mountains.

flora

In the area of the Zittau Mountains Nature Park, species from various flora regions come together. Due to the relatively continental climate, subcontinental species predominate in the foothills. In the cooler and more humid Zittau Mountains, on the other hand, in addition to the subcontinental species that are also represented here, there are also numerous subatlantic species such as rib fern ( Blechnum spicant ) and opposed spleen herb ( Chrysosplenium oppositifolium ). A special feature is the occurrence of the gametophytes of the magnificent thin fern ( Trichomanes speciosum ) (type of Annex II of the FFH-RL), a climatic relict from an Atlantic climatic period, which has its only Saxon location outside of Saxon Switzerland. As in neighboring Saxon Switzerland, the cool, humid climate of the gorges in the sandstone areas offers these species opportunities to live. However, the effect is less pronounced and a number of Atlantic and sub-Atlantic species that still occur in Saxon Switzerland are therefore missing in the area. The higher altitudes of the mountains are characterized by the occurrence of species that all prefer cool and humid climates but have their distribution focus in different flora areas.

This includes:

Prealpidic species: Species with their main distribution in the deciduous and coniferous forests of the European high mountains

(z. B. White Butterbur ( Petasites albus ), arnica ( Arnica montana ) and Cardamine enneaphyllos Crantz ( Cardamine enneapyllos ))

Nordic pre-alpine species: Species with their main distribution in the boreal birch and conifer forests as well as the deciduous and coniferous forests of the European high mountains

(e.g. different-leaved thistle ( Cirsium heterophyllum ))

Nordic-Atlantic species: Species with their main distribution in the coastal boreal forest areas

(e.g. Alpine witchweed ( Circaea alpina ), pine bear moss ( Huperzia selago ))

Arctic-Nordic species: Species with a distribution focus in the tundra areas and the boreal forest areas

(e.g. seven star ( Trientalis europaea ))

Eurasian and Eurasian-Atlantic species: Species of the Eurasian deciduous forest zone

(e.g. whorl white root ( Polygonatum verticillatum ), St. Christopher's herb ( Actaea spicata ))

In contrast to the sandstone gorges and high altitudes of the Zittauer Mountains, plants are particularly common on the basalt and phonolite peaks of the foreland, the main areas of which are more likely to be in the south and east of Europe. This includes:

Subcontinental and Eurasian-continental species: Species with a distribution focus in the deciduous forests of Eastern and Central Europe

(e.g. horn-quail wheat ( Melampyrum nemorosum ), Prussian laser herb ( Laserpitium prutenicum ), cracked strawberry ( Fragaria viridis ))

Sub-Mediterranean-Eurasian species: Species with a main distribution in the deciduous forests of Eastern and Central Europe and the northern edge of the Mediterranean area

(e.g. common sickle carrot ( Falcaria vulgaris ))

Eastern pre-alpine species: Species with a distribution focus in the deciduous and coniferous forest zone of the eastern Alpine region and the Carpathian Mountains

(e.g. stemless silver thistle ( Carlina acaulis ssp. acaulis ))

carrier

The Zittau Mountains Nature Park is sponsored by the Zittauer Mountains Nature Park. The cities and municipalities have shares in the nature park: Zittau , Seifhennersdorf , Bertsdorf-Hörnitz , Großschönau , Hainewalde , Jonsdorf health resort , Oybin , Leutersdorf , Mittelherwigsdorf and Olbersdorf .

literature

Planning office Krüger & Jedzig (2007): Appreciation of the [planned] nature park “Zittauer Gebirge”, unpublished.

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