Nature reserve on the Owl Church

Nature reserve on the Eulenkirche behind Canstein (see marking in the image viewing program)

The nature reserve Auf der Eulenkirche with a size of 6.18 ha is located south of Canstein in the urban area of Marsberg in the Hochsauerlandkreis . It was designated as a nature reserve (NSG) in 2008 with the Marsberg landscape plan .

description

Limestone forms the subsurface of the NSG . The NSG is located on an arched slope facing the Kleppe stream, facing north to west. The NSG comprises a strongly structured beech forest . In addition to European beech, only spruce and ash achieve significant proportions of the tree species composition. The spruce are in two larger plots. In the north of the area, the beech tree has a trunk diameter of over 50 cm. In the south, at the time of expulsion, the beeches were often only pole wood. The degree of coverage of the herb layer often reaches values around 80%. In the many gaps in the stand there is dense young tree growth, mainly ash. The northern half of the stock consists of a multi-layer structure. Standing and lying dead wood, even thick, is abundant. Broken trees and unfolded root plates reinforce the already troubled ground relief due to overgrown excavations and natural rock fragments. There are several larger rocks, they rise up to a maximum height of 8 m with some striking weathering forms. In many places, especially on the steeper slopes, the soil surface is heavily interspersed with stones.

The southern edge of the forest is badly disturbed, as the adjacent fields were plowed right up to the trees and the forest mantle was almost completely destroyed. On the edge of the settlement there are sometimes garbage deposits. A footpath leads along the bank of the Kleppe, otherwise only two narrow paths run through the existing building.

value

The database of the State Office for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection North Rhine-Westphalia writes about the NSG: "The extraordinary structural wealth and the abundant elements of near-natural beech forests make this area an excellent biotope for the preservation of the beech forest communities."