Buchenwald nature reserve near Wenningen

The Buchenwald nature reserve near Wenningen with a size of 4.2 hectares is located west of the Weiler Wenningen and southwest of the village of Oelinghauser Heide in the urban area of Arnsberg in the Hochsauerlandkreis . It was designated as a nature reserve (NSG) by the Hochsauerlandkreis in 1998 with the Arnsberg landscape plan.

Area description

The NSG is a red beech forest with orchids on a south and west exposed area. The NSG has a fairly well-developed shrub layer locally with elder and some holly. In other areas, however, the shrub layer is missing. The herb layer is partly formed by balsam or nettle. Elderberry and nettle stocks indicate areas of ruderalized-eutrophic conditions in the NSG. In other areas, the herb layer consists of woodruff or other forest species. The forest in the NSG is a transitional form between the grove and woodruff beech forest. There is locally lying dead wood in the protected area.

To the west of the NSG was a spruce forest that died in 2020. Otherwise the NSG is surrounded by grassland.

Protection purpose

The NSG is to protect the forest area with species inventory. As with all nature reserves in Germany, the protection designation indicated that the area was declared a nature reserve “because of the rarity, special character and beauty of the area”.