Nature reserve Kahler Asten (Winterberg)

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View from the Kahler Asten
Sheep in the heather on Kahler Asten with a tower of branches in the background
Heathland on the Kahler Asten

The nature reserve Kahler Asten (Winterberg) is a 48.6 ha large nature reserve (NSG) on the Rothaargebirge located Kahler Asten . It is located in the urban area of Winterberg west of the Winterberger core town in the North Rhine-Westphalian Hochsauerlandkreis .

Geographical location

The nature reserve Kahler Asten (Winterberg) is located in the Sauerland-Rothaargebirge nature park on the high elevations of the Kahler Asten near the summit. Its western border is the border town of Winterberg Schmallenberg, and in the nature reserve located near the western border of the Lenne source . The nature reserve Kahler Asten (Schmallenberg) and Upper Lennetal (Schmallenberg) border the Schmallenberg urban area .

history

The NSG was designated for the first time by the Arnsberg district government in 1965 as a NSG and again in the landscape plan Winterberg Plateau 1983 with a size of 36  hectares . In 2008 it was designated as an NSG for the third time by the Hochsauerlandkreis in the Winterberg landscape plan . The NSG area was enlarged to today's size.

In 2006, the State of North Rhine-Westphalia designated the FFH area Kahler Asten (FFH No. 4816-303; 53 ha). This FFH area also includes the two partial areas, the northern slope and the Sahnehang , of the 4.64 hectare nature reserve of the Kahler Asten ski area . The latter was designated in 2008 as a type C landscape protection area , meadow valleys and significant extensive grassland. On the ski slopes, the use as a ski slope has led to the establishment of poor grass with transitions to dwarf shrub heather. According to the landscape plan, a designation as a nature reserve was waived because of the decades of winter sports use, although the area contains protected biotopes according to § 30 BNatSchG .

description

The summit of the Kahler Asten is covered by a dwarf shrub heather. It is sometimes referred to as high heather because it was believed to be a relic of the past Ice Age for a while. Hardly any trees grow on the heather, as emerging tree seedlings are bitten by sheep grazing. In some areas, however, natural reforestation is already well advanced due to insufficient grazing. In order to maintain the landscape, manual maintenance interventions are necessary again and again. The vegetation consists mainly of heather ( Calluna vulgaris ), bristle grass ( Nardus stricta ) and dwarf shrubs , including blueberries ( Vaccinium sp. ) And gorse ( Genista see left).

The meadow pipit and tree pipit breed on the heath . The black grouse that used to be found here has disappeared for many years.

Protective measures

Since 1987 the heather areas in the NSG have been grazed by the Bigger Josefsheim of the Josefs-Gesellschaft with heather sheep , a special breed of sheep from the Lüneburg Heath , and goats. Young trees and shrubs were from landscape maintenance squad of the Biological Station Hochsauerlandkreis with chainsaws and brushcutters vice saws. Some areas were pounded by machine in order to regenerate the heather and to prevent further grassing.

The number of visitors to the Kahler Asten is estimated to be more than a million per year. In addition to visitors who arrive by car, many hikers come on foot. There are more than 20 hiking trails, including the European long-distance hiking trail E1 , the Rothaarsteig with four access routes, the Sauerland-Höhenflug , the Hochsauerlandkammweg , the Rothaarkammweg and the Hanseweg , all of which lead over the mountain. In order to reduce the burden on the nature reserve, these paths were merged into the circular path on the Kahler Asten and the two access paths to the tower. In addition to these official trails, there are a variety of trails in the heather. The Biological Station Hochsauerlandkreis counted eight kilometers paths 2011 per square kilometer on the hilltop. A trail concept was developed by the Biological Station, the Lower Landscape Authority of the Hochsauerlandkreis, the Sauerland Mountain Association, the Rothaarsteig Association and other stakeholders. Among other things, obstacles on paths should guide visitors.

Protection purpose

The designation as a nature reserve was made because of the heather and the species inventory there. As with all nature reserves in Germany, the protection designation pointed out that the area became a nature reserve “because of the rarity, special character and beauty of the area”.

See also

literature

  • Hochsauerlandkreis - Lower Landscape Authority: Landscape plan Winterberg (PDF; 1.4 MB). Meschede 2008, pp. 100, 119-120 and 137.

Web links

Commons : Kahler Asten nature reserve  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Office for state maintenance of the Westphalia-Lippe Regional Association on behalf of the Hochsauerlandkreis (ed.): Landscape plan Winterberger Hochfläche, Meschede 1983, pp. 73-74.
  2. ↑ Ulrich Lange: "Problemberg" Kahler Asten , Sauerland 2012 45/1, pp. 16-20

Coordinates: 51 ° 10 ′ 48.8 "  N , 8 ° 29 ′ 13.4"  E