Lechenstück nature reserve

The Lechenstück nature reserve is a 1.5 hectare nature reserve (NSG) west of the Grimminghausen district of the city of Plettenberg in the Märkisches Kreis in North Rhine-Westphalia . The NSG was designated in 1985 by the district council of the Märkisches Kreis with the landscape plan No. 1 (Plettenberg-Herscheid-Neuenrade) . The name was the nature reserve Schluchtwald "Lechenstück" west of the Grimminghausen district, town of Plettenberg . With the 2nd amendment to the landscape plan no. 1 (Plettenberg-Herscheid-Neuenrade), the NSG was designated again in 2012 and renamed the Lechenstück nature reserve . About 200 m further east of the Lechenstück nature reserve is the Vosloh nature reserve .

Area description

The NSG is a forest with a canyon forest tendency on a limestone lens with a historical limestone quarry on a slope. In the forest there are areas with beech trees, some of which have young mountain elm trees, and areas with a mixed maple and ash forest. There is a small rock complex of Middle Devonian limestone within a slope that is mainly planted with hardwoods. In the rock complex there is the limestone rock Lechenstück with an almost 15 m high and almost vertical wall to the north. There are also open natural blocks, rubble and scree slopes in the rock area. Typical ferns grow on the rock. At the foot of the rock there is a tall herbaceous meadow rich in nettles. The rocky biotope is surrounded by a mixed maple and ash forest, interspersed with old trees and small rocks covered with moss. In the environment of the rock complex isolated lime-loving plants comparatively rare species grow in the otherwise silicate rock influenced Sauerland . The single berry , which is rare in the Sauerland, can be found in the NSG .

Protection purpose

The nature reserve was designated for the preservation and development of a deciduous mixed forest on a limestone lens with a historical limestone quarry and as a habitat for rare and endangered animal and plant species. As with other nature reserves in Germany, the protection designation indicated that the area became a nature reserve “because of its scenic beauty and uniqueness”.

Under special prohibitions in the landscape plan was listed "the indigenous forest areas (mixed deciduous forest) for forest use".