Nice mountain nature reserve

Nice mountain nature reserve IUCN Category IV - Habitat / Species Management Area
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location	North Rhine-Westphalia , Germany
surface	23.47 ha
Identifier	UN-004
WDPA ID	164781
Geographical location	51 ° 41 ′  N , 7 ° 29 ′  E Coordinates: 51 ° 40 ′ 43 "  N , 7 ° 29 ′ 28"  E
Sea level	from 68 m to 100 m ( ø 84 m)
Setup date	1981

The Netteberge nature reserve is located in the town of Selm in the Netteberge peasantry in the Unna district in North Rhine-Westphalia . The approximately 23.5 hectare area was placed under nature protection in 1981 under the code number UN-004.

Area description

The Netteberge nature reserve in the south-east of the municipality of Selm is a biotope complex that was essentially created from the former use as a sand pit . Located in the transition area from Cappenberger heights to the lowland area of ​​the brook east of Selm-Beifang, it overcomes an altitude difference of around 40 meters.

After the end of mining in the 1970s, most of the formerly open pit sites are forested. Hedge structures, streams and two grassland blocks further subdivide the area. Primarily fed by pressure water from slopes, some small bodies of water worth protecting and willow swamp forests rich in dead wood occupy the former excavation floor. In the less heavily wetted edge and embankment areas, these mainly merge into birch forests with a dense blackberry and nettle undergrowth. The sinks are drained by three smaller streams, some of which are close to nature. A number of now heavily silted up small bodies of water and former fish ponds with typical vegetation line the streams. An older beech forest grows around the headwaters and headwaters of the southern brook, which are in notched valleys.

Since parts of the former sand pit, in particular the embankment areas, were defined with various afforestations, the poor grasslands that are characteristic of the sand sites and deserve protection are currently scarce and are at great risk from encroachment and the penetration of neophytes . Uncovered by the earlier sand mining activities, sand-lime stone strips and blocks can be found in the NSG as geologically remarkable outcrops. The grasslands are used extensively as pasture or meadow. They are partially enriched with old fruit trees and young replanting and small bodies of water.

The anthropogenic resulting open special location sandpit is taken today, except for a few remaining areas of different surface often natural forest types. The open sand locations occupy a special position as a refuge for psammophilic organisms , as comparable habitats can only be found at a considerable distance. In this sense, they are also essential as biotope-linking structures.

Within the intensively agriculturally used area, the forests and linear woody elements of the Netteberge are in direct spatial connection with other nature reserves in the area of ​​the North Lippian heights and thus also represent important elements in the regional biotope network . Large parts of the nature reserve are forested. Those areas that have already had a wood succession that has lasted about 40 years still offer a chance for undisturbed natural development processes.

Protection goals and measures

The conversion of forest communities that are currently not appropriate to the location, especially in afforestation areas outside the former, more humid pit floors, should be sought in the long term. Against the background of the dangers of islanding, one of the main development goals is to keep open and enlarge open grasslands, which can then offer a small-scale and close interlinking with forest locations and from dry and warm to moist habitats.

In this context, a further expansion of grassland is also aimed at in the long term. Extensive pasture management can be expedient here. Preservation and optimization of the still and especially the flowing waters create the opportunity of networking from low to hilltop in a small space for amphibious and aquatic organisms.

See also

• List of nature reserves in the Unna district

Web links

• Nature reserve "Netteberge" (UN-004) in the specialist information system of the State Office for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection in North Rhine-Westphalia