Ostenberg nature reserve

Entrance area of the Ostenberg Cave

The Ostenberg nature reserve with a size of 21.07 hectares is located south of Bestwig . The area was designated as a nature reserve (NSG) by the Hochsauerlandkreis in 2008 with the Bestwig landscape plan. Since 2004, the area has been one of ten sub-areas of the Fauna-Flora-Habitat Area (FFH) caves and tunnels near Bestwig and Olsberg (Natura 2000 No. DE-4616-304) in the European system of protected areas according to Natura 2000. The NSG belongs mainly to the FFH area.

Area description

The NSG is the southern and southern slopes of the 566 m high east mountain with beech and red spruce forest . In the east of the NSG, the western part of a former quarry belongs to the NSG. The entrance to the Ostenberg Cave is in the quarry . The cave has a total passage length of 622 meters and extends over several floors. Their location above the valley level is unusually high. During quarry work, the Ostenberg Cave was cut on the uppermost level in the Bestwig quarry. It was discovered in 1991. It serves as a wintering quarters for the great mouse-eared bat and the pond bat.

Protection purpose

The NSG is supposed to protect the forest area with the Ostenberg cave and its species inventory.

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”.

literature

Hochsauerlandkreis - Lower Landscape Authority (ed.): Landschaftsplan Bestwig , Meschede 2008, pp. 21–26 and 30.
R. Oelze (1995): Investigations on Speleothems of the Ostenberg Cave near Bestwig . Speleological Yearbook 1994, pp. 38-43.