East Frisian Seas

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View over the bird sanctuary. In front the Hieve (Little Sea), further back the Big Sea.

Ostfriesische Meere is a European bird sanctuary designated by ordinance of June 2001 (protected area identifier DE 2509-401). It is located in the Aurich district and in the area of ​​the city of Emden in Lower Saxony .

Description of the area

The protected area is a 59.22 square kilometer lowland area in the Emsmarschen and East Frisian Geest natural area with mostly drained marshland and the oceans that give it its name, the Great Sea , Loppersumer Sea and Small Sea . It has a "close ecological relationship with the neighboring bird sanctuaries" Krummhörn, Westermarsch, Rheiderland and Emsmarsch and is also the project area of ​​the LIFE + Nature project "Wiesenvögel". The FFH area 004 “Großes Meer, Loppersumer Meer” and partly also the FFH area 183 “Teichfledermaus-Wäss in the Aurich area” are part of the protected area. The Aurich district and the city of Emden are responsible for the area as lower nature conservation authorities.

It consists of two spatially separated parts northeast of Emden. The southern part, which was designated as a Special Protection Area as early as 1983, is located immediately north of the Ems-Jade Canal between Emden and Georgsheil and extends as far as the vicinity of the federal highway 210 . With the designation as a European bird sanctuary in June 2001, another area was added. This lies on both sides of the Abelitz-Moordorf Canal north of the federal road and the railway line that accompanies it. The settlement areas are excluded from the bird sanctuary. The eponymous seas are three shallow inland lakes, which are characterized by large swamp and silting areas with extensive reed beds. The adjacent lowland is mainly used as intensive grassland. It is partially below sea level and has to be drained using pumping stations. The areas are intensively cultivated, and higher areas are also used as arable land.

Protection purpose

General protection purposes are the "preservation of the open grassland and the promotion of extensive grassland management", the "promotion of the extensification of ditch maintenance in the grassland", the "restoration of the most natural water levels possible (improved water retention, winter flooding)", the "preservation of the extensive reed and reed areas" , the “reduction of disturbances of value-determining species, for example through leisure and recreational use or hunting” as well as the “waiver of the construction of structures with disruptive effects”.

history

The core area of ​​the "East Frisian Seas" was designated as a Special Protection Area (SPA) in 1983 in accordance with Article 4 of the EU Birds Directive (79/409 / EEC). With the designation as a European bird sanctuary, the area was expanded in June 2001 to include areas north of the federal highway.

Flora and fauna

With its extensive belts of reeds and reed beds, the silting zones and the adjacent (wet) grasslands with whistle grass meadows, the protected area is an important resting and wintering area for numerous bird species. The flora is characterized by wet and wet bushes, reeds and typical grassland plants.

Live as breeding birds snipe , skylark , lapwing , Harrier , Northern Shoveler , Marsh Harrier , sedge warbler , short-eared owl , black-tailed godwit , White-spotted Bluethroat , white stork and Harrier in the area. The black goose , golden plover , gray goose and barnacle goose are guest birds . The species mentioned were decisive in the selection of the area according to Art. 4 (Paragraphs 1 and 2) of the Birds Directive . In addition, were Spotted Crake , Common Tern , grebes , mute swan , shelduck , Schnatter - Krick -, floor -, Knäk - and tufted duck , water rail , oystercatchers , curlew , redshank , sand martin , Whinchat , wheatear , Savi and rook in the area of East Frisian seas sighted. They are also listed in Annex I of the EU Birds Directive as bird species for whose protection special measures must be taken.

The shore zones of the East Frisian Seas serve reed-dwelling species such as marsh harrier, reed warbler and bluethroat, as well as duck species that rely on shallow water zones, such as the shoveler, as a breeding area. Lapwing, snipe and black godwit breed in the meadows of the adjacent wet grassland. In addition, the lowland is an important feeding area for white storks and Montagu's harriers that breed in the area, and in some years also a breeding area for hen harriers and short-eared owls.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c East Frisian Seas. Retrieved July 2, 2020 .
  2. ↑ a b c d EU bird sanctuary V09 East Frisian Seas | Nds. State agency for water management, coastal and nature conservation. Retrieved July 2, 2020 .
  3. ↑ a b c d Project Great Sea. Retrieved July 2, 2020 .
  4. ^ BfN: ID 155 - Ostfriesische Meere, NI. Retrieved July 2, 2020 .
  5. ↑ Matthias Bergmann and Axel Heinze: The Upstalsboom - landscape and symbol of Frisian freedom . Upstalsboom-Verlag, Aurich 2020, ISBN 978-3-00-065354-4 , p. 12 .

Coordinates: 53 ° 24 '24 "  N , 7 ° 17' 44.7"  E