Reichenbacher Kalkberge

Reichenbacher Kalkberge IUCN Category IV - Habitat / Species Management Area
View from the west of the Kindelberg.
location	Reichenbach , town of Hessisch Lichtenau in the Werra-Meißner district in Hesse .
surface	150.25 hectares
Identifier	1636031
WDPA ID	165129
Natura 2000 ID	4824-301
FFH area	383.47 hectares
Geographical location	51 ° 10 '  N , 9 ° 46'  E Coordinates: 51 ° 10 '5 "  N , 9 ° 45' 42"  E
Sea level	from 370  m to 524  m
Setup date	NSG 1996 / FFH area 2008
particularities	Special protection as a nature reserve , Natura 2000 area and in the area of ​​the Reichenbach ruins as a natural forest reserve.

The Reichenbacher Kalkberge are an area with a diverse landscape structure and vegetation and with biotopes worth protecting in the north Hessian Werra-Meißner district . The nature conservation significance is mainly due to the near-natural beech forests and limestone grasslands , which have become the habitat of rare and endangered plant and animal species. Because of their biodiversity, the limestone mountains were declared a nature reserve and Natura 2000 area. A natural forest reserve in the area of ​​the Reichenbach ruins has been designated within the protected area.

Geographical location

The "Reichenbacher Kalkberge" are located in the districts of Hopfelde and Reichenbach in the city of Hessisch Lichtenau in the Werra-Meißner district. The Weißbachtal divides the area into an eastern and a western part. The larger part, with the hilltop ruins Reichenbach ( 523  m ) and Großer Rohrberg ( 496  m ), is located northwest of Reichenbach. The smaller part with the Kindelberg ( 524  m ) is located northeast of Reichenbach. Both sub-areas have steep, mostly wooded slopes, mainly made of limestone from the Middle and Upper Muschelkalks . Upper Buntsandstein follows in the lower elevations . Due to their rarity, the limestone slopes are considered important from a geoscientific point of view.

The limestone mountains belong to the " Geo-Naturpark Frau-Holle-Land ". As the northern foothills of the low mountain range of the Stölzinger Mountains , they are naturally allocated to the "Hessisch-Lichtenau Basin" in the " Fulda-Werra-Bergland ", which is part of the main unit group " Osthessisches Bergland ".

Nature reserve

With an ordinance of December 10, 1996 by the regional council in Kassel as the higher nature conservation authority , the forest areas between Hopfelde and Reichenbach and their neighboring area were declared a nature reserve under the name of "Reichenbacher Kalkberge". The purpose of the protection was to secure the species-rich deciduous forests in the long term and to allow the natural development in them with its own dynamism, in order to increase the proportion of dead wood as a habitat for cave-nesters and insects. The rare limestone grasslands and swamps in the area should also be protected by the same ordinance and the adjacent grassland converted into species-rich meadows and pastures and developed further. The protected area has a size of 150.25 hectares, has the national identifier 1636031 and the WDPA code 165129.

Natura 2000 area

In a notification procedure that was completed in 2004, the “Reichenbacher Kalkberge” were reported to the European Union by the Hessian nature conservation administration for the transnational network of protected areas “Natura 2000” in accordance with the requirements of the European Birds Directive and the Fauna-Flora-Habitat Directive . In addition to area management and the associated monitoring , the EU requested a formal declaration of protection. With the "Ordinance on Natura 2000 areas in Hesse" in January 2008, the conservation objectives and area boundaries were legally secured at state level. The FFH area with the number 4824-301 has, due to an extension to the areas around Hellkopf in the west and Mittelberg, Silberküppel and Sommerberg in the northeast, an area enlarged to 383.47 hectares compared to the nature reserve.

Habitat types and FFH species

As part of the obligation to report to the EU Commission, the FFH area was examined on behalf of the regional council in Kassel. The collection of basic data, the final processing of which was completed in March 2009, shows a high proportion of habitats and species worthy of protection. In the area of ​​the “Reichenbacher Kalkberge” there are habitat types as well as animal and plant species that are considered to be “of community interest” according to Appendices I and II of the Fauna-Flora-Habitat Directive and “designated special protected areas in the Natura 2000 network for their conservation should be " . Five habitat types were classified as priority (*) , which means that they are threatened with disappearing and for which there is a special responsibility for their conservation.

Of the 11 different habitat types (LRT, see also the list of FFH habitat types ), the “ woodruff beech forest ” (LRT 9130) forms the core of the protected area with 164.9 hectares. Other habitat types of forests are of the "Central European Orchid lime Buchenwald " (LRT 9150), the " wood-rush-Buchenwald " (LRT 9110), the " flooded forests " (LRT 91E0 *) and the " ravine and slope mixed forests " (LRT 9180 *). They are represented with significantly smaller proportions of area. The open land is shaped on 22.76 hectares by the “lean lowland hay meadows” (LRT 6510) and the “natural lime dry grassland” (LRT 6210) including the priority “orchid-rich lime grassland” (LRT 6210 *). Forest and open land are interlinked and add value to the FFH area. With a "Kalktuffquelle" (LRT 7220 *) and a "Calcareous rubble dump" (LRT 8160 *), there are two habitat types which, due to their rarity and despite their small size, attract special attention. In a small area there is still a “natural eutrophic lake” (LRT 3150) and a “lime-rich low moor” (LRT 7230).

According to the results of the collection of basic data, the species listed in Appendix II in the protected area include lady 's slipper , dark blue ant blue and lynx . The area serves as a hunting habitat for the Bechstein bat and the great mouse- eared bat. Another eight species of bats and wild cats to be protected , the limestone mountains offer suitable territories.

As valuable species by the birds directive were Neuntöter , gray and black woodpecker detected. Also suitable black stork , red kite , Dove and woodcock before.

nature

The area's vegetation is characterized by a series of biotopes that are worth protecting. It is made up of limestone grasslands, beech forests, spring meadows, wet meadows and lowland hay meadows, which were largely created by earlier forms of human land use . In ancient forest sites still traces of the traditional are coppicing recognizable that was once the predominant Waldbewirtschaftungsart for firewood. Like the poor grasslands created under the influence of extensive pasture use, the forest areas are considered from a cultural-historical point of view as significant remnants of a cultural landscape that has become rare due to the intensification of agriculture and the change in forestry.

Limestone grasslands

View from Kindelberg in north-westerly direction to the Großer Rohrberg.

The poor grasslands on the "Kindelberg" and the "Großer Rohrberg" were created by or were shaped by earlier types of cultivation. The partly steep, dry and shallow slopes were unsuitable for arable farming and were used for grazing by sheep and goats . Through the use as a trift pasture , semi-dry grasslands have developed over the course of time , which in terms of vegetation are assigned to the “gentian-schiller grass lawn ”. This plant formation is considered to be one of the most species-rich, to whose conditions a whole range of animals and plants have adapted and conquered as a habitat.

With the fundamental change in agriculture, traditional sheep farming ended in the 1920s. On some areas that were once grazed by the flock of sheep from the Reichenbach-based church estate, pine forest is now growing. Characteristic species such as stemless thistle , German gentian , fringed gentian , quivering grass , thorny crocodile , golden thistle and tuberous buttercup grow on the poor grasslands of the Kindelberg and the Großer Rohrberg, which are still relatively large . The occurrence of the endangered species cat paws , cruciferous flowers and the large number of anemones on the Kindelberg are considered to be of importance.

What is remarkable is the large abundance of orchids on the grasslands. Brown-red Stendelwurz , Mosquito-Haendelwurz , Large Two-Leaf , Bees-Ragwurz , Fly-Ragwurz , stately orchid and helmet-orchid occur on some areas . In the transition to the forest, the white forest bird and the avian bird appear. The occurrence of pale orchid in the sparse pine forest on the Rohrberg is of supraregional importance .

A diverse butterfly fauna populates the lawns. The species were mapped during the investigations for the protection assessment in 2002 and 2003. Among them, the rare and endangered were comma , Kronwicken- and spialia sertorius , Golden Eight , dark green fritillary , Satyrium Spini and small blue . Round-eyed Moors , Graubindiger Moors and Brauner Feuermalter have been observed in the edge of the woods . The rams were represented by six species. The two grasshopper species that occur in the area, the red-winged snare shrimp and the black-spotted grasshopper , which are protected as endangered species on the “Red List”, are of faunal importance .

The existing rough lawns are remnants of the once widespread biotope type. With the abandonment of grazing, the areas that were left to their own devices became increasingly covered with bushes , including reforestation. With de-bushing measures and extensive grazing with sheep, an attempt is made to preserve the character of the poor lawn in the future.

Woods

The protected area consists for the most part of extensive, structurally rich, different forest areas, some of which are protected as a natural forest reserve and more extensive as an FFH area. The most common type of forest in the limestone mountains is the woodruff beech forest, with the red beech as the dominant tree species. The vegetation of the herb layer is sparsely developed in most areas from early summer due to the predominantly dense canopy. It is particularly rich in spring, when plants such as wood anemones , wild garlic , hollow and fingered lark's spur bloom early in the year. When the leaves of the trees shoot, they end their aboveground life and survive underground.

The model for the Reichenbach forest area are natural forests that have a high proportion of old and dead wood and provide a basis for life for all typical animal and plant species. Some of the forests are already being used by near-natural forest management or have been subject to process protection. In addition to the natural forest reserve around the Reichenbach ruins, which has been designated as a total reserve according to the Bannwaldverordnung , there are areas on the Großer Rohrberg, Sommerberg and Iberg that are no longer managed as "non-regular forest". Furthermore, there are forest areas in which, due to the poor quality and vigor of the trees or for other reasons, no more wood has been removed for a long time. This applies to the private forest on the Sommerberg and Iberg. After the basic data has been recorded, a very differentiated usage pattern emerges, which is not only determined by the growth potential, but also shaped by the ownership structure.

Other biotopes

To the north, adjacent to the protected area, lignite has been mined in the area of ​​the Kuhkoppe since the 17th century , which decisively changed the landscape there and shaped the lake and the overburden areas that are now green . The small lake in the reserve contributes to the diversity of the biotopes. On one day in June 2003, as a chance observation during habitat mapping, several dragonfly species were found, including the great shell eye , which is considered endangered in Hesse. The shores of the lake are lined in some areas by vegetation which, in addition to black alders, is mainly formed by tall perennials such as the swamp cranesbill and the real meadowsweet .

Meadow in May on the southern castle hill.

The grassland area of ​​around 14 hectares in the protected area belongs to the habitat “Lean flatland hay meadows” in accordance with the Habitats Directive. The emphasis on "lean" here means that the longstanding, traditional smallholder use has made the sites poor in nutrients. Because of their low yields, such meadows have become rare in Germany due to the intensification of agriculture, with fertilization, earlier and more frequent mowing. In terms of plant sociology, the areas in the area of ​​the “Reichenbacher Kalkberge” are assigned to the “Glatthaferwiesen” association. As the classic flower meadows, they were once the most productive type of meadow and were therefore also referred to as fat meadows .

The upper layer of the stands consists of upper grasses , which include the meadow foxtail , the meadow ball of grass and the meadow fescue , in addition to the oat that gives it its name . The middle class is particularly rich in species with conspicuous flowering plants such as common yarrow , meadow knapweed , meadow pippau , field scabious , daisy , sharp buttercup and others.

Reichenbach ruins natural forest reserve

The former keep of the castle is used as a lookout tower.

Wild garlic blossom on Burgberg in the natural forest reserve.

The natural forest reserve lies within the nature reserve and is now one of 31 that are spread across the whole of Hesse. They are intensively researched in order to gain insights into the natural growth processes. The natural forest reserves, the establishment of which was decided in 1988, should cover a wide range of different forest communities, altitudes, soils, rocks and regional climatic conditions. In Hessen they consist of two complexes: a total reserve and a comparison area. These should be next to each other and as similar as possible. While there are no more interventions in the total reserve and the development is only carefully monitored, the comparison area continues to be cultivated. The reserve around the Reichenbach ruins has a size of 66.6 hectares and consists of the unused total reserve with 37.8 hectares and a 28.8 hectare near-natural comparative area. The execution of the botanical, zoological and forest structural investigations is coordinated by the Northwest German Forest Research Institute from its locations in Göttingen and Hann. Münden .

The area around the ruins is characterized by a middle-aged and older beech forest rich in deciduous trees. The most common deciduous trees include ash , sycamore maple and norway maple . In the gaps, the stands are tapering, especially with ash and sycamore maple. Geologically, the area of ​​the natural forest reserve is in the area of ​​influence of the large European fracture zone , which leads from the Mediterranean to Norway. Muschelkalk and Keuper were able to survive in these ditch zones . Otherwise there is shell limestone on the steeply sloping slopes. Upper red sandstone can be found in small areas in the south-western area and in a northern section also Lower Keuper. The ash-maple ravine forest on the soaky, block-covered northern slope below the castle ruins and the wild garlic that occurs throughout the area are considered to be significant in terms of vegetation .

The ruins of Reichenbach Castle as a local recreation destination and observation tower give the area a special charm, but are considered problematic in terms of process protection . Despite the great importance as an untouched reserve for forest research and nature conservation, those responsible try to find compromises between the protection goal and the interests of those seeking relaxation.

Tourist development

The Kalkberge are a heavily frequented hiking area, which alternates between forest and field and meadow landscapes and several viewpoints. At the “Drei Linden” car park at the northern entrance to Reichenbach, there are display boards that provide information about the nature reserve.

The limestone mountains can be climbed on several hiking trails.

• The premium hiking trail P10 Reichenbach runs with a length of around 13 km as a circular route through parts of the protected area.

The long-distance hiking trails that cross the protected area and overlap here on the same route include:

• "Hessenweg 8" of the Hesse Hiking Association. It runs with a length of 176 km from Korbach in the Waldecker Land to Wanfried in the Werratal .
• The 326 km long " Barbarossaweg X8" which connects the Kyffhäuser with numerous towns, monasteries and castles that Emperor Friedrich I. Barbarossa visited during his reign in the 12th century.
• Art hiking trail “ Ars Natura ”, which with its open-air gallery wants to combine relaxation through hiking and an intense artistic experience in the “gallery space nature”, as well as
• the " Elisabethpfad 2", a 193 km long path from Eisenach to Marburg and which is also a "Jakobspilger path"

literature

• Lothar and Sieglinde Nitsche, Marcus Schmidt: Nature reserves in Hessen. Volume 3, cognitio Verlag, Niedenstein 2005, ISBN 3-932583-13-2 .
• Natural forest reserves in Hessen, an overview . Publisher: Hessian Ministry for State Development, Housing, Agriculture, Forests and Nature Conservation - Communications of the Hessian State Forest Administration, Volume 24, Wiesbaden 1991, ISBN 3-89051-111-2 .
• BÖF - Office for Applied Ecology and Forest Planning: Basic data acquisition for FFH area No. 4824-301 “Reichenbacher Kalkberge”. Prepared on behalf of the Kassel Regional Council, Kassel, September 2008, final processing: March 2009.

Web links

Commons : Reichenbacher Kalkberge  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Classification of natural areas according to Otto Klausing in the Hessen Environmental Atlas at atlas.umwelt.hessen.de ; Retrieved March 23, 1919.
2. ^ Ordinance on the "Reichenbacher Kalkberge" nature reserve of December 10, 1996 in the State Gazette for the State of Hesse, issue 1/1997 of January 6, 1997, p. 36 f.
3. ^ "Reichenbacher Kalkberge" nature reserve in the world database on protected areas; accessed on March 15, 2019.
4. ^ Ordinance on the Natura 2000 areas in Hesse of January 16, 2008, in the Law and Ordinance Gazette for the State of Hesse, Part I, No. 4, of March 7, 2008.
5. ^ FFH area “Reichenbacher Kalkberge” in the world database on protected areas; accessed on March 15, 2019.
6. ↑ Information on areas and species of the Fauna-Flora-Habitat Directive; accessed on March 16, 2019.
7. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Basic data acquisition for the FFH area "Reichenbacher Kalkberge"
8. ↑ Profile of FFH area 4824-301 "Reichenbacher Kalkberge" on the website of the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN); accessed on March 16, 2019.
9. ↑ Natural forest reserves in Hesse, an overview. Published by: Hessian Ministry for Regional Development, Housing, Agriculture, Forests and Nature Conservation - Announcements from the Hessian Forest Administration, Volume 24.
10. ^ Lothar and Sieglinde Nitsche, Marcus Schmidt: Nature reserves in Hessen. Volume 3, 2005, p. 86 f.
11. ↑ Map and information on the P10 Premium Trail on the website of the Frau-Holle-Land Geo-Nature Park; accessed on March 23, 2019.
12. ↑ Information on art on the hiking trail on the Ars Natura website; accessed on March 23, 2019.
13. ^ Elisabethpfad 2 from Eisenach to Marburg on the website of Elisabethpfad eV; accessed on March 23, 2019.