Rhaden near Obersuhl and Bosserode

	Rhaden near Obersuhl and Bosserode IUCN Category IV - Habitat / Species Management Area
	View of the southwest area of the reserve. In the background the " Monte Kali ", the spoil dump from the potash mining near Heringen .
location	In the districts of Obersuhl and Bosserode of the Wildeck community in the Hersfeld-Rotenburg district in northeast Hesse
surface	120.4 hectares
Identifier	1632001
WDPA ID	165150
Natura 2000 ID	5026-350
FFH area	122.44 hectares
Geographical location	50 ° 56 ' N , 10 ° 1' E Coordinates: 50 ° 56 '28 " N , 10 ° 0' 32" E
Sea level	from 215 m to 222 m
Setup date	NSG 1973, FFH area 2008
particularities	Special protection as a nature reserve , flora-fauna-habitat area and part of a European bird sanctuary .

The Rhäden near Obersuhl and Bosserode lies in a depression in the Werra valley in the Hessian - Thuringian border region. Leaching of potash salts from the Zechstein , which emerged from marine sediments , and tectonic processes have led to a gradual sagging of the subsurface. The former swampy landscape was drained from the middle of the 19th century and worked until the post-war period . With the expansion of the GDR border systems , the drainage system fell into disrepair , which led to the abandonment of agricultural use. In the 1970s, conservationists began work on returning the Rhädens to a wet biotope in order to secure an adequate habitat for the threatened plant and animal species. After the recultivation was completed , a floodplain landscape was created (again) in which strongly protected species such as crested newt , bitterling and dark blue ant blue find a refuge . Above all, however, the Rhäden is of supraregional importance as a breeding , feeding and resting area for bird species .

In order to preserve and secure the area with its wide range of wetland habitats, the area was declared a nature reserve in 1973 and later anchored as a flora-fauna-habitat area in the Europe-wide network of protected areas " Natura 2000 ". After the opening of the border , the former " GDR " community of Dankmarshausen joined the concept of a uniform, cross-border nature reserve and the ecological extension of the reserve followed with the " Dankmarshäuser Rhäden " on the Thuringian side. The project is seen as the realization of one of the first all-German protection projects . The focus here and there is bird protection as well as the protection of the plants, amphibians and dragonflies that occur here .

location

The protected area occupies the south-western part of the Rhädensenke and belongs administratively to the districts of Obersuhl and Bosserode of the municipality of Wildeck in the north-east Hessian district of Hersfeld-Rotenburg . The Thuringian part of the Rhädens in the municipality of Dankmarshausen, a district of the city of Werra-Suhl-Tal in the Wartburg district, is immediately adjacent . With the elimination of the inner-German border fortifications and the designation of the “Dankmarshäuser Rhäden” nature reserve, the geographic and biological unity of the Rhäden area was secured in the extensive protected area network of wetlands in the Middle Werra valley that has existed since then.

The protected area, located at an altitude of between 215 m and 222 m , is traversed by the Suhl , a small stream that has been diverted and partially straightened several times in the course of historical development. The Suhl, also called "Rhedengraben" in its lower reaches, is the main tributary of the Weihe , which flows into the Werra as a left tributary at Untersuhl . The floodplain area is only separated from the Werra by a one to two kilometer wide threshold. In terms of nature , the Rhädensenke is assigned to the " Berka Basin " in the main unit of the " Salzunger Werrabergland " of the " Osthessischer Bergland ".

climate

Compared to the mountainous surrounding area, the Werra Valley is considered to be relatively warm. However, it can also have lower temperatures in winter. Since the lower valleys often have a higher level of soil moisture, they usually remain colder than drier areas due to greater evaporation. In autumn and winter, the accumulation of cold air can lead to the formation of cold air lakes in these depressions , with increased early and late frosts and a higher number of foggy days. Due to the eastern location, a weak subcontinental influence is already noticeable here, which is characterized by stronger temperature fluctuations due to the season.

Geology and soil

From a geological point of view, the area around the Rhäden lies in the north-eastern part of the geological structural area "Osthessische Buntsandstein-Scholle". From the Permian , a time unit of the ancient world , this area belonged to the Central European Basin, which was formerly also called the “ Germanic Basin ”, a subsidence zone extending from northern Germany and Poland . With the beginning of the Zechstein Age , which followed the rock unit of the Rotliegend and as Upper Permian concluded the ancient era, the sea penetrated into the depression coming from the north .

In the epoch of the Zechstein Age, shallow depressions repeatedly formed through tectonic uplift and subsidence processes, which blocked the marginal seas from the open ocean. In the hot and dry climate that prevailed in the region at that time, the sea water evaporated quickly under the strong sunlight and high temperatures. When the water evaporated, the salty substances dissolved in the water precipitated and deposited on the sea floor as a transgression conglomerate . Then, however, the sea level rose again, new, salty water flowed into the hollow and the renewed evaporation resulted in further deposits. This sequence of evaporation, depositing and water influx was repeated at least four times in what is now Central Germany.

When the sea water evaporated, the substances precipitated in the order of their solubility. First the carbonates and the sulfates . Then the rock salt, which dominates in terms of quantity, and finally the accompanying potassium and magnesium salts . The rock salt layers are several hundred meters thick, the potash salts , on the other hand, only reach seam thicknesses of three to eight meters and gained great economic importance in the Werra potash district with mining development since the 19th century .

The residues covered dust and sand and layers of rock were formed, initially with sandstones as well as clay and siltstones of the red sandstone. This was followed by other layers of the Triassic, such as Muschelkalk and Keuper . The sediments of the Jurassic and possibly also the Cretaceous , of unknown thickness , have been removed for a long time. The salt layers below subsided over many millions of years.

During the so-called Saxon mountainous formation in the higher Mesozoic era , deep fissures arose in the fault zones , through which surface water could reach the salt deposits at fault lines. A considerable amount of the salt was dissolved and carried underground. The dissolution processes caused a loss of substance in the subsoil, which was compensated for by the sagging of the unstable clods of the overburden, which had become unstable. The valley of the Rhädens was created in this geological era .

During the Quaternary period , around eight hundred thousand years ago, the depression was filled with loose sediments such as clay , rubble and gravel that settled from streams and rivers. They are covered by organic substances of varying thickness. During earthworks at various points in the Rhäden, at depths of up to two meters, blue-gray clay , gravel, sand and layers of peat a decimeter thick were also uncovered . As far as could be seen from the outcrops, the strength and distribution of the individual materials were very variable.

Origin of the area

The western entrance to the reserve.

During the Pleistocene era, an extensive land lake, which can be interpreted as the sediment left behind , had an outflow to the west and was connected to the river system of the Fulda , in the wheel valley created by the leaching processes of the mighty salt deposits of the Zechstein . From prehistoric relics, it is believed that this lake existed three thousand to five hundred years before the turn of the ages. The numerous finds, of cremation graves with urns, remains of settlements and utensils, bear witness to early settlements on the lake . The Rhädensee, which is rich in fish, and the proximity to the Werra, which also provides food, were probably decisive for the settlement of people in the Bronze Age and the Pre-Roman Iron Age .

In the Middle Ages silted up the lake, the bog formation began a swamp with sedge meadows originated. At this time there was still said to have been open water areas, which were bordered by moor areas and meadows. According to contemporary descriptions, there was a layer of moss in these areas, "under which there was cloudy, muddy water". In 1859 administrative officials and local councils of the communities of Dankmarshausen, Obersuhl and Bosserode decided to drain the Rhäden, which was carried out a year later. After the drainage, an attempt was made to use the areas of the Rhäden as arable land and to obtain hay and green fodder for the cavalry in nearby locations. Around 1900 the fields were only used for extensive grassland farming. After the Second World War , the Rhäden lost its importance for agriculture. With the expansion of the GDR barriers, the drainage system fell into disrepair and processing was given up. Interest in grassland use, due to the conversion of agricultural production, also died out; the last harvest of hay and crook is said to have been brought in in 1968. The areas fell fallow and were partially reforested with hybrid poplars . Herbal meadows spread over large areas, which were dominated by the heavily overgrown tansy .

Renaturation

The observation station at the Schleusengraben allows a wide view over the Rhedengraben and Oberen Suhlsee to the southeast.

In 1970, the Obersuhl bird protection group, which was founded in 1964, submitted an initial application to the municipality board for the designation of a nature reserve in order to develop habitats for rare species with the potential of the Rhäden. During this time, plans by the state forest administration became known to use the floodplain area as a larch breeding facility . The nature conservation representatives prevailed with their arguments and achieved that the Rhäden could be designated as a nature reserve in 1973.

The return of the Rhädens to a natural floodplain area began in the 1970s. Targeted creation of wetland biotopes should ensure that the plant and animal species that are threatened in their existence have an appropriate area around them. In Hesse it could have been the first attempt to regenerate a largely drained wetland by overflow. In a series of fifteen construction phases, areas of the Rhäden were redesigned through ongoing work. The relatively slow expansion, step-by-step, over more than ten years was seen in retrospect as advantageous, because every new measure could be coordinated with the experience of the previous work. During the entire construction period, the work was in the hands of the bird protection group, which still looks after the area today. Her vision of resettling storks in Rhäden and offering resting places for migrating birds has meanwhile been fulfilled thanks to her remarkable commitment.

It is true that the border systems of the GDR prevented a comprehensive restoration of all wet areas, until 1990 the steel mesh fence, control strips and column path ran through the middle of the streets. But with the endeavor to develop as different water complexes as possible, diverse pond systems were created in the Hessian part. With a controllable flow of water, it was now possible to simulate the very pronounced fluctuations in the water levels in the Werraaue, which are caused by frequent flooding. As settlement areas for plants and animals, flat bank zones and long bank lines emerged, bank reeds dominated by reed grass and shallow water zones with floating leaf plants . A high dam with a ruderal character and gravel banks was heaped up and islands of wood with willow and alder bushes were created. The wet grassland areas could develop into relatively dry, extensively used meadows as well as periodically flooded wet meadows with stocks of sedge, rush and cattail. A well-developed path and inexpensive observation options should prevent visitors from penetrating the sensitive areas. The redesign of the Rhäden is seen as an example of “how a lot can be achieved through courageous and persistent efforts by individuals”.

nature

In the course of its history, after being drained, used in various ways and later abandoned through restoration measures, it has developed again into a floodplain landscape with a structured habitat mosaic. The nature conservation value of the area is justified less with the diversity and characteristics of its habitats than with its supraregional importance for bird protection.

Birds in the wheel

View from the "Rhäden-Rundweg" near Dankmarshausen to the north: The winter population of gray geese in the protected area.

Well over two hundred different birds have been observed in the reserve. A list on the homepage of the Wildeck group for nature conservation and ornithology names the species that have been seen in the Rhäden since 1971. Around fifty of them belong to the bird species listed in Appendix I of the Birds Directive , for which, according to the European Birds Directive , the establishment of special protection areas is intended. They are species that are viewed as threatened with extinction due to low populations, small distribution areas or their special habitat requirements. To protect them, the Birds Directive was created in the 1970s from the knowledge that wild birds are to be seen as a common heritage of the member states of the European Union and that effective protection is only possible across borders. The currently valid version came into force on February 15, 2010.

The outstanding importance of the Rhäden as a breeding area for rare ground-nesters and as a resting area for migratory birds is shown by a list of the bird species detected in the "Basic data acquisition for monitoring and management" for the flora-fauna habitat area. However, some of them have not been seen for many years. The species listed in Appendix I of the Birds Directive and considered particularly in need of protection include:

From the order of the wading birds : bittern and bittern , night , silky , silver and purple heron , white and black stork and spoonbill .
From the group of goose birds : Whooper swan , barnacle goose and dwarf hawk .
Of the birds of prey : osprey , honey buzzard , black and red kite , white-tailed eagle , reed harrier , corn harrier and meadow harrier , merlin and peregrine falcon .
Crane birds : Above the Rhäden, cranes can regularly be observed on their migration to winter quarters in autumn. A “resting place tradition” has evidently developed here since the mid-1990s. In the past few years between two and five hundred of them stayed here for several weeks.

Spotted mullet from the common railing family .
From the order of the waders , also called Limikolen: avocets , golden plover , ruff , common woodcock , wood sandpiper and the Odin's grouse .
Of the terns : the laughing , predatory , river , coastal , little , whiskered and black tern .
From the order of the owls : eagle owl and short-eared owl .
kingfisher
From the species-rich family of woodpeckers : gray , black and medium woodpecker .
Of the passerines , the largest with more than five thousand species of birds order: Woodlark , Tawny Pipit , flycatchers , Bluethroat , Red-backed Shrike , Lesser Gray Shrike and Ortolan .
The bound water loons : star , splendor and ice divers were rather exceptions.

Also noteworthy are the species that use the Rhäden as breeding birds and are regarded as threatened with extinction, endangered or endangered according to the hazard categories of the “ Red List of Hesse's Birds ”. They include gadfly , teal , kinkle , shovel and pochard , reed warbler , partridge , brown and stonechat , little grebes and great crested grebes , tree falcons , water rail , small woodpeckers , redstart and common owls .

As a resting area for migrants, the Rhäden is of national importance. Together with the neighboring nature reserves, it is a vital “ stepping stone ” in the Werraaue train corridor . Many threatened and endangered wading, water and meadow bird species refresh their energy reserves here every year during migration. Some of them stay in the area as annual and summer guests.

Wet and wet meadow areas such as the Rhäden, with reed beds , mud flats and bodies of water, are now among the rare habitats in Germany. Due to intensive land use, drainage by lowering the groundwater level and the effects of sports and leisure activities, the numerous migrants lack ideal living areas. In the “Red List of Endangered Biotope Types”, the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation has listed wet grassland with various levels of risk, as well as many of the plant and animal species that occur there. The increasing loss of suitable resting and wintering places can endanger the long-term survival of many species of migratory bird: The stages to be overcome are getting bigger and the remaining resting areas usually do not allow undisturbed feeding. Energy losses affect further migration and even the success of breeding. With regard to the fulfillment of the Bonn Convention for the Protection of Migratory Species, which obliges the contracting states to take measures for worldwide protection, the conservationists consider it urgently necessary to secure the network of the remaining food-rich areas with an appropriate area size and measures to prevent disturbances.

Long-distance migrants in particular, such as the northern and eastern European as well as the western Asian waders, which invade the Rhäden after an average daily distance of one hundred and fifty to two hundred kilometers, are dependent on rest areas with little disruption. Birds such as wigeon , bean goose , green thighs , miniature snipe and others need the nutrient-rich area as a “fat filling station” in order to replenish used energy reserves or to create more. Plover and snipe benefit from the nutrient-rich muddy areas and the predator-proof, shallow water areas as sleeping places in the Rhäden.

Amphibians

Several amphibian species find their characteristic living area in the Rhäden. Common toads , common frogs and pond newts , which have been able to build up large populations here , are common . According to the “ Red List ” of Hesse, they belong to the species whose numbers have noticeably decreased, but which are currently not yet endangered. The green frog has one of its most important occurrences in the protected area in Hesse. At least 10,000 individuals are said to live here. The individual forms of the green frog complex are not always easy to distinguish. According to the current state of knowledge, there are sea frogs and small water frogs as well as a hybrid form of pond frogs , which emerged from crossings of both species. The small population of great crested newt from the order of the salamander is considered to be worth giving. The largest domestic newt species is listed in Annex IV of the Habitats Directive and is strictly protected under the Federal Nature Conservation Act. Also like the natterjack toads and tree frogs classified as “rare” in the “Red List” risk analysis .

Butterflies and grasshoppers

In the amphibious biotopes, which shape the rhythms in a special way, the blooming purple loosestrife is one of the valuable nectar donors for bees and butterflies.

Among the butterflies, the population of the dark blue butterfly is one of the most valuable occurrences in Rhäden. It is one of those butterflies that are so critically endangered that they are likely to become extinct if the destruction of their habitats continues. Since it is endangered throughout Europe and is considered a key species , it is listed as particularly worthy of protection in the Fauna-Flora-Habitat Directive. Special protected areas must be designated for its conservation. In its complex development cycle , the blue-green depends on the existence of populations of the Great Wiesenknopf and a sufficient number of nests of host ants , which can still be found comparatively often on the meadows of Rhäden.

In addition to the blue ant, among the butterflies seen in the protected area, the brown fire butterfly belongs to a species endangered according to the “Red List” of Hesse. Due to intensive use, the sorrel , which serves its caterpillars as a forage plant, has declined in the meadows .

The grasshopper fauna of the meadows does not have many special features. Two rare and endangered species can only find a suitable habitat in the humid locations: the marsh insect and the marsh grasshopper .

fishes

Among the fish, the bitterling is a species listed in Annex IV of the Habitats Directive. Due to its way of life, depending on the simultaneous occurrence of certain mussel species, it has become an endangered fish species in some regions of Central Europe and has died out almost unnoticed in many waters in the last few decades. The small carp fish needs stagnant waters with a high abundance of plants and sandy-muddy subsoil, which are populated by river and pond mussels . The mussels, for their part, need sufficient oxygen concentrations close to the ground.

The fish communities that have colonized the designed flowing and still waters in a natural way include the three-spined stickleback , Moderlieschen , eel , gudgeon and perch . Apart from the stock of tench in the Großer Suhlsee, according to the basic data collection from 2002, the native fish species are only represented in comparatively small numbers, so that their long-term survival is not ensured.

Biotopes

Currently around 30% of the area of the nature reserve consists of high forest in the forestry sense, 5% are arable land and around 20% are subject to grassland use. The remaining 45% is taken up by water bodies, reed beds and sedge beds, bushes and fallow land.

"Natural and near-natural nutrient-rich still waters"

The habitat type that is considered relevant according to the Fauna-Flora-Habitat Directive includes three bodies of water in the southeast of the area: “Großer Suhlsee”, “Paulsteich” and “Froschweiher”. They all have a shallow depth of only up to one meter and are not used. Their water levels are seasonally regulated in such a way that open mud areas are available for migrating limicolas in summer and autumn . A higher water level is aimed for in winter and spring for resting water birds. The banks are partly flat and irregularly curved, partly steep and straight. The silting zones are considered to be well developed. In some areas of the body of water there are occurrences of sea can , yellow pond rose and milfoil . A big problem for the water bodies whose water supply is guaranteed by the Suhlbach is the siltation, which is aggravated by the nutrient pollution of the Suhlbach. The "Große Suhlsee" is now being ecologically renovated across countries. The state of Hesse provided funds for a so-called summer summer . The water is drained off in part of the lake, the mud dries and is reduced as a result. From a nature conservation point of view, the value of water bodies lies less in the provision of plant species, but rather in their function as resting, feeding and breeding habitats for numerous bird species and as an amphibian habitat.

"Lean flatland hay meadows"

The biotope type protected by the Habitats Directive is assigned to the smooth oat meadows in the protected area because of the characteristic tall grasses . In addition to the dominant upper grasses meadow foxtail and woolly honeygrass, there are also lower grasses such as red fescue and common stalk grass . The colorful species include the herbaceous plants of yarrow , meadow bellflower , marguerite , rough dandelion , spicy buttercup and germander speedwell . As indicators of leanness, the stocks of the nodule saxifrage and the field grove . The meadows are habitat for many species of butterflies and grasshoppers. It is particularly worth mentioning that the Great Wiesenknopf, the caterpillar forage plant of the blue ant, grows on all surfaces.

Rhadenwald

Alley of trees along the Rhädenwald.

Hybrid poplars were planted in large numbers in the northern part of Rhäden from the mid-1950s. These emerged from crosses between the Canadian and European black poplar and have spread widely because of their rapid growth and woody properties. They were later planted under with native tree species. There are also spruce afforestations on a smaller scale. The long-term goal for the forest area of the Rhäden, which has developed from planting and natural regeneration, is the conversion of the still existing non-natural forest areas into a site-appropriate break forest .

According to a decision by the community council of Wildeck, the poplar forest, which is part of the community property, is to be “rebuilt” in stages over the next few years. As compensation measures for planned industrial and residential areas, the approximately 51 hectare area will then no longer be cultivated. Forest use will be given up, with the exception of a twenty meter wide safety strip along the surrounding paths. With the dismantling of drainage ditches, permanent wet biotopes are to be created, which domestic amphibians can offer spawning waters and breeding islands for birds.

In the summer of 2005, Naturefund bought 6.5 hectares of swamp forest and around 1.5 hectares of the adjacent wet meadows with a pond in this area. Naturefund is a non-profit nature conservation association based in Wiesbaden , founded in 2003, with the aim of buying land for nature conservation projects. With the help of numerous donors who had taken on sponsorship , the area on the Hessian side but belonging to a municipality in Thuringia could be acquired. This area, near the former German-German border, was not used for years and had developed into a natural retreat for numerous species. One of the largest gray heron colonies in Hesse has settled here . The new owner was the NABU group for nature conservation and ornithology Wildeck, which also took care of the care.

Further biotopes and contact biotopes

In addition to the habitat types that are significant according to the Fauna-Flora-Habitat Directive, there are other biotopes that are regarded as valuable. Großseggenriede have spread along the numerous smaller abandoned excavation waters , in which slender , swamp , fox and bladder sedge thrive. Broad-leaved cattails and narrow reeds of reed cane grow in the bank areas of the waters as well as in the numerous ditches that run through the area . The east bank of the Great Suhlsee is lined with woody banks with broken willows and black alders . Southwest of the water body can be found marshes with different fallow stages and reed beds, with the namengebendem reeds as was educational nature.

To the east, south and southwest, the area is flanked by the former border strip of the German-German border . On this, ruderal fields have spread in the southwestern part of the area , while the southern and eastern parts are used as grassland. Large parceled fields connect to the border strip to the southwest and east, and to the south the “Dankmarshäuser Rhäden”, with wet grassland and shallow still waters. In the north and northeast, intensively used grassland and arable land border the protected area and further south several former excavation waters, some of which are now used as fish ponds.

Protected position

Nature reserve

Meadows characterized by wetness, like here in Rhäden, are now among the rare habitats in Germany.

With an ordinance of October 4, 1973 of the higher nature conservation authority at the regional council in Kassel , 48.8 hectares of the "Rhädens" were entered in the state nature conservation book and thus placed under the protection of the Reich Nature Conservation Act of 1935, which was still in force at the time . Renewed expulsions followed in July 1985 for an area enlarged to around 112 hectares and in December 1992 for an area of around 120 hectares. The purpose of the protection was to secure, maintain and develop the diverse wetland biotope with its “supra-regional importance as a habitat for numerous, sometimes very rare and endangered species of birds and amphibians”. The same ordinance should also protect the existing wet plant communities and alluvial forests typical of the site . The protected area has the national identifier 1632001 and the WDPA code 165150.

Flora-fauna habitat area

Within the framework of the Flora-Fauna-Habitat Directive, the state of Hesse reported the Rhäden to the EU Commission for the transnational network of special protected areas Natura 2000 . Natura 2000 aims to promote biological diversity and to preserve or restore a favorable condition of natural biotopes. The habitat types (LRT for short) of the "Rhädens" worthy of protection, which are of community interest and for the conservation of which special protection areas must be designated, include "Lean flatland hay meadows" (LRT 6510) and "Natural and near-natural, nutrient-rich still waters with spawning herbs - or frog-bite societies ”(LRT 3150).

The occurrence of the crested newt, the bitterling as well as the dark blue-buttoned ants was also decisive for the designation to the FFH area. According to Annex II of the Habitats Directive, they are severely endangered and strictly protected species for which special protected areas must also be designated. Legal protection took place in January 2008 with the "Ordinance on Natura 2000 areas in Hesse". The FFH area, which with 122.44 hectares is roughly the same size and boundaries as the nature reserve, has the area number 5026-350 and the WDPA code 555520383.

EU bird sanctuary

In the approximately 540 hectare European bird sanctuary "Rhäden von Obersuhl and Auen an der Werra", the Hessian Rhäden with the nature reserves " Rohrlache von Heringen " and "Obersuhler Aue" and the FFH area "Werraaue von Herleshausen" are one of four sub-areas . The area contains wetlands, open water areas, reed beds, large sedge reeds, willow bushes, wet fallow land, grassland and near-natural meadow meadow landscapes. Salt marshes occur in a sub-area. The floodplains are an important resting and wintering area for water, wading and wading birds throughout Hesse and also as a nationally important breeding area for white storks, flukes, bluethroats and other species in Appendix I of the Birds Directive. The approximately 540 hectare bird sanctuary has the area number 5026-402 and the WDPA code 555537602.

Adjacent protected areas

Because the Rhäden extends over two federal states , it is protected by two nature reserves despite its geographical and biological unity and also belongs to two different FFH areas and two different bird sanctuaries. With the neighboring Thuringian nature reserves " Werraaue bei Berka and Untersuhl ", " Alte Werra " and " Rohrlache between Dippach and Dankmarshausen " as well as the nearby Hessian nature reserves "Obersuhler Aue", " Säulingssee bei Kleinensee " and " Rohrlache von Heringen ", which also run through Water areas and wetlands are shaped, this landscape area forms an important stepping stone in the Natura 2000 network of protected areas.

These areas are considered to be an important sub-area in the biotope network of the “ Green Belt ”. The major nature conservation project , which was declared a national natural monument by the decision of the Thuringian state parliament on November 9, 2018 , connects numerous rare habitats along the former inner-German border. As part of the national natural heritage, the Green Belt is one of the most valuable protected areas in Germany and is intended to contribute to the preservation of biological diversity in the country and in the region.

Tourist development

Information board in the reserve.

The Rhäden is regarded as one of the most important bird watching areas in Hesse and Thuringia and has developed into a popular local recreation destination. With a length of around eight kilometers, the "Rhäden-Rundweg" leads around the core area of the transnational protected area. Four covered observation stands enable a good view of the areas without affecting the birds, which are sensitive to disturbance. In the observation stands, display boards provide information about the special features of the Rhäden. The nature conservation information center in Obersuhl, near the Blumenstein School, offers further information with exhibitions, films and slide shows. A route map and a flyer are available as PDF files from the Wildeck group's website for nature conservation and ornithology.

literature

Lothar and Sieglinde Nitsche, Marcus Schmidt: Nature reserves in Hessen, protect-experience-maintain. Volume 3, Werra-Meißner district and Hersfeld-Rotenburg district . cognitio Verlag, Niedenstein 2005, ISBN 3-932583-13-2 .

Holm Wenzel, Werner Westhus, Frank Fritzlar, Rainer Haupt and Walter Hiekel: The nature reserves of Thuringia . Weissdorn-Verlag, Jena 2012, ISBN 978-3-936055-66-5 .

Willy Bauer, Walter Gräf, Kurt Grebe and Götz Krapf: The development of the “Rhäden von Obersuhl” nature reserve . In: Vogel und Umwelt, magazine for ornithology and nature conservation in Hessen. Publisher: The Hessian Minister for State Development, Environment, Agriculture and Forests, Supreme Nature Conservation Authority . tape 2 , issue 1, May 1982, p. 15th f .

Bioplan Marburg: Basic data acquisition for the FFH area "Rhäden bei Obersuhl and Bosserode" . Client: Kassel Regional Council, Marburg 2002.

Uta Hillesheim-Kimmel, Helmut Karafiat and others: The nature reserves in Hessen . 2nd Edition. Editor: The Hessian Minister for Agriculture and Environment. Supreme Nature Conservation Authority, Darmstadt 1978.

Web links

Commons : Rhäden nature reserve near Obersuhl and Bosserode - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b ^c Sieglinde and Lothar Nitsche: Nature reserves in the Hersfeld-Rotenburg district. In nature reserves in Hessen, protect-experience-care. Volume 3, p. 181 f.

↑ ^a ^b Karin Kowol, Thomas Wey: trace in the landscape, a journey along the Green Belt in Thuringia from Vogtland to the Harz . Publisher: BUND Thuringia. Erfurt 2012.

↑ Classification of natural areas. In: Environmental Atlas Hessen . Website of the Hessian State Office for Nature Conservation, Environment and Geology; accessed on March 23, 2020.

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k Bioplan Marburg: Basic data acquisition for monitoring and management for the FFH area "Rhäden bei Obersuhl and Bosserode". Client: Kassel Regional Council, Marburg 2002.

↑ Adalbert Schraft: GeoTouren in Hesse - Geological walks through the most beautiful regions of Hesse. Volume 3 - East Hessian Buntsandstein-Bergland and Werra-Meißner-Bergland . Hessian State Office for Nature Conservation, Environment and Geology, Wiesbaden 2018, ISBN 978-3-89026-384-7 .

↑ ^a ^b ^c Willy Bauer, Walter Graef, Kurt Grebe and Götz Krapf: The development of the nature reserve "Rhäden von Obersuhl". In: Vogel und Umwelt, magazine for ornithology and nature conservation in Hessen. Volume 2, Issue 1, May 1982, p. 15 f.

↑ ^a ^b Information from the display boards in the protected area.

↑ Kurt Grebe: Rhäden von Obersuhl, cultural history. In: The nature reserves in Hessen. P. 297.

↑ Homepage of the group for nature conservation and ornithology Wildeck ; accessed on March 23, 2020.

↑ "Vogelarten im Rhäden" on the website of the NABU Group for Nature Conservation and Ornithology Wildeck; accessed on March 22, 2020.

↑ Red list of endangered breeding bird species in Hesse in the nature conservation information system of the State of Hesse "Natureg-Viewer"; accessed on March 22, 2020.

↑ Humid locations. In: NaturSportInfo , the information portal of the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation ; accessed on March 26, 2020.

↑ Red List of Reptiles and Amphibians in Hesse . In: Nature Conservation Information System of the State of Hesse “Natureg-Viewer”; accessed on March 23, 2020.

↑ Christina Zapf: The Great Suhlsee in the Rhäden nature reserve is being renovated. In: Hessische / Niedersächsische Allgemeine (HNA). August 1, 2018; accessed on March 26, 2020.

↑ Contractual regulation with the group for nature protection and ornithology Wildeck eV for the implementation of preliminary nature protection measures in the nature reserve Rhäden. Decision of the Wildeck municipal council in the public meeting on December 12, 2019.

↑ "Naturefund" saves the swamp forest Rhäden with the largest gray heron colony in Hesse . In: osthessen-news.de. July 21, 2005; accessed on March 23, 2020.

↑ The ordinance came into force on the day after it was published in the State Gazette for the State of Hesse on December 10, 1973.

^ Ordinance on the nature reserve "Rhäden, Gemarkung Obersuhl" of October 4, 1973. In: State Gazette for the State of Hesse. No. 50/1973 of December 10, 1973, p. 2222 f.

^ Ordinance on the nature reserve "Rhäden bei Obersuhl and Bosserode" of December 6, 1992. In: Staatsanzeiger für das Land Hessen. No. 52/1992 of December 28, 1992, p. 3369 f.

↑ "Rhäden bei Obersuhl and Bosserode" nature reserve. In: World Database on Protected Areas; accessed on March 23, 2020.

↑ List of habitats occurring in Germany in Appendix I of the Fauna-Flora-Habitat Directive. In: Germany's nature ; accessed on March 23, 2020.

↑ List of the species occurring in Germany in Appendix II of the Fauna Flora Habitat Directive. In: Germany's nature ; accessed on March 23, 2020.

↑ Ordinance on the Natura 2000 areas in Hesse of January 16, 2008. In: Law and Ordinance Gazette for the State of Hesse, Part I, No. 4 of March 7, 2008.

↑ Profile of the FFH area 5026-350 "Rhäden bei Obersuhl and Bosserode". In: Website of the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN); accessed on March 23, 2020.

↑ FFH area "Rhäden bei Obersuhl and Bosserode". In: World Database on Protected Areas ; accessed on March 23, 2020.

↑ Profile of the EU bird sanctuary 5026-402 "Rhäden von Obersuhl and Auen on the central Werra". In: Website of the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN); accessed on March 23, 2020.

↑ "Rhäden von Obersuhl and Auen on the central Werra". In: World Database on Protected Areas ; accessed on March 23, 2020.

↑ "The Green Belt Thuringia - National Natural Monument". In: Website of the Thuringian Ministry for the Environment, Energy and Nature Conservation; accessed on March 23, 2020.

[Nitsche-1] Sieglinde and Lothar Nitsche: Nature reserves in the Hersfeld-Rotenburg district. In nature reserves in Hessen, protect-experience-care. Volume 3, p. 181 f.

[Spur-2] Karin Kowol, Thomas Wey: trace in the landscape, a journey along the Green Belt in Thuringia from Vogtland to the Harz . Publisher: BUND Thuringia. Erfurt 2012.

[3] Classification of natural areas. In: Environmental Atlas Hessen . Website of the Hessian State Office for Nature Conservation, Environment and Geology; accessed on March 23, 2020.