Rieselfelder Münster
.jpg)
The Rieselfelder Münster is a European bird sanctuary on the area of former irrigation areas for the wastewater of the Westphalian city of Münster . It belongs to the Natura 2000 network of protected areas and has the identifier DE-3911-401. It offers a refuge for many endangered bird species and is at the same time a popular destination for the Münster population. It is located north of the Coerde district . The total area is approx. 4.3 km².
history
The history of the sewage goes back to the year 1901. The amount of the resulting wastewater increased by the increase in the population of Münster, and there were complaints from Aa - and Ems riparians downstream. A large area was required to clean the wastewater by means of trickling according to the pattern of the Berlin sewage fields . The city of Munster pointed to the "Coer Heather" and "Gelmerheide" heathlands from between the then independent municipalities Sprakel and Gelmer were. This lower terrace between Münsterscher Aa and the Ems offered ideal geological conditions with its mighty sand cover.
As the city's population grew, so did the amount of wastewater. At the beginning of the 1960s, the irrigation area had grown to over 6.4 km², and many areas were now flooded with sewage all year round. Due to the simultaneous destruction of the many inland humid habitats throughout Europe, numerous water and wading bird species found an ideal resting and breeding area in the Münster Rieselfeldern. In 1968 the "Biological Station Rieselfelder Münster" was founded in order to be able to observe and protect this special habitat more closely. The large sewage treatment plant, which was completed in 1975, threatened serious danger. The sewage fields fell dry and, according to the plans of the city of Münster, were to be partly converted into an industrial area with a branch canal and a railway connection, and there was even thought about building a nuclear power plant on the Ems. On the other hand, a citizens' initiative made itself strong, which was ultimately successful.
As early as 1977, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia had leased an area of 2.33 km² from the city of Münster for nature conservation purposes, in 1978 it was designated a European reserve, and in 1983 it was recognized as a wetland of international importance in accordance with the Ramsar Convention , which among other things stipulates biodiversity and to apply the principle of sustainable, ecologically balanced use.
In 1998 the landscape plan "Northern Aatal and Vorbergs Hügel" came into force, which designated large parts of the Rieselfelder Münster as a nature reserve . In the period from 1998 to 2000, further, already drained areas were converted back into wetlands. Since then, the Rieselfelder Münster has developed into a popular local recreation and nature experience area that also fulfills its nature conservation tasks.
area
The Rieselfelder Münster consist of two parts, which are separated by the street Coermühle.
The north-western half is the actual nature reserve, which is only partially freely accessible to the public. There are, however, some observation huts that allow undisturbed observations. On about 2.33 km² there are mainly water and mud surfaces, reeds and smaller wet grassland sections. The original system of the sewage fields can still be seen here in many ways, the approximately 100 m × 100 m polder are largely preserved here. In the meantime, however, many have been grouped together to form larger complexes in order to offer more tranquility, especially for migrating birds.
The so-called "nature discovery area" is located in the southeastern half. After the sewage fields were decommissioned as Münster's primary wastewater treatment plant, these areas were completely drained and used for arable land and grassland, after the most valuable waders plots were still here in the early 1970s. In the meantime, thanks to the rise in the groundwater level between 1998 and 2000, a varied landscape has emerged: Larger reservoirs and wet meadows, orchards , wetlands and woody trees make up this part of the reserve. There are several observation huts and a replica of a historical sewage house. A 12 m high observation tower ( ⊙ ) offers a variety of insights into and outlooks into the various living spaces. There is also a network of several circular hiking trails with further observation options.
nature
The nature reserve offers numerous endangered bird species an undisturbed retreat. Over 130 different species have already been counted. A list of the observed bird species is available on the official website of the Rieselfelder Münster (see web links). There you will also find current lists with the number of specimens counted per species.
Habitats
The Rieselfelder Münster offers space for numerous different living spaces. Around a quarter of the total area is water. Typically, these are shallow water zones with a water depth of 5–20 cm. Mainly gudgeon ducks can be found here , but also waders such as the greenshank and the dark water strider . The edge of the water, on the other hand, is not only a home for birds, but also amphibians, dragonflies and other small creatures. The rare little water frog has been found in the area since 1990 and has benefited from the improvement in water quality.
On the other hand, the muddy areas on the polders, which are barely dammed, are the preferred habitat of waders. You will find enough food here in the form of mosquito larvae and midges . Dried-out areas are quickly overgrown by bog ragwort, mud flats, water pepper tanks and other pioneer plants, including some rare plant species.
Many of the small ponds are surrounded by a reed belt and are home to many species of birds such as the marsh harrier , pond warbler and reed bunting .
Other habitats are the wet meadows , on which the water stands until spring. They offer numerous typical birds of the Münsterland a refuge that has become rare elsewhere.
The orchards, on the other hand, offer a very special living space. Although they are a rather unusual habitat for the sewage fields, they offer protection for little owls and redstart .
The fallow land is the last living space. These are unused areas that develop from short-lived plants to tall perennials and, due to the variety of different plants, are particularly important for nectar-sucking insects.
Bird life
The sewage fields are primarily known for their internationally significant populations of resting birds. But they are also very important as a breeding area. Some species, such as the Rohrschwirl or the bearded tit, do not breed anywhere else in Westphalia . The composition of the bird world changes over the course of the year.
The winter is characterized by resting ducks and geese. These include gadfly , shoveler , teal , pintail , wigeon , tufted duck and pochard . Sometimes rare species or wanderers also appear. To present all year Canadian , gray and Nilgänsen also join in the winter Bläss- and bean geese . Numerous seagulls such as silver , steppe , Mediterranean , storm or black-headed gulls rest on the storage area . Hen harrier , short-eared owl , bearded tit or gray shrike can sometimes be seen in winter . In March the first waders come back and rest on the muddy surfaces and in the wet meadows. These include lapwing , black godwit , little ringed plover and wood sandpiper . Later come Ruff , Greenshank , Redshank and Sandpiper added. In the pastures raced Wagtails and Meadow Pipit , on fence posts Whinchat and Wheatear . In spring, bluethroat , pond warbler , marsh warbler , reed warbler breed in the willow-strewn reeds and in some years the great reed warbler can also be heard. Black-headed gulls breed in large colonies in the reserve. The breeding birds also include marsh harrier , gadfly and in some years the rare little bittern . In June there is mainly breeding activity. At the end of the month the first arctic waders will return. Wood sandpipers , wood sandpipers and some sandpipers rest on the muddy surfaces. The ducks molt at this time. Many other wader species such as the dunlin , lapwing ringed plover , pygmy sandpiper , curlew and whimbrel also migrate by October . The first winter guests come back in autumn. In addition to the regularly occurring species, the sewage fields are known for their rare guests.
Microplastics
The sewage fields are irrigated with the purified water from the Münster sewage treatment plant , which contains a relatively large amount of microplastics . It is currently being investigated what effects this has on invertebrates such as snails and crustaceans if they eat the plastic particles.
literature
- Irmgard Blindow: The Rieselfelder Münster: European reserve for waders and water birds , biological station "Rieselfelder Münster" 1981, DNB 820456276 .
- Biological station Rieselfelder Münster, construction and establishment of a biological station in the European reserve Rieselfelder Münster ; Final report on the research and development project "Biological Station Rieselfelder Münster" funded by the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Forests. Landwirtschaftsverlag, Münster-Hiltrup 1984, ISBN 3-7843-0302-1 .
- Annual reports of the biological station "Rieselfelder Münster" , since 1995, ISSN 1438-0358 , full text online , as PDF, free of charge (from 2000 to 2013); from 2011: Annual report ... on the European bird sanctuary and wetland of international importance (RAMSAR) Rieselfelder Münster .
- Martin Kreuels: On the spider fauna of the Rieselfelder Münster (= annual report of the biological station “Rieselfelder Münster” 4), 2000, pp. 123–130, ISSN 1438-0358
- André de Saint-Paul: Activity and reproduction of the green frogs in the Rieselfeldern Münster (= annual report of the biological station “Rieselfelder Münster” 4), 1997, pp. 61–75, ISSN 1438-0358 .
- Cordula Rief: Population study of the Grass Snake in the Rieselfelder Münster: a methodological approach ; Biological Station Rieselfelder Münster, Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Department of Limnology, Schüling, Münster 2016, ISBN 978-3-86523-271-7 (Bachelor thesis, University of Münster 2016, 47 pages, illustrations, maps).
- Immogen Blühdorn: Population development and breeding biology of a lapwing colony (Vanellus vanellus) during the extensification of their breeding area, Münster 2002 DNB 967331285 (Dissertation University of Münster 2002 IV, 130 sheets: Ill., Graph. Show full text online 12 PDF files, free of charge, as ZIP -File offered)
Web links
- Rieselfelder Münster
- "Rieselfelder Münster" nature reserve in the specialist information system of the State Office for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection in North Rhine-Westphalia
- MSOrni: Current bird watching and photos from the Rieselfeldern Münster and the surrounding area
- Pictures of the Rieselfelder Münster in the picture archive of the LWL media center for Westphalia
Individual evidence
- ↑ 3911-401 Rieselfelder Münster. (EU bird sanctuary) Profiles of the Natura 2000 areas. Published by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation . Retrieved November 22, 2017.
- ↑ Natura 2000 area “Rieselfelder Münster” in the specialist information system of the State Office for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection in North Rhine-Westphalia
- ↑ WWU researchers study microplastics in the sewage fields In: uni-muenster.de , May 4, 2018, accessed on May 5, 2018.
Coordinates: 52 ° 2 ′ 0 ″ N , 7 ° 38 ′ 45 ″ E
