Speyer training site
The Speyer training site is located on the left bank of the Rhine in the Dudenhofen Forest, a sub-area of the Speyer Forest in the Lower Palatinate Lowland ( Rhineland-Palatinate ). The site connects directly to the west of the city of Speyer opposite the B 9 and northeast of Dudenhofen . The L 528 Iggelheimer Straße separates the Dudenhofen Forest to the south from the Speyer city forest. The average height is 105 m above sea level. NN.
The Speyer training area was used by the Special Pioneer Battalion 464 , stationed in the Kurpfalzkaserne in Speyer-Nord , until it was dissolved. Access was via a NATO road that branched off from L 528 Iggelheimer Strasse. In the past, the training area was also used by the French pioneers and the 1er Spahi regiment, light tank reconnaissance units, who were stationed in Speyer during the Cold War .
genesis
The inland dunes of the Upper Rhine Valley Trench were created in the late Pleistocene . The winds, which came predominantly from W to SW at that time, blown the finest sediments washed up by the Rhine to the edge of the mountains and formed loess slopes there . The somewhat heavier particles were only blown up to the terraces , where they formed the basis of the drifting sand dunes . Large sand and gravel areas were created in the Upper Rhine Valley. The constant change of river systems and the strong winds did not allow dense vegetation to emerge, only extensive grass steppes developed. Only in the Atlantic could extensive forest areas develop. During this warm period, many organisms in southern Europe settled in the Upper Rhine Valley, many of which are now only partially preserved.
Today there are only the smallest areas that can be called drifting sand dunes. The constant movement of the dunes was not only restricted by the dense forest, humans also prevented it. Since sandy soils provided little agricultural yields, they were only used extensively for grazing and logging. Artillery firing ranges were established at numerous locations in the Upper Rhine Rift as early as the 18th century . In Speyer / Dudenhofen, however, it was not used for military purposes until 1936. In the late 19th century, such areas were otherwise increasingly destroyed by buildings and intensive agriculture and forestry.
characterization
A precise characterization of this area can be found in BETTAG (1989). The sand dune landscape lies on the Speyerbach alluvial fan , which has a total area of 64 square kilometers. The maximum width is about ten kilometers. The slight slope of the terrain goes from W to E. A somewhat livelier relief can be seen west of Speyer in the Dudenhofen Forest, where drifting sand was blown into parabolic dunes and irregular sand dunes. The dunes mostly run from NE to SW and can reach heights of up to 5 m. The highest dune, the 'ant hump', was once at a height of about 108 m above sea level.
In addition to the intensive forest use, there are extensive sandy areas of different succession , especially on the military training area, which has been in use since 1936 . In contrast to other inland dunes, these raw soils show strong acidification ( pH 4, O - 3, l). In the edge areas there are also brown earths with different degrees of podsolization . Sandy soils have a lower water storage capacity and a higher evaporation rate on the surface, which is why these areas are very dry.
The Bundeswehr training area accommodates three large sand areas within the pine forest, which lie in a line from NW to SE. In the northwest is the so-called 'ant hill', which is only used in peripheral areas with vehicles. This area, recognizable as a dune, is unique in Central Europe because of its size (250 m length, average width 30 m, 5 m height).
The large area in the SE, on the other hand, is used very heavily by the army. For the most part, however, the Bundeswehr enforces different uses of the areas in accordance with nature conservation . As a result, areas of different succession have been preserved or created.
The Speyer training site is one of the best-studied areas in Germany. Scientific research has been taking place here regularly since the 1960s. In particular, Mr. Erich Bettag (Dudenhofen) is significantly involved in this.
climate
With an annual mean temperature of 9 to 10 ° C, the Upper Rhine Valley is one of the warmest areas in Germany. The mean number of summer days for Speyer is 40 (> 25 ° C). At the same time, the Palatinate Forest , Hunsrück and Taunus prevent large amounts of precipitation , on the Rhine only 500 - 550 mm / a precipitation is measured on average. On the Hessische Bergstrasse these rise up to 700 mm / a, because here the air masses have to rise and rain down.
flora
In the open areas, it is mainly a field of silver grass as a pioneering society of loose, lime-free drifting sands, which in its subatlantic distribution in the Upper Rhine area reaches its southern limit. Character types of the flora are silver grass ( Corynephorus canescens ), bare-stemmed farm mustard ( Teesdalia nudicaulis ) and spring sparkle ( Spergula morisonii ), but also real sheep fescue ( Festuca ovina ) and sand sedge ( Carex arenaria ), which in places form extensive clumps . In addition, we find such Breckland Thyme ( Thymus serpyllum ), Common Devil's ( Succisa pratensis ), sorrel ( Rumex sp.), Sedum ( Sedum spp.), Even Helleborine ( Epipactis sp.) Is available there. However, the silver grass field always remains predominant (BETTAG, 1989).
fauna
Because of the very high diversity of extreme habitats (from open raw soil to tiny bodies of water), an extraordinary variety of animals has established itself on these areas. Most of the species mentioned in the article about the inland dune are also present in Speyer.
protection
As already noted by BETTAG (1989), the current state must be ascribed to military use. However, in order to increase the overall positive effect, different intensities of use of the area are required. Correspondingly designated protective areas and different levels of utilization are therefore required. It was agreed with the German Armed Forces that some areas would only be exposed to a disruption at longer intervals. By setting up protection zones it can be achieved that z. B. the dry grass communities necessary for many species will be supported in their expansion in the future. In addition, the surrounding pine forest should be cleared in places, creating a mosaic of small open areas. The leisure pressure on the area, especially from dog owners and motocross drivers, must be reduced in the future (this has been proven to damage the avifauna ).
literature
- Bettag, E. (1989): Fauna of the sand dunes between Speyer and Dudenhofen . - Pollichia book 17: 148 p .; Bad Dürkheim.
- Geller-Grimm, F. (1995): Autecological studies on robber flies (Diptera: Asilidae) on inland dunes of the Upper Rhine Valley Trench . - Diploma thesis TH-Darmstadt, 124 p .; Darmstadt.
Web links
- Dünenpfad Dudenhofen in outdooractive , accessed on March 8, 2020
Coordinates: 49 ° 20 ′ 0 ″ N , 8 ° 24 ′ 1 ″ E