Stiegelesfels-Upper Danube Valley

Nature reserve "Stiegelesfels-Upper Danube Valley" IUCN Category IV - Habitat / Species Management Area
View of the Danube Valley from the Kallenberg ruins
location	Fridingen an der Donau and Buchheim , Tuttlingen district , Baden-Württemberg , Germany
surface	3.424 km²
Identifier	3,271
WDPA ID	82645
Geographical location	48 ° 1 '  N , 8 ° 57'  E Coordinates: 48 ° 1 '13 "  N , 8 ° 57' 12"  E
Sea level	from 609 m to 791 m
Setup date	July 26, 2005
administration	Regional council Freiburg

The Stiegelesfels-Oberes Donautal area is a nature reserve in the Tuttlingen district designated by ordinance of July 26, 2005 by the Tübingen Regional Council .

location

The protected area is located in the Upper Danube valley between Fridingen and Buchheim . It consists of three sub-areas. The area belongs to the Baaralb and Upper Danube Valley natural area .

Protection purpose

According to the ordinance, the protection purpose is “the preservation and development of part of the core zone of the Upper Danube breakthrough valley as a unique geological and landscape historical document of extraordinary natural beauty and character; as a habitat and retreat for a large number of rare, predominantly alpine, and in some cases highly endangered plant species, plant communities and animal species; as an area of ​​European importance (FFH and bird sanctuary) "and" the conservation of species-rich animal populations [...] and their habitats as well as those species and habitats that are particularly in line with the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive. "

Landscape character

The Stiegelesfels

The area lies in the breakthrough valley of the upper Danube and is essentially characterized by the narrow and deeply cut valley. On both sides of the Danube, rock walls over 100 meters high rise from the limestone of the White Jura . The Stiegelesfels , the Bettelmannsfels and the Knopfmacherfelsen are particularly well-known . The slopes are forested as far as they can be populated by trees. The floodplain of the Danube is managed as permanent grassland. Above the Stiegelesfels there are species-rich grasslands. Some rock habitats and limestone debris heaps are primarily forest-free biotopes that have vegetation with numerous plants from the Alpine flora.

There are numerous caves in the karstified Jura rock, such as B. the Ziegelhöhle , the Buttentalhöhle and the Bronner Höhle .

At the brickworks and in the area of ​​the former Bronn mill there are weirs that dam the Danube. Islands and numerous gravel banks form in the river bed, especially at low tide.

There are numerous castles and ruins on the rocks of the Upper Danube Valley. In the protected area is z. B. the Kallenberg castle ruins , the Burgstall castle ruins , the Roggenbusch ruins and the Bronnen Castle .

The side valleys of the Danube are also deeply cut here and characterized by rock formations. The so-called devil's kitchen in the Buttental is also protected as an extensive natural monument.

Flora and fauna

Numerous protected plant and animal species can be found in the area. Special mention should be made of the many species of alpine flora and fauna, some of which are autochthonous in the Upper Danube Valley. The primarily forest-free steep slopes and rock heads are home to some very rare species, such as the whiteclove , the Salzburg eyebright , the Austrian feather grass , the apple rose , the heather and the milk-white man's shield . The chamois immigrated to the Upper Danube Valley in the 1960s and sometimes caused serious damage to the rock head vegetation, which is worth protecting.

Among the birds are in particular the species of Annex I of the birds directive emphasized: Kingfisher , owl , Dove , Peregrine , Neuntöter , goosanders , Rotmilan , Black Milan , Berg Laubsänger and Schwarzspecht living in the area.

Species of Community interest in the area are the beavers of longicorn , the bullhead , the Spanish flag , the greater mouse-eared , the Green broom moss and the lady's slipper .

At least 7 bat species spend the winter in the numerous caves in the reserve, including the northern bat , the fringed bat and the brown long-eared bat . The Black Apollo lives on the meadows of the Donauaue. The rare horned garden spider has also been identified in the area.

Contiguous protected areas

The area is part of the FFH area Großer Heuberg and Donautal and the bird sanctuary in the Südwestalb and Upper Danube Valley . The nature reserve is almost completely enclosed by the Donautal nature reserve with the Bära and Lippach valleys . The protected landscape area of ​​the Danube and Schmeiental connects to the north . In the nature reserve are the extensive natural monuments Teufelsküche and the area around the Kallenberg ruins .

See also

• List of nature reserves in the Tuttlingen district

Web links

Commons : Stiegelesfels-Oberes Donautal nature reserve  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Profile of the nature reserve  Stiegelesfels-Oberes Donautal in the protected area directory of the LUBW

Individual evidence

1. ^ Ordinance of the Freiburg Regional Council on the nature reserve "Stiegelesfels-Oberes Donautal" from July 26, 2005. Accessed on November 2, 2018 . 
2. ↑ Appreciation for the planned nature reserve “Stiegelesfels-Oberes Donautal”. Retrieved November 2, 2018 .