Lower mountain

49.0209777685 8.9326648746079Coordinates: 49 ° 1 ′ 16 ″ N , 8 ° 55 ′ 58 ″ E

"Unterer Berg" nature reserve near Sachsenheim-Häfnerhaslach in the Ludwigsburg district, recorded in May 2015

Kirbachtal and Unterer Berg

Dry stone walls and sage-oat meadow

The edge of the forest on the lower mountain

Lower mountain with a view of Häfnerhaslach

The nature reserve (NSG) Unterer Berg (identifier: 1,253) in the Baden-Württemberg district of Ludwigsburg covers an area of around 14.8 hectares, which is part of the Sachsenheim area. The nature reserve ordinance of the Stuttgart regional council dates from October 21, 2002.

location

The nature reserve is located in the Stromberg-Heuchelberg Nature Park on a south / south-west slope of the Kirbachtal east of Häfnerhaslach (district of the city of Sachsenheim). The NSG is part of the FFH area 7018-341 "Stromberg".

Protection purpose

The purpose of protection is to preserve the uniqueness and development of a remnant of the once widespread terraced wine-growing landscape that was unique in the Stromberg and in the Middle Keuper, in particular:

the former vineyard terraces of the "Lower Mountain" as a testimony to how previous generations dealt with nature and the landscape;
the way of using the southern slopes of the Stromberg for centuries with dry stone walls, vineyard stacks and slope terraces;
the spatial interweaving of different biotope types on changing soil conditions and the special microclimatic conditions along the dry stone walls and vineyards;
the structural diversity of the habitats as a refuge for a species-rich animal world;
the plant cover resulting from the task of use of the flowery semi-arid lawn, the warmth-loving, herb-rich transition stages, fringing and shrubbery communities, the orchards and the grassland in the valley;
the forest types of the grove-beech forest and the rennet-oak-hornbeam forest occurring on the hilltop and along the slope edge.

Animal and plant species

The lower mountain is home to a large number of rare and endangered animal and plant species.

Seed poppy ( Papaver dubium ), sand poppy ( Papaver argemone ) and blue gauchheil ( Anagallis foemina ) are found on open soils, while rough marshmallow ( Althaea hirsuta ) can be found on wall crowns .

In fresher pastures grow bulbous lungwort ( Pulmonaria montana ), native to the poor grassland orchids such Greenish butterfly orchid ( Platanthera chlorantha ), mosquito Händelwurz ( Gymnadenia conopsea ), military orchid ( Orchis militaris ), early purple orchid ( Orchis mascula ), himantoglossum hircinum ( Himantoglossum hircinum ), pyramidal dogwort ( Orchis pyramidalis ), bee ragwort ( Ophrys apifera ), spider ragwort ( Ophrys sphegodes ) and - so far only in 1996 - horny spur ( Aceras anthropophorum ). Breeding birds are wryneck ( Jynx torquilla ) and tree pipit ( Anthus trivilis ). The rare dwarf heather snail ( Xerocrassa geyeri ) has a relic occurrence on the lower mountain. The flowering meadows are also habitat for numerous butterflies such as the white-banded meadow bird ( Coenonympha arcania ), the little sloe hairstreak ( Satyrium acaciae ), the quail-wheat butterfly ( Melitaea athalia ) and the fiery mother-of-pearl butterfly ( Fabriciana adippe ). The heather grasshopper ( Stenobothrus lineatus ) also loves the short- grass areas.

Emerging shrubbery includes feral rose ( Rosa jundzillii ) and vinegar rose ( Rosa gallica ).

On the edge of the forest above Stubensandstein you can find common pitchers ( Lychnis viscaria ), sweet carnations ( Dianthus superbus ) and German gorse ( Genista germanica ). Where Colorful marl pending, thrives Epipactis muelleri ( Epipactis muelleri ).

Färber's notch ( Serratula tinctoria ) grows in the forest and the Bechstein's bat ( Myotis bechsteinii ) hunts. The middle woodpecker ( Picoides medius ) is a breeding bird here.

Maintenance measures

Protection and care measures are laid down in a care and development plan and by individual orders from the higher nature conservation authority ( Stuttgart Regional Council ). To preserve the important flora and fauna, maintenance teams cleared bushes and erected dry stone walls that had fallen into place. The lawns are kept open by local farmers and sheep grazing.

The Ludwigsburg District Office uses its Tápió nature conservation project to do active nature conservation work on the Unteren Berg together with young Hungarians and German youths. Landscape maintenance work is on the program in the poor grasslands.

literature

Steffen Hammel, Simone Beggel, Christoph Randler, Günther Schmid (2002): Applied for a nature reserve vineyard fallow "Unterer Berg" near Sachsenheim-Häfnerhaslach. - Nature conservation landscape maintenance Bad.-Württ. 74: 57-132; Karlsruhe.
Steffen Hammel (2012): The orchids of the Stromberg and Heuchelberg. - magazine Zabergäuver., 1/2: 1-85.