Crazy Heath

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Crazy Heath
In September the common heather blooms in the Wahner Heide
In September the common heather blooms in the Wahner Heide
Systematics according to Handbook of the natural spatial structure of Germany
Greater region 1st order North German Lowlands
Greater region 2nd order Lower Rhine lowlands and Cologne Bay
Main unit group 55 →
Lower Rhine Bay
About main unit 550 →
Bergische Heideterrassen
Natural space 550.0 →
Wahner Heide
Geographical location
Coordinates 50 ° 51 '49 "  N , 7 ° 10' 7"  E Coordinates: 50 ° 51 '49 "  N , 7 ° 10' 7"  E
Wahner Heide (North Rhine-Westphalia)
Crazy Heath
Location Wahner Heide
local community Cologne , Rösrath , Lohmar , Troisdorf
state North Rhine-Westphalia
Country Germany
North Rhine-Westphalia, Troisdorf, nature reserve SU-003, Wahner Heide.jpg

With Wahner Heide the right bank is central terraced landscape between the mouth of the course of victory in the south and the Dhünn in the north called. It is part of the Bergische Heideterrasse and extends east of the city of Cologne over about 28 kilometers in a north-northwest direction and covers an area of ​​about 177 km².

The Wahner Heide in the narrower sense , as it is usually found on the card works thereof of about 47 square kilometers southwestern part formed by the A 3 is separated and the southeast by the Aue the Agger ends. Of this, 37 km² is taken up by the nature reserve of the same name (or that of the Aggeraue), the rest of the area is largely allocated to Cologne / Bonn Airport and settlement areas in the peripheral towns.

location

The Wahner Heide in the narrower sense is located between the cities of Cologne (northwest), Rösrath (northeast), Lohmar (south-east) and Troisdorf (south). The heath got its name from the place "Wahn". Wahn is now part of the Cologne district of Porz . For Prussia time the heath was also known as shooting madness known, they were both in the First and in the Second World War used as a military training area, airfield and POW camp. Today, in addition to the approximately 47 km² nature reserves, Cologne / Bonn Airport is located in the middle of the Wahner Heide.

The Wahner Heide in the natural spatial sense continues north to the valley of the Dhünn in Leverkusen ; to the northeast it extends to Odenthal , in the north-east it occupies parts of the settlement of Bergisch Gladbach . Immediately to the north of the Wahner Heide nature reserve is the Königsforst nature reserve , the eastern third of which is already on the Bergisch plateau .

On the terrace of the Wahner Heide lies the entire core urban area of ​​Rösrath and, in the far southeast, the forest northeast of Siegburg .

geomorphology

In terms of geological and natural space, the Wahner Heide represents the southern part of the Bergische Heideterrasse , a middle terrace level on the right bank of the Rhine, which stands out at an altitude of 8 to 10 meters from the lower terrace to the west. On the other hand, there is no clear limit to the mountainous plateaus , which rise significantly in the east .

To the north, the heather is continued by the Hilden-Lintorfer sand terraces .

Natural structure

In terms of nature , the Wahner Heide is structured as follows:

natural reserve

View of the Cologne Bay
Smooth snake ( Coronella austriaca ), young animal
Silver grass ( Corynephorus canescens )
Chickweed ( Illecebrum verticillatum )
Ant lion trap funnels in the Wahner Heide
Wahner Heide - goats and Glan cattle
Autumn in the Wahner Heide - Northern aisle area
Winter landscape

As early as 1931, the heath received the status of a nature reserve. It was included in the Natura 2000 catalog as part of the European Fauna-Flora-Habitat Directive . It is also recognized as a bird sanctuary (see also the Wahner Heide bird sanctuary ).

The heartland of the Wahner Heide is today largely taken up by the following nature reserves:

To the north of these nature reserves is the NSG Königsforst , designated in 1997 and 2000, respectively , of which around two western thirds are located in the natural area of ​​2558 hectares; all other nature reserves are small and island-like.

The specialty of the Wahner Heide consists in a very small-scale alternation of very dry and very humid biotopes . After the Ice Age, sands were blown here to form dunes. Despite sufficient rainfall, there is a lack of water here because the water seeps away quickly. On these dunes you can find dry meadows with drought and warmth-loving species: dry grassland, heathland, pine and oak forests.

In the depressions, on the other hand, the water collects and here small heathland, bog or alluvial forests have been preserved. In addition, there are bodies of water such as the quartzite stone lake , the pond on the flies mountain , the clay pit or the crown pond .

Because of the fragmented nature of the habitats, the Wahner Heide has a great diversity of species. Around 700 animal and plant species in the Wahner Heide are on the red list of endangered species.

Use of the Wahner Heide

A heath does not only consist of habitats untouched by humans, it is also a cultural landscape traditionally used by humans . The survival of many rare animal and plant species is only guaranteed through agricultural and forestry use. Humans were and are still an important, useful factor in the Wahner Heide ecosystem.

Military training area

Former tank washing facility at the former Belgian Camp Major Legrand near Altenrath

From 1817 the heath was used by the Prussian military as an artillery firing range for maneuvering and training purposes. Before the start of World War II, built Air Force one here airbase . With the Potsdam Agreement , the Royal Air Force took over the barracks in 1945 and expanded the runways of the airport, which was released for unrestricted civilian use in 1957. From 1953 to 2004 the Belgian armed forces used the heather for training purposes. Among other things, they guarded the Wahner Heide special ammunition depot , where nuclear weapons were stored. The Bundeswehr served much of the Wahner Heide as a training area delusion.

Military exercises with armored vehicles and other vehicles led, on the one hand, to counteracting the expansion of the forest and bush area, a measure that is quite useful in terms of nature conservation. On the other hand, it was often associated with the loss of valuable biotopes. The practice operation caused ecological damage and resulted in drainage and backfilling of wetlands. Large areas were used for the barracks. But the restricted military area also meant that nature could develop undisturbed in large parts of the heather. It was also not possible to build on the heath with residential or commercial buildings.

Heath economy

The sandy soils of the Wahner Heide have never been suitable for arable farming. Therefore, until the 19th century, they were mainly used as pasture land with pests .

After the Belgian armed forces have withdrawn, maintenance work will be carried out under nature conservation guidance. The aim is to establish a traditional heath economy. Goats like to eat leaves and young twigs from trees and thus ensure that the forest portion of the heather does not get out of hand. Around 300 animals graze in the summer months, mainly in the northern Wahner Heide. They are supplemented by grass and herb-eating Glan cattle . The approximately 50 specimens in the Wahner Heide serve not least to preserve this breed.

forestry

There is a fundamental conflict of use between nature conservation and forestry. While nature conservation focuses on the habitats with their animal and plant species and their development opportunities, forestry is based on the influence of humans on the basis of an economic cost-benefit perspective. The Wahner Heide is also used for forestry. After the Belgian armed forces have withdrawn, efforts are being made to develop forestry that is more compatible with nature conservation.

The oldest tree on the heather is the 1000-year-old Boxhohn oak between Altenrath and Rösrath . She can now die with dignity .

Local recreation destination for the urban population

Danger to life in the nature reserve

Due to protests by the civilian population, the restricted military area , declared in 1967, was opened to those seeking relaxation on weekends from 1978 onwards. From 2004 the Wahner Heide will be accessible again every weekday, albeit exclusively on the marked network of trails.

Since the heather area is still frequently contaminated with ammunition due to its previous military use , there are not only signs indicating the nature reserve, but also inscriptions that point out the imminent danger to life and therefore warn not to leave the marked paths. In the south of the Wahner Heide, additional signs indicate the status of the Bundeswehr training area there. Entry into this area is only not permitted during practice times.

With a donation agreement of August 2, 2013, the Wahner Heide passed from the previous owner of the Federal Agency for Real Estate Tasks to the property of DBU Naturerbe GmbH on August 13, 2013, with the aim of securing the area permanently for nature conservation and the population. After the last military installations, such as the Belgian Camp Altenrath barracks, have been dismantled , the Wahner Heide is expected to be completely owned by the DBU in spring 2014 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c area measurement of the two areas results in about 177 km² for 550.0 (of which about 47 km² are attributable to the Wahner Heide in the narrower sense southwest of the A3 and northwest of the Agger ) and for 550.1 about 130 km²; The BfN's landscape profile shows only 91 km² for 550.0 (and 550.1 not at all), which is due to the fact that the settlement areas including Cologne-Bonn Airport are included in the Cologne metropolitan area, see:
  2. ^ A b Emil Meynen , Josef Schmithüsen : Handbook of the natural spatial structure of Germany . Federal Institute for Regional Studies, Remagen / Bad Godesberg 1953–1962 (9 deliveries in 8 books, updated map 1: 1,000,000 with main units 1960).
  3. ↑ Various authors: Geographische Landesaufnahme: The natural spatial units in single sheets 1: 200,000 . Federal Institute for Regional Studies, Bad Godesberg 1952–1994. → online maps ;
    Pages marked with an asterisk (*) have not yet been included in the list.
    • Sheet 108/109: Düsseldorf / Erkelenz (Karlheinz Paffen, Adolf Schüttler, Heinrich Müller-Miny 1963; 55 pages)
    • Sheet 122/123 *: Cologne / Aachen (Ewald Glässer 1978; 52 pages)
  4. ↑ The term Schlebusch-Wahner Heide only appears in the original manual (6th delivery) and is no longer used in the following individual sheets.
  5. ↑ Map services of the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation ( information )
  6. ↑ Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt / DBU Naturerbe GmbH , accessed on August 14, 2013.

literature

  • Holger Maria Sticht: Nature and culture guide Wahner Heide. Gaasterland-Verlag, Düsseldorf 2005, ISBN 3-935873-07-7 .
  • Inter-municipal working group Wahner Heide (ed.): The Wahner Heide. A Rhenish landscape in the tension field of interests. Rheinland-Verlag, Cologne 1989, ISBN 3-7927-1104-4 .
  • Hartmut Junker, Vera Junker: The Wahner Heide (illustrated book). Wiehl, Gronenberg 2002, ISBN 3-88265-235-7 .

Web links

Commons : Wahner Heide  - Collection of images, videos and audio files