Plant population/Phytocenosis Lüneburg Heath

1 plant population/phytocenosis

1.1 heathland
1.2 woods
1.3 bogs

plant population/phytocenosis

in 20th century, numerous conservation measures implemented on lüneburg heath; result, 1 of best researched regions of central europe.

heathland

sand heaths form 20% of lüneburg heath nature reserve , may broken down further sub-divisions, important being:

typical sandy heath near wilsede



ordinary sand heath (typische sandheide, genisto-callunetum)


in addition common heather (calluna vulgaris) few taller plants occur here, none of can classed characteristic species. amongst them wavy hair-grass (deschampsia flexuosa) , common juniper (juniperus communis). ordinary sand heath widespread of heathland types. proportion has increased in recent decades @ expense of other heath habitats. reduction in variety of heathland types may due increasing nitrogen levels air, increase in plant litter (rohhumusauflagen) , natural ageing of heathland.


lichen-rich sand heath (flechtenreiche sandheide, genisto-callunetum cladonietosum)


the lichen-rich sand heaths can told apart other types of heathland presence of various cup lichens (cladonia), ciliated fringewort (ptilidium ciliare) , juniper haircap (polytrichum juniperinum). occur on dry, south-facing slopes. type of heath found west of niederhaverbeck , near sundermühlen.


clay heath (lehmheide, genisto-callunetum danthonietusum)


this can identified presence of heath grass (danthonia decumbens), pill sedge (carex pilulifera), mat grass (nardus stricta), fine-leaved sheep s-fescue (festuca filiformis), mouse-ear hawkweed (hieracium pilosella) , field wood-rush (luzula campestris). clay heaths have become rare within lüneburg heath. found on wilseder berg , south of niederhaverbeck.


blueberry sand heath (heidelbeer-sandheide, genisto-callunetum, vaccinium myrtillus rasse)


blueberries (vaccinium myrtillus) signature species of type of heath and, more rarely, cranberries (vaccinium vitis-idaea). blueberry heath second common type of vegetation on heathlands , occurs on northern slopes, edges of woods , thick juniper hedges. type of heath particularly characteristic of northern slopes of wilseder berg, steingrund , totengrund. in places, cranberries have ousted common heather (calluna vulgaris) in places.


wet sand heath (feuchte sandheide, genisto-callunetum, molinia-variante)


wet sand heath ideal habitat purple moor grass (molinia caerulea), cross-leaved heath (erica tetralix) , scirpus (scirpus cespitosus). occurs in places close water table , in transition zone around bogs. primary locations areas north of wilsede , near hörpel ponds (hörpeler teichen).



























woods

pine forest near schneverdingen



the hutewald (wood pasture) near wilsede



old coppices (stühbüsche) near niederhaverbeck

the greater part (about 58%) of lüneburg heath nature reserve consists of woods, pine forests, planted in second half of 19th century on former heathland , drifting sand. in cases dunes became naturally overgrown, again pines. there few old stands of sessile oaks, stem logging industry during time of kingdom of hanover. in many parts of nature reserve there so-called stühbüsche (a form of coppice), trees coppiced repeatedly being cut short. in meantime have grown wild again , have characteristic , unusual appearance multiple trunks. near wilsede there remnant of hutewald, wood pasture giant, multi-stemmed beech trees.

bogs

the largest bog on lüneburg heath pietzmoor, lies east of schneverdingen. drained , peat cut there until 1960s. nature park association carried out work in 1980s try turn natural waterlogged state. example, of drainage ditches filled led considerable rise in water levels of former peat cuts. typical bog vegetation has not yet re-established itself.