Nature Lüneburg Heath

1 nature

1.1 nature parks , nature reserves
1.2 formation of heath landscape
1.3 plant population/phytocenosis

1.3.1 heathland
1.3.2 woods
1.3.3 bogs


1.4 animals

nature

totengrund (wilseder berg)


nature parks , nature reserves

location of lüneburg heath nature park

in northwestern part of lüneburg heath lüneburg heath nature park covers area of 1,130 square kilometres (440 sq mi). @ heart, around wilseder berg, lüneburg heath nature reserve (naturschutzgebiet or nsg) founded long ago 1921 234 square kilometres (90 sq mi) of land 58% woods , 20% heathland. other nature parks in lüneburg heath region südheide nature park , elbufer-drawehn nature park. right in north of area harburg hills nature park. lüneburg heath nsg, open heathland of huge munster nord , süd training areas , bergen-hohne training area, largest single area of heathland in central europe. , within former province (regierungsbezirk) of lüneburg there no less 212 individual nature reserves (as @ 31 december 2006).

formation of heath landscape

lüneburg heath



path near undeloh



soil profile of heath podsol showing hardpan

after end of weichselian ice age (115,000 10,000 years ago) first woods appeared in area forms lüneburg heath which, following natural ecological succession , encouraged gradual improvement in climate, progressed birch , pine forest through hazel woods light woods of sessile oaks.

the heath , surrounding area belong regions of north german plain in hunter culture of mesolithic era superseded quite on neolithic farmers. 3000 bc, during neolithic, large open areas appeared on lightly undulating, sandy stretches of geest on lüneburg heath. result of intensive grazing of sessile oak woods , associated destruction of successive new stands of trees. these open areas became dominated common heather (calluna vulgaris), largely grazing-resistant species of plant. nevertheless, oak , beech woods succeeded time , again in establishing wherever man left areas of heath untended. on long period of time region of lüneburg heath alternated between periods when heathlands spread , dominated scene , times when largely covered forest , small areas of heath existed. finally, after migration period, wooded areas of region increased considerably.

herd of heidschnucken (moorland sheep)



the sheep-cote – distinctive building preserved, painting erwin vollmer, 1904

not until after 1000 ad pollen analysis show continuous reduction in woodlands , considerable increase in heather. brought change nomadic farming settled farming permanent settlements. typical heath farming economy emerged: due poor soils few available nutrients large area concentrated on relatively small fields, grain, in particular, produced. achieved regular removal of turf (a method known plaggen), used hay pens of moorland sheep, heidschnucken. enriched manure , urine of sheep – , spread on fields fertiliser.

by cutting turf regenerative capacity of soils exhausted. regular removal of top layer of soil contributed spreading of heathland. heather decomposes, ph value of soil falls drastically, far iron buffer-region @ ph 3, initiates process of podsolisation. soil life severely damaged, results in hard layer of earth underneath root zone on heath @ depth of 40 centimetres (16 in). iron , humus particles released topsoil precipitate onto impervious hardpan. subsoil separates topsoil. nutrients largely washed out of topsoil leads leaching , causes typical grey-white coloration of paths on heath.

the oft-expressed view in literature heath arose in middle ages result of demand wood lüneburg salt pans incorrect. lüneburg salt ponds needed firewood production of salt, did not appear until around 1000 ad, time heath had been around 4,000 years. amount required, in heyday of production, have been continuously supplied area of woodland 50 km in area, yet heath covers on 7000 km. in case wood did not come heath, via waterways, mecklenburg elbe , area of schaalsee. transportation overland have been far expensive (apart river ilmenau navigable @ time, no rivers flow main areas of heathland lüneburg), can seen not of delivery notes still survive, fact there still large woods around lüneburg itself, such göhrde. heathland has frequentely developed in areas there no salt pans, such sheep-grazing regions on coasts of norway portugal , in scotland , ireland.

the heath not therefore natural landscape, cultural landscape created intervention of man. in order prevent semi-open heathland being repopulated trees, pines and, lesser extent, silver birches, cause loss of millennia-old environment , many inhabitants, including rare animal , plant species, sheep allowed graze regularly; these exclusively local german moorland sheep, heidschnucke.

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.

animals

many species of animal live on lüneburg heath, particularly birds @ home in wide, open landscape, of threatened intensive-farming techniques in other areas. these include the: black grouse (tetrao tetrix), nightjar (caprimulgus europaeus), woodlark (lullula arborea), great grey shrike (lanius excubitor), red-backed shrike (lanius collurio), northern wheatear (oenanthe oenanthe), wryneck (jynx torquilla), european green woodpecker (picus viridis), stonechat (saxicola torquata), eurasian curlew (numenius arquata), common quail (coturnix coturnix) , black stork (ciconia nigra). in lüneburg heath population of rare black grouse rising continually. in 2007 78 counted, 13 more in previous year. since 2003 number of grouse has doubled.

wolves, although once extinct in area, have returned lüneburg heath.

numerous species including european bison, moose , brown bear once inhabited region may seen in lüneburg heath wildlife park alongside more exotic animals snow leopards , arctic wolves.