Nature conservation project of Senne and Teutoburg Forest

Lage, Germany

City population: 326277

Duration: 2003 – ongoing

Implementation status: Ongoing

Scale: Meso-scale: Regional, metropolitan and urban level

Project area: 18000000 m²

Type of area: Agricultural area or farmland, Natural Heritage Area/Untouched nature, Cultural Heritage Area

Last updated: October 2021

The landscape in the Bielefeld agglomeration is exposed to stress from high settlement pressure and expansion of the infrastructure as well as in parts of intensive agricultural use (2). Since 2003, the Senne and neighbouring areas of the Teutoburg Forest which is protected under the Europe-wide protected area system, Natura 2000, become part of the funding program of the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) and become one of Agency's Large-scale nature conservation projects (NGP) (2, 5,13). The project area lies in the transition area between two major German landscapes: the Senne as part of the north-west German lowlands and the Teutoburg Forest as part of the Central European low mountain range. The juxtaposition and close interlocking of numerous habitats such as species-rich beech forests, remains of acidic deciduous mixed forests, dry and humid heathland or natural sandy streams form the basis for diverse flora and fauna. Many of the numerous rare plant and animal species are rarely found in North Rhine-Westphalia outside of the NGP area (13). The natural area complex Senne and Teutoburg Forest was declared by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) to be one of the 30 hotspots of biological diversity in Germany due to its nationwide uniqueness ( overview map ). These “Treasure Chests of Nature” (BfN 2015) distinguish regions in Germany that have a particularly high density and diversity of characteristic habitats, species and populations.(13) The NGP was funded by the Federal Republic of Germany, the State of North Rhine-Westphalia with contribution of participating municipalities and the North Rhine-Westphalia Foundation (13). The Teutoburg Forest / Eggegebirge Nature Park is also sponsoring the project (12).

Large-scale nature conservation project Senne and Teutoburg Forest

Source: https://ngpsenne.de/mediathek/bilder/

Overview

Nature-based solution

Parks and urban forests
Large urban parks or forests
Blue infrastructure
Lakes/ponds
Rivers/streams/canals/estuaries

Key challenges

Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Habitat and biodiversity restoration
Habitat and biodiversity conservation
Green space creation and/or management
Environmental quality
Soil quality improvement
Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
Effective management
Health and well-being (SDG 3)
Creation of opportunities for recreation
Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
Economic development: agriculture
Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
Preservation of natural heritage
Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure

Focus

Protection of natural ecosystems, Improved governance of green or blue areas

Project objectives

The aim of the large-scale nature conservation project is to preserve the remains of the natural landscape and the elements of the traditional cultural landscape and - where possible - to regenerate them (12). 1. Natural development: Areas that are intended for natural development should be kept largely free from human use. Over time, real natural landscapes with second-hand primaeval forests and natural stream valleys can develop there (13). 2. Directed near-natural development: Many rare species cannot survive permanently in dense, closed forests because they rely on light and heat. Large parts of the Senne forests, which are dominated by conifers today, should, therefore, be thinned through forest measures and near-natural grazing and, in the long term, transferred to deciduous forests suitable for the location (13). 3. Near-natural management: Large parts of the project area are to be occupied by sustainably managed, near-natural forests, in which selected trees are allowed to age naturally. Through their management, humans contribute to the preservation and development of species-rich forests (13). 4. Preserve the historical and cultural landscape: The historical economic methods of man have led to the development of the typical Westphalian heathland landscape with its heaths, grasslands or sand fields, on which a variety of specialized species are dependent. The elements of this traditional cultural landscape should be preserved or restored.(13)

Implementation activities

• Creation of “primeval forests” • Near-natural management of the remaining forests • Conversion of non-site-appropriate coniferous forests to near-natural beech or light birch-oak forests • Promotion of typically woody plants • Promotion of old and dead wood • No fertilizers, lime or pesticides • Avoid deforestation • Restoration of former limestone grasslands • De-bushing of the existing poor grassland • Grazing with cattle and horses • Creation of clearings • Control the late blooming bird cherry • Promotion of cave and eerie trees as well as deadwood • Grazing with sheep and goats or annual mowing • Removal of growing trees in the Oerlinghausen quarry • Establishment of spacious pasture paddocks for semi-wild cattle and horses • Mowing, foraging or burning heathland • Removal of unwanted woods • Connect isolated heathland areas and Grasslands • Restoration of heathland the conversion of forest areas Management of small parcels accordingly the historical heather farming • Establishment of sand fields with species protection - function • No application of pesticides, Artificial fertilizers and manure • One to several years of fallow periods Failure to use forestry in the brook area • Removal of trees that are not suitable for the location • Removal of wood from the bog area • Removal of spring jams • Restoring the passability for aquatic animals by dismantling barriers

Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities

Biodiversity conservation:

Protect and enhance urban habitats
Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems
Promote environmentally-sound development in and around protected areas
Preserve and strengthen habitat connectivity
Reduce negative impacts and avoid the alteration/damage of ecosystem
Protect species
Undertake specific measures to protect species
Undertake specific measures to protect native species
Control and clean invasive alien species
Means for conservation governance
Manage biological resources for conservation and sustainable use
Public engagement

Biodiversity restoration:

Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)
Restore native species
Clear and control invasive alien species
Public engagement

Main beneficiaries

National-level government
Local government/Municipality
Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)
Citizens or community groups
Food producers and cultivators (i.e. farmers, gardeners)

Governance

Management set-up

Government-led

Type of initiating organisation

National government

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
Dissemination of information and education
Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

The Federal Agency for Nature Conservation initiated the conservation project of the Senne-Teutoburg Forest area. As of 2017, The Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN)has been included 77 large-scale nature conservation projects in its funding program. Since 2003, the Senne and neighboring areas of the Teutoburg Forest have also been part of the funding framework (13).

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Yes (Two EU directives: the FFH Directive (Fauna-Flora-Habitat, which deals with animal and plant species and their ecological niches) and the Birds Directive form the basis of Natura 2000 and establish an ecological network of natural habitats and endangered wildlife species found in the territory of the European Union (1). )

... a national policy or strategy? Yes (Besides the forest laws there is a number of other laws directly or indirectly affecting forest management, in particular federal laws such as the National Act on Nature Conservation (BNatSchG), the Act on Compensation for Damage to the Forest, the Act on Forest Seeds and Seedling Plants, the Water Act, the National Hunting Act, the Act on Regional Development, the Act on Waste Disposal, and a large number of state laws and other legal provisions on a federal state level (7). )

... a local policy or strategy? Unknown (Since the amendment of the Federal Nature Conservation Act (BNatSchG) came into force in March 2002, each of Germany's states is required by law to establish an interstate network of interlinked biotopes on at least 10 % of its total area (7). )

Financing

Total cost

More than €4,000,000

Source(s) of funding

Public national budget
Public regional budget
Public local authority budget

Type of funding

Earmarked public budget
Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Asset-backed funding (e.g., leasing)

Non-financial contribution

Unknown

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

Water management and blue areas
Enhanced protection and restoration of freshwater ecosystems
Green space and habitat
Increased number of protection areas
Increased green space area
Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
Increase in protected green space areas
Increased conversion of degraded land or soil
Reduced biodiversity loss
Increased number of species present
Improved prevention or control of invasive alien species
Increased spread of native/heirloom/open-pollinated seed
Increased ecological connectivity across regeneration sites and scales

Economic impacts

Unknown

Socio-cultural impacts

Cultural heritage and sense of place
Protection of natural heritage
Increased awareness of flora and fauna as culturally and historically meaningful
Education
Increased knowledge of locals about local nature

Type of reported impacts

Expected impacts, Achieved impacts

Presence of formal monitoring system

Unknown

Presence of indicators used in reporting

No evidence in public records

Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports

No evidence in public records

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

No evidence in public records

References

1. Natura 2000 - Environment - European Commission. (2017). Accessed August 26, 2020, Source link
2. Bielefeld - Natur/Landschaft. (2017). Accessed August 26, 2020, Source link
3. Teutoburg Forest / Egge Hills Nature Park – Where Nature and Culture Come Together. (2016). Accessed August 26, 2020, Source link
4. Startseite WALK. (2017). Accessed August 26, 2020, Source link
5. Naturschutzgroßprojekt Senne und Teutoburger Wald Brochure. (2009). Accessed August 26, 2020, Source link
6. Office for Official Publications of the European Communities. (2015). Natura 2000 and Forests. (2015). Source link
7. Häusler, A., Scherer-Lorenzen, M. (2002). Sustainable Forest Management in Germany: The Ecosystem Approach of the
Biodiversity Convention reconsidered, German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, Accessed August 26, 2020, Source link
8. Haaren, C., Galler, C., Ott, S. (2008). Landscape planning. The basis of sustainable landscape development, German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, Accessed August 26, 2020, Source link
9. Ig Teuto. (2017). Interessengemeinschaft Teutoburger Wald e.V.,Accessed August 26, 2020, Source link
10. State of North-Rhine Westphalia. (2013). FFH report 2013 of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia - Report on the state of species and habitats according to the EU Nature Conservation Directive (Habitats Directive), Accessed August 26, 2020, Source link
11. European Union. (2015). Natura 2000 and Forests: Part I-II. Accessed August 26, 2020, Source link
12. Naturpark Teutoburger Wald/Eggegebirge. (2020). Naturschutzgroßprojekt Senne und Teutoburger Wald, Accessed August 26, 2020, Source link
13. Naturschutzgroßprojekt Senne und Teutoburger Wald. (2020). Accessed August 26, 2020, Source link
14. Rüther, P. (2010). Das Naturschutzgroßprojekt ''Senne und Teutoburger Wald''. LWL. Accessed August 26, 2020, Source link
15. Biologische Station Kreis Paderborn, Senne. (n/a). Naturschutzgroßprojekt Senne und Teutoburger Wald. Accessed August 26, 2020, Source link
16. Kreis Lippe. (2020). Naturschutzgroßprojekt Senne und Teutoburger Wald geht an den Kreis Lippe über. Kreis Lippe. Accessed August 26, 2020, Source link

Source: https://ngpsenne.de/mediathek/bilder/