Naturefund plans to purchase and protect biodiverse nutrient-poor grasslands in the Hochtaunus. The Reifenberg meadows are a nutrient-poor grassland with an incredibly high biodiversity. Countless rare types of grass and wild plants can be found here.
A cultivated landscape in the Hochtaunus
The Reifenberg meadows were formed through pasture farming. The inhabitants of villages around the Feldberg mountain in the Taunus cleared the few areas where agriculture was possible. Due to the high altitude and incline, the area now called the Reifenberg meadows was only suitable for pasture farming. Following the Second World War, the mechanisation of agriculture meant that cultivating these areas became unprofitable.
The meadows were left unattended and an incredible diversity of rare flowers and animals were able to survive here. But the Reifenberg meadows is cultivated land that would disappear if not for human intervention. If these were not mown regularly, the meadows would become overgrown by scrubs and would eventually turn into a forest. The last woodland clearing of a partial area of 10 hectares took place in early 2012 in order to counteract this effect.
One of the most biodiverse biotopes
Nutrient-poor meadows provide some of the most biodiverse habitats for plants and animals in Central Europe. Unfortunately such environmentally valuable areas have become very rare. Protecting the Reifenberg meadows means conserving a natural treasure. Conditions are basically ideal. This is due to the nutrient-poor soil, which has apparently but also luckily never been fertilised. The austere circumstances mean that over time a number of rare plant species have settled. This on the other hand provides a food source for countless types of insect, such as butterflies, grasshoppers as well as honey and wild bees. They are particularly prevalent during the summer months. We want to protect and conserve this incredibly environmentally valuable biotope. It is one of the most important nutrient-poor grassland areas in Hesse and should therefore be given absolute priority in terms of protection. Protect land for nature now! More on arnica montanaMore on the purple-edged copperBasic data: Reifenberg meadows
