Forests.Meadows.Wonderful Iphofen’s cultural heritage of coppice forestry

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Contents

1 The edge of the Steigerwald near Iphofen ...... 2 2 Coppice forests in Iphofen’s municipal forest ...... 4 3 Forest reserve at lake Wolfsee ...... 6 4 Vineyards near Iphofen ...... 8 5 Glade valley with trench Rehberg ...... 10 6 Old common pastures near Hellmitzheim ...... 12 7 Tufa brook near Markt Einersheim ...... 14

1 The edge of the Steigerwald near Iphofen

Far more than 1000 animal and plant species live on the edge of the Steigerwald. Among them are also some, which are very rare across Europe and under special protection. They are shown on the following pages. Some are so common in this area that you can see them on a hike with a bit of luck - like the "Jersey Tiger", which is displayed at the bottom of the page.

The symbol identifies the species in the following text, which are under European protection.

The cultural landscape around Iphofen is characterized by a management that was sometimes not changed for centuries. This led to unique populations of animal and plant species. Iphofen’s oak-hornbeam forests that are managed according to the over 250 years old rules of coppice forestry are the most prominent example for the cultural landscape at the edge of the Steigerwald. But changes in recent times have also created opportunities for nature, so soil interventions during extension of the railway line conveyed the development of tufa springs in Markt Einersheim. Tufa brooks are a very important habitat type in Europe.

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LIFE – measures for nature

With "LIFE + Nature" the European Union specifically promotes the implementation of conservation measures and measures for the preservation and development of biological diversity in the network of conservation areas Natura 2000.

The aim of the LIFE project "Forests and glade valleys at the edge of the Steigerwald near Iphofen" was to se- cure the project area (approximately 3,000 acres) as an important element in the European network of conserva- tion areas Natura 2000 and a center of coppice forestry. Important measures are presented on the following pag- es.

Cooperating project partners: City of Iphofen, Markt Markt Einersheim, Bavarian State Forestry, Bavarian State Ministry of the Environment and Consumer Protection. Co-financing by the Bavarian Nature Conservation Fund

Project duration: 1.10.2010 to 31.12.2014 Project budget: 1.6 million euro

Ways to experience the LIFE-Project

The varied landscape at the edge of the Steigerwald gained some attractions: Through the LIFE project three natural adventure trails could be realized. Also accessible to visitors is the LIFE vineyard at the Schwanberg.

Further Information: Tourist-Info Iphofen Kirchplatz 7, D - 97346 Iphofen Telephone: +49 (0)93 23 - 870306 Fax: +49 (0)93 23 - 870308 E-Mail: [email protected]

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2 Coppice forests in Iphofen’s municipal forest

The coppice forests in Iphofen’s municipal forest originate from many centuries of land use tradition. To this day the City of Iphofen and the “Rechtler” (urban residents with the right to use the timber) cultivate several hundred hectares of forest based on historical specifications. In the woods there is an extensive oak-hornbeam forest that is a natural habitat type according to the FFH (Fauna-Flora-Habitat) directive and therefore under European protection. Valuable biotope elements in these forests are:  A small scale, changing species composition in the herb and shrub layers, depending on the site conditions, for example in relation to soil moisture.  Different lighting conditions in close spatial sequence, resulting from the cultivation in small parcels.  Multilayer structure with herb / shrub and tree layer(s), which change over the course of the cultivation progress. Shortly after the partial felling of trees, plenty of light falls on the ground due to thinning out and the herb layer can spread over a large area. Species such as the burning bush blossom then. With increasing growth in the shrub and tree layer, the light-demanding species of the herb layer withdraw or resort to the lighter edge of the forest.

On the rough bark of old oak trees the middle spotted woodpecker seeks its food. His larger relatives, the great spotted woodpeckers, are fre- quently seen. The middle spotted woodpecker, however, is far less often - but not in the woods around Iphofen.

In quiet forest ponds lives the crested newt (in this case a juvenile). Among the native newts its way of life is most similar to those of fish, because it can stay in the water all year round.

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LIFE – measures for nature

 Coppice forestry was resumed on an area of 10 hectares of forest land, where the historic practices were abandoned a few decades ago. This demonstration of a coppice forest can be seen along the coppice forest trail.

 The edge of the forest was partially thinned out over a length of approximately 4 km to establish an interrelation between the adjacent meadows and forest areas. The forest was thinned out on an area of 8 hectares and is kept clear to give space to light-demanding forest species.

 Eight old ponds were rehabilitated as amphibian waters and new ones were created.

Ways to experience the coppic forest Next to the oak on which a painting is installed, on the road Iphofen-Birklingen, the "coppice forest trail" begins. On this path of about 3 km you see the typical forest landscapes of the region and its characteristic meadow valleys. The 8 stations provide not only information, but invite the visitors to participate, to observe nature and to get to the bottom of tricky questions. The destination of the "coppice forest trail" is the information pavilion with a photo wall, a model of the project area and the historic forestry equipment (open on weekends in the hiking season or by appointment).

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3 Forest reserve at lake Wolfsee

The forests surrounding the lakes “Wolfsee” in the Forest of Limpurg south of Dorn- heim are owned by the Bavarian State Forestry and are protected as a forest re- serve. Since 1978, no forestry activities took place on the approximately 76 hectares of forest area. Thus, within several centuries, the forest is able to develop largely without human influence here. For the future generations a "Franconian primeval forest" is developing: The trees reach their natural age, die, collapse and with their decomposition the natural cycle completes. For the ecosystem, the trees in the final stages of their lives and as deadwood - standing and lying – become increasingly valuable. They are an essential quality characteristic of the natural forest.

The stag beetle uses various structures of the forest during his perennial life cycle, for example injured tree trunks with juice leakage for food in- take, rotting tree stumps for underground egg deposition and the males fight their battles on lying deadwood.

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LIFE – measures for nature

 For the stag beetle 20 so-called "stag beetle brood piles" were created. The excavated holes were covered with rotting oak stumps and filled up with oak chaff. Here, the females can lay eggs and the larvae go through their multi-year underground development cycle until they crawl to the surface as mature beetles.  A total of 200 old trees, which are valuable from a nature conservation perspective were marked in the Forest of Limpurg and Iphofen’s municipal forest, which are now under permanent protection as biotope trees.

Ways to experience the forest reserve: the „primordial nature forest trail“

The “primordial nature forest trail” leads to “Methuselah”, who tells stories about the ancient forest, and continues to the Great Wolfsee, where you can get on a floating platform. Anyone with a little time and peace can then observe life on the lake and listen to the voices of the forest.

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4 Vineyards near Iphofen

Extensively managed vineyards with dry stone walls are a valuable habitat.

The smooth snake lives in sunny vineyards. This non-toxic snake hides in dry stone walls and cairns.

The trivial German name of the ortolan or ortolan bunting says a lot about its habitat: The "garden bunting" requires small structures with open soil (as in a vegetable gar- den) and scattered trees. It finds both at the top of the vineyards.

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LIFE – measures for nature

 Within the project a steep slope vineyard was built with dry stone walls. It is cultivated by an association of winemakers from Iphofen, the “mountain winemakers”.

Ways to experience the vineyards

On the Schwanberg above Iphofen a historical vineyard was created. If you walk from there to the „Terroir F“-point at the Schwanberg, a beautiful view over the vast Maintal is offfered.

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5 Glade valley with trench Rehberg

The trench Rehberg drains a glade valley south of Dornheim. These meadows were traditionally used as hay meadows. Due to the extensive use a significant European natural habitat type could develop here, the so called "plain mowing maedows". A great diversity of species of flowering plants and insects are the quality characteris- tics of these meadows. Due to frequent cutting and strong fertilization many of the characteristic species are endangered, some don’t even occur anymore.

Those meadows in close interrelation with tall forb communities along forest edges and rivers are an essential habitat, for example for the dusky large blue. It is in its development - as the German name sug- gests - among other things, dependent on the great burnet on which it is also shown in the adjacent picture.

Host fish have brought mussel larvae, called glochidia, via the river Bibart into the trench Rehberg, where the conditions were suitable for the development of a river mussel population. However, several factors threaten this population such as the entry of fine sediments and pesticides from ad- jacent agricultural land or migration obstacles in the watercourse that limit the spread of host fish and mussels significantly.

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Beavers also shape the landscape at trench Rehberg. Other ani- mals that depend on the water benefit from its construction activity. Yellow-bellied toads and moorhens have already discovered the beaver habitats.

LIFE – measures for nature

 At trench Rehberg a pipe culvert, which was a migration barrier for the river mussel and its host fish because of its dilapidated state and because of the cascade lying behind it at mean and low water conditions, could be replaced by a traversable box culvert.  Along the trench Rehberg land was purchased that will be developed into plain mowing meadows. For this purpose for example small areas on existing meadows were milled and hay from already rich meadowlands was spread there. From a natural conservation point of view this has several positive effects: on the one hand, the proportion of this type of meadow under European protection has increased - with all the benefits for animal species that found their habitat here. On the other hand due to the extensive cultivation of these meadows without liquid manure application an effec- tive buffer strip along the watercourse has been created, which in turn improves the habitat conditi- ons of the river mussel in the trench Rehberg. The future care of the buffer strip will support the de- velopment of the target species, for example of the great burnet as one of the main bases for de- velopment of the dusky large blue. The great burnet has already established itself on the areas in- oculated with hay.  By buying a meadow that was flooded by the beaver the conflict between man and beaver could be defused.

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6 Old common pastures near Hellmitzheim

The common pasture area was installed east of Hellmitzheim where this ancient form of use was already documented in historical maps. In the Middle Ages livestock were driven into the forest to feed on grasses and herbs on the forest floor, leaves, bark and tree fruits. Thus the impression of a so called “pasture woodland” was quite different from what we know of today's forested land. A pasture woodland was domi- nated by large old trees whose fruits were used as animal feed. The understory was strongly influenced by the grazing animals: sheep, goats and cattle grazed regularly on the shrub and herb layer, so that the forest was overall strongly thinned out. The sunlight reached down to the ground and the herb layer could develop grassland- like. Such forests have either been created specifically for this purpose or developed this way from forested land because of browsing damage. Near Hellmitzheim the old oaks of a former pasture woodland still exist on two small areas.

Picture in the center: The collared flycatcher lives in sparse, old stands of trees. They breed in tree hollows. It snaps its food in the air or searches on the floor.

Picture below: Dangerous environment: Yellow-bellied toads are specialized in recently emerged, quickly drying out water. The advantage: they have few ene- mies there. The disadvantages: Their tadpoles can dry up together with the puddle, in which they grow up. Humans and animals can easily step into waters in which the amphibians stay. In the common pasture yellow-bellied toads live in ponds and footprints.

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LIFE – measures for nature

 The existing areas with old oaks were taken as a base for the installation of a common pasture according to the historical model. On an area of about 15 hectares 300 new trees were planted (o- aks and fruit trees). A forest area was fenced as part of the common pasture as well. Franconian yellow cattle, an old, local breed of cattle and red deer shape their new habitat together.  On the common pasture area an existing ground depression was developed into a natural animal watering trough. In the forest edge region temporary water-bearing ponds were also created through minor operations. In addition to the grazing animals, amphibians use these "sky ponds" as well and spawn there, e.g. the yellow-bellied toad. In the project area another 20 ponds were creat- ed for the yellow-bellied toad and the crested newt.

Ways to experience the common pastures

The common pasture-trail tells the story of the common pasture as a form of historical agricultural land use and as a distinctive nature conservation feature. It is specifically addressed to the little hikers, since they find many opportunities to play and puzzle along the way.

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7 Tufa brook near Markt Einersheim

The tufa brooks near Markt Einersheim are a priority habitat type under the highest European protection category due to their rarity and sensitivity to human interven- tion. The development of calcareous tufa is only possible under certain conditions. Cal- careous tufa springs can arise only where calcareous ground water rises to the sur- face. Because of the associated pressure relief, heating and photosynthesis of spe- cial algae and mosses, carbon dioxide is extracted from the water. The conse- quence: Lime precipitates. The part of the moss plants covered with lime die, porous calcareous tufa evolves. The calcareous tufa is overgrown with a new moss layer and the whole process starts again. Thereby the tuff deposit grows upwards as well.

LIFE – measures for nature

The calcareous tufa springs were exempt from woody plants as part of the LIFE+-Nature project. Thus, the moss receives more sunlight and the development of the tufa brook is stimulated.

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Picture credits: www.fotonatur.de, Paulik, Schmitt, Huss, Lang, www.franken-weinland.de