IRON CURTAIN Project Reference No. QLK5-2001-01401 Deliverable 4.1 Integrated multilayer data base for the reference areas and interpreted maps and time series © IRON CURTAIN Consortium Issued by: GEO Date: 25.2.04 REFERENCE AREA 2 GERMANY - GERMANY (Biosphere Reserve Rhön) PARTNER: Institute for Geography – Geoinformatics, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena (UNIJENA) compiled by UNIJENA Reference Area 2 1 of 55 IRON CURTAIN Project Reference No. QLK5-2001-01401 Deliverable 4.1 Integrated multilayer data base for the reference areas and interpreted maps and time series © IRON CURTAIN Consortium Issued by: GEO Date: 25.2.04 Table of Contents 1 Area Description................................................................................................... 4 1.1 General Description of the Area..................................................................... 4 1.1.1 Location................................................................................................... 4 1.1.2 Geology and Soils ................................................................................... 5 1.1.3 Climate: ................................................................................................... 5 1.1.4 Flora ........................................................................................................ 5 1.1.5 Fauna ...................................................................................................... 6 1.1.6 Ecosystems............................................................................................. 6 1.1.7 Land cover .............................................................................................. 6 1.1.8 Major streams.......................................................................................... 6 1.1.9 Socio-Economic Conditions .................................................................... 6 1.1.10 Legal Status ......................................................................................... 7 1.2 Historical Development .................................................................................. 9 1.3 Main Administrative Actors ............................................................................ 9 1.4 Steering Committee, Working Group, End Users ........................................ 10 2 Summary of Problem Definition.......................................................................... 11 2.1 Vision........................................................................................................... 12 2.2 Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats (SWOT).............................. 12 2.3 Specific Problems ........................................................................................ 17 2.3.1 Population Density ................................................................................ 17 2.3.2 Agricultural Land use............................................................................. 18 2.3.3 Tourism ................................................................................................. 20 2.4 Development Scenarios............................................................................... 20 2.5 Indicators ..................................................................................................... 21 3 Regional Database............................................................................................. 23 3.1 Data Acquisition and Management .............................................................. 23 3.1.1 GIS Data ............................................................................................... 23 3.1.2 Remote Sensing Data ........................................................................... 23 3.1.3 Statistical Data ...................................................................................... 24 3.2 Data Quality ................................................................................................. 25 3.2.1 GIS and Remote Sensing Data ............................................................. 25 3.2.2 Statistical Data ...................................................................................... 25 4 Conclusions and Recommendations .................................................................. 27 5 Annexes ............................................................................................................. 29 5.1 Basic Documentation of the Area ................................................................ 29 5.1.1 Position of the Area............................................................................... 29 5.1.2 Population Density ................................................................................ 29 5.1.3 Population: Age Structure ..................................................................... 30 5.1.4 Population: Migration............................................................................. 30 5.1.5 Communities ......................................................................................... 31 5.1.6 Protected Areas..................................................................................... 31 5.1.7 Infrastructure ......................................................................................... 32 5.1.8 Topography ........................................................................................... 32 5.1.9 Geology................................................................................................. 33 5.1.10 Soils ................................................................................................... 33 Reference Area 2 2 of 55 IRON CURTAIN Project Reference No. QLK5-2001-01401 Deliverable 4.1 Integrated multilayer data base for the reference areas and interpreted maps and time series © IRON CURTAIN Consortium Issued by: GEO Date: 25.2.04 5.1.11 Land cover ......................................................................................... 34 5.1.12 Structure of Agriculture (2 maps) ....................................................... 34 5.2 Results of GIS Analyses .............................................................................. 35 5.2.1 Transportation ....................................................................................... 35 5.2.2 Land-cover Change............................................................................... 36 5.3 Breakdown of indicators on territorial components ...................................... 37 5.4 Indicator descriptions................................................................................... 39 5.4.1 Net Migration Rate ................................................................................ 39 5.4.2 Total Population (male/female).............................................................. 41 5.4.3 Age Distribution..................................................................................... 42 5.4.4 Unemployment Rate.............................................................................. 43 5.4.5 Nutrition Balance Surplusses ................................................................ 44 5.4.6 Potential for Erosion.............................................................................. 45 5.4.7 Spatial Share of Organic Farming ......................................................... 47 5.4.8 Spatial Share of Fallow Land................................................................. 48 5.4.9 Spatial Share of Grassland ................................................................... 49 5.4.10 Spatial Share of Forest ...................................................................... 50 5.4.11 Spatial Share of Agricultural Areas .................................................... 51 5.4.12 Spatial Share of Extensively used Areas ........................................... 52 5.4.13 Landscape Metrics............................................................................. 53 5.4.14 Development in Number of Holdings.................................................. 54 6 References ......................................................................................................... 55 Reference Area 2 3 of 55 IRON CURTAIN Project Reference No. QLK5-2001-01401 Deliverable 4.1 Integrated multilayer data base for the reference areas and interpreted maps and time series © IRON CURTAIN Consortium Issued by: GEO Date: 25.2.04 1 Area Description 1.1 General Description of the Area 1.1.1 Location The Biosphere Reserve Rhön is located at the border triangle of the three German federal states Thuringia (former German Democratic Republic, GDR), Bavaria and Hessen (Federal Republic of Germany, FRG). In order to use the statistical data that are available on a community basis, all communities lying at least partly in the biosphere reserve have been incorporated into the studies (see annex 5.1.12 agriculture). Figure 1: Position of the reference area Reference Area 2 4 of 55 IRON CURTAIN Project Reference No. QLK5-2001-01401 Deliverable 4.1 Integrated multilayer data base for the reference areas and interpreted maps and time series © IRON CURTAIN Consortium Issued by: GEO Date: 25.2.04 1.1.2 Geology and Soils Basement of the Rhön mountains are Triassic sediments (sandstone and shell limestone) which have been penetrated by volcanic activities resulting in basalt covering of today’s higher areas. The valleys are filled with quarternary sediments. Predominating soils are several types of cambisols, partly podsolic (sandstone areas), rendzina soils (limestone areas) and gleysoils in valleys