Land acquisition project: Cossensee Nature Reserve
(National Natural Heritage)
Mecklenburg - Western Pomerania

Without people, nature comes alive there

Landscape type (Biotope)

The Cossensee nature reserve is located in the district of Güstrow, in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. It was placed under protection in 2001 and has a total area of around 128.0 ha. It includes parts of the countryside of the municipality of Reimershagen in the district of Gross Tessin.

The Cossensee is a nutrient-poor spring lake with a well-marked fringe of reed and Alder Marsh forest National Natural Heritage Germany. The nature reserve serves the long-term conservation, maintenance and development of a nutrient-poor spring lake including its underwater vegetation, the floating leaf belt and the approximately 10 m thick calcareous lake mud layer as well as the surrounding reed beds, alluvial forest, and meadow areas.

Threat factors

The abuse of the lake and individual sections of the shore for leisure activities, thereby disrupting the peace of, and damage to, the shoreline biotope.

The winter and spring periods of drought triggered by climate change lower the water level in the riverside forest areas and wet meadows. This results in the loss of species-specific Common Crane breeding sites.

The reasons for and aims of conservation

• Preservation, maintenance and improvement of the lake water quality by minimizing the nutrient input and water use as a prerequisite for the continued survival of the wildlife and plant species and plant communities specifically linked to the lake.
• Conservation, maintenance and development of the wet meadows bordering the lake.
• Conservation of the marsh forest areas.
• Preservation of the reed and wooded areas, especially as a nutrient filter.
• Conservation of the area as a habitat for many rare and endangered wildlife species such as the Eurasian Otter, Osprey, Western Marsh Harrier, Common Crane, Eurasian Bittern, Sedge Warbler, Great Reed Warbler, Eurasian Reed Warbler and Savi's Warbler.
• Preservation of the relative calm and privacy in the area.

Our project comittment

With the transfer agreement of March 2011, 52.3 ha of the core area of the nature reserve was transferred from the area pool National Natural Heritage Germany by the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania to our Foundation free of charge. This includes the entire lake area with 24.3 ha and 28.0 ha of reed beds, alluvial forest and wet meadow areas.

Planned leasing of the meadow areas to a local livestock farmer for partial biotope-adapted extensive meadow use as a sheep grazing area. Ending of the current much-reduced leisure activities in and around the Cossensee.

Our medium-term project goal is the purchase of additional wet meadows, broken Alder Marsh forests and dry dune slopes of up to 20.0 ha adjacent to the Cossensee.

Dominant species (Fauna/Flora)

Eurasian Otter, Osprey, Common Crane, Western Marsh Harrier, Eurasian Bittern, Great Reed Warbler, Whinchat.

Your donation helps us to purchase further ecologically-valuable plots of land.