Land acquisition project: Wilder Berg bei Seelow
Nature Reserve
Brandenburg

Only goats and sheep will graze to their heart's content on this Germany-wide significant steppe grassland area

Landscape type (Biotope)

The FFH area Wilder Berg bei Seelow is located south-east of the town of Seelow on the slope of the East Brandenburg Plate, which runs down to the Oder Valley and covers an area of 81.0 ha.

In the centrepoint of the steppe grasslands on the River Oder slopes between Seelow and Frankfurt (Oder), continental steppe grasslands occur predominantly alternating with mixed forests rich in deciduous trees and extensively used grassland. These steppe grasslands have a particularly remarkable flora and rich fauna.

The Brandenburg State Office for the Environment, Health and Consumer Protection has classified the 10.7 ha of meadows on the Wilder Berg bei Seelow, which have been owned by the foundation since 2012, as steppe and dry limestone grassland of Germany-wide significance.

Threat factors

All dry meagre biotopes suffer from the continuing high concentration of nitrogen, which to a great extent is extracted from the atmosphere in our industrial society. This means constant fertilisation of the originally nutrient-poor soil. As a result, the biomass of the plant world, which originally specialised in poor soils, increases and leads to a disadvantageous change up to and including the impoverishment of the formerly flower-rich vegetation.

Aerial fertilisation is attended by shrub encroachment on the open, nutrient-poor grassland habitats, which initiates a cycle of even more biomass on the formerly poor soils and increasing shading from trees and shrubs.

The reasons for and the aims of conservation

The conservation purpose of the nature reserve, which encompasses a structurally rich slope section of the transition area between the Lebuser Platte and the Oderbruch, includes:

• Conservation and development of the habitats of rare and endangered wild plant species, including species that are particularly and strictly protected within the meaning of Article 10, Paragraph 2, Nos. 10 and 11 of the Federal Nature Conservation Act, such as Perennial Bunchgrass (Stipa capillata), St Bernard's Lily (Anthericum liliago) and Purple Vipergrass (Scorzonera purpurea).
• Conservation of the natural forest communities and the subcontinental semi-arid and dry grasslands for scientific reasons for the observation and study of plant and animal species in these habitats.
• Preservation and development of the area as a supra-regional important link in the biotope network of subcontinental semi-arid and dry grassland along the slopes of the River Oder.

Source: Ordinance (excerpts) on the Wilder Berg bei Seelow nature reserve of 1 November 2005

Our project commitment

The meagre lowland hay meadows and the dry steppe grassland are strictly protected areas in terms of Section 7 of the Federal Nature Conservation Act. We ensure their protection by eliminating the risk factors of aerial fertilisation and shrub encroachment through extensive land use by goat and sheep grazing or by neutralisation through regular biotope care such as mowing and shrub clearance.

We have implemented both medium- and long-term measures to preserve our dry grassland biotope areas through appropriately designed usage contracts.

We continue to be interested in the purchase of mixed forest and nutrient-poor areas along the slopes of the River Oder.

Dominant species (Fauna/Flora)

Red-backed Shrike, Corn Bunting, Eurasian Skylark, Sand Lizard, Tiger Beetle, Pheasant's Eye, Field Larkspur, German Gentian

Please help us to preserve meagre grassland and flowering meadows in Germany. Every donation counts.