UNESCO WORLD NATURAL HERITAGE

Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Ancient Beech Forests of Germany

October 2011

landscape, create a rich diversity of habitats and form the basis for a great amount of biodiversity. The red deer is the biggest mammal to roam through this nature reserve. Rare large birds such as the bittern and the crane are typically found here and white tailed eagle and osprey have their largest breeding density in central Europe here. In the old forests of Serrahn there is an impressive and large variety of insect and fungi species that live on dead wood.

Jasmund | 493 hectaresMecklenburg-West Pomerania | Jasmund National Park | 3,102 hectares |

www.nationalpark-jasmund.de

Jasmund represents the beech forests of the lowlands on lime and boulder clay. Beech forests, chalk cliffs and sea form a fascinating backdrop. The beech forest appears to be literally plunging into the sea at the chalk cliff. The harsh coastal climate and the interaction of topography and climate lead to a broad range of different beech forest communities which are interspersed with streams and moors. They form the basis for a large range of animal and plant species. Rare orchids, the great horsetail and the coral root are typical here. Peregrine falcon breeds here along with other birds on the slopes of the chalk cliff and the house martin settles here in large colonies. The white tailed eagle is a regular breeding bird.

Hainich | 1573 hectaresThuringia | Hainich National Park | 7,500 hectares |

www.nationalpark-hainich.de

The most valuable beech forests that offer a very rich range of species grow on the central mountain ranges on limestone. It impresses through its extensive range of tree species and reveals lime beech forests of a magnitude, unspoilt nature and form that you will be unable to find in any other area. Wonderful carpets of blossoms on the forest floor in the spring and lively autumnal colouring due to the rich range of tree species enchant visitors. In addition to the typical plant and animal species that are typical for mixed deciduous forests, very specialised species such as wild cat, Bechstein‘s bat, middle spotted woodpecker, saproxylic beetles that are in great danger of extinction, orchids and numerous species of fungi can also be found here.

Serrahn | 268 hectaresMecklenburg-West Pomerania | Müritz National Park | 32,200 hectares |

www.mueritz-nationalpark.de

In the Serrahn part of the forest of the Müritz National Park lowland beech forests grow on sands from the ice age. In the midst of an extended forest and lake landscape this old beech forest helps us to imagine what the German beech forests once looked like. Lakes and moors enrich the forest

Kellerwald | 1467 hectaresHesse | Kellerwald-Edersee National Park | 5,700 hectares |

www.nationalpark-kellerwald-edersee.de

The acidophilous beech forests of the lower mountain ranges grow on slate and greywacke in the Kellerwald. No roads and no settlements cut through the exceptionally old, extensive forests of the Kellerwald in which unique primeval forest relics have survived. The beech reaches its natural forest boundary at the rocky and scree slopes and forms a bizarrely formed forest landscape. More than 500 of the purest springs and streams form additional valuable habitats. Visitors will find a rich range of living communities that are typical in deciduous forests with numerous rare species. Eagle owl, red kite and black stork breed here, numerous woodpecker and bat species demonstrate the structural diversity of the forests. The cheddar pink and rare beetles which are considered to be primeval forest species rank among the outstanding special features here.

On 16 November 1972 the “Convention concerning the protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage” was adopted at the 17th General Conference of UNESCO. It came into force in 1975 and 187 states throughout the world have now ratified this agreement. The guiding principle of this agreement is “the consideration that parts of the Cultural or Natural Heritage are of outstanding interest and therefore need to be preserved as part of the World Heritage of man-kind as a whole.“ The World Heritage Sites thus do not solely belong to the respective state but should ideally be seen as the property of the entire human race. World Natural Heritage are unique natural phenomena, World Cultural Heritage are unique human cultural achievements. The old part of Cracow city, the Galapagos Islands were among the first World Herit-age sites and the first German site was the Aachen Cathedral.Currently (2011) the World Heritage List contains 936 Cultural and Natural Sites, including 36 in Germany. Cultural Sites dominate the World Heritage List, particularly in Germany and Europe. In addition to the Ancient Beech Forests, the Messel Pit fossil site and the Wadden Sea are also UNESCO World Natural Heritage Sites in Germany.

UNESCO World Heritage

Grumsin | 590 hectaresBrandenburg | UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Schorfheide-Chorin |

129,000 hectares | www.schorfheide-chorin.de

Grumsin represents the beech forests of the lowlands on glacial sands and clay. Visitors will find the greatest still connected lowland beech forests in the biosphere reserve. Water and forests are closely linked in Grumsin. Lakes, forest marshes and moores in deep valleys interchange with marked ridges and conjure up atmospheric forest images in the ancient beech forests.These different structures in the most confined spaces form the basis for an exceptionally rich range of animal and plant species.

White tailed eagle, black stork and crane are ornitholo gical highlights here. The common tree frog benefits from the numerous small water bodies. Sundew and cotton grass can be found in the moors.

Significant lowland beech forest in the Müritz National Park Beech forest at the steep chalk cliff coastline in the Jasmund National Park Forest and water in Grumsin

Extensive silicate beech forests in the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park

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P R O T E C T N A T U R EE X P E R I E N C E N A T U R E

A lot of beetle species that are in acute danger of extinction live in the dead wood of old beech forests.

Additional information is available at:www.weltnaturerbe-buchenwälder.de

“Ancient Beech Forests of Germany“ have been listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since June 2011.

The most valuable remnants of natural ancient beech forests now form a joint World Heritage Site together with the UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site of “Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians” in the Ukraine and the Slovak Republic that has been inscribed in 2007.The areas in question are the selected forest areas of the National Parks of Jasmund and Müritz in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, Hainich in Thuringia, Kellerwald-Edersee in Hesse and the Biosphere Reserve of Schorfheide-Chorin in Brandenburg. These German sites with their beech forests in the lowlands and central uplands are a perfect complement to the mountain beech forests located in the Carpathians.

The joint World Heritage Site thus reflects virtually the entire range of beech forest types in Europe from the seashore to the mountain timberline and at the most diverse locations. The cooperation between Germany, the Ukraine and the Slovak Republic is exemplary. They have and continue to jointly work on the conservation and management of the 15 component parts.

The joint World Natural Heritage site is an exceptional example of natural deciduous forests and is indispensable in order to understand the historical development of the forests that are dominated by beech.

The decision of the World Heritage Committee on 25 June 2011 for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List emphasises the efforts at conserving the beech forests as the World Heritage Committee has linked it to form a pan-European process by means of this commitment. The conservation and adoption of additional valuable European beech forests within the joint World Heritage Site should be secured in the future. Germany, the Slovak Republic and the Ukraine will work hard to achieve this.

UNESCO World Natural Heritage “Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Ancient Beech Forests of Germany”

European beech forests

Deciduous forests that are dominated by common beech trees (Fagus sylvatica) are only to be found in Europe. Beech forests would shape the landscape of the whole of central Europe without the influence of humans.

Due to its major ecological potency the beech has occupied large sections of Europe from its small retreats in the south and south east of Europe following the ice age. This domi-nance developed within the last 4,000 years – viewed in geological and evolutionary terms this is an extremely short period of time.This ecological process is still ongoing! The beech is still in the process of spreading. This is a globally unique example of the fact that a unique species of tree can proliferate and dominate extending a large area.

An exceptional diversity of forest communities has developed due to the fact that the beech can be found at the most diverse locations. They offer living space for more than 10,000 animal, plant and fungi species. They thus make up an essential portion of the biological diversity of the temper-ate climate zones of the earth.

C O N S E R V E N A T U R E U N D E R S T A N D N A T U R E D I S C O V E R N A T U R E E X P E R I E N C E N A T U R E

Beech forests in Germany

Germany is at the centre of distribution of the beech forests. If nature had its way they would cover approx. two thirds of the land area of Germany extending from the Alps over high and low mountain ranges and down to the lowlands at the sea coastlines.

Now only approx. seven per cent of this surface is covered with beech forests due to deforestation and forest conversion. Larger contiguous forest areas are rare. The remaining forests are used in the forestry industry and beeches of approx. 120 years of age are harvested. The senescent and decay phases of a lifecycle that is naturally of more than 300 years duration are absent and thus also the living spaces that emerge in these phases such as tree hollows and dead wood with their typical biocoenosis. Primeval beech forests have long since disappeared barring a few miniscule remnants and with them also species that are dependent upon them.

Natural distribution of beech forests in Europe

European beech forests are an outstanding example of the process of reforestation of large areas of Central Europe following the ice age, the process that continues to this day.

The history of the beech forests is closely linked with the history of European civilisation. The post-glacial colonisation of the landscape by the beech tree ran in parallel with the establishment of communities by mankind and the formation of more highly organised forms of society.

That is why the beech is deeply rooted in European culture. German words such as “Buch” (from Buche) or „Buchstabe“ but also the name of approx. 1,500 towns and villages in Germany, can be traced back to the name of the beech tree.

Beech forest habitat

The 15 component parts of the UNESCO World Heritage Site

Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians | 29,297 hectares Ukraine | 6 areas in the Carpathians Biosphere Reserve and in the Uzhanskyi

National Park | http://cbr.nature.org.ua/main.htm | Slovak Republic | 3 areas in

the Poloniny National Park and the protected landscape area Vihorlat

The last extensive primeval beech forests can now only be found in the Carpathians. This is the only place where you can still experience the uninterrupted dynamics of the coming and de-cline of beech forests since the last ice age. Mighty beeches, some of them more than 50 m high, dominate the forest profile with its varied structure. The great biodiversity of the beech forests has managed to endure here. The World Heritage Site “Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians“ was already inscribed in 2007 and represents the beech forests of the mountain range in ten component parts. Four areas are located in the Slovak Republic, six are located in the Ukraine. The smallest area is 67 hectares in size, the largest 12,000 hectares. They are located in the eastern Carpathians, one of the most unspoilt habitats in Europe. All the component parts are remnants of primeval forests which are embedded in beech forests that are extensively managed.

A covering of wild garlic in the fresh limestone beech forest (Hainich National Park) ➤ Ancient beech forest that rich in species and structures ➤

Jasmund

SerrahnGrumsin

KellerwaldHainich

Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians

Uholka Primeval Beech Forest in the Carpathian mountains ➤

The component parts of the World Natural Heritage represent the characteristics and the natural processes of European beech forests under various ecological conditions.