EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - UNESCO World Heritage

28 NOMINATION DOSSIER "ANCIENT BEECH FORESTS OF GERMANY"
Fig. 2.1: Total distribution of
the European Beech (Fagus
sylvatica) (WELK /DINES
in PRESTON et al. 2003)
Roughly one-third of all
European beech forest
communities is widespread
in Germany.
In the northern portion of the area, the beech
forests extend from the low mountain ranges
up to the lowlands and seashore to potentially
cover large areas. Th is gradient shows
especially clearly in Germany. Th is is why
substantial portions of the lowland beech
forests are found here, which are scarce on
a global scale and entirely absent in other
deciduous forest regions.
Th e European beech forests stand out due to
an exceptional variety of types. Accord ing
to BOHN & NEUHÄUSL (2003), a total
of 86 diff erent biocoenotic units of the beech
and mixed beech forests are found in the
beech forest area, subdivided according to
trophic and altitude levels as well as geographical
and local forms. Of these units,
14 cover more than 50% of the potential
natural range, with as many as eight units
being also wide spread in Germany with
signifi cant proportions of the overall area.
A total of 28 biocoenotic units, which
roughly equals one-third of all European
units, are wide spread in Germany, which
emphasises Germany's particular respon sibility
for the preservation of the beech
forests worldwide.
Th e six biogeographic sub-regions of beech
forest distribution (fi g. 2.2) are charac teris ed
by associations (according to DIERSCHKE
2004) the fl oristic inventory of which refl ecting
the result of long migrations of species
from their glacial refuges or the diversity
gradient from the glacial areas of retreat to
the north and northwest.
Together with the Carpathian beech forests
and the southern centres of expansion the
nominated component parts, rank among
the prime elements to document the ongoing
postglacial development process of the
European beech forests.
Primeval beech forests of the
Carpathians
Th e World Natural Heritage “Primeval
Beech Forests of the Carpathians” is to be
supplemented by the nomination of the
“Ancient Beech Forests of Germany”. With
the long and uninterrupted postglacial
development of their primeval beech forests,
the ten component parts of the existing
World Natural Heritage are unique compo
nents of a purely European phenomenon.