EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - UNESCO World Heritage

Situated on the easternmost edge of the European
beech forest range, the Carpathians
with their natural forests represent an important
section of the ongoing ecological
and biological processes.
However, with about one-fourth of the
overall natural range, Germany is the heartland
of European beech forest´s distribution.
Th e IUCN –Technical Evaluation – ID
No. 1133 already points out that the “Primeval
Beech Forests of the Carpathians”
(Slovak Republic and Ukraine) is not representative
for all types of the original beech
forests and that Germany has some signifi -
cant old-growth beech forests that may extend
the coverage of Europe´s original beech
forests in the World Heritage List. With
the approval and support by Ukraine and
the Slovak Republic, the extension of the
World Heritage Property “Primeval Beech
Forests of the Carpathians” by fi ve German
component parts is applied for supplementing
important stations of beech forest
development and distribution with signifi
cant beech forest types not covered by
the existing World Heritage property.
Th e German component parts are vital for
the understanding of the history and evolution
of the European beech forests, com-
plementing the existing World Heritage
property with signifi cant old-growth beech
forest types.
3.a Criteria under which
inscription is proposed (and
justifi cation for ins cription
under these criteria)
Inscription on the World Heritage list is
proposed under criterion ix:
“Outstanding examples representing signifi cant
on-going ecological and biological processes
in the evolution and development of terrestrial,
fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and
communities of plants and animals.”
Th e serial nomination “Ancient Beech Forests
of Germany” comprises out standing examples
of the evolutionary and developmental processes
of beech forests since the last glacial
period, giving rise to a terrestrial eco system
that has shaped an entire continent in a
globally unique manner (fi g. 3.1). In addition
3. JUSTIFICATION FOR INSCRIPTION
Th e beech forest coast dynamism
in Jasmund's chalk cliff zone is
symbolic of the ongoing ecological
process.
Nationale
Naturlandschaften
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