EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - UNESCO World Heritage

and the endemitic Bordera pyrenaica. A total
of over 1,500 plant species are found in the
protected area, 50 species of which being
considered to be endemic to the Pyrenees.
Th e region’s beech forests document the
montane Pyrenean type “Atlantic-West
European Beech Forests” which is markedly
diff erent from the “Central European Beech
Forests”. Another critical diff erence is the
Pyrenees not having seen a comparable
postglacial development of the forests, all
the more so as there were glacial refuges
without any tendency toward repopulation
(MAGRI et al. 2006).
Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians
(Slovak Republic and Ukraine, area
29,278.9 ha, World Natural Heritage
since 2007, criterion ix)
Th e World Heritage property is composed
of 10 component parts in Slovakia and
Ukraine. Th e montane to subalpine primeval
beech forests represent the “Carpathian
Beech Forests”.
Th e primeval beech forests of the Carpathians
are an outstanding example of intact montane
nemoral forests which have been preserved
in their complexity. Th is is a singular,
complete, and comprehensive example of
a forest dominated by a single tree species,
which is the beech tree. Forest dynamics
here were allowed to proceed without interruption
or interference since the last ice
age. Nowadays, they are the last pure beech
forests in Europe to document the undisturbed
postglacial repopulation of the species,
which also includes the unbroken existence
of typical animals and plants. Wolf, lynx, and
bear deserve partic ular mention here.
Th e primeval beech forests of the Carpathians
are the linchpin for the nomination of the
German component parts that, in the centre
of the beech’s distribution range, are an
essential part of the ecological processes
underway since the last ice age.
European beech forests outside of
World Natural Heritage properties
According to PLACHTER et al. (2007),
large-area beech forests in Europe that are
not World Natural Heritage sites but still
have a high protection status and show a
World Natural Heritage potential are to be
found in Switzerland, Austria, France,
Spain, Italy, Bulgaria, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina,
Ukraine, Slovakia, and Romania
(tab. 3.5). As becomes apparent from the information
on the beech forest types here
also, there are, due to the diff er ent biogeographic
regions, altitudinal zones, and
the history of postglacial development, no
beech forests comparable to the nominated
component parts within in the “Central
European Beech Forests”.
3.c.3 Beech forests in
Germany (see annex 3.1 and 3.2)
In Germany, beech forests potentially are the
naturally prevailing, dominant ecosystem
and are formative for the specifi c biodiver sity.
Accounting for 26% of the European habitat,
Germany is located at the centre of the
beech forests' distribution range. Th ere
is no other country to boast a comparably
high share of the natural distribution range
of this type of forest. According to their
local and geographical diff erentiation, a total
of 86 diff erent beech forest variants are
found throughout the European territory,
one-third of which being present in the
German centre of distribution. Of these
28 types of beech forest, 18 types are mainly
found in Germany with an area fraction
of at least 50 %. Th is means that the sole
global responsibility to preserve 20% of the
European beech forest types as a natural
value for the global community rests with
Germany. Particular emphasis should be
3. JUSTIFICATION FOR INSCRIPTION
The nominated German
beech forests are representative
of the “Central European
Beech Forests”. They
document the ongoing
postglacial history of European
forests and are irreplaceable
as far as existing
or potential World Heritage
properties are concerned.
Nationale
Naturlandschaften
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