EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - UNESCO World Heritage

112 NOMINATION DOSSIER "ANCIENT BEECH FORESTS OF GERMANY"
Fig. 4.3: Age distribution of the
beech in Kellerwald (source:
national park forest management
planning 2005)
Fig. 4.4: Degree of naturalness
in Kellerwald
Coral Tooth
(Hericium coralloides)
0 500 1.000 1.500
metre
demarcation of the World
Natural Heritage
beech
1 to 40 years
41 to 120 years
over 120 years
0 500 1.000 1.500
metre
demarcation of the World
Natural Heritage
near-naturalness
1 natural to near-natural
2 near-natural
3 near-natural to semi-natural
char acterised by small-scale, near-natural
to natural beech forest complexes (primeval
forest relics), in particular on the
steep slopes of the Eder river (“Wooghölle”).
Hallmarks of these areas are a high
fraction of mature phases of forest development
and a multitude of microhabitats
(tab. 4.3), a notable feature of which being
the numerous duff holes. With their
steep slopes that never saw much silvicultural
use or were taken out of such use,
the areas are home to primeval forest stands
with 260-year-old beeches (fi g. 4.3).
Other tree species are even far older. Both
the dead wood volumes of 59 m³ / ha (in
places markedly more) and the entire spectrum
of dead wood decomposition stages
are an important pre requisite to the wealth
of fungi, mosses, and lichen in Keller wald.
Th e beech forests are mostly two-layered,
in part multi-layered, while the trees are
rather low in height. Th e local conditions
in Kellerwald give rise to small-scale,
preforest-like structures on the steep slopes
and especially to quaintly shaped, extremely
slow growing beeches. With large plots
of soil being of very shallow depth and precipitation
being readily drained (aboveground
and through aquifers), the beeches
have partially grown char acteristic buttress
roots while showing little growth in
height.
Important indicator species of the component
part include:
Red Deer (Cervus elaphus), Grey-headed
Woodpecker (Picus canus), Middle Spotted
Woodpecker (Dendrocopos medius), Stock
Pigeon (Columba oenas), Hermit Beetle
(Osmoderma eremita), Violet Click Beetle
(Limoniscus violaceus), Coral Tooth (Hericium
coralloides)