EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - UNESCO World Heritage

General principle for the Coordinated
Management
Let Nature be Nature
Th e aim is to preserve and protect a globally
unique and outstanding parts of the
European beech forests with signifi cant
ongoing evolutionary and ecological
processes aff ecting the plant and animal
societies.
• Within the nominated component
parts, nature is allowed to develop
according to its own rules – they
are the most valuable old large-area
beech forests in Germany.
• Th e property shields the common
beech's habitat, which is limited to
the European lowlands and low
mountain ranges.
Th e responsibility to coordinate the management
of the German component parts
including the required reporting resides with
a steering group made up of representatives
of the ministries for the environment
of the Länder (Brandenburg, Hesse,
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Th uringia),
the Federal Environment Ministry
(BMU), and the Federal Agency for Nature
Conser vation (BfN: Bundesamt für Naturschutz).
During the course of the application
process, it was closely collaborating
with the ad ministrations of the nominated
component parts and involving experts
in the analysis and harmonisation processes.
Th e Coordinated Management guarantees
the protected area management of the
individual component parts to be involved in
the integrated trilateral management system
(annex 7.3.1).
5. PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE PROPERTY
• Th e property provides the space
required for undisturbed, natural,
ecological, and biologic processes,
places of rest and retreat for naturally
occurring wild animals and plants
(following criterion ix).
• Th e property is a valuable place of
experience for both education and
research, a one-of-a-kind place allowing
recreation seekers to experience
nature as well as coining the regions’
image.
With the extension nomination, Germany
makes a major contribution towards the
preservation of a property of outstanding
universal value. All protective endeavours
undertaken in the component parts follow
an ecosystem approach. Th ey are intended
to safeguard the on-going evolutionary
and natural dynamic processes to preserve
the entire biological diversity of the beech
forests.
A common general principle (see grey box
above) was adopted for the extension
nomination within the scope of the harmonisation
process; its maxim is:
“Nature Development: Let Nature be Nature”
“Nature development: Let
Nature be Nature” is the
general principle which
the German nominated
component parts share.
Nationale
Naturlandschaften
127