EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - UNESCO World Heritage

138 NOMINATION DOSSIER "ANCIENT BEECH FORESTS OF GERMANY"
in collaboration with the Centre for Agriculture
and Landscape Research Müncheberg
(ZALF: Zentrum der Agrar- und
Landschaftsforschung Müncheberg).
As is the case with the other territories,
Grumsin participates in the initiatives under
the auspices of EUROPARC Germany.
Research results are periodically presented
to the general public within the scope of
symposia by the biosphere reserve administration.
Th e last event of that type took
place in March 2009.
Staff training
Both the nature watch staff and the landscape
guides undergo regular training.
Th e last year saw a number of events and
fi eld trips focussing on the World Natural
Heritage subject.
Citizen involvement
• Biosphere reserve board of trustees
• Association “Kulturlandschaft
Uckermark e. V.“
• Nature and Biodiversity Conservation
Union of Germany (NABU: Naturschutzbund
Deutschland, operating
agency of the information centre)
• Two private landscape guides are gradually
being integrated into the development.
Hainich component part
Research cooperation and publications
A research concept has been in eff ect since
2001 that acts as a conceptual framework.
It is implemented subject to the allocated
staff appropriations and fi nancial resources as
well as third party funding and capacities.
Research projects in Hainich are primarily
focussed on the protection targets, i.e. they
need to be compatible with the paramount
protection purpose of the national park,
which amounts to “safeguarding and establishing
of a largely undisturbed course
of the natural processes”. For this reason,
the investigations have to be designed to be
nature and environmentally friendly (noninterfering
methodology). Type and extent
of the research activities in the national
park are specifi ed and coordinated by the
national park administration. Besides, it
also conducts independent research work
within the scope of its capacity. Its own
research eff orts are predominantly focussed
on status recording, control of success,
and continuous observation. As is the case
with the other territories, the national
park is involved in the EUROPARC programme
under the auspices of Europarc-
Deutschland e. V. Comprehensive and
particular research approaches are covered
in the context of projects conducted by
research partners and diploma / doctoral
theses (in excess of 30 theses in the last few
years). Important research projects and
partners currently include:
• Forest dynamics with the University
of Freiburg.
• Studies on the ecology of mixed populations
with the University of Göttingen
• Carbon turnover with the Max Planck
Institute for Biogeochemistry in Jena.
• Studies on the biodiversity with the
Friedrich Schiller University in Jena
(establishment of so-called biodiversity
exploratories).
• Th e component part is member in the
LTER-D (Long Term Ecological Research
– Deutschland) research association.
A species report and a research report presenting
the results of the ongoing activities
are issued on an annual basis. Th e “Erforschen”
(“Exploring”) series of publications
was launched in 2008 to publish the results
of forest inventory.