The Green Belt as a European Ecological Network strengths and gaps

Schlumprecht, H., Laube, J.
MONITORING BIODIVERSITY OF THE THURINGIAN GREEN BELT
proposals were combined to a comprehensive proposal for the total monitoring area. For the
valuable biotope types, the main recommendation was “continuity of current land use”
(mainly traditional grazing, or mowing) on a total of 83.3 ha, followed by the removal of
threats (very often clearing of shrubbery; on a total of 47.0 ha). The reintroduction of
extensive land use (e.g. grazing or mowing) were recommended on 22.6 ha and the
extensification of current land use was recommended for about 4.3 ha, see following table.
Table 2:
Management proposals given for valuable biotope types
Urgency 1
(within 1-2
years)
Urgency 2
(within 3-5 years)
Urgency 3
(>6 years) Sum
Management recommendations
maintaining current land use or
management 80.0 3.2 83.3
Reintroduction of extensive land
use 10.6 12.0 22.6
No management action necessary 9.4 1.4 10.7
Extensification of land use 4.3 4.3
Removal of impairments 21.4 25.1 0.5 47.0
Sum (ha) 125.7 40.3 1.9 167.9
2.1.5 Plant species inventory
The species lists containing both characteristic and threatened species was used to
evaluate plant species inventories from A (very good species inventory, including a broad
number of biotope-typical species as well as rare species) to C (species inventory lacking
typical species, rare species missing). 15.9 ha of valuable biotope types were rated as of
outstanding value (A), further 79.6 ha were rated as in good conditions (B). The remaining
30.4 ha were rated as in moderate to poor conditions (C).
On average 1.9 rare species occur per monitoring area (regarding the Thuringian Red
List (2011) [7], Red List Germany (1996) [8] and species protected by law). In total 10
endangered plant species of the Red List Thuringia (2011) were recorded at the monitoring
areas (numbers in brackets gives number of monitoring sites): Arnica montana (1), Barbarea
stricta (1), Carex flava (1), Lathyrus nissolia (4), Melampyrum cristatum (3), Petrorhagia
prolifera (1), Stachys germanica (1), Tephroseris helenitis ssp. helenitis (1), Trifolium
spadiceum (2), and Vaccinium uliginosum ssp. uliginosum (1). Additionally, 31 plant species
are categorised as “vulnerable” according the Red List Thuringia (2011).
2.1.6 Plant species richness
The average number of characteristic species was 20.3 species per monitoring area, with
a standard variance of 12.7 species (median 18). The values range from 1 characteristic plant
species (on MID 9) to 56 species (MID 15). The areas with highest numbers of rare species
(i.e. plant species of the Red List Thuringia 2011, of Germany 1996 or protected plants by
nature conservation law) are four oligotrophic grassland monitoring areas (2 of them with 9, 2
with 5 rare plant species). On average two rare plant species occur per monitoring area (1.3
species with reference only to the Red List of Thuringia). Melampyrum arvense (occurring at
15 biotopes) and the orchid Gymnadenia conopsea (10 biotopes) were most frequent.
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