How nature is preserved in protected areas
Nature reserve, biosphere reserve and national park - these are so-called large protected areas that preserve the preservation and protection of natural habitats in Germany. They make a significant contribution to maintaining the diversity of many plants and animals. Each area is unique in its own way, as they all differ in terms of their nature conservation goals.
Depending on the protected area, in favor of nature
In Germany there are various large protected areas in which, depending on the classification, human intervention is limited or completely prevented. This places clear limits on tourism and other sectors such as industry and agriculture and forestry.
Which major protected areas are there?
In addition to relatively small nature reserves, which mostly belong to the Natura 2000 network, there are large protected areas. These include national parks, biosphere reserves and nature parks. Here people are only allowed to intervene to a limited extent (or not at all). At the same time, tourism in large protected areas is given high priority, provided that it is compatible with the protection goals of the areas.
National parks: let nature be nature
The national parks are among the most important large protected areas. There are a total of 16 national parks in Germany with a total area of around one million hectares. However, this also includes the marine areas of the North and Baltic Seas. Without it, the total area is only around 200.000 hectares, which corresponds to less than one percent of the total area of Germany.
In the national parks, nature can really be nature. That means it is allowed to develop its own dynamics and laws without human intervention. Interventions by humans are prohibited on the majority of the area. The economic use by agriculture, forestry and water management as well as hunting and fishing is therefore prohibited or only permitted under strict conditions. In terms of tourism, however, national parks play an important role. They are popular holiday regions where you can still experience nature authentically and untouched.
Biosphere reserves: human and nature coexistence
Biosphere reserves, on the other hand, are model regions that represent the coexistence of humans and nature. Here the natural and cultural landscapes shaped by humans and the resulting diversity of species and biotopes are protected. The aim is to create a balance between natural and social processes.
Above all, sustainable tourism should be promoted in biosphere reserves. In addition, environmentally friendly land use concepts and marketing structures for sustainable products are to be established here. In the Rhön Biosphere Reserve, for example, the marketing of regional products helps to preserve the species-rich cultural landscape. In the Spreewald Biosphere Reserve, on the other hand, organic farming is promoted. Here, the share of organic farming in the agricultural area is already 70 percent.
There are a total of 17 biosphere reserves in Germany with a total area of almost two million hectares. Here, too, the water and mud flats of the North and Baltic Seas are added. Without it, there are still around 650.000 hectares of terrestrial area, which in turn corresponds to almost four percent of the total area of Germany. 16 of the 17 biosphere reserves are recognized by UNESCO.
Nature parks: For recreation of people and nature
After all, there are nature parks as the last major protected area category. Here the rules are comparatively relaxed, because the nature parks are mainly used for recreation for people and nature. Its aim is to reconcile economic use and tourism with nature conservation in the cultural landscapes.
In Germany there are currently 105 nature parks with a total area of around ten million hectares. Measured against the total area, that is around 28 percent of the land area of Germany.
There are also nature reserves and landscape protection areas
Then there are nature reserves and landscape protection areas. Besides the national parks, the nature reserves are among the most strictly protected areas. Interventions by humans that would change or even destroy the area are prohibited. Economic (including tourist) use is only permitted if it does not impair the protection of the wild flora and fauna in it. Landscape protection areas should also preserve nature and not impair it. However, the protection regulations here are not quite as strict as in the nature reserves.
Read more: Overview of large protected areas
National parks in Germany (with list)
Lisa Klakow
Lisa helped set up the Good Travel Blog and will write for us as a freelance author in the future. She is passionate about traveling and dancing around the world with a small ecological footprint.
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