Upper Lusatian Heath and Pond Landscape

The Upper Lusatian Heath and Pond area is a nature area in Saxony. It extends from the line Wittichenau -Kamenz about 60 km in west-east direction to the Neisse. Its expansion between the adjacent natural areas and Eastern Upper Lusatia Upper Lusatia climes in the south and the Muskauer Heath and the Lusatian mining area in the north is about 15 to 20 kilometers.

The landscape forms the transition between the southern mountainous part of Upper Lusatia and Lower Lusatia. Your central part is occupied by the Biosphere Reserve Upper Lusatian Heath and Pond Landscape, whose core zones are designated as " nature reserve Upper Lusatian Heath and Pond Landscape ".

The area is part of the Saale glacial glacial valley. Groundwater near Talsande at altitudes between 130 and 150 meters occur in alternation with over 500 meters wide only a few meters deep sunken lowlands on. Dry areas are located next to or even waterlogged mire areas.

Nearly ten percent of the area make 335 ponds. Thus, the Upper Lusatian Heath and Pond area is the largest farmed pond area in Europe.

Due to lignite mining around the power plant Boxberg part of the original natural landscape has been destroyed, but the remaining holes will form a new part of the landscape after flooding.

The potential natural vegetation ( PNV ) represent birch and oak-pine forests in the floodplains and alder-ash forests.