Wendland and Altmark

Wendland and Altmark, named after the regions Wendland and Altmark, refers to a natural spatial feature unit group in Lower Saxony and Saxony -Anhalt, North Germany. In the physiographic division of Germany manual it bears the code number 86, the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation leads them unchanged borders and under the code D29.

Location

The natural area extends in the central North German lowland cross-border in the states of Lower Saxony (here only Lüchow- Dannenberg ) and Saxony- Anhalt (Altmark Salzwedel, Stendal district and county flange ). It ranges from Dannenberg in the north to Lüchow and Salzwedel to Breslau -Magdeburg - Bremen glacial valley ( with ears and the Midland Canal ) north of Magdeburg in the south and by the Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt border area northeast of Wolfsburg and the Drömling in the west to Stendal in the East. The area is thus essentially congruent with the cultural landscape regions Wendland and Altmark - but not in all areas. Thus, the socio - culturally largely to the Hanoverian Wendland belonging Drawehn is counted natural area to the main unit D28 Lüneburg Heath. The floodplains of the river Elbe also forms a separate natural space.

The main unit group Wendland and Altmark (86 ) is bounded and framed by the groups Lüneburg Heath (64 ) in the northern west, Weser -Aller - plains (62 ) in the South West, Eastern Harz foothills and Börden (50 ) in the south and the Elbe valley (87 ) in the east and north.

The only area of the "old " western provinces - in addition to the Lower Saxon part of the Elbe valley lowlands - to climatic already continental Greater Region 3rd order of the central East German lowlands, the Wendland, as elsewhere, the entire natural area unit, calculated as the neighboring Lueneburg Heath nor the westerly Geest landscapes is attributed.

Nature regions

The main unit group is divided into three main units digit and finer units as follows (fractions ):

• ( to the north German lowlands) 86 ( = D29 ) Wendland and Altmark Altmärkisches lowland 860 Lüchower lowland 860.0 break and Jeetzeniederung Glacial sand island east of Lüchow ( singularity )

• 861.0 Arendseer plate 861.00 Polkerner area
• 861.01 Dewitzer area
• 861.02 Leppin - Kerkauer area
• 861.03 Rademiner sandy Geest

• 862.0 Stendaler plate 862.00 Tangermünder plate
• 862.01 Arneburger plate
• 862.02 Stendal Bismarker plate
• 862.03 Stendaler lowland

• 863 Letzlinger Heath
• 864 Klötzer Heath 864.0 Hellberge - Klötzer Forestry Klötzer Forestry
• Zichtauer forestry ( with light mountains )

• 865.0 Melliner Forestry
• 865.1 Diesdorfer Geest

Climate

The area is located in the transition zone between the Atlantic and Continental United climates in Central Europe and is largely classified as sub-continental. One can also speak of a more maritime -influenced inland lowland climate. Especially in Lee ( rain shadow ) larger end moraine ridges (see below) can be found relatively low rainfall conditions. In the lowland Lüchower the annual variation of temperature at 17.7 ° C is already more than one degree in the subatlantisch embossed central Lüneburg Heath. There are 28 summer days ( maximum > 25 ° C) and eight more with 100 frost days (minimum <0 ° C), 20 more than in the mid- Lüneburg Heath. The precipitate is significantly less than there ( reference value: 730 mm / a ) 580 mm / yr long-term average. In the Altmark also annual precipitation between 550 and 600 millimeters recorded. The average temperature in January is here at -1 to 0 ° C and in July from 17 to 18 ° C.

Geology, soil science, water

The geomorphology of the natural space unit Wendland and Altmark was significantly shaped by the Saale ice age. Several striking elevations of the so-called " Southern country back " combined end moraine formations dominate the landscape. They are the result of the Saalian glacial glacier advances and Eisrandlagen " Drenthe I" and " II Drenthe ", but in particular the recent " Warta Stage ". Mention may be made as a western boundary of the natural area of ​​Goehrde - Drawehn - ridge (also: " Osthannoversche terminal moraine ") and the Hellberge and the Colbitz - Letzlinger Heath in the south. This chain of terminal moraines found on the right side of extension in the same flaming (on the map natural space unit 85).

The highest elevation of the natural area is located 160 meters above sea level in the mountains north-west of Hell Guard Set; the lowest point is with barely 13 meters above sea level in Dannenberg on the edge of the Elbe valley.

The northern part, the Lüchower lowlands, is a weichselglazial formed on the lower terrace of fluvial sands and glazifluviatilen. It is part of the Elbe glacial valley and is traversed by the lower reaches of the Jeetzel and its tributaries - the largest river within the natural area unit D29. Several Saalian glacial moraine islands, such as the " salmon trout ", the " Lemgow " and the "Long Strand Geest island " and periglacial and Holocene up blowing drift sands and dunes - especially the great " Gartower flight Anda height" - interrupt the near groundwater, partly swampy lowland character of the landscape. To the south are increasingly clayey Gleyböden and finally in the Silly - country trench Grenzgraben lowlands also Niedermoortorfe.

This valley, which historically was often border area - as well as during the division of Germany - pulls up to Salzwedel back and also still includes the Arendsee with a. This is more than five square kilometers of water surface around the largest and deepest natural lake with 50 meters of Saxony-Anhalt. The boundaries of the lowlands in the south of the " Altmark plates " that have primarily Tieflehm - brown earth sites. These plates and " plateaus " of Pleistocene moraines and meltwater formations are divided by low terraces and channels with floodplain, marsh and shifting sand areas, particularly in its northern and eastern part. As the largest river we encounter again the Jeetzel, which is called here in its upper course " Jeetze ". Another notable rivers is the piping that is mentioned later in Aland. In the northwest, the moraines in the region " Swinmark " ( around Bergen ( Stupid ) and Schnega ) reached by the " Jeetzel - Stupid - clay board " even Lower Saxon territory.

South of the Altmark plates go on in the already mentioned Endmoränenlandschaften that are grouped together as the " Altmark Gentiles." As soils dominate the flat - hilly relief of the bright mountains and the Colbitz - Letzlinger heath especially sandy loess brown earth, Fahl earth and sand Braunpodsol. This landscape is comparatively low in the aquatic environment.

Today's potential natural vegetation ( PNV ) and land use

Noted the man his management of the landscape and would leave these natural succession, would - apart from extremely wet or dry locations and excluding the interaction of large grazing herds of animals (so-called mega- herbivores ) - Set largely closed in the Central European lowland forests.

On the ground moraines and Talsandplatten of the natural environment " Wendland and Altmark " would be after passing through various successional companies finally with the large- scale development of beech forests poor base stations can be expected as a climax. Depending on site conditions, different associations from Drahtschmielen -Buchwald would prevail until the millet - Buchenwald. Within the floodplains of the rivers would be to base habitats poor English oak riparian forest complexes in base-rich sites oak-hornbeam forests ( deciduous wood mixed forests ) and ash mixed forests spread. On fen soils the formation of birch oak forest ( poorer, dry ) and Walzenseggen - alder swamp forest complexes ( richer, moist ) would be expected. At base-and nutrient-poor, dry sandy areas of pine and birch - oak-beech forest would shape the landscape.

In fact, there are these vegetation formations today at most in small fragments and degeneration stages, due to the virtually comprehensive forestry and agricultural reshaping the landscape and surface drainage. Forests are found primarily on agrarian inferior land and are usually from forestry certain tree species. Relatively high forest holdings within natural space there is in the Altmark pagans in the south (about 40 %; especially pine forests ) and on the moraine hills and flight Anda heights in Wendland ( for example, " Gartower Tannen", and indeed it is pine forest ). Otherwise, only smaller forest areas around in the damp to wet lowlands are usually present. A larger moist forest complex on basenarmem, slightly acidic site is the so-called " Lucie " (more precisely: Forest Lucie) in the Lüchower lowlands. In the Silly - country trench Grenzgraben lowlands are also more expansive wet alder woods available.

In the Colbitz - Letzlinger Heath in the south of the natural area of ​​huge military training area " battle Altmark " exists, which has led to a specific form of the landscape with large heath and lean grass and sandy Rohbodenflächen. Under its forest is adjacent pine forest also probably the largest contiguous forest in Europe Linde found.

Landscape Characteristic of the entire natural area but are mostly agricultural land. Grassland use is limited, as a rule on flood plains and low bogs and dry hills. In many parts, however, dominated agriculture. Especially on the more fertile soils of the Altmark plates of the intensive cultivation of grain and corn on large arable fields leads to a partially monotonous appearance. In more rural small embossed Wendland a smaller-scale, more varied landscape as a whole has not yet received. Various regional land consolidation process, especially in the 1960s to the 1980s, however, have yet resulted, together with the ubiquitous surface drainage of the lowlands also a significant natural spatial depletion compared to the state in the first half of the 20th century.

Flora and Fauna

Due to its climatic and biogeographic transition location and the relatively thin human habitation was in the natural space unit " Wendland and Altmark " get a comparatively rich flora and fauna. Species with oceanic spreading here often have their final inland outposts, while conversely continental common species west penetrate just to get there. The landscape is in some areas still quite fragmented structured and provides therefore for the purposes of the biotope network networking favorable for plant and animal populations than in some other landscapes in northern Germany. Plays an outstanding role in this context, the area to the east and north limiting floodplains of the river Elbe.

Based on the state of Lower Saxony holds the Hanoverian Wendland, despite some also observable negative changes in the landscape several superlatives in terms of species richness. This applies to the occurrence of flowering plants as well as for the presence of breeding bird species. Also diversity and stocks of amphibians in the waters rich area are outstanding - for example with the search for the adjacent Elbe lowlands most significant contiguous occurrences of the tree frog within the "old" federal states of Germany.

This above-average biological wealth continues at least until the northern Altmark continued in part. After the somewhat eintönigeren areas of the middle Altmark plates, the diversity of the living world in the southern Endmoränengebieten is larger again - this is especially true for the settlement -free for long stretches and hardly zerschnitteten by Street Natural Park Colbitz - Letzlinger Heath with sand and gorse Gentiles and the occurrence of many birds, insects and reptiles. Uniform secondary reforestation of Scots pine in the former heath and poor grassland areas but also ensure in the southern part of the natural region in parts of monotonous landscapes.