West Hesse Depression
The West Valley is part of the Hessian Hessian Mountain West and Lower Lands in Northern Hesse.
- 2.1 Conservation Status
Geography and Geology
Geographical Location
The Hessian West Valley extends along the valleys of Schwalm, Eder, Fulda, sophistication and Diemel about Alsfeld in the south to Bad Karl port in the north. It separates the Osthessische Bergland (main unit group 34 or D46 ) with Knüllgebirge and Kaufunger forest on the east by West Hesse Highlands ( 35 or D47 ) with basement Forest and Hawk Forest to the west and is itself still counted for West Hessian mountain country within which it occupies the main unit 343. The southern border is formed by the northern tip of the calculated to Osthessischen Bergland Vogelsberg.
Mediterranean Mjösen zone
The West Hessian Valley is part of the Mediterranean Mjösen zone, a series of hollows, which from the Rhone Valley through the Upper Rhine Graben, the Wetterau and the Giessen basin, below the Middle Vogelsberg finally to Amöneburg Basin, from there over the New Town saddle in the West Hessian Valley and continues to pull on the leash pit to the Oslo Graben.
Geology
During the Mesozoic deposits of the Zechstein Sea were overlaid with sand. This results in the new red sandstone developed. By further rises and falls encamped on the sandstone layer shell from. In the subsequent geological periods the Keuper an uplift of the landscape took place. Here floods and waterlogging alternated. In places, seems to have been also achieved by earlier phases of the Lias even the country. The young European folding affected the area sustainably. It led to grave slumps, so connected veterans came to the surface. At the same time, the surfaces of the surrounding mountains were eroded by weathering and drift. So Keuper and Muschelkalk back to the sandstone area in a northeasterly and northwesterly caused by pull direction. Due to the weathering of the sandstone layers of the Paleozoic were again exposed. At the turn of the Hessian Neozoikum Valley, a link to the large grave intrusion from Scandinavia to the Mediterranean came into being. Surrounded is this sink of wave like mountains on the east and west flank. Due to recent rises and falls of sea level resulted in the Tertiary to flooding of the area and the deposition of sand. Hiebei were extensive forest areas which had been formed in the warm and humid climate superimposed. From this, the lignite was formed. Only in the recent time, the Quaternary, the fertile loess soils developed in the field of Western Hessian Depression.
Flat terrain in the west Hessian Depression is located in areas of the river plains of Schwalm, Eder and Fulda. Otherwise, the West Valley Hessian designed as a sequence of thresholds and back, reach (298 m head of wine at Borken ) to 300 m above sea level. The hill country mainly consists of loess, in the north there are few basaltic buttes. Mesozoic rocks occur mainly in the northern area of the surface, tertiary sediments prevail against it in Hessengau, with gravel, sand and pitches, before. In the tertiary strata rich lignite deposits are embedded in Borkener pool.
Waters
The Valleys of the following rivers are in the West Hessian Depression ( bracketed rivers take only water from the sink to):
- (Weser) ( l) Fulda (underflow, not quite to the mouth ) ( l) Eder ( underflow) ( l ) EMS (Eder ) (middle and lower reaches )
- (r ) Schwalm (Eder ) (middle and lower reaches )
- ( l) pilgrims Bach
Ecologically valuable state waters within the basin are particularly arising at the time of the closure of mining Borkener lake and Singliser lake.
Subunits of the West Hesse Depression
Taken from the Environmental Atlas Hesse.
The natural area west Hessian Depression is characterized by a multitude of small spatial and lowering levels.
In the south, in a northwesterly direction, the natural environment of the West Hessian Depression begins with the Schwalm (Landscape ) ( 343.0 ) at the upper middle reaches of the river of the same with Alsfeld trough which merges into the Wasen Berger terraces. This is followed by the Schwalm basic joins.
This is followed, in a northeasterly direction, the lower middle reaches of the Schwalm accompanying Country Burger Valley ( 343.1 ) with their subunits Country Burger reason Frielendorfer hills, plains and dry Erfurther the Borkener pool.
The transition to Hessengau ( 343.2 ) at the mouth of the Schwalm in the Eder continues to develop in a northeasterly direction across the subunits Homberger Bay, Waberner level ( Schwalmaue and Fritzlarer Eder hall), Großenengliser plate, Fritzlarer flange and the Gudensberger tip emerging in the Kassel pool.
In Kassel pool ( 343.3 ) in the lower reaches of Fulda with the subunits Kassel - Fulda and Kassel Aue ditch swings the Hessian West Valley in the northwest and leaves the catchment area of Fulda, to enter that of the Diemel.
To the northwest closes on along the draining of the heat in the Diemel fog Beeke, the northern goshawk forests foreland with the subunits Uffelner West Valley and Langen and Staufenberg plate.
In the north-east of Kassel basin it is the Hofgeismarer Rötsenke that follows the forge ( Diemel ), and finally the lower reaches of the Diemel until shortly before its confluence with the Weser. This natural area is 138.45 square kilometers, is the second largest contiguous within the West Hessian Depression.
Origin of the name
The origin of the name " westhessisch " can only be understood from a comparison of the adjacent natural area of Osthessischen mountain country out and drained. Because one can speak of a North Hessian Depression through a full drainage to the north of the Weser contrary.
Ecology
Conservation status
In the West Hessian Depression are:
- Fauna- Flora-Habitat Areas: 2.6%
- Nature Reserves: 1.3%
Avifaunistic valuable areas are mainly located in Borken (Hessen ), where the open pit Gombeth is a breeding area of national importance. The Singliser lake is a breeding and resting area and the lake Borkener a resting site of national significance. Along the Fulda breeding and resting sites of national importance are present along the Emse breeding and resting areas of regional significance. Furthermore, the are " Wasenberg - Ziegenhainer fields " in Schwalmstadt a breeding and resting area of national importance. The nature reserve Borkener lake ( 332 ha) is also a proposal FFH area.