Core area research

The United Nation Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has currently designated more than 500 biosphere reserves. These are model regions each of which represents a different cultivated type of landscape. The Rhön biosphere reserve is - like every biosphere reserve - divided into core areas, maintenance (or buffer) zones and transition zones. The core areas in the Rhön cover only the smallest part of the 185.000 hectares total area. The German National Committee to UNESCO regulates that 3% of the total area of a biosphere reserve should be designated as core area.

In the transboundary Rhön biosphere reserve which covers three Länder, 29 core areas with a total area of 2 700 hectares were recognized. In future, these core areas will become almost wilderness areas. They help to preserve species diversity, because many endangered animal and plant species in Europe rely on these wilderness-like structures. Additionally, core areas provide valuable information for the sustainable use of the rest of the forests. Core areas - wilderness of tomorrow Every forest community which exists in the Rhön is represented by a core area. This is due to the great variety of local conditions in the biosphere reserve. Core areas are significant retreat areas for endangered animal and plant species especially for species relying on snags. It is known that one single beech tree is the habitat for about 800 animal species during its life cycle. Around 400 of these species are especially relying on old, thick and death beech - a habitat which is not available in a conventionally used forest. People may enjoy the beauty of the wilderness of tomorrow from trails and may learn about investigation results. Why core area investigation? Because Germany has almost no wilderness left, there is only few investigation in those areas. However, especially research in core areas can provide valuable information on growing and decomposition processes. In case of environmental changes such as climate change, core areas show how nature helps itself. The investigation of these processes is very important to forestry in the total forest area of the biosphere reserve. People in charge of nature conservation and species conservation hope to get new information about the actual species inventory of the Rhön through core area research. The results can also be useful for medicinal and pharmaceutical purposes. What is core area research? In 1998 the Hesse part of the biosphere reserve started the systematic investigation in core areas. The methodology of data sampling and data interpretation follow the "Deutsches Naturwaldreservat-Programm". Thus, data are comparable nation-wide. 5 steps in core area research

1. Installation of a permanently marked grid

2. Inventory of the forest and snags

 3. Inventory of natural succession

4. Vegetation relevés according to Braun-Blanquet

5. Data input and interpretation with EDP In the eleven Hesse core areas four forest ingenieurs, one land surveyor and one biologist were involved.

 This "status-quo-registration" represents the basis for further research (e.g. entomological and soil investigations), which should be carried out in a 25 - 50 years rotation. This serves as a basis for further specific investigations and will allow important conclusions for the development of core areas.