| Leipzig Riverside Forest German:Leipziger Auwald | |
|---|---|
 Auwald, Leipzig | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Schkeuditz,Leipzig,Markkleeberg, Saxony, Germany |
| Coordinates | 51°19′02″N12°21′24″E / 51.31719°N 12.3565364°E /51.31719; 12.3565364 |
| Ecology | |
| Forest cover | 2,424 ha (5,989.8 acres) |
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Leipzig Riverside Forest (German:Leipziger Auenwald) is one of the largest lowlandRiparian forests inCentral Europe,[1] lying mostly within the city limits ofLeipzig city inGermany. Thenature reserve is partially covered withbottomland forest and contains a large variety ofendangered species.[1]
In total, the Leipzig Riverside Forest has an extension along the riversWhite Elster,Pleiße andLuppe of a good 30 kilometres (18.64 miles) and a width of 2–5 kilometres (1.2–3.1 mi).[2] It is divided into separate southern and northern parts, between which is a corridor containing many parks and green areas that lie along theElsterbecken (Elster Basin) andPleißeflutbett (Pleiße flood channel) waters, which were created forflood protection.[1]
Since the end of the 1950s, the Leipzig Riverside Forest is aLandschaftsschutzgebiet (Landscape conservation area)[3] and several parts areNaturschutzgebiet.[3]
In the classification of theInternational Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the protected area covers 5,897 ha (14,571.8 acres)[2] even though the densely wooded area is estimated at only 2,424 ha (5,989.8 acres), of which 1,978 ha (4,887.7 acres) are state area managed by the municipality of Leipzig.
The Leipzig Riverside Forst has been constantly changing, with human intervention being a major factor in its development. In theolder Holocene, the valley floor level was much lower than it is today.[4] Due to clearing in the upper reaches of the rivers, an increased input ofsediments begananthropogenically about 7000 years ago, which were deposited asalluvial loam. As a result, the surface level increased.
Originally, the hardwood forest hosted moreelms andblack poplars which have become rare over the years, however the amount of oldoaks with massive stems is still remarkable. The mixed forest contains many different tree species, almost half of them are eitherash,maple orsycamore maple. Also found aresmall-leaved linden,common horn beam and various kinds ofwillows.[5]In spring, the ground is covered withwild garlic, sprinkled withspring snowflakes andcorydalis in colors ranging from white and pink to purple. Some rather rare plants like theGeum rivale can also be found in the wet, almost swampy parts of the area.[6]
Thecommon kingfisher has become quite rare in Germany, especially due to loss of habitat and as a result some waterways are closed-off from tourist paddling during the breeding season.[7]Inhabiting the forest arered squirrels and a multitude ofwoodpeckers, such as thegreat spotted woodpecker, as well as theblack woodpecker and theEuropean green woodpecker.[8]
