Views as far as the Alps, mixed forests and mountain pastures: the southern Black Forest attracts day trippers and tourists. One area is specially protected - and recognized by the cultural organization Unesco.
Lörrach (dpa/lsw) - According to Managing Director Walter Kemkes, the numerous mountain pastures in the Black Forest biosphere region certainly have a future. "Everything is grazed," said Kemkes of the German Press Agency on the sidelines of a specialist event on Thursday in Lörrach.
The common pastures typical of the region with a great diversity of species are usually owned by the municipalities and leased to farmers, as Kemkes reported.
So that goats and cattle can graze on the land, funds flow from EU agricultural subsidies as well as from federal and state funds. On average, this is around 800 euros per hectare and year, said Kemkes. The preservation of the mountain pastures up to the highest altitudes is very important for the region, which is popular with tourists. There are only a few common pastures in Germany.
Recognized by the UN cultural organization Unesco in 2017, it covers around 630 square kilometers. Almost a sixth (100 square kilometers) of this is accounted for by the common areas, as Kemkes reported.
The Southern Black Forest is one of the 16 biosphere reserves in Germany. In Baden-Württemberg, the official name is "biosphere reserve". It extends in the Black Forest over three districts, 28 municipalities and the city of Freiburg. Around 38,000 people live in the area.
In Germany there are biosphere reserves that are part of a national park. According to additional information, this applies to the Wadden Sea biosphere reserve and the Berchtesgadener Land biosphere reserve.
