--- title: "Karst Landscape South Harz Biosphere Reserve - Harzer Tourismusverband e.V." url: "https://www.harzinfo.de/en/pure-nature/karst-landscape-south-harz-biosphere-reserve" description: "The Karst Landscape South Harz Biosphere Reser is an insider tip for quiet connoisseurs and one of the most important gypsum karst landscapes in Europe with an impressive diversity of flora and fauna." language: "en" breadcrumb: "Root > Harzinfo > Pure Nature > Karst Landscape South Harz Biosphere Reserve" --- Karst Landscape South Harz Biosphere Reserve ============================================ Species richness in the karst landscape --------------------------------------- The Karst Landscape South Harz Biosphere Reserve lies between the European city of in the west and the in the east. It is considered a retreat for everyone looking for peaceful landscapes. In spring, dense carpets of white wood anemones grow here, while wild garlic forests spread their fragrance in between. Pink-blossomed fruit trees, blue cornflowers and red poppy fields stretch across the wide area. The reserve includes one of the most important gypsum karst landscapes in Europe. Adder, fire salamander, black stork and eagle owl live here. The wildcat also roams the orchid beech forests, while bats find shelter in the many caves. Sheep and goats keep the sunlit orchards open. More than 250 million years ago, this area was once the bottom of a tropical sea. The sea disappeared, but the Zechstein deposits remained as thick salt layers. Through weathering, gypsum formations developed from them. Water penetrates the ground and dissolves dolomite, gypsum, and limestone. This creates caves, sinkholes and depressions. Dry streambeds, so-called swallow holes, indicate where water once flowed. These processes still shape the distinctive features of the karst landscape in the today. - Karstwanderweg an der Dinsterbachschwinde bei Questenberg - Hörninger Sattelköpfe im Herbst - Karstlandschaft im Südharz - Karsthöhle Kelle ### Bats in the Karst Landscape South Harz Biosphere Reserve herabhängende Fledermaus When the sun sets and dusk spreads across the valleys, the bats of the come to life. In the early evening hours, they glide silently through the air. To search for food, they leave their hiding places in old trees, caves or rock crevices deep in the forest. In the Karst Landscape South Harz Biosphere Reserve, they find a variety of hunting grounds and safe roosts. The animals navigate by fine echo sounding, barely audible to the human ear. If you look closely, you can sometimes see them flying over meadows or along forest edges. **Here you can find out more about the bats:** - Why do bats live right here? The Karst Landscape South Harz Biosphere Reserve, with its many karst caves and fissures, offers an ideal habitat for various bat species. - What kinds of bats live here? There are 20 different species of these strictly protected mammals in Saxony-Anhalt alone. Quite unlike how they are often portrayed in films, the nocturnal bats are shy creatures and actually look rather cute. The smallest species is the pipistrelle bat, whose body is only about 40 mm long, but when it flies, its wingspan reaches up to 20 cm. Like all bats, it hunts insects at night and drinks by skimming closely over the water with its tongue stretched out. For winter shelter, it uses cracks in roofs, stacks of wood, and rock or tree hollows. The Daubenton’s bat is also widespread and slightly larger. It mainly hunts in open areas and forests, often near water. In summer, it roosts in tree hollows, while many of its winter shelters are found in the caves of the South Harz gypsum karst. The kings of the night navigate through darkness using a natural echolocation system, similar to technical systems used, for example, in traffic monitoring. Other species include the fringed bat, the northern bat, and the brown long-eared bat. Most of these species are highly endangered or threatened with extinction, which highlights once again the importance of their special protection. - How are the bats protected? Because of the biodiversity, a state reference centre for bat conservation has been established. Based in the South Harz Biosphere Reserve in the western part of the Mansfeld-Südharz district, it organises conservation measures, records bat populations and deals with scientific questions. It mediates between official and voluntary bat protection in Saxony-Anhalt and prepares expert opinions on various planning projects in the state. All bat species are strictly protected under European law, and Germany is therefore obliged to report to the EU on this matter. - How can I observe bats myself? If you go for an evening walk through the Karst Landscape South Harz Biosphere Reserve, you can observe several bats on warm summer nights. Special events and guided tours about bats take place especially during the European Bat Night. In many places – including the biosphere reserve and the Harz National Park – events and guided night walks for bat watching are organised. More information: - - Bat habitat in the Contact Karst Landscape South Harz Biosphere Reserve - Hallesche Straße 68a 06536 Südharz OT Roßla - +49 34651 298890 - - #### You might also be interested in: