The Harz National Park, with a surface area of about 24,700 ha, is dominated by expansive forests of mountain spruce, interspersed with open formations of moor, low scrub and rock. Spruce plantations, beech forests and wooded ravines are found on the margins.
Of particular ecological importance are the nearly natural high-altitude spruce forests, vestiges of subalpine mats, moorland slopes, mountain pasture, rocky ridges and running water in a variety of forms.
The soil is primarily derived from granite and porphyry, and the principal substrate is loamy mountain rubble.
The soils are basically slightly to moderately bleached, rust-coloured forest soils.
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| Harz National Park |
The Harz National Park was founded in 2006 and is composed of the former Upper Harz National Park (since 1990, Saxony Anhalt) and the former Harz National Park (since 1994, Lower Saxony). The Park has a core zone with no forestry at all, a development zone where afforestation has begun on a nearly natural basis, and a rehabilitation zone with forestry management and is part of the Natura 2000 network.
Spruce, beech, deer and air specimens have been drawn from the part of the former Upper Harz National Park since 1991, both to begin as early as possible with collecting evidence of pollution levels on the former territory of the GDR and also as preparation for routine sampling procedures.
Routine sampling for the Environmental Specimen Bank has been in full operation since 1996 in the functional sub-areas of the Upper Lake Il catchment area and the Schwarzes Schluftwasser Valley.
The following specimen types are collected: