BD-R-2: Protected areas

The picture shows the sign for the designation of a national park core zone, which is common in the East German Länder. It shows an owl. The sign stands in a steppe lawn, with a forest bordering it in the background. Click to enlarge
Strictly protected refuges gain in importance when climate change-related stress factors increase.
Source: Photograph: © Soeren Wilde / stock.adobe.com

2019 Monitoring Report on the German Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change

Table of Contents

 

BD-R-2: Protected areas

Nature reserves and national parks are strictly protected areas which provide refuges in which adverse impacts on animals and plants can be avoided or moderated. In these circumstances, protected areas create favourable prerequisites for the conservation of species and habitats particularly at risk from climate change. The statistically significant increase in strictly protected areas must be regarded as positive.

The stacked column diagram shows the share of strictly protected areas in the state's area from 2000 to 2016. The larger column share by a clear margin stands for the nature conservation areas, the significantly smaller part for the national parks. The share of strictly protected areas in the national territory was 4.4 percent in 2016. It is significantly increasing.
BD-R-2: Protected areas

The stacked column diagram shows the share of strictly protected areas in the state's area from 2000 to 2016. The larger column share by a clear margin stands for the nature conservation areas, the significantly smaller part for the national parks. The share of strictly protected areas in the national territory was 4.4 percent in 2016. It is significantly increasing.

Source: BfN
 

Protected areas – refuges for animals and plants exposed to climate change

Animals and plants in the wild, as well as their habitats are exposed to varied influences in German landscapes characterised by anthropogenic use. Apart from the adverse effects of progressive intensification of land use, climate change in many cases creates additional stresses. Given these circumstances, the creation of refuges for the protection of valuable areas of nature conservation is gaining increasing importance for the continued existence of native and in many cases endangered animal and plant populations. Apart from the size and quality of protected areas, the spatial distribution and networking of these areas play an important role in these times of climate change.

There are strict protection regimes in force in nature reserves and national parks in order to enable the conservation and development of rare and endangered species and biotopes. In national parks it is their large scale which plays a very special role. The majority of the expanse of a national park is supposed to be dedicated to enable natural processes to take place with as little disturbance as possible. The indicator reflects the overall terrain of strictly protected areas in Germany. The outcome of this calculation is based on the percentage of land in nature reserves and national parks as a proportion of Germany’s overall terrain. Natura 2000 areas as well as core and buffer zones of biosphere reserves are included, provided they have been designated accordingly. In terms of statistics, the overall terrain of these strictly protected areas has increased from 1,129,225 hectares in 2000 to 1,591,580 hectares in 2016. With reference to the overall terrain of Germany, this represents an increase from 3.2 % in 2000 to 4.4 % of the terrain by 2016. The increase in the total terrain of strictly protected areas had been achieved partly by the implementation in the past of the Natura 2000 network. It is expected that in Germany the amount of new designations of strictly protected areas as Natura 2000 areas for the purpose of their legal protection will probably be rather negligible in future. This is mainly because most of the Natura 2000 areas have already been placed under legal protection, and the Länder tend to choose, apart from nature reserves or national parks, other forms of protection.

While the terrain of nature reserves increased steadily between 2000 and 2014, the terrain of national parks increased only between 2003 and 2004, as a result of the foundation of the Eifel National Park in North-Rhine Westphalia, the Kellerwald Edersee in Hesse; as well as the creation of the Black Forest National Park in Baden-Württemberg in 2014 and Hunsrück-Hochwald in Rhineland- Palatinate and Saarland in 2015.

The increase in the cumulative terrain of strictly protected areas must be regarded as positive, especially in view of the new challenges arising from climate change and its impacts on species and biotopes. The formal designation of a protected area, however, is only a first step on the journey towards the adaptation of the protected area network to the challenges associated with climate change. Habitats particularly at risk from climate change such as wetlands or mountain ranges are part of the group of highly valuable nature conservation areas. This is why the aspirations to protect those areas harmonise well with the objectives of adapting to climate change.

The protection of suitable areas at adequate scales has to go hand-in-hand with effective management of these areas to comply with the declared objectives of nature conservation. The regulations governing individual protected areas can vary a lot and the number of all protected areas in Germany is considerable. To date, it has therefore been impossible to make any comprehensive statements on the quality of the areas concerned and their management. Besides, it is not clear either to what extent some aspects of adaptation to climate change are being taken into account already in the management of protected areas. Presumably, there are even now dynamic developments taking place with regard to climate change which will make it necessary in future to adapt the objectives pursued as well as the management carried out in protected areas.

It is also intended that nature reserves and national parks safeguard parts of the transnational biotope network as well as extending it, as required by the German Federal Act on Natural Conservation. Adequate connectivity in the biotope network will enable genetic exchanges among populations. This is indeed an indispensable prerequisite for the conservation and development of species. This is why, in view of climate change, the biotope network is becoming ever more important, in order to improve the migration and distribution opportunities among various occurrences of animal and plant species over a wide area. Both the expansion of the overall terrain of protected areas and the biotope network make essential contributions to the nationwide endeavour to reconnect habitats, thus contributing to the objective of adapting to climate change. All the same, indicators do not help with inferring any statements on whether the specific challenges arising from climate change are given sufficient consideration in current planning and implementation efforts regarding the biotope network.

 

Objectives

Analysing the options for the adaptation of the existing nature conservation network to future challenges arising from climate change (DAS, ch. 3.2.5)

Taking into account the requirements arising from climate change in generating or updating plans for conservation and development as well as management plans for protected areas
(DAS, ch. 3.2.5)

It is intended that by 2010 10 % of Germany’s overall terrain will make up a representative and functioning biotope network. (NBS, ch. B 1.1.3)

In 2020 the proportion of forests reflecting a natural development of its species composition amounts to five percent of the entire forested area. (NBS, ch. B 1.2.1)

By 2020 it is intended that once again nature will be undisturbed in its development on 2 % of Germany’s overall terrain. (NBS, ch. B 1.3.1)