Nature Reserves
From now on, you can view the Natura 2000 protected areas on the Dawn Chorus sound map with just one click. It’s an EU-wide network of protected areas where habitats and species are preserved.
Why not go look for a nature reserve in your area and record bird songs there for the Dawn Chorus database? Can you notice any differences compared to your usual location? What else might catch your attention?
Why do we need protected areas?
Protected areas are a key tool for nature conservation and landscape management. Protecting specific areas helps preserve endangered and characteristic species and their habitats. There are various categories of protected areas, each with different objectives, which may overlap or even coincide. The categories of protected areas in Germany are defined in the Federal Nature Conservation Act (BNatSchG).
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Auguste von Bayern is the scientific director of Dawn Chorus and serves as an ambassador for Natura 2000.
What are the main categories of protected areas in Germany?
Natura 2000
Natura 2000 is a Europe-wide network of protected areas that brings together so-called FFH sites and bird sanctuaries into a coherent ecological network. Measures are to be taken there to preserve biodiversity and an intact natural environment. Ornithologist and scientist Dr. Auguste von Bayern is not only the scientific director of the Dawn Chorus project; she is also an official Natura 2000 ambassador in Bavaria.
FFH areas
The conservation of biodiversity cannot be achieved solely through the protection of individual habitats. This principle underlies the European Habitats Directive (Directive 92/43/EEC), which places a coherent network of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) under protection. The relevant areas are selected by the federal states according to uniform EU-wide standards—based on lists of endangered and typical habitat types and species.
Bird sanctuaries
The EU Birds Directive requires member states to protect important habitats for bird species. To this end, Special Protection Areas (SPAs) are designated. These areas must be large and suitable enough to provide protection for threatened species and migratory birds—for example, at breeding, wintering, and stopover sites.
Member states must also take measures to conserve, restore, or create new habitats for birds.
Nature Reserves
The first nature reserves were legally established in Germany in 1920, following earlier conservation efforts. Today, there are more than 9,000 nature reserves—ranging from vast marine areas to small plots in mountainous and hilly landscapes. However, many of these areas continue to be impacted by recreational use, agriculture, forestry, water management, or transportation. For this reason, regulations may restrict or prohibit certain uses in order to better protect nature.
National Parks
In Germany’s current 16 national parks, nature is allowed to develop undisturbed across vast, unfragmented areas. Human intervention is generally nonexistent or minimal, ensuring that natural processes are “maintained in their natural dynamics” (Section 24(1) of the Federal Nature Conservation Act) – economic use of natural resources is not permitted there, or is only allowed under the strictest conditions. At the same time, national parks serve as sites for scientific environmental monitoring, nature education, and nature experiences for the public—provided that this does not compromise their protective function.
Biosphere reserves
Biosphere reserves are large-scale natural and cultural landscapes where nature is protected while sustainable forms of land use are tested. They serve to preserve ecosystems and biodiversity, promote sustainable economic development, and support research and environmental education. Many of these areas are part of the global network of biosphere reserves recognized by UNESCO since 1976. There are 716 such reserves in 129 countries worldwide, with 18 in Germany—the largest of which are the water and mudflat areas of the North Sea and Baltic Sea.
Landscape conservation areas
Landscape Conservation Areas (LSG) are legally protected landscapes where nature and the landscape are to be specially preserved. They are designated by the counties or independent cities. Their goal is to preserve the natural functions of the environment, protect the diversity and beauty of the landscape, and secure important recreational areas for people. Compared to nature reserves, landscape conservation areas are often larger, usually easily accessible, and have fewer restrictions on use.
Nature parks
Nature parks are large-scale “areas to be developed and maintained in a unified manner,” most of which are designated as landscape or nature reserves. (Section 27(1) of the Federal Nature Conservation Act). In the current 104 nature parks in Germany, the aim is to preserve and protect cultural landscapes in terms of their biotope and species diversity.
National Natural Monuments
The protected area category “National Natural Monuments” was not introduced until 2010 in the Federal Nature Conservation Act (BNatSchG). These monuments protect areas of outstanding national significance, for example due to their unique natural features, their rarity, beauty, or important cultural and historical value. There are currently eight National Natural Monuments in Germany, including the Ivenacker Oaks, the Bruchhauser Steine, and the Green Belt of Thuringia.
These areas are protected with a level of strictness similar to that of nature reserves. They often combine natural and cultural values, such as geological features, extraordinary landscapes, or historically significant sites. Internationally, this protection category is aligned with a classification used by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.