Traditional agriculture: preserve habitats in the Oberallgäu!

Erfahren Sie, wie der Landschaftspflegeverband Oberallgäu traditionelle Landwirtschaft und artenreiche Lebensräume am Imberger Horn fördert.
Learn how the landscape maintenance association Oberallgäu promotes traditional agriculture and species -rich habitats on Imberger Horn. (Symbolbild/MW)

Traditional agriculture: preserve habitats in the Oberallgäu!

The importance of traditional agriculture for biodiversity in the Oberallgäu region was the focus of an exciting excursion of the landscape maintenance association Oberallgäu-Kempten e. V. (LPV), which recently attracted around 20 interested parties. The participants received valuable insights into the variety of habitats around the Imberger Horn, including Streukiesen, Bergweiden and Mähwiesen. Kathrin Schratt, an expert at LPV, made it clear that human action is necessary to maintain these valuable pasture areas, because without the traditional agriculture, these areas would be overgrown. Agricultural use culminated in the 19th century, and the preservation of this traditionally used meadows and pastures is of the greatest importance for biodiversity.

A highlight of the excursion was the visit to the Strausbergmoos, which is considered the elite bore of the Bavarian Alps and has been experiencing extensive renaturation measures since 2012. The steps carried out there, such as the raising of the Löwenbach and the creation of biotope associations, are intended to stabilize the water balance. The LPV looks after 4.5 hectares of valuable scattered meadows in this region, while neighboring areas are managed by local farmers.

renaturation and biodiversity

The pasture areas of the Strausbergsattel offer living space for numerous plant and animal species, including the impressive Arnica and the silver thistle as well as the shy birkhuhn. From 2024, the LPV plans to create corridors and to keep 1.1 hectares of lean pastures open. In addition, a project to reactivate a former mountain mowing meadow was launched in the Retterwang valley. Here trees are removed, an innovative cable car for hay recovery and goats are used to combat blackberries. The cornerstones are the mowing with modern machines and manual work, with the first plant species already register.

The preservation of such mowing meadows is not only important for nature conservation reasons, but also possible by supporting farmers. These can apply for funding for the care of Flora-Fauna-Habitat mowing meadows (FFH mowing meadows), which, through their extensive management and through sustainable care, represent significant habitats for wild bees, butterflies and other animal species. These guidelines are anchored in the EU requirements for the Fauna-Flora-Habitat Directive and were strengthened by the Federal Nature Conservation Act.

challenges and perspectives

Nevertheless, farmers face challenges. An increased demand for intensive forms of management, such as silage generation or the use of fermentation from biogas plants, ensures a change in agricultural practices. These changes can damage the care of the valuable mowing meadows, which are often only fertilized minimally and mowed twice a year. Despite the discussion about profitability, the social and ecological value of these meadows is undisputed for the region.

A visit to the Sennalpe Mitterhaus, where Benedikt Besler manages the areas with around 50 young cattle and produced delicious cheese, rounded off the excursion. It is again proven how important the management of the Alps is: it not only keeps the landscape alive, but also provides high -quality products and the preservation of our nature.

The landscape conservation association offers comprehensive information and support for all interested parties who want to use mowing meadows and their contribution to biodiversity in their region. The preservation of these habitats is not just a task for farmers, but for society as a whole.

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OrtOberallgäu, Deutschland
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