Green Belt

Description

The nominated property covers a continuous area of approximately 188,292 hectares embedded in a large-scale buffer zone. It consists of 17,712 hectares in the former inner-German border strip and 170,580 hectares in adjacent protected areas.

The Green Belt is a joint nomination from the nine federal states Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Brandenburg, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Hesse, Thuringia, Bavaria and Saxony. The federal state of Berlin supports the nomination from the start, particularly with regard to a potential future conversion into a Mixed Site. The Federal States are convinced that the Green Belt does not only has an Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) as habitat network and hot spot for European biodiversity. It also bears memorial sites of OUV, which remind at the former so-called Iron Curtain and its related worldwide consequences.

The Green Belt (in the narrower sense) describes the former border strip between the inner-German frontier and the border patrol road. It forms the continuous, connecting "cord" of the nominated property, while the adjacent protected areas make up the "pearls". This is why the term "pearl cord model" is used for the nomination project. The nominated area includes those protected areas adjoining the once border strip on both sides of the former inner-German border, whose existence, state of preservation or nature conservation importance are related to their one-time border location and which meet the OUV of the potential World Heritage.

From the Line of Death to a Line of Life: The nominated property is a habitat network of global importance, essential for the long-term preservation of Europe's unique ecosystems, habitats and biodiversity. Today's habitat network is the result of specific and globally significant interactions of political, social, economic and military spheres of influence during the Cold War period as well as cross-border efforts to preserve species and habitats in Europe.

Justification de la Valeur Universelle Exceptionnelle

With around 188,292 hectares, the Green Belt represents the largest contiguous habitat network as ecological corridor in Europe. From the Baltic Sea coast to the Saxon-Bavarian Vogtland, it crosses all 18 geographically expected natural areas. At a length of 1,393 km, the Green Belt is home to all the, often endangered, habitat types expected for the region. In Germany occur 91 habitat types of the Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the Conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (in the following the Habitats Directive). 58 of these natural habitat types (habitat types of community interest) appear on the property; some of which are very large. It is estimated that more than 10,000 species live in the Green Belt, including at least 1,107 German Red List species, some of which have already been lost or extinct, as well as at least 11 endemic species. Finally yet importantly, among them are 196 species for which Germany has special international responsibility to safeguard its world existence (“Verantwortungsarten”).

The importance, which extends far beyond Germany, is not only due to the existing number of endangered habitats and habitat types of the Habitats Directive but as well with regard to the size of the area. Furthermore, the Green Belt is a unique continuous habitat network that also connects important, in some cases very large, protected areas with each other. In 2013, the Green Belt was declared a flagship project of the European green infrastructure by the European Commission, which represents a globally unique refuge for endangered species. Its north-south extension is of extraordinary importance for species and communities to adapt to climate change. Due to its function as an ecological corridor, the Green Belt supports and enables habitat shifts, since according to scientists these adjustments are mainly taking place in a south-north direction and will take place even more in the future.

With a length of 1,393 km, the Green Belt forms the longest, continuously protected ecological corridor in Europe. In addition to this linear structure along the former inner-German border, there are multiple cross-links to the left and right to many other areas and habitat network axes that are valuable from a nature conservation point of view. According to the natural spatial classification, it crosses 18 natural areas. Across nine German federal states, it connects habitats that are otherwise largely no longer connected in the Central European cultural landscape, with the world's highest degree of fragmentation. In Central Europe, especially rare natural habitat types do exist often only island-like, surrounded by intensive farmland, settlements and fragmenting infrastructure. Therefore, due to a lack of connectivity, there is a constant risk of losing more demanding species and genetic diversity. Contrarily, the Green Belt takes over a profound connecting function.

A large, sustained and progressive loss of biodiversity is taking place worldwide. In addition to the need for different habitats for different stages of life, many endangered species are not very mobile. Barriers such as roads or intensively cultivated agricultural areas make migration difficult or even impossible. This can lead to complete isolation of populations. In the sense of meta-population processes, the Green Belt as continuous, diverse, European ecological corridor, offers the possibility of genetic exchange and for resettlement processes over long distances in Europe.

The Green Belt has become a European symbol of conservation of genetic resources, endangered species and ecosystem services. With its high number of species and the mosaic of different habitats, it contributes to safeguarding biological diversity according to the requirements of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and is a very effective response to the global loss of habitats and species. As part of the European Green Belt (EGB), since 2015, it is listed by different scientists among as well the five most important as the 26 most important habitat networks in the world. The Green Belt Germany stands out in particular among the lately defined 26 most important habitat networks because it is a 1,393 km long, around 188,292 hectare large, contiguous area with natural and sub-natural habitats versus artificially created elements (wildlife corridors) connecting two areas, which is true for most of the above mentioned 26 sites.

Last but not least, in the context of adaptation to climate change and species extinction, the habitat network function is currently and will probably be of even greater importance in the future. Even if an international habitat network has been demanded for decades at international meetings, but also by the Habitats Directive, this has not yet been implemented, as the comparative analysis clearly shows. In this respect, the Green Belt is of paramount importance as a central part of a European ecological corridor. For more than 70 years, endangered species and habitat types have found unique refuges and dispersals in various ecological niches along the Green Belt.

The nominated property is an outstanding symbol of global importance and at the same time a prime example of a "green infrastructure" for the preservation of biodiversity. It is an important example of the ability of human-influenced ecosystems to contribute to the regeneration of natural structures and ecological functions in the ecosystem. At the same time, it represents a nationwide bottom-up initiative to protect and preserve a historically significant landscape area.

Criterion (ix): As defined by IUCN, an ecological network is an ecological corridor in a well-defined geographic area that is maintained, developed and managed over the long term to maintain or restore an effective ecological connection. The Green Belt is such an ecological corridor at its best. It consists of protected areas and effective conservation mechanisms, such as management systems and monitoring. It provides a mosaic of different habitat types that respects connectivity needs of certain, especially endangered species and of those with a high demand for differently structured habitats in Central Europe.

The 1,393 km long Green Belt is the centrally located, integral part and the nucleus of the unique European ecological corridor over a distance of 12,500 km. In Germany, the Green Belt connects a large number of habitats occurring in Central Europe and therefore enables plant and animal communities to exchange and reproduce. It forms a natural corridor for ongoing biological and ecological processes in the evolution of terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems also in the context of climate change. With its continuously connected and protected areas, the Green Belt represents the most resilient corridor for successfully combating European fragmentation of habitats while at the same time strengthening biodiversity.

Criterion (x): The Green Belt is home to numerous endangered species and habitat types, including many natural habitats and wild fauna and flora species of the Habitats Directive. It makes an essential contribution to the long-term conservation and development of biological diversity in Germany and Europe. Against the backdrop of steadily declining species numbers, the Green Belt, now with more than 70 years of ecological development, is an invaluable area for retreat, reproduction and migration. Its legal situation with long-term sustainable protection and development systems, makes the Green Belt an important contribution to the in-situ conservation of the species and the preservation of the genetic reservoir for Europe. As a result, it offers space and opportunities for evolutionary processes. It ensures that species can move between different areas and thus their genetic diversity is preserved.

In Germany, 282 species of the Habitats Directive listed in its annexes II, IV, V occur. 107 of those species have so far been identified along the Green Belt. If one considers that a number of species listed in these annexes inhabit marine or alpine habitats, one can state that almost all species listed in the annexes of the Habitats Directive to be expected in the region are found in the nominated site, which underlines the crucial importance of the nominated site. For example, 20 of the 24 listed bat species found in Germany live in the area. For 18 among those, Germany has a defined international responsibility (“Verantwortungsart”).

Déclarations d’authenticité et/ou d’intégrité

All elements necessary to express the OUV of the nominated property are present in the nominated area, based on the knowledge and experience available to the German federal states in charge. These elements are of appropriate size to fully reflect the characteristics and processes that make up the importance of the property. The borders of the nomination area were drawn accordingly. The property is fully protected according to German Federal Nature Conservation Law and includes all habitat types of the EU Habitats Directive expected for the geographical region

The nomination area will be surrounded by a large-scale buffer zone of 1,534,250 hectares. All areas of the planned buffer zone are also subject to protection requirements according to the German Federal Nature Conservation Law and nature conservation-oriented area management.

Comparaison avec d’autres biens similaires

Relevant for the international comparison are areas that are of particular importance for species conservation, habitat protection, habitat networks and biodiversity. This applies to virtually all national parks, a large part of the natural world heritage sites and to the core zones of many biosphere reserves. In order to choose sites for comparison, exemplary World Heritage sites with criteria ix and x, wildlife corridors and green belts were examined in particular. With a view to the planned further development into a Mixed Site (see page 1), in which next to the OUV as habitat network and hot spot for European biodiversity also the Green Belt’s OUV as memorial of the former Iron Curtain with its political, societal and human consequences will be considered. Therefore, political-military border complexes were also included in the analysis.

The special attributes (characteristics) of the Green Belt in terms of its natural values are:

Criterion (ix) (habitat network)

1. Cross-ecological network of different habitats
2. Biological processes in progress
3. Ecological processes in progress
4. Evolution and development in terrestrial ecosystems
5. Evolution and development of plant and animal communities

Criterion (x) (in situ biodiversity)

1. Significance for biological diversity (biodiversity)
2. Habitats for threatened species
3. Presence of threatened habitats
4. Meaning as gene reservoir
5. Occurrence and existence of types of responsibility to safeguard its world existence (“Verantwortungsarten”).

A total of 3 green belts in 3 countries, 4 large cross-frontier protected areas in 7 countries, 3 border situations in 3 regions, 10 wildlife corridors with supra-regional importance in 9 affected countries, 5 IUCN peace parks with 12 neighboring countries, some biosphere reserves and the 23 other countries of the European Green Belt were examined. 4 of the areas are already UNESCO World Heritage.

The comparative analysis has shown that, based on criterion ix, there are only very few locations worldwide that have comparable attributes to the Green Belt. Most of them are neither inscribed as World Heritage nor on a national Tentative List. This is due to the fact that these are rarely geographically defined areas, but usually more or less precise, planning concepts for networks (wildlife corridors, green belts) whose core areas are often isolated in intensively used landscapes and therefore have no network character in the above-defined sense.

Based on criterion x, scientists state that the destruction (deforestation, intensive monocultures, urbanization, etc.) and fragmentation of habitats are the main reason for the decline in biodiversity worldwide, followed by climate change. The comparative analysis has clearly shown that  the Green Belt, as the longest ecological corridor in one of the world's most severely fragmented landscapes, fulfills the conditions at its best. The nominated property ranks high compared to similar properties and can fill a critical gap of the missing habitat networks and habitat mosaics on the World Heritage List with a focus on open land habitats. For the Green Belt, however, a remarkably high number and a high variety of species of international responsibility to safeguard its world existence (“Verantwortungsarten”) can be noted.

The comparative analysis has so far not revealed any other European areas that can take on this function.

Worldwide, 130 World Heritage sites are listed under criterion ix and 161 under criterion x - the majority in combination with each other. However, only 15 sites inscribed under ix and 10 under x are located in continental Europe. So far, no site has been registered because of its importance as a linear ecological corridor. The comparative analysis has underlined that in Europe only the Green Belt fulfills the above mentioned attributes in their entirety. As the largest habitat network in Europe, it connects different habitats in an exemplary manner and thus enables connectivity, migration and species conservation. There is probably no other area with a comparable importance to the same extent for biodiversity, as a habitat network and for the preservation of the genetic potential for Europe.