IUCN Management Category II and IX (National Park and Biosphere Reserve)

Biogeographical Province 2.32.12 (Central European Highlands)

Geographical Location South-east Germany, 200km north-east of Munich, on the border with Czechoslovakia, about 50km north of Passau and the River Danube. 48°55'N, 13°23'E.

Date and History of Establishment 11 June 1969 by the Bavarian parliament; protected as a National Park since 15 March 1973 and accepted as a Biosphere Reserve in 1981.

Area 13,100ha

Land Tenure Bavarian state

Altitude 750-1,450m

Physical Features The park is situated on a rolling plateau which climbs gently toward the souh-west, reaching its highest elevations on the border peaks. The granite and gneiss bedrock is some 450 million years old. Traces of the ice age in solifluction features, glacial lakes, moraines and peat bogs. There are several types of brown soil on over 80% of the area with podzols in sandy places and swamps and peat bogs in the valleys. At 1,000m, recorded mean annual temperature is 5°C and mean annual precipitation 1,300mm. Snow depths may reach 3m in the highlands. Valley bottoms are often cooler than the slopes, even in summer, and have frequent frosts.

Climate No information

Vegetation The park is part of the 20,000ha Bohemian forest, the largest in Europe, which lies on both sides of the border between Czechoslovakia and Bavaria. Several types of beech community cover 70% of the area and 98% of the park is wooded. The main tree species are common beech Fagus sylvatica, silver fir Abies alba, Norway spruce Picea abies, sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus, ash Fraxinus excelsior, wych elm Ulmus montana and wild cherry Prunus avium which occur on the warmer slopes. Several types of spruce community cover the rugged highlands over 1150m and in cold and moist valleys grow species such as Picea abies, rowan Sorbus aucuparia, silver birch Betula verrucosa and B. carpathica. Raised bogs, often 5m above ground level, are common with dwarf pine Pinus sp, dwarf shrubs and Sphagnum moss. Endangered species include Calla palustris, Carex limosa, C. paupercula, Diphasum alpinum, D. comlanatum, Pinguicula vulgaris, Andromeda polifolia, Antennaria dioica and Arnica montana.

Fauna The fauna is adapted to the harsh winters with heavy snow falls and closed forest cover. Some traditionally migrate seasonally, like red deer Cervus elaphus and roe deer Capreolus capreolus. Rare and threated species incude lynx Lynx lynx, otter Lutra lutra (V), capercaillie Tetrao urogallus, hazel grouse Bonasa bonasia]u, black grouse T. tetrix, black woodpecker Dryocopus martins, Eurasian pygmy owl Claucidium passerinum (50 pairs) and Tengmalm's owl Aegolius funercus. The eagle owl Bubo bubo, ural owl Strix uralensis and raven Corvus corax have been reintroduced.

Cultural Heritage Man only settled here at a late stage as the region was so isolated and the forest impassable. Towards the end of the fourteenth century, firewood and potash was obtained from the forest for glassworks. Logging was also carried out in the nineteenth century.

Local Human Population No information

Visitors and Visitor Facilities The park has an interpretation programme and environmental education activities. The Visitor Centre was opened in 1982 and 200,000 visitors were registered that year. There are enclosures containing animals such as wolf, lynx, European bison and wild cat to enable visitors to observe them easily. In this area there are car parks, a snack bar and educational playground. There are several circular walks and hikes throughout the park, and several roads through it. Nearby campsites exist and there is accommodation available within 10km.

Scientific Research and Facilities Ongoing research programmes include geology, soils, vegetation, fauna, wildlife management, visitor opinions and visitor environmental impact. Potential studies include the impact of certain types of land use such as timber removal, hunting and tourism, and monitoring air and water pollution and phenological observations.

Conservation Value No information

Conservation Management Total

A general management plan was produced in 1976 and others later developed specifically for forests, wildlife management, visitor facilities and research, renewed in 1982. A new general plan was to supercede the first. Visitor pressure is moderated by a system of zoning to restrict access to nature reserve areas and concentrated visitor interest in intensive use areas. Enclosures and aviaries have been set up in the latter to make the forest fauna easier to view. Nine wolves which accidentally escaped from such an enclosure in 1976 were followed up under WWF Pronect 1395 to assess the feasability of wolf re-introduction. It concluded that while the habitat was suitable, there was too much opposition from a hunting minority to make this possible.

There are three strict reserves totalling 138ha with access only for research purposes; two nature reserves totalling 581ha with protection of vegetation, fauna and soils; 4,000ha where timber cutting is prohibited; 250ha enclosures and aviaries for viewing native birds and mammals; and 40ha interpretative and play areas, including a botanical garden.

Management Constraints Large scale logging was carried out from the beginning of the 19th century and vast expanses of timber were cleared, leading to a reduction in the mixed stands which are resistant to snow and storm because they are composed of trees of different ages and sizes. The white pine has declined due to this. Reduction of natural predators, forestry methods and artificial feeding caused the deer to overgraze the vegetation and impair the natural regenerative powers of the forest. Winter feeding and shooting of deer in the park are undesirable and expensive (100,000DM in 1977), the former being a traditional practice in such areas with harsh winters. Overgrazing might be solved by the cessation of all winter feeding and concentrating culling in valleys outside the park. However, the forest is comparatively natural and the original variety of flora and fauna is very nearly intact. Even this ara has not escaped from air pollution, which has caused trees to die and polluted soils. Particularly affected is Norway spruce, the most common tree, white pine and scots pine (Bibelriether, 1984).

Staff Total staff of 173 of which 50 are engaged in research

Budget No information

Local Addresses

Nationalparkverwaltung Bayerischer Wald, Freyunger Strasse 2, 8352 Grafenau, Federal Republic of Germany.

References

Bay St Melf. (1980). National Park Bayerisher Wald. Munich. 120pp.

Bauberger, W. et al. (1977). Geologische Karte von Bayern 1:25 000 National Park Bayerischer Wald. Munich. 183pp.

Bibelriether, H. (1984). Bayerischer Wald National Park threatened by air pollution. Parks 9(2): 1-3.

Elling, W. et al. (1974). Klima und Böden, Bayerischer St Melf, München. 150pp.

Petermann, R. and Seibert, P. (1979). Die Pflanzengesellschaften des NP. Bayerisher St. Melf, München. 150pp.

Scherzinger, W. (1974). Rautifusshühner. Bayerrischer St Melf, München. 71pp.

Wotschikowsky, V. (1977). Management of red deer in the Bayerishcer Wald National Park. Parks 2(1): 5-7.

WF/IUCN Project No. 1395. Bavarian Forest National Park - follow up of involuntary wolf re-introduction.

Date 1983, revised August 1986