Inside North-German plain-land, between the towns of Hamburg and Hannover, there is spreading, on surface of 7200 square kilometres, nature landscape, created by man. It is Luneburg Heath, a remainder of landscape type, which was extended in past, from Denmark via Geest (raised and few fertile country) up to Belgium. When glaciers of last glacier time stepped back to the north 10 000 years ago, the earth was ruled with dense forests at first. Anyway, 5000 years ago, the first colonists came, settled there and started to work as farmers. Their cattle gloted over around the trees, feeding even young sprouts. From this reason, and also owing to cutting down, in order the heating could be secured, the forests disappeared slowly. The farmers invented, in case of sandy soil, quite special way of cultivation, so called „Heath Agriculture“.

At first, they uncovered thin layer of soil, containing poor plant copse and threw away in stables, where the cattle was kept. Later, they carried out the earth, mixed with compost, into the fields. This way of farming - dunging by means of turfs - was quite habitual in Luneburg Heath even within 19th century. In order to obtain enough compost for their fields, the farmers needed to get steppe area, which was greater several times as fertile estates. However, the wind blew the dunnes on denuded soil. Later, within 19th century, this way of farming became less economical, so many farmers lost their estates (properties). And so, these not utilized areas were covered with forests again.

Nevertheless, this steppe landscape became a milieu, after mankind activity, lasting for several thousand of years, very favourable for many plants and animals. You can find here extent plain.lands, grassed areas, transparent brooks, forgotten swamps, bushy countryside as well as forests. Heath vegetable copse consists mainly of heather. On humid places, you can find ling instead of heath. To those plants belong, for instance, genistas, grass, lichens and mosses. You can discover there also juniper-trees or other rare plants, such as gentians. The visitors can watch scarse birds, such as grey butcher-bird, black storks, forest skylarks, forest goatsuckers and other. Vipers or adders are creeping ahead in sandy soil among heather bushes. Last but not least, grey ling sheep is the most important animal sort of Luneburg Heath. When these local animals would disappear, the countryside would ceased to exist completely. These animals came probably to this area during Bronze Era. This is not numerous herd of sheep, which was developed from moufflons, tough wild sheep, living in Corsica and Sardinia. This sort of sheep is relative with home sheep, imported to Gotland Island during 3000 B.C. However, actual sheep sort is not thoroughbred, as the animals were interbreeded with another race. These half-breeded differ from their original sort with a fact that female sheep horns are missing.

As a consequence of introduction of modern agricultural methods and afforestation with pine-tree economical forests, there was a danger that, on break of 19th and 20th centuries, total destruction of several thousand of years old nature milieu. So, nature protectors decided, just in 1904, to try to rescue a character of such type of countryside, and they cultivated the soil in traditional way. We have to be thankful to them that these heater sheep herds pasture among juniper-trees. On the other hand, manual dunging work, by means of turf, connected with transfer of thin soil layers, was substituted by efficient machines. Human colonization is added with the rests, and you can find there big number of such traces. They involve cupola tombs, coming from Bronze Era, traces of old paths, border signs as well as farmers´ houses with tchatcherd roofs, coming from 16th and 17th centuries. The rests of from past very extended type of the country are protected at present in form of two national parks. National Park Luneburg Heath is placed on surface of 230 square kilometres, between the towns of Luneburg and Hamburg. Nature Park South Heath (500 square kilometres) is to be found between towns of Munster and Celle. Inside a park, situated not far from these towns, there is arising Wilseder Berg, 169 metres high, where on more than 30% of the surface, the original heather countryside was preserved. It is an attraction for numerous visitors from Hamburg, Bremen or Hannover, for everybody, who is looking for relax. South Park is covered with forests, from its greater part. This area forms the greatest consistent belt of North Germany. The remoteness from traffic ways and from human dwellings causes that only a few tourists visit this area. So, the park became a rescue place for many timid animals, such as otters, for instance.

Text: Denisa Arvajová

Translation: ing. Jan Jonáš

Foto: Picasaweb.com