Nsg Volksdorfer Teichwiesen

Summary

The Volksdorf Teichwiesen are one of the last well-preserved ‘tunnel valleys’ in Hamburg, formed by meltwater flowing from beneath the ice close to the ice margin.

Description

Unlike many other tunnel valleys, such as the Stellmoor Tunnel Valley, the Volksdorf Tunnel Valley is extremely short, making it a geological curiosity. Today, the Volksdorf pond meadows appear as little more than a gentle valley, as the original, much deeper hollow has been filled in with over 14 metres of soil. These geological features have created a site that is particularly attractive to flora. Thus, in June, nature lovers are rewarded with the sight of thousands of flowering orchids. The Volksdorf pond meadows boast an extremely diverse flora, with a large number of rare species within a relatively small area by Hamburg standards. This diversity is primarily due to the area's rich topography, which is characterised by the coexistence of different biotopes, a result of its varied geological history. The closely interlinked flowing and standing waters, reed beds, swamp forest, woodlands and meadows, as well as the largely damp to wet, marshy subsoil, have given rise to large populations of endangered wet meadow species. Thousands of orchids bloom here, including the broad-leaved marsh orchid and the moorland spotted orchid. The area is also home to botanical rarities, including the devil's-bit scabious and yellow meadow rue. Scottish Highland cattle are constantly at work here as ‘landscape conservationists’. The diverse habitats support a wide variety of wildlife. The Volksdorf pond meadows are home to 39 breeding bird species and 22 visiting species, providing valuable breeding, feeding and resting grounds. Rare meadow birds found in the meadows include common snipes and lapwings, which breed there and can be easily observed by visitors to the nature reserve thanks to their courtship flights. The most notable breeding waterbird is the great crested grebe, though it does not breed every year and is frequently disturbed during the breeding season. As for the birds of the reeds and bushes, the river warbler, still very rare in Hamburg, was first recorded here in 1996.