Zollenspieker

Summary

The Zollenspieker nature reserve, located directly on the Elbe River and covering around 80 hectares, encompasses the Elbe's dyke foreland as well as two small, very narrow inland dyke areas (Carlsbrack and the Riepenburger Brack bird sanctuary), which stretch from the dyke to the marsh railway embankment.

Description

The nature reserve is located in the immediate reach of tidal and floodplain dynamics. In this area, there are regular changes in the direction of the water flow and associated high and low water levels. Nowadays, these also rise and fall considerably faster, but at the same time they are higher and occur much more frequently than was the case 50 years ago, for example. As a result, the Zollenspieker area now experiences an annual average of 40 to 60 floods, during which the entire foreland is under water. Regular flooding, erosion and sedimentation processes have created an extreme habitat. A total of around 150 tide-dependent plant species can be found here. A remarkable feature is the coexistence of Atlantic species transported upstream by the tide and continental river valley plants unaffected by the tide. These include rare species such as Elbe cocklebur and annual mugwort. Schierlings-Wasserfenchel (Onenanthe conioides), a species found only in the salt-free tidal area of Hamburg, is expected to find new habitats here. The Wiebel's sedge, which only occurs on the Elbe, grows here in large numbers. This is also a globally unique plant species whose current habitat must be classified as irreplaceable. The extensively used grasslands and pastures of the Elbe floodplain provide habitat for a wide variety of bird species, including lapwings, common snipes and meadow pipits. Rare meadow birds such as black-tailed godwits and redshanks return here every year from their wintering grounds. Kingfishers, common golden orioles and Eurasian wrynecks are also found in this area. Of course, white storks also breed here, hunting small animals on the Elbe meadows flooded during high water. At low tide, the dyke foreland serves as a feeding, gathering and resting place for numerous bird species. These include goosanders, shelducks and common teals. The tidal creeks, channels and former harbour basins of the vegetable barges, which are subject to the influence of the Stromelbe, also serve as a nursery for rare Elbe fish.