Nature in Germany

Nature in Germany includes living things, landscapes, and non-living elements such as water, soil, air, and rock. Together they form connected ecosystems in which each change can have further effects. Germany has varied natural regions. These include the North Sea and Baltic Sea coasts, the North German Plain, rivers and lakes, uplands, forests, open cultural landscapes, the Alpine foothills, and the Alps. People have shaped much of the visible landscape over many centuries. Fields, meadows, pastures, managed forests, dikes, and settlements are therefore cultural landscapes, but can still contain valuable habitats. Forests store water and carbon, protect soils, and provide food and shelter for many species. Rivers, wetlands, floodplains, lakes, and coastal areas are also important because they retain water, filter substances, and support distinctive communities of life. Species diversity is also called biodiversity. It includes the variety of animal and plant species, differences within a species, and the variety of habitats. Nature conservation in Germany operates at several levels. The federal government, states, districts, towns, and municipalities take on different responsibilities, while associations, landowners, agriculture, forestry, and volunteers also contribute in practice. Well-known forms of protected area include nature reserves, national parks, biosphere reserves, and nature parks. They pursue different goals, so rules and permitted uses can vary from one area to another. Nature provides clean water, fertile soil, food, raw materials, cooling, and protection from some natural hazards. At the same time, it is under pressure from land use, habitat fragmentation, pollution, intensive use, invasive species, and climate change. Good nature conservation connects protected core areas with near-natural managed land and routes along which plants and animals can move. Gardens, parks, roadside verges, water edges, and agricultural land can also contribute to a larger network of habitats.