Sand-Silberscharten-Standorte bei Quedlinburg
This Natura 2000 site was established to protect nine relatively small and isolated sub-sites. With two historical populations recently extinct, project actions focus on active habitat restoration and population strengthening across five colonised sub-sites - Guenthermannskopf, Ruemken, Hirtenwiese, Dalgenberg and Trog - alongside a reintroduction project at Sassenberg. Two additional stable sub-sites will undergo regular monitoring, while soil conditions at the second extinct location will be analyzed to determine future restoration feasibility.
Guenthermannskopf
The Guenthermannskopf sub-site (0.7 ha) harbors an original but small population in the Harz Mountains region. Located within a settlement area, management options like grazing are excluded. The main ecological threat is the lack of open soil creation. Conservation efforts aim to boost the population by 300 % (from 67 to 300 rosettes) while doubling both the colonizable area and bare soil cover.
Planned measures include late-May deep mowing by local authorities, manual removal of lichens, mosses and litter, supplementary seed sowing, genetic sampling, soil testing and seed banking in Berlin.
Ruemken
The Ruemken sub-site (0.82 ha) hosts an original population intended as a regional donor source. Inadequate mowing has led to an influx of ruderal species and the spread of invasive Rubus armeniacus.
Management aims to increase the population by 50 % (from 465 to 600 rosettes), double colonizable space and triple bare soil cover. Actions include frequent late-May deep mowing (transitioning toward grazing in the long term), manual litter removal, targeted scrub clearing and seed sowing, alongside seed collection for regional reintroductions and genetic research.
Hirtenwiese
The Hirtenwiese sub-site (0.29 ha) contains a small, stable population threatened by expanding Calamagrostis epigejos, pine shading, accumulated pine litter and dense moss layers.
Project goals focus on boosting the population by 50 % (from 130 to 200 rosettes) and doubling bare soil availability. Interventions will feature repeated deep mowing, clearing of thick hummus and pine needle layers, targeted removal of invasive brambles, seed sowing and the potential integration of an adjacent unmanaged parcel.
Dalgenberg
Dalgenberg (0.12 ha) holds the smallest Jurinea cyanoides population in Saxony-Anhalt, currently near extinction due to heavy pine shading and lack of management.
Conservation measures aim to rescue the population, increasing rosette count from 14 to 200 while quadrupling colonizable area and bare soil cover. Actions include thinning pine stands, clearing pine needle litter and mosses, intensive seed sowing and exploring future grazing integration.
Trog
The Trog sub-site (6.91 ha) supports a small original population threatened by unadjusted grazing regimes and the invasion of Bunias orientalis.
Project management aims to double the population (from 350 to 600 rosettes) as well as bare soil availability. Measures focus on implementing adaptive grazing, late-May deep mowing to suppress Bunias orientalis, manual litter removal, seed sowing and utilizing the site for regional seed harvesting and genetic studies.
Sassenberg
Sassenberg (0.23 ha), located on federal forestry land designated as a permanent compensation area, represents a key reintroduction site where Jurinea cyanoides previously went extinct.
Restoration plans focus on establishing a stable target population of 1 000 rosettes and expanding bare soil by 250 %. Actions include repeated seed sowing, mechanical removal of moss and litter layers, soil parameter testing and potential future grazing integration.
Project partners
Financing
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.