baumzaehlen - Primeval Forests & Their Trees

Müritz National Park , Germany – Serrahn

The main part of the national park with its extensive non-natural Pinus sylvestris (Scots pine) forests is quite far from its natural condition but in a separate part around the village of Serrahn, there is a 2 km ² patch of near-natural Fagus sylvatica (European beech) – Quercus petraea (sessile oak) forest over 200 years old ¹ . Until the middle of the 18th century, the area was dominated by non-natural Q. petraea – P. sylvestris forest; large-scale natural F. sylvatica regeneration took place at the end of the 18th century, probably initiated by a ban on forest pasture ² . The area was enclosed as a hunting ground by Grand Duke von Mecklenburg-Strelitz in about 1848 ¹ and was for a long time almost untouched by logging ³ . In 1952, a nature reserve was established ² . In 2011, a part of the forest was added to the Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and the Ancient Beech Forests of Germany World Heritage Site.

F. sylvatica dominates. In this area, too, there are a few old P. sylvestris stands, which are now being invaded by F. sylvatica . The undergrowth is very sparse to non-existent. Elevation is 70–120 m, annual precipitation 593 mm and average annual temperature 7.8°C ² .

Camping is not permitted.

References:

1 Sperber, G. & Thierfelder, S. (2005): Urwälder Deutschlands. BLV Verlagsgesellschaft mbH.

2 Oheimb, G. von, Westphal, C., Tempel, H. & Härdtle, W. (2005): Structural pattern of a near-natural beech forest (Fagus sylvatica) (Serrahn, North-east Germany). Forest Ecology and Management 212 : 253 – 63.

3 http://weltnaturerbe-buchenwaelder.de

Official site:

http://www.mueritz-nationalpark.de/cms2/MNP_prod/MNP/en/Homepage/index.jsp