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| Biosphere Reserve Information | ||||
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WADDENSEA OF HAMBURG |
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| General Description |
This site is a part of the Wadden Sea on the North Sea coast, about 40 km north of the city of Bremerhaven in the Land Hamburg. Situated close to the mouth of the Elbe River, it represents an estuary system which is the habitat for the seal Phoca vitulina and a large diversity of birds and fish. The nutrient-rich waters of the Elbe support a high biomass production and are important for fish spawning. The site includes sand and mudflats with channels, islands and saltmarshes. The site has been designated as a National Park, Ramsar site and EU Special Protection Area for wild birds. 38 people are living in the biosphere reserve (1998). The main human activities at the site are recreation and tourism and some agricultural practices such as livestock grazing. The adjacent waters north to the biosphere reserve are intensively used by ships, so that potential oil spills are a major threat to the site. Also, pollution stemming from the Elbe River impacts the ecosystem. An information centre on the Neuwerk Island provides an exhibition and educational materials for tourists. |
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| Major ecosystem type | Temperate coastal/marine zone | |||
| Major habitats & land cover types | Tidal flats with benthic microalgae and seagrass (Zostera marina and Z. nana); salt marshes with Puccinellia maritima, Festuca rubra, Juncus gerardii, Aster tripolium etc.; sand dunes with Agropyron spp., lyme grass (Elymus arenarius) and marram (Ammophila arenaria) | |||
| Location | 53°50' to 53°58'N; 08°17' to 08°34'E | |||
| Area (hectares) | ||||
| Total | 11,700 | |||
| Core area(s) | 10,500 | |||
| Buffer zone(s) | 1,200 | |||
| Transition area(s) when given | - | |||
| Altitude (metres above sea level) | -17.5 to +7 | |||
| Year designated | 1992 | |||
| Administrative authorities | Umweltbehörde Hamburg Wadden Sea National Park of Hamburg | |||
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| Brief description |
Climate Marine aquatic ecosystems Biological inventories |
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| Specific variables... | ||||
| Abiotic | Climate. | |||
| Biodiversity | Biology, coastal/marine. | |||
| Socio-economic | n.a. | |||
| Integrated monitoring | n.a. | |||
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| Contact address |
Klaus Janke Umweltbehoerde-Naturschutzamt Billstrasse 84 D-20539 Hamburg Germany |
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| Telephone | (49.40) 42845 3945 | |||
| Fax | (49.40) 4285-2579 | |||
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klaus.janke@ub.hamburg.de peter.koerber@ub.hamburg.de |
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| Last updated: 09/03/2005 |
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