Mountain meadows in the High Fichtelgebirge

In Nagel, Meierhof, Ebnath, Fichtelberg, Bischofsgrün, Kornbach etc. you can find
extensively used mountain meadows, valuable landscape elements of our low
mountain landscape. In some of them the spignel grows, which is characteristic for
the Fichtelgebirge. Spignel is a white-flowered, old spice and medicinal plant. Spotted
St.-Johnswort, yarrow, tormentil, rattle, dog daisies and harebell shape the picture of
meadows with an abundance of herbs and flowers, which are only cut twice per year
and little fertilized.
Vernal grass, red fescue, browntop and oatgrass constitute a large percentage of the
grass stock. The transition from the hay meadows to the biodiverse Nardus grassland
with arnica, heathgrass and common lousewort often occurs, which enjoys particular
protection according to the EU Nature 2000 directive. In wet dips, remnants of lowlevel
moors can be found and also small areas of transition mires and quaking bogs.
Mountain meadows and wetlands can be found in the pockets of cleared woodland of
the High Fichtelgebirge where there was only marginal agriculture. The land is
divided into small plots and is owned by many. Agriculture and animal husbandry
accompanied craft and industrial work for self-sufficiency; full-time farming with
intensive arable farming hardly developed as a result of the rough climate,
calcareous, acidic soil and numerous springs.
Today, the Regional Nature Conservation Authorities and the landscape
conservation organisations find many partners here. Numerous areas in the high
pockets of cleared woodlands are funded by the contractual nature conservation
programme of the Bavarian Ministry of Environment; landscape conservation cuts
down bushes and supports initial care. Quite a few of the inhabitants of the mountain
meadow communities keep their own horses, sheep, cattle and goats and thus
support an open, biodiverse cultural landscape with their animal husbandry.