lifeSandrasen: Project summary

Brandenburg is one of the European core areas regarding the geographical distribution of xeric sand calcareous grasslands. Nevertheless, they are among the most endangered habitat types in Brandenburg.

LIFE Sandrasen was set up to stop the rapid loss of xeric sandy calcareous grasslands (HT *6120) and other open dry habitats like sandy dunes and heathlands (HT 2310, 2330, 4030) and woodlands (HT 9190 and 91T0) in the area ‘Dahme-Seengebiet’ in the federal state of Brandenburg.

A huge variety of open dry habitats has been frequent in Brandenburg for quite a long time. But beginning from the second half of 20th century, these open habitats have been virtually vanished due to intensification, afforestation and abandonment of land use.

According to results of ex-ante monitoring habitat type *6120 was shrunk to a total area of less than ten hectares in Natura2000-sites of the project region at the beginning of the project. This loss of habitat type *6120 was mainly connected to acidification, loss of open sandy habitats and reduction and extinction of characteristic plant populations.

The project took place in the counties of Dahme-Spreewald, Oder-Spree and Teltow-Fläming in the federal state of Brandenburg. Concrete conservation activities have been implemented in 15 Natura2000 sites.