Landscape

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The landscape in 1998

Landscape element	Description
Area distribution/ land use	Low-structure arable fields of up to 15 ha, exclusively cereal and sugar beet cultivation, largely drained (partly former conversion of wet meadows), arable land use until hard up to flowing waters.
Flowing waters and seepage	Watercourses cut deeply into the loess; straightened creeks and drainage ditches (largely free of woody vegetation), partially piped, sparse woody vegetation in sections along watercourses, pesticide and nutrient input into surface waters and increased surface seepage runoff through drainage into receiving waters; unnatural construction of crossings.
Extensive grassland/field copses	Scrubby dry slopes with traces of former grazing.
Hedges	Inadequately grown hedge with severe browsing damage.
Individual trees	Concentrated in a few areas, otherwise sparse, occasional decaying pollarded willows.
Plant communities	Partly dominance of eutrophication indicators (Urtica dioica); partly wide and relatively species-rich field margins along the partly unpaved field paths; several wet areas in tilled fields with wetness indicators (Equisetum palustre, Juncus bufonius, Coronopus squamatus and others). Cereal stands in the interior of the field nearly free of field weeds.
Yard/yard environment	Partially decaying building fabric, empty stables; two kestrel breeding pairs in the farm buildings; overgrown garden with scattered fruit, conifers and stinging nettle stands.

Landscaping in the last 20 years

This was the starting point for the perception and recording of the landscape section managed by the Frankenhausen domain, its potential and its uniqueness. The development of the landscape in the last 20 years resulted as a "dialogue" between the potential of the landscape and the managers of the domain, the experts of the university, the authorities, private planning offices as well as interested citizens with different interests of use. In the creation of woody structures (hedges, fruit trees, field wood islands, succession areas, etc.), utilization concepts (firewood, value wood, deciduous fodder, wild fruit, berries, renewable raw materials) were included. In a model project "Nature conservation-compliant land use in organic farming", which was led by the Department of Organic Agriculture and Plant Production (Prof. Heß, Faculty 11) and the Landscape Ecology Working Group (Prof. Mayer, Faculty 13), intensive work was done on this topic from 2005-2009. The results of the planning at that time can now be evaluated on the domain. All new installations of landscape elements and nature conservation measures are reviewed annually by an independent expert.