Geopark Vulkaneifel

The natural Uessbach and its tributaries have dug deep valleys into the rock in this area with only narrow floodplains and banks.

The northwestern arm of the FFH area Kondelwald and side valleys of the Moselle extends over the Uessbachtal into the Vulkaneifel nature park and UNESCO Global Geopark. The natural and largely unpolluted Uessbach and its tributaries have dug deep valleys into the rock with only narrow floodplains and banks.

Different habitats in a small space

Dry forests, rocky forests, rocks, rocky heaths, grassland, wet meadows, spring meadows - with their typical inhabitants make up this landscape. The steep slopes are wooded, old-growth and deadwood-rich beech and oak-hornbeam forests dominate the landscape and offer diverse animal species such as black and medium-sized woodpeckers rare refuges. The steep forests used to be managed as coppice and now offer good living conditions for the strictly protected hazel grouse.

Paradise for butterflies

The highly endangered edge-ringed fritillary butterfly (Boloria eunomia) also occurs on the Uessbach - the occurrence of this butterfly species in the Eifel is one of the most important in Central Europe. But the brown-spotted fritillary butterfly (Boloria selene), meadowsweet fritillary butterfly (Brenthis ino) and purple gold fire butterfly (Lycaena hippothoe) also feel extremely comfortable in the diverse habitats with poor meadows, semi-dry grasslands, forest edges, ravines and hillside forests. There are also the kingfisher, the Bechstein's bat, the great mouse-eared bat and the yellow-bellied toad.

Location:

Map

Occident animal species

• Red-ring fritillary butterfly (Boloria eunomia)
• Brown-spotted fritillary butterflies (Boloria selene)
• Meadowsweet fritillary butterfly (Brenthis ino)
• Purple gold fire butterfly (Lycaena hippothoe)
• Kingfisher
• Bechstein's bat
• big mouse ear
• Yellow-bellied Toad
• Black woodpecker
• Hazel grouse

Occident plant species

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