Weiherkette North of Bösenbechhofen Nature Reserve

To the north of the district of Bösenbechhofen / town of Höchstadt, the chain of ponds “Bösenbechhofener Weiher” is located to the left and right of the state road in the “Gretelmark” forest area. These are so-called “Heavenly Ponds”, which are only fed with incoming rainwater from the forest. The character of the water is correspondingly acidic, which is ultimately decisive for the diversity of the animal and plant species that occur there. 23.06 hectares of this chain of ponds, together with the surrounding habitats, were designated as a nature reserve on December 15, 2012. This prevented ecological devaluation through structural changes and intensification measures on the ponds. The high ecological value was the reason that the ponds were reported to the European Union as a fauna and flora habitat as part of Natura2000. In addition to the crested newt (Triturus cristatus) and the great moss damsel (Leucorrhinia pectoralis), which enjoy special European protection as "priority" species, there are plant species such as the brake water hose (Utricularia bremii) or the reddish spawning herb (Potamogeton rutilus), which only occur in a few ponds in the Aischgrund across Bavaria. The moor frog spawns in a swamp forest that is slightly flooded most of the year. Elsewhere you can find moor ponds with peat moss and the carnivorous sundew. Most of the ponds are managed extensively in order to avoid endangering the species that are worth protecting. Some have been taken out of management.