area Description
In terms of nature, the area counts to the Dahler Volmeschlucht within the Märkisches Oberland in the Rhenish Slate Mountains. The Saure Epscheid is a small low mountain stream (LAWA type 5), which merges with the Süßen Epscheid to Epscheider Bach, which in turn flows into the Volme.
The nature reserve extends over a section of the creek that is about 800 meters long and corresponds to the valley bottom running there in a north-south direction; it has only small widths between about 25 and 70 meters. [1] Within the area there is a height difference of about 29 m. The Bachtal is accompanied by steep slopes; It is cut into the mountains around 100 meters deep and is one of the sole scoreboards (Kerbtal with a narrow valley bottom).
Like the surrounding slope areas, the NSG is almost completely wooded. The riverbank area is characterized by the brook alder-ash forest with a corresponding layer of herbs. The plant stands by the stream come very close to the potential natural vegetation. [3] Small-scale butterbur and Hochstaudenfluren occur. In less humid peripheral locations, there are in places transitions from the loose ash-alder-riparian forest to the oak-hornbeam forest. [2] Some parts of the area were formerly used as grassland; However, the succession to the forest was already well advanced at the end of the 20th century. [3]
The meandering stream is divided several times in the NSG, creating habitats characterized by wetness and small-scale changes. He takes several laterally inflowing Quellbäche (small sieves) and is sometimes even quellbachartig formed with accompanying source corridors. The precipitous stream bed is rocky and due to the high water quality (purity) with many, also rare caddis fly larvae, planarians and other invertebrates and populated with sophisticated water mosses. [2] [3]