Orchard meadow "Götzplatz
Meadows or pastures on which tall fruit trees stand at wide, loose intervals are referred to as orchards. They are part of a near-natural cultural landscape and have a long tradition in fruit growing. With their eye-catching flowers and fruits, the orchards emphasize the changing seasons and shape entire landscapes. With the conversion of the orchards to low-stem monocultures in the 1950s to 1970s, due to abandonment and abandonment as well as due to the land consumption by construction and settlement, the orchards were further reduced. Today they are among the most endangered biotopes in Central Europe and are perceived as part of the natural and cultural landscape that is worth protecting. The increasing demand for regionally produced products and direct marketing make orchards cultivation comparatively profitable today. Habitat for orchards: For the Central European biodiversity, orchards with over 5,000 animal and plant species and over 3,000 types of fruit (apple and pear, but also cherries, walnuts, plums and plums) play an outstanding role. Fruit trees allow cavities to form earlier than other tree species. Such tree hollows serve as living, brood and shelter e.g. for green woodpeckers, starlings, redstart, little owls and bats. The rich flowers provide nectar for honey and wild bees, and the fruits, if not fully harvested, also serve as food for wild animals. Amphibians and reptiles such as common toads, common frogs and the now rare blindworm and forest lizard find suitable habitats in orchards.