Project description
Limestone
quarries are nutrient-poor, relatively dry and warm habitats which make
them suitable for habitat specialists. Most of these species are poor
competitors and therefore have become rare in the agricultural
landscapes of Central Europe.
A quarry is an ideal refuge especially
for early-successional species. One of the most endangered habitat
types in Central Europe are calcareous grasslands. Abandoned quarries
could become important secondary sites for calcareous grasslands after
proper restoration.
Calcareous grasslands support high numbers of
endangered plant species and are well known for their richness in wild
bees and bumble bees. So, why not trying to save both wild bees and
endangered plants in one of the quarries of HeidelbergCement?
The aim of our project is to design a blueprint for the
establishment of ‘wild bee pastures’ in disused limestone quarries. We
suggest arranging flower beds with the target plant species in a chess
board pattern to make them a prominent feeding source for wild bees and
to achieve an attractive landscape pattern for potential visitors.
Moreover,
as plant species do have different colors and flower at different times
of the year, the appearance of the site will change during the
flowering period.
Visitors to the quarry will be able to literally
see and feel the diversity of this innovative wild bee pasture. The
HeidelbergCement quarry of Burglengenfeld near Regensburg has been taken
as an example for the design of this new restoration element.
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