In den Rödern bei Babenhausen, Protected area in Babenhausen, Germany
In den Rödern bei Babenhausen is a nature reserve in the southeastern part of the town in southern Hesse, covering roughly 86 hectares (212 acres) of open sandy ground with scattered pines. The dunes and grass fields extend over flat to gently rolling terrain with very low nutrient levels in the soil.
The military used the site from 1901 for training exercises and left behind the barren sandy ground, which passed to federal ownership after US troops withdrew in 2007. Conservationists secured initial protection measures in 1991 before the area joined the European Natura 2000 network in 2008.
The name refers to the historical designation of the terrain and its location near the small town in the Odenwald region. Today the area serves as a refuge for specialized plants and insects that depend on open sandy surfaces.
Information panels along the paths explain the rare plants and animal species that occur in the sandy habitat. The site is freely accessible and lies roughly 2 miles (3 kilometers) from the center of Babenhausen.
Przewalski horses graze the area and keep vegetation low, which maintains the nutrient-poor sandy soil. This Central Asian horse breed was introduced here because their feeding habits favor the rare insects and plants that can survive only on open sand.
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