Protected Areas - IUCN - HabitatSpeciesManagementArea

Digital state-wide overview map of the geometries of all Lower Saxony EU bird protection areas, FFH areas and nature reserves. According to Article 4 of the EC Birds Directive (79/409/EEC), the member states (in the Federal Republic of Germany the federal states) are obliged to designate the most suitable areas in terms of area and numbers for species in Annex I of the Directive (Art. 4 Para. 1) and for migratory bird species (Art. 4 Para. 2) to be declared special protection areas (ESP, European bird protection areas) and to be reported to the European Commission as part of the ecologically networked Natura 2000 system of protected areas. According to EC Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and wild animals and plants (Fauna-Flora-Habitat Directive, FFH), each member state must designate areas for a coherent ecological network of protected areas. In the digital map, all reported FFH areas for Lower Saxony, including the areas already identified by the EU Commission as "areas of community importance" (SCI), are shown across the board. The state-wide overview map of the geometries of all Lower Saxony nature reserves contains the protected areas designated by the lower nature conservation authorities on a generalized scale (1:25,000). Without exception, the area demarcations and area information in the respective ordinances or laws of the protected areas are legally binding.