Site: Bodensee: Wollmatinger Ried - Giehrenmoos & Mindelsee

Designation date: 26-02-1976

Coordinates: 47°41'N 009°07'E

Elevation: 406 m - 460 m

Area: 1,286 ha

Location: The site is composed of two physically separate sectors: Wollmatinger Ried-Gieherenmoos-Hegnebucht (WRGH) of the Gnadensee (47°41'N 009°07'E, 827 ha) and Mindelsee bei Radolfzell (47°45'N 009°01'E, 459 ha). WRGH of the Gnadensee is situated immediately west of the city of Konstanz, while Mindelsee bei Radolfzell (MbR) is located 13 km northwest of the city of Konstanz, in the Bundesland (Federal Land) Baden-Württemberg in southwest Germany. The site is about 50 km northwest of the Rheindelta Bodensee Ramsar Site (7AT005) in Austria.

Criteria: 1 ,2 ,3 ,4 ,5 ,6

Importance: The site is an internationally important staging and wintering area for waterbirds such as Tachybaptus ruficollis, Podiceps cristatus (740), P. nigricollis, Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis (930), Ardea cinerea, Cygnus cygnus, Anas strepera (8,400), A. crecca (11,000), A. acuta (983), A. clypeata (2,300), Netta rufina (22,000), Aythya fuligula (32,000), A. ferina (3,000), Fulica atra (13,000), Vanellus vanellus (1,370), Calidris minuta, C. alpina, Philomachus pugnax, Gallinago gallinago, Numenius arquata, Tringa erythropus, T. glareola and Larus minutus. Breeding waterbirds include Podiceps cristatus, P. nigricollis, Ixobrychus minutus, Netta rufina, Circus aeruginosus, Porzana porzana, Gallinago gallinago, Acrocephalus arundinaceus and Panurus biarmicus. Rare plant species include Najas intermedia, Deschampsia litoralis, Ranunculus reptans, Gratiola officinalis, Spiranthes aestivalis, Orchis coriophora, Gladiolus palustris and the endemic Myosotis rehsteineri.

Wetland Types: 4 ,U ,Ts ,Tp ,O ,N ,M (dominant types shown in bold)

WRGH is a shallow part of the Gnadensee (one of the two northwestern arms of the Bodensee), with two small islands, extensive floodplains, reed beds and adjacent meadows. MbR is a relatively small eutrophic lake, lying between the two northwestern arms of the Bodensee.

Biological/Ecological notes: The floodplain vegetation is undergoing remarkable change. Charophyceae algae, which was dominant in oligotrophic conditions up to the 1960s, is spreading again. Potamogeton pectinatus and Zannichellia palustris, on the other hand, which dominated in the last 20 years, are now declining. The site includes extensive beds of Phragmites, Typha, Scirpus, Carex spp. The inland neighbouring Caricetum elatae shows patchy areas of Phragmites. Larger parts are dominated by Cladium mariscus, other parts by Schoenus nigricans. The traditional use of Allio-Molinietum-meadows, which stopped already 30 years ago, continues for wetland management purposes, although some areas are left to natural succession.

Hydrological/Physical notes: The area is frequently flooded as a result of strong seasonal water level fluctuations (up to 2.8 m) with highest levels in summer and lowest levels in winter. The floodplains dry out during that time, and large mudflats are exposed. Due to the mineralization of the organic material at low water level, it is not possible for peat to form. The area experiences mild winters with little snow. Even during hard winters, the Rhine and adjoining floodplains remain free of ice. Most of the annual 790 mm of precipitation falls in the summer.

Human Uses: About 80% of the site is owned by the government and Nature Conservation authorities. The rest is privately owned. The surrounding areas are owned by the state and various private owners. The site is important for nature education, ecological research and recreation. Human activities at the site include forestry (using native species), traditional fisheries, agriculture and cattle grazing. Fish-eating birds have benefited from the expansion of silviculture at WRGH. Waterbird hunting has been prohibited since 1985. In the surroundings, boating and swimming take place. Special facilities for the observation of waterbirds are planned. Many scientific programs on wetland and waterbird ecology, monitoring and disturbance have been carried out at the site by the German Trust for Nature Conservation and the German Trust for Ornithology, which also manage the site.

Conservation Measures: The site is an EU Special Protection Area for wild birds. Wollmatinger Ried received a Council of Europe Diploma in 1968 and was declared a European Reserve in 1973. WRGH includes the Wollmatinger Ried-Untersee-Gnadensee Landscape Reserve (10 ha) and Nature Reserve (757 ha) and the Bodenseeufer Hegne-Allensback Nature Reserve (60 ha). MbR includes the Mindelsee Nature Reserve. In 1999, a new management and development plan for WRGH was nearly completed, including proposals for designating additional Nature Reserves. The Gnadensee is of international importance for waterbirds in its entirety, but only the eastern part lies within the Ramsar Site. As a result, plans for the designation of the Gnadensee as a Nature Reserve have been developed. Amongst other measures, the prohibition of all watersports in this part of the Bodensee from October to March has been proposed.

Adverse Factors: The site is currently in good ecological condition but may be threatened by urban development and the spread of the exotic plant Solidago canadensis. Eutrophication of the Bodensee in the 1960s and 1970s resulted in a significant increase in phosphate levels, causing a profound change of the area’s fauna and flora. However, water purification processes were successfully introduced and the original floral communities are now re-colonizing. Disturbance and damage to the site result from commercial (net- and weir-basket) fishing and road traffic. Furthermore, there is disturbance due to camping, holiday residences, gardening and other recreational activities (particularly unauthorized watersports such as canoeing and wind surfing). In the surroundings, there is also disturbance from air, road and rail traffic.

Site Management: Naturschutzbund Deutschland, Naturschutzzentrum Wollmatinger Ried, Kindlebildstr. 87, D-7752 Reichenau 2.

External Link:

Based on the 1992 Ramsar Information Sheet.