Long Rhön’s Fragile Ecosystem Faces Growing Threats, Warns Biologist Torsten Kirchner
Habitat Worth Protecting - Lecture by Biologist Torsten Kirchner
What makes the Long Rhön so unique - and why is it under pressure? With these questions, biologist Torsten Kirchner opened his lecture at the Hessian Administrative Office of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in Hilders.
2025-12-03T09:00:28+00:00
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The Long Rhön, a unique upland landscape, holds as much cultural and ecological importance to the Rhön region as Cologne Cathedral does to Cologne. Its fragile ecosystem now faces growing threats from invasive species, climate change, and rising tourism. Biologist Torsten Kirchner recently highlighted these challenges in a lecture at the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in Hilders.
On November 18, 2025, certified biologist Torsten Kirchner spoke at the Hessian Administrative Office of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in Hilders. As a long-time area manager for the Wildland Foundation Bavaria, he explained how centuries of human activity shaped the Long Rhön. Clearing beech forests, seasonal grazing, and single annual mowing created its open terrain, allowing rare plants like globeflowers and arnica to thrive alongside endangered birds such as the meadow pipit and common snipe.
The Long Rhön remains a vital refuge for rare species, but its future depends on ongoing protection efforts. Invasive plants, climate shifts, and human activity demand constant attention from volunteers and experts. The region’s unique landscape, shaped by centuries of tradition, now faces a race against time to preserve its delicate balance.
