Junglinster

From a geological point of view, the region around Junglinster is dominated by “Steinmergelkeuper”. It is criss-crossed with, often deep, erosion gullies, which are formed when the originally dense, clayey rock weathers into sharp-edged pieces. These are then carried away by heavy rain and the originally small cracks and grooves are enlarged. Due to this susceptibility of this marl type to erosion, exposed slopes are numerous in this area. In the N2000 bird reserve around Junglinster, the Black Ernz is the dominant watercourse flowing from south to north. Other watercourses in the area are the Iernsterbaach, the Kriipsebaach and the Kauzebaach. The vegetation is dominated by beech forests on the plateaus where Luxembourg sandstone covers the Keuper. On the shallow and sparsely growing slopes, there is an increasing amount of calcareous grassland as well as isolated juniper formations, some of which, however, is now abandoned and fallow or overgrown. In the valleys, on the deeper and heavier soils, there are mainly meadows and pastures, which are often still relatively species-rich. Due to the heaviness of the soils, arable farming is not as profitable as on land that is easier to cultivate. On the alluvial soils in the wide, shallow valley of the Black Ernz there are mainly wet mowing meadows, but also fens, wet fallows, tall sedge meadows and reed beds. Overall, lowland hay meadows (6510) dominate the habitats recorded in the area. Other habitats include orchards and wetlands. Due to varied vegetation and high plant species diversity, the area around Junglinster is also particularly interesting for spiders and insects. A whole range of grasshoppers, butterflies and beetles depend as highly specialised species on these habitats. The still relatively numerous structures such as bushes and hedges also help to create a varied mosaic, which is very important especially for the target species of the Life Bats & Birds project. Therefore, it is also one of the few areas where all bird target species of the project still occur. Especially the extremely rare Great Grey Shrike still finds relatively good conditions here, which is why the area is very important for the conservation of the species. According to the SDF (Standard Data Form), a total of 35 bird species protected under Annex I of the Birds Directive occur in the Junglinster bird reserve.