Potential for Integrated Nature Protection in a Densely Populated Area. A Case Study in the Koblenz-Neuwied Region, Germany

The landscape management and exploitation of the densely populated area of Koblenz-Neuwied are changing progressively. Increasing urbanisation has changed the cultural landscape. Protecting nature is becoming more and more difficult. The pressure to exploit nature through agriculture, gravelpit operations, local recreation areas and drinking water protection is very high.
As part of the environmental programme of the Bundesland Rheinland-Pfalz (Umweltprogramm 1990), the conservation of species and biotopes aims at nature protection on larger spatial scales. Similarly, the goals of integrated nature protection are to care for those areas which are under economic use. In this project the conditions for the application of integrated nature protection have been investigated using the example of the densely populated area of Koblenz-Neuwied. The methods were comprised of an analysis of the biogeographic conditions and a socio-ecological analysis of local farming and of the recreation value of the landscape.

This dissertation was carried out by Dr. rer. nat. Ulrich Rehberg, Dipl.-Biol and supervised by Professor Dr. H. Karrasch at the Geographical Institute at the Universität Heidelberg. The results of the project were submitted as a doctoral thesis to the Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg in autumn 2002.