Protected areas

Nature reserves serve to protect nature and the landscape particularly intensively, whereby the habitats (biotopes) to be protected and/or the communities of certain animal and plant species living in them are to be preserved, developed or restored. Areas can also be designated as nature reserves if this is justified for scientific, natural history or landscape reasons or because of their rarity, special character or outstanding beauty. There are currently four nature reserves in the city area: "Um den Eibsee" nature reserve, "Am nördlichen Zeisigwald" nature reserve, parts of the cross-district "Am Schusterstein" nature reserve in Wittgensdorf and the new "Chemnitzaue bei Draisdorf" nature reserve.

The primary purpose of designating LSGs is to protect the ecosystem and to maintain, develop and restore its functionality and performance. Natural resources such as soil, air, water etc. should be preserved or regenerated. By designating LSGs, unspoilt extensive natural landscapes can be preserved in their diversity, uniqueness and landscape-typical beauty and historically evolved cultural landscapes that have been unmistakably and harmoniously shaped by man can be preserved in the long term. This is achieved through specific prohibitions and authorisation requirements that prevent or impede changes in land use. LSGs are particularly important for recreation, leisure and sporting activities and the enjoyment of nature, and ultimately for people's quality of life and health, especially in densely populated areas such as Chemnitz. In addition, many important functions can be safeguarded in the long term, e.g. climate-ecological functions such as keeping aisles free for the supply of cold air or the availability of areas for the run-off of precipitation in extreme weather conditions.

Individual creations of nature (natural formations) that require special protection are designated as NDs. These are usually particularly old or unique individual trees and groups of trees. These can also include other formations, e.g. rocks. There are currently 13 designated natural monuments in the entire city area. Among them, for example, is the very beautiful and equally old "Winterlinde Röhrsdorf" at the church.

Protected areas with an area of up to 5 hectares are designated as FNDs. They can be designated if this is justified for scientific, natural history or landscape reasons or to protect communities or habitats of certain animals and plants or because of their rarity, uniqueness or beauty. There are currently 48 natural monuments in the city area. Some of them are home to remarkable orchid populations, for example.

Elements of the open landscape or settlement area that are particularly worthy of protection can be placed under protection as protected landscape areas. In contrast to the categories of protected areas already described, the designation as a protected landscape element protects individual objects or groups of objects in relation to a precisely defined area, such as groups of trees, individual copses, parks, rocks, geological outcrops and much more. Designation as a protected site serves, among other things, to revitalise, structure or maintain the townscape and landscape or to ward off harmful influences. Furthermore, GLBs are designated due to their importance as habitats for certain wild animal and plant species. There are currently 10 areas in the city of Chemnitz where protected landscape features have been designated. These include, for example, the "Schönauer Teiche und Umgebung" nature reserve, which is a complex of several ponds, sections of stream and their riparian vegetation, hedges, copses and fringes and enhances the landscape with these diverse structures.

The protected areas designated in accordance with the EU Habitats Directive are of particular importance. This is intended to protect certain wild plants (flora), animals (fauna) in their natural habitats (habitats of pug bats, beavers and great crested newts, for example) and certain types of habitat (e.g. beech forests and near-natural watercourses). Together with bird sanctuaries, the FFH areas form a coherent ecological network (Natura 2000), which is intended to ensure the conservation and development of biodiversity in Europe. The FFH protected areas "Chemnitztal", "Zwönitztal" and "Zschopautal" (Sternmühlental sub-area) are all located in the Chemnitz city area. The Rabenstein rock dome and another object are also protected as part of the FFH area "Separate bat roosts in the Chemnitz area". Deterioration is prohibited for habitat types and specially protected species in FFH areas.