Flora and fauna Amrum

common sundew

amrum s vegetation determined sea , different types of landscapes on island, of low in nutrients. in parts of dune belt , on kniepsand marram grass or sea wormwood grow, numerous other sand-loving plants sheep s bit bloom in sheltered areas between dunes. stunted pines, bent sea wind, , salix repens, creeping willow can found there. until 1970s, rare sea holly still seen in dunes.

east of there heaths , conifer or mixed forests. in dune slacks, peat bogs can found host carnivorous plant common sundew. once abundant marsh gentian vanished during 1990s.

the amrum forest planted in 1948 on area of heath. until few forested regions found around decoy ponds. 180 hectares, amrum has largest ratio of forested land of germany s north sea islands. pines, firs , birches can found here. meanwhile, forest has largely lost artificial nature. 1 encounter numerous plants on levels , many species of fungi. geestland , east of forest, used farming. grassland grows plants such harebell (campanula rotundifolia), sea thrift (armeria maritima) , carthusian pink (dianthus carthusianorum) , several species of hawkweed.

in small marshlands, sedges , ragged robin may seen. here nutritious soil on amrum. soil of amrum s gardens low in nutrients few sorts of plants, e.g. hollyhock, grow there without fertilising.

on salt marshes along eastern shore of amrum, many salt tolerant species can found. pioneer plants such salicornia europaea , alkali grasses, grow on , stabilize mud flats.

fauna

grey seals on sand bank near amrum



rabbit sitting in dunes on amrum

like vegetation, amrum s wild beasts determined island s location within north sea. there few species of wild mammals on amrum, hare, mice, hedgehogs , bats. in 12th century coneys introduced game. still today populate island. few years ago pregnant vixen set free on amrum. , offspring caused severe damage island s fauna, meanwhile have been hunted down. in sea , on sand bars off amrum, within national park, harbour seals, grey seals , harbour porpoises have habitat. in december , january young grey seals washed ashore on amrum s beaches due storm surges , thereafter nursed adults. in january 2010 seal shelter station @ friedrichskoog announced more , more female grey seals moving away less favourable birth sites near amrum , sylt heligoland.

the realm of birds particularly plentiful. amrum counts among important hatching areas seabirds in germany. remaining hatching area eurasian curlew in wadden sea, , main hatching region common eider, oystercatchers, shelducks, arctic terns, seagulls herring gulls, common gull , lesser black-backed gull many other species use hatch there on beach, in between dunes or @ mud flats. since dunes of amrum protected nature reserve, dunes along west coast of schleswig-holstein sea gulls , ducks breeding. in other dune areas of north sea coast these birds scared off tourists. additionally vast swarms of migratory birds rest on amrum during season, e.g. red knot, brent goose or sanderling, of whom able find sufficient food along coasts of amrum. moreover, number of songbirds can found , pheasants equally introduced game common.

lizards , amphibians, such moor frog, natterjack toad , smooth newt other examples of land vertebrata.

in sea surrounding amrum numerous fish species typical of north sea can found, plaice , atlantic herring. 1940 report mentioned several worms nematodes, archiannelida, oligochaeta , turbellaria, crustaceans ostracods, , ciliate protozoans in sands of kniepsand beach. since 1980s, abundance of harbour porpoises in sea off amrum , sylt has been increasing , protected marine area created in 1999 provide shelter them.

the number of other marine species equally great, hermit crab, common whelk , lugworm among them. of them, sand shrimps commercially used harvesting them seabed cutters. shrimps wrongly marketed crabs (krabben).