Lower Elbe valley (3448)
Germany, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2002
National site name: Unteres Elbtal
Central coordinates: Latitude: 53.0167, Longitude: 11.6500
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 19 to 40
Area of KBA (km2): 531.19352
Protected area coverage (%): 99.26
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Humid grasslands (pastures and meadows) along the River Elbe, interspersed with ditches, reedbeds (Phragmites) and arable land.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.
Additional biodiversity: The site holds more than 20,000 passage waterbirds on a regular basis, and is also a migratory bottleneck site, where up to 4,000 Grus grus regularly pass.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | fisheries/aquaculture | forestry | hunting
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Grassland | 25 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 25 | |
| Forest | 25 | |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 25 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The enlargement of the Elbe is a threat.