Eco-points and compensation areas
District of Ostalbkreis
Eco-points immediately available from officially recognised eco-accounts for impacts in the Ostalbkreis. greeNature supports your compensation under the Eco-Account Ordinance (ÖKVO) as a full-service partner, from needs analysis through land allocation to recognition by the lower nature conservation authority (Untere Naturschutzbehörde).
The District of Ostalbkreis at a glance
The Ostalbkreis lies in the east of Baden-Württemberg, belongs to the Ostwürttemberg region, and forms part of the Stuttgart administrative region. Covering around 1,511 km², it is the third-largest district in the state by area. The administrative centre and district seat is Aalen, with Schwäbisch Gmünd and Ellwangen (Jagst) as further major district towns. The district as a whole comprises 42 towns and municipalities.
The landscape of the district ranges from the Keuperwaldberge in the north-west to the plateau of the Swabian Jura in the south. The BfN assigns the area to two natural regions, the Schwäbisches Keuper-Liasland (D58), with the foreland of the eastern Jura around Aalen and Bopfingen, the Welzheimer Wald and the Schwäbisch-Fränkische Waldberge around Ellwangen, and the Swabian Jura (D60), with the eastern hill country of the Albuch and Härtsfeld. On the border with Bavaria near Bopfingen, the district reaches the edge of the Nördlinger Ries.
Ecologically defining features are the juniper heath and calcareous grassland of the Ostalb, the near-natural beech woodland of the Albuch and Härtsfeld, the extensive woodland of the Keuper hills, and the river and meadow valleys of the Kocher, Jagst and Rems. The district has land within 14 FFH sites and several SPAs of the European Natura 2000 network, and has a high density of nature reserves.
Economically, the district is shaped by mechanical engineering, optics and metalworking around Aalen, Oberkochen and Schwäbisch Gmünd, lime and gypsum extraction on the Jura, the transport corridors along the B29 and B19, and wind energy and settlement development. Such projects regularly trigger compensation and replacement obligations under §§ 13 to 15 BNatSchG, which in Baden-Württemberg are assessed in eco-points under the Eco-Account Ordinance.
🗺️ Associated natural regions
Go to natural region D58 ›
Go to natural region D60 ›
📍 Selected municipalities
🌿 Ecological features
- Land within 14 FFH sites and several SPAs of the Natura 2000 network
- Härtsfeld FFH site in the east of the district, a hill-country plateau with numerous nature reserves and juniper heath
- Eastern hill-country plateau of the Albuch and Härtsfeld (natural region 096), with beech woodland and calcareous grassland
- Foreland of the eastern Swabian Jura around Aalen and Bopfingen, with the river valleys of the Kocher and Jagst
- Welzheimer Wald and Schwäbisch-Fränkische Waldberge in the north-west, wooded Keuper hills
- Edge location at the Nördlinger Ries near Bopfingen, on the border with Bavaria
- High density of nature reserves across the whole district
✅ greeNature on the ground
greeNature operates nationwide and works consistently with the assessment system of the Eco-Account Ordinance (ÖKVO) in Baden-Württemberg. We coordinate measures with the lower nature conservation authority of the Ostalbkreis, know the natural-region differences between the Ostalb and the Keuperwaldberge, and allocate eco-points from recognised eco-accounts precisely to the relevant impact. From needs analysis to documentation, we handle the entire compensation process.
Typical measures in the district of Ostalbkreis
Juniper heath and calcareous grassland
Management and restoration of the juniper heath and calcareous grassland on the Albuch and Härtsfeld through extensive sheep grazing and scrub clearance, habitat for heat-loving insects, sand lizard and rare plant species.
Traditional orchards
Establishment and reactivation of traditional orchards on the Jura escarpment and in the valleys, habitat for cavity-nesting birds, bats and wild bees.
Near-natural forest conversion
Development of structurally diverse, deadwood-rich deciduous and mixed woodland in the Keuperwaldberge and the Welzheimer Wald, promoting veteran and cavity trees as roosts and habitat structures.
Watercourse restoration on the Kocher and Jagst
Revitalisation of the Kocher, Jagst and Rems with bank flattening, deadwood and reconnection of former channels, improving connectivity and creating habitats for kingfisher and fish.
CEF and FCS species protection
Advance compensation measures (CEF) and measures to maintain favourable conservation status (FCS) under § 44 BNatSchG, for example replacement habitats for sand lizard, bat roosts and spawning waters for amphibians.
Farmland and habitat network
Creation of flower strips, hedgerows, stone ridges and field-margin structures in the Alb foreland, stepping-stone habitats for farmland birds, reptiles and insects between the open parts of the landscape.
Protected species in the Ostalb between the Swabian Jura and the Keuperwaldberge
Bats of the Jura and woodlands
The cave- and woodland-rich Ostalb offers significant roosts, for example for greater mouse-eared bat and Bechstein's bat. Traditional orchards and structurally rich woodland serve as foraging grounds. Roost protection and the retention of cavity trees are typical CEF measures.
About this species ›Sand lizard on nutrient-poor sites
Juniper heath, calcareous grassland, railway embankments and quarry slopes are core habitats for the sand lizard. For impacts, advance relocation and the creation of replacement habitats with stone ridges and deadwood are common practice.
About this species ›Black stork in the wooded hills
The continuous woodlands of the Schwäbisch-Fränkische Waldberge and the Welzheimer Wald offer breeding opportunities for the disturbance-sensitive black stork. Retaining quiet old-growth stands and near-natural forest streams is crucial for the species.
About this species ›Kingfisher on the Kocher and Jagst
Near-natural bank sections on the Kocher, Jagst and Rems offer the kingfisher nesting sites in steep faces. Restoration with bank erosion features and structurally rich riverbanks creates new habitats.
About this species ›Amphibians in woodland and extraction sites
Quarries, woodland ponds and valley floodplains are home to pioneer species such as the yellow-bellied toad and the great crested newt. Temporary small water bodies and water-filled tyre ruts are key elements of compensation planning.
About this species ›Skylark in the Alb foreland
The open arable landscapes of the Alb foreland are habitat for the skylark and other farmland birds. Skylark plots, flower strips and extensively managed field margins are among the suitable enhancement measures.
About this species ›Which projects trigger a compensation obligation?
Industry and commerce
The Ostalbkreis is a significant location for mechanical engineering, optics and metalworking, for example around Aalen, Oberkochen and Schwäbisch Gmünd. Expansions of commercial and industrial land lead to sealing and trigger a compensation requirement. greeNature develops matching eco-account measures for this.
Transport and infrastructure
The expansion of federal and state roads along the B29 and B19 corridors, as well as railway lines in the Rems and Kocher valleys, generate compensation and replacement obligations under §§ 13 to 15 BNatSchG.
Wind energy on the Härtsfeld and wooded hills
Wind energy projects on the Härtsfeld and in the woodland areas of the district require nature conservation compensation as well as species protection assessments under § 44 BNatSchG, particularly FCS measures for species sensitive to wind turbines such as bats and birds of prey.
Residential and commercial development
Residential and commercial areas in the district's towns and municipalities lead to land sealing. Landowners can contribute suitable land as compensation areas, and greeNature handles planning, implementation and monitoring.
From enquiry to monitoring
Contact and enquiry
Tell us your compensation requirement and the natural region. We check availability.
Offer and advice
A transparent offer covering measure types, scope and availability.
Coordination with authorities
Full coordination with the lower nature conservation authority. We handle everything.
Long-term monitoring
Permanent securing of the land, management and documentation across the contract term.
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Request eco-points in the district of Ostalbkreis
We will promptly prepare a transparent offer with matching eco-points held in stock in the district of Ostalbkreis.