Eco-points and compensation areas
District of Mansfeld-Südharz
Eco-points available immediately from recognised eco-accounts under the Ökokonto-Verordnung Saxony-Anhalt (ÖkoKVO LSA). greeNature is your nationwide full-service partner for compensation under nature conservation law in the Mansfelder Land and the Südharz.
The District of Mansfeld-Südharz at a glance
Landkreis Mansfeld-Südharz lies in the southwest of Saxony-Anhalt and, with around 1,449 km² and about 128,000 inhabitants, is a large, rural district. The district seat and seat of the district administration is Kreisstadt Sangerhausen. The district is made up of nine unitary municipalities and two collective municipalities, including Lutherstadt Eisleben, Hettstedt and Mansfeld.
In landscape terms, the district extends from the wooded Unterharz in the northwest, across the Mansfelder Land, to the fertile Goldene Aue on the Helme and Unstrut in the south. In terms of natural regions, the district shares in the natural region Harz (D37) as well as the Östlicher Harz (D20), which covers the loess and chernozem-shaped arable landscapes east and southeast of the Harz.
Of particular ecological significance is the Karstlandschaft Südharz, a globally unique Zechstein gypsum karst belt with caves, dolines and sinkholes, designated as a biosphere reserve. Also notable are the Naturpark Harz/Sachsen-Anhalt (Mansfelder Land), the Kelbra reservoir as an internationally important crane roosting site, and the Süßer See. The gypsum karst caves are among the region's most important bat winter roosts.
Economically, the district is shaped by the legacy of the Mansfeld copper shale mining industry, whose spoil heaps and post-mining land still define the landscape today. Post-mining redevelopment, gypsum and limestone extraction, agriculture on chernozem soils, transport infrastructure (A38, B80, B86) and the expansion of renewable energy regularly trigger impacts, for which compensation must be provided under the impact mitigation regulation of §§ 13 to 15 BNatSchG and the Ökokonto-Verordnung Saxony-Anhalt (ÖkoKVO LSA).
🗺️ Associated natural regions
Go to natural region D18 ›
Go to natural region D20 ›
📍 Selected municipalities
🌿 Ecological features
- Biosphärenreservat Karstlandschaft Südharz, a globally unique Zechstein gypsum karst belt with caves, dolines and sinkholes
- Naturpark Harz/Sachsen-Anhalt (Mansfelder Land), plus a share of the wooded Unterharz
- Kelbra reservoir as an internationally important crane roosting and waterbird site (EU special protection area)
- Süßer See in the Seegebiet Mansfelder Land, a near-natural shallow lake of importance for waterbirds and waders
- Post-mining landscape of the Mansfeld copper shale district with spoil heaps, dry and semi-dry grassland
- Gypsum karst caves as important bat winter roosts in central Germany
- Fertile loess and chernozem soils, with the Goldene Aue on the Helme and Unstrut
✅ greeNature on the ground
greeNature operates nationwide and works consistently in Saxony-Anhalt under the state's Ökokonto-Verordnung (ÖkoKVO LSA) and the assessment model of the state of Saxony-Anhalt. We know the requirements of the lower nature conservation authority of Landkreis Mansfeld-Südharz and the particularities of natural regions D20 and D37, from the gypsum karst of the Südharz to the copper shale district and on to the Goldene Aue.
Typical measures in the district of Mansfeld-Südharz
Floodplain and watercourse development
Removal of bank reinforcements, reconnection of old river branches and near-natural development on the Helme, Wipper and the tributaries of the Saale. This creates steep banks, gravel bars and watercourse buffer strips as habitat for kingfisher, fish and amphibians.
Arable extensification on chernozem
Creation of skylark plots, flowering and field margin strips, and extensive field boundaries on the intensively farmed loess soils. These measures enhance the wide agricultural landscapes and secure habitat for the skylark and other open-land species.
Restoration of post-mining land
Nature conservation design of spoil heaps and raw soils of the copper shale district. High-value dry and semi-dry grassland as well as pioneer habitats can be developed from nutrient-poor substrates, which are eligible for recognition under ÖkoKVO LSA.
Forest conversion and natural forest development in the Harz
Conversion of structurally poor stands into site-appropriate deciduous and mixed forests, and promotion of old and dead wood in the Unterharz. This increases habitat value and stabilises habitats for the black stork and European wildcat.
Cave and roost protection in the gypsum karst
Securing and reducing disturbance in caves, adits and karst fissures as bat winter roosts in the Südharz Zechstein belt, as well as creating replacement roosts on buildings and trees as an advance CEF measure.
Wet grassland and rewetting
Extensification, rewetting and adapted mowing at the Kelbra reservoir, in the Helme valley and at the Süßer See. This secures and enhances breeding and roosting habitats for the northern lapwing, meadow-breeding birds and waterbirds.
Protected species in the Mansfelder Land and the Südharz karst landscape
Bats in the Südharz gypsum karst
The caves, adits and karst fissures of the Zechstein belt are among the most important bat winter roosts in central Germany. Species such as the barbastelle and whiskered bats (Annex II and IV of the FFH Directive) overwinter here. In the event of impacts, replacement roosts must be created as an advance CEF measure under § 44 BNatSchG.
About this species ›European wildcat in the Harz forests
The near-natural deciduous and mixed forests of the Unterharz are habitat for the strictly protected European wildcat (Annex IV of the FFH Directive). It requires low-disturbance, structurally rich forests with cover and dead wood. Habitat networking, forest edge design and the preservation of old and dead wood are suitable FCS measures.
About this species ›Black stork in large forest areas
The extensive, watercourse-rich forests of the Harz are home to the black stork, which needs low-disturbance old-growth stands and fish-rich streams as feeding habitat. Nest protection, forest edge design and the securing of feeding waters are suitable FCS measures.
About this species ›Sand lizard on post-mining land
Spoil heaps, dry grassland and slopes of the copper shale district offer ideal conditions for the strictly protected sand lizard. In the event of impacts, replacement habitats with basking spots, hiding and egg-laying structures are required as an advance CEF measure.
About this species ›Skylark on the chernozem soils
The extensive arable landscapes on fertile loess are breeding grounds for the skylark, whose populations are declining due to intensive land use. Skylark plots, flowering strips and extensive field boundaries are proven CEF measures for securing their breeding sites.
About this species ›Northern lapwing at Kelbra and Süßer See
Damp lowlands at the Kelbra reservoir, in the Helme valley and at the Süßer See are breeding and roosting areas for the northern lapwing and other meadow-breeding birds. Rewetting, extensification and adapted mowing dates secure their breeding sites and enhance the open land.
About this species ›Which projects trigger a compensation obligation?
Transport infrastructure
The A38 (Südharzautobahn), the B80 and B86 federal roads, and the railway lines around Sangerhausen and Halle require compensation and replacement obligations for expansion and maintenance works, frequently combined with species protection measures on routes and embankments.
Renewable energy and structural change
Wind energy and ground-mounted photovoltaic projects, as well as structural change projects in the Central German mining district, trigger compensation under nature conservation law pursuant to ÖkoKVO LSA and CEF or FCS measures for affected species.
Mineral extraction and post-mining redevelopment
Gypsum, limestone and gravel extraction in the Südharz, as well as the reclamation of the post-mining landscape of the copper shale district, generate extensive compensation and restoration requirements under Saxony-Anhalt law.
Commercial and settlement development
New industrial and commercial areas, as well as municipal land-use planning, lead to impacts on nature and landscape. Landowners can benefit here as providers of compensation areas.
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.
Eco-points in adjoining districts
All about eco-points
in the district of Mansfeld-Südharz
Request eco-points in the district of Mansfeld-Südharz
We will promptly prepare a transparent offer with matching eco-points held in stock in the district of Mansfeld-Südharz.