The Stone Fields in the Schmale Heath and Extension (german: Steinfelder in der Schmalen Heide und Erweiterung) is a nature reserve (

Naturschutzgebiet A ''Naturschutzgebiet'' (abbreviated NSG) is a category of protected area (nature reserve) within Germany's Federal Nature Conservation Act (the ''Bundesnaturschutzgesetz'' or ''BNatSchG''). Although often translated as 'Nature Reserve' in Engl ...

), 199 hectares in area, on the German island of

Rügen Rügen (; la, Rugia, ) is Germany's largest island. It is located off the Pomeranian coast in the Baltic Sea and belongs to the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The "gateway" to Rügen island is the Hanseatic city of Stralsund, where ...

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (MV; ; nds, Mäkelborg-Vörpommern), also known by its anglicized name Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania, is a state in the north-east of Germany. Of the country's sixteen states, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern ranks 14th in po ...

. It includes large flint fields (german: Feuersteinfelder), a representative section of the Schmale Heath and a separate extension with near-natural

coastal dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, fl ...

s. The reserve was created on 27 April 1935. Two extensions of the nature reserve area came into force in the years 1959 and 1990. The areas are located seven kilometres north of

Binz Binz is the largest seaside resort on the German island of Rügen. It is situated between the bay of Prorer Wiek and the ''Schmachter See'' (a lake) in the southeast of the island. To the north of Binz stretches the Schmale Heide (the "narrow he ...

between the Kleiner Jasmunder Bodden and the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and ...

. The reserve is assessed as in good condition. The high numbers of visiting tourists in the flint fields causes disturbances, though, to the fauna. The nature reserve is accessible via a footpath from Neu Mukran. In 2009 the nature reserve areas were taken over by the German Federal Environment Foundation (''Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt''). According to EU law, the nature reserve is part of the

Special Area of Conservation A Special Area of Conservation (SAC) is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), also known as the ''Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora''. They are to protect the 220 habitats and a ...

known as the Kleiner Jasmunder Bodden, Jasmund Peninsula and Schmale Heath (''Kleiner Jasmunder Bodden mit Halbinseln und Schmaler Heide'').Standard fact sheet ''Kleiner Jasmunder Bodden mit Halbinseln und Schmaler Heide'' SAC (pdf)
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References

Literature

External links

{{Commonscat-inline, Naturschutzgebiet Steinfelder in der Schmalen Heide und Erweiterung, Stone Fields in the Schmale Heath and Extension

*[http://www.mecklenburg-vorpommern.eu/cms2/Landesportal_prod/Landesportal/content/de/Urlaub_und_Freizeit/Natur_erleben/Naturschutzgebiete/Ruegen/Steinfelder_in_der_Schmalen_Heide_und_Erweiterung/index.jsp Information from the M-V state portal]
M-V environmental map portal with geodata (nature reserve boundary, biotope mapping etc.)
Nature reserves in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Geography of Rügen Binz