Survey
The Benninger fen, situated between the city of Memmingen and the municipality of Benningen in the southeast of Bavaria, is a calcareous fen which can be described as being unique as far as its size and its degree of conservation is concerned. Especially worth mentioning is the Purpur-Grasnelke whose last refugium all over the world is the Benninger fen.
Because of its importance this nature reserve area of 22 ha has been included in the EC conservation network Natura 2000. Since 1997 the protection measures of this unique calcareous fen and its typical flora have been promoted within the framework of an EC LIFE NATURE project. The priority of the project is to stop the increasing succession in the core region of the fen. In the long term this should be obtained by an improvement of the water resources (increase of quantity and dynamics of the spring discharge, delay of the flowing off by a buildup of springs), in the short and medium term by measures of clearing and regular scrub clearance.
Armeria purpurea
