Wetterau

Contrasting to the Vogelsberg area the county Wetterau has very fertile soils which promote intensive agriculture especially crop production. Consequently the land use is dominated by agriculture which comprises more than 40% of the area. This agricultural favorable region is one of the oldest cultural landscapes in Germany populated from as early as the Neolithic Age (since 2000 BC). Prominent discoveries are tombs from the Bronze Age, or from the Celts. The Wetterau was of high strategic relevance for the Roman Empire during its advance into the free Germania (Keller and Münkler 1990). Due to the favorable location close to metropolitan area of Frankfurt the county is a very prospering region with growing industries and a high population density of 271 inhabitants per km² (298 429 in total) (Hessisches Statistisches Landesamt 2013). Beside intensively used agricultural fields the wetlands of the Wetterau are important nature conservation areas. Many endangered species of birds such as the common snipe (Gallinago gallinago, Bekassine), the eurasian curlew (Numenius arquata, großer Brachvogel) or the lapwing (Vanellus vanellus, Kiebitz) have significant portions of their Hessian breeding population in the local bird sanctuary area (Hessische Gesellschaft für Ornithologie und Naturschutz 2010).