As of: February 10, 2024, 12:02 p.m
By: Hanna von Prittwitz
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Ready for the hike: one of the passages for amphibians along the Weßlingen bypass.
© building authority
It is unusually warm, and the amphibians sense this too - and set off.
The Weilheim State Building Authority will therefore begin the second acceptance inspection for the amphibian protection system on the Weßlingen bypass next week.
After three years of delay.
Weßling
- The warm, humid weather these days is setting them in motion: The amphibians are visiting their spawning waters earlier than usual this year and are also migrating over the approximately two kilometer long Weßling bypass.
This has been criticized by conservationists since its completion in 2016.
Although the Weilheim State Building Authority has already spent hundreds of thousands of euros on amphibian passages and protecting the animals, conservationists still see the amphibian population as threatened and argue that the measures to protect the animals are not working.
For this reason, the building authority carried out a so-called acceptance control in 2019.
Now the sequel follows, three years later than planned.
“The acceptance control checks the extent to which the animals accept the guidance device.
If enough animals migrate through the guidance system, it can be assumed that the road does not represent a sustainable barrier and that the local population is not affected by it," explained Martina Hoffmann from the Weilheim State Building Authority on Friday in a statement and in an interview with the Starnberger Merkur.
The focus of the study is on the populations of spring frogs, great crested newts and common toads.
The first inspection in 2019 revealed “deficits in the migration rate”, so the amphibian protection system was optimized.
For example, the building authority made detailed adjustments to the 42 culverts and replaced the substrate in the tunnels.
However, there were problems with the specialist office commissioned and the authority had to find a new office for a second acceptance check.
However, that dragged on.
“It's not that easy because the performance is unusual,” says Hoffman.
The office needs a lot of staff and has to be ready, there are several collection dates.
“That also requires a certain spatial proximity.” The building authority finally reached an agreement with an office near Freising.
Fortunately, the contract began on February 12th, so the earlier start of the amphibian migration could be intercepted.
This is being done now
Since Thursday, catch fences and catch buckets have been set up on both sides of the road in preparation for the survey. The work should be finished by next Tuesday and will be monitored by an ecological construction supervisor.
The animals migrating from their spawning waters towards the golf course are led into buckets and collected by employees of the specialist office, recorded according to species, age and gender and reinserted behind the fences.
“Since fences and buckets are also set up on the opposite side, it can be checked how many animals have passed through which passage under the road after how many days,” says Hoffmann.
These surveys will take place from mid-February 2024 for around six weeks.
The fences and buckets will then be dismantled and rebuilt at the beginning of June 2024 for the young animals to migrate back.
The surveys will then take place for another six weeks.
“The data collected will then be evaluated by the end of the year and an overall balance will be drawn for both rounds of acceptance control.” If the control devices are not accepted, “further optimization measures must be developed and implemented.”
That has changed
“The original research concept from 2019 was optimized for the second round of acceptance testing,” explains Hoffmann.
Compared to what was carried out five years ago, the study periods and sections in particular have been significantly shortened so that the fences do not represent barriers or disturbances for the amphibians.
“Both the optimization work on the culverts and the changes to the concept were carried out in close coordination with the Starnberg nature conservation authority.”
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Figures from 2019
In 2019, the acceptance control took place from the end of February to mid-March.
According to statistics, 2214 jumping frogs, adults and subadults, were recorded.
The fence was then rebuilt, reports Hoffmann, “so that the return migration could be recorded”.
3095 jumping frogs were collected from mid-April to early October, including adults, subadults and juveniles.
Hoffmann points out that these numbers say nothing about the overall population.
The animals ultimately not only migrated over the bypass in one place, but also left their sleeping places in a star shape towards the spawning waters.
Weßling's mayor Michael Sturm was not yet informed about the current work on Friday, "but we have nothing to do with the acceptance control either."
Martina Hoffmann answers questions about acceptance control at (08 81) 990-1332.