The Bavarian Forest National Park is situated in the Bavarian part of the Bohemian Forest which is one of the largest forest landscapes in Central Europe. Its administration follows a strict non-intervention nature conservation management which allows untouched natural disturbance and regeneration of ecosystems on more 67 % of the area. And it allows the monitoring of changes in environmental conditions driven by direct and indirect anthropogenic impacts in the global change and their effects on biodiversity in terrestrial and aquatic habitats. The park covers 245 km2 with an elevation range of 850 m between 600 and 1453 m a.s.l. (Großer Rachel). The bedrock consists of magmatic (mostly granite) and metamorphic rocks (paragneiss, migmatite, orthogneiss). Predominant soils are Cambisols, Rankers and Podzols on hillslopes as well as Histosols and Gleysols across the whole relief. Mean annual temperature and precipitation is 7–4°C and 1100–2000mm depending on altitude.