In addition to flora and fauna, important protected assets include soil, groundwater and surface water, climate and the landscape. An area can also be designated as a landscape conservation area due to its particular importance for recreation. Areas in which nature-friendly use by humans is to be preserved or reintroduced can also be placed under landscape protection. In comparison to nature conservation areas, abiotic resource protection is in the foreground.

As self-governing authorities, the administrative districts and independent cities are responsible for designating landscape protection areas by statutory order. If the landscape protection area extends beyond the area of a district or a municipality not attached to a district, the district is responsible for issuing the protected area ordinance.

Protected areas can be divided into zones with correspondingly graduated protection. If necessary, their surroundings can also be protected.

Regional Supplement (Editorially responsible: City of Erlangen)

In Erlangen, around 45 percent of the urban area is under landscape protection. The protected areas include all larger forests and valley areas.

There are two protected landscape features in Erlangen: the Holzweg in Büchenbach and the so-called "Riviera" between Ebrardstraße and the Schwabachgrund. Both landscape features have sandy soils and offer, among other things, ideal conditions for the now very rare ground carnation. In order to sustainably safeguard the site characteristics, there are special provisions in the relevant legal ordinances, which can be found in the ordinances (see "Further links").

The state government is responsible for issuing ordinances on national parks. Legal ordinances on nature conservation areas are issued by the higher nature conservation authority at the government (see "Related topics").

The district administrative authorities (district administrations and independent municipalities) are responsible as lower nature conservation authorities for issuing ordinances on natural monuments and for issuing ordinances on protected landscape features up to a maximum size of 10 hectares. The higher nature conservation authorities are responsible for protected landscape features larger than 10 hectares (see "Related topics").

Regional Supplement (Editorial responsibility: City of Erlangen)Many activities in the landscape conservation area require a permit. These actions can be found in the Landscape Protection Ordinance. Questions on the subject of landscape protection and applications for permission can be sent informally by e-mail to the Environmental Office of the City of Erlangen. The areas covered by the landscape protection ordinance can also be found on the landscape protection area map or the Bavarian Atlas.