Thousands of years ago, there existed only naked moraine ridges and barren snow water dales in the area around Lake Chiemsee. Nowadays, it is characterized by its gentle hills, moors, seas, and cultural richness. The area was settled long before King Ludwig II seized the land and since then has been inhabited by many. How then did this constantly inhabited region manage to maintain its biodiversity?
In the last two centuries, the Chiemsee has been flooded three times with what can only be labeled as the highest floods in the centuries. The climate, the lands, and the animal kingdom are changing, and it seems to be happening faster and faster. On centuries-old marshes in the flooded areas of Chiemsee, one can find rare botanical beauties such as globe flowers, primula farinose, and the Siberian iris. Nevertheless, efforts are now being put toward draining and fertilizing the flooded marshes which boast similar flora. Moreover, it has been observed that animals from the flooded regions have developed refined survival techniques that have allowed them to adapt to the changing landscape. Floods are less of a catastrophe for nature. Those most vulnerable to its devastation are humans….