Protected biotopes are habitats of special plant and animal species. These habitats deserve special protection, either because they are extremely rare, have a high ecological value or are threatened with destruction. Most of the biotopes found here are caused by human activities or can be traced back to certain forms of land use.

There are laws and international agreements to protect these habitats. The state of Saxony-Anhalt has regulated the special biotope protection in § 37 of the Nature Conservation Act.

For the special protection of a biotope, no matter where it is located, its mere existence is sufficient. However, legal protection alone is not sufficient for the preservation of biotopes, which is why active action is required.

Damage and destruction caused by ignorance are also unlawful and the responsible nature conservation authority can use the polluter to restore the original condition. If, for overriding reasons of public interest, such impairments are unavoidable, they may, if they can be compensated or replaced, be approved upon request by the nature conservation authority with conditions for compensation or replacement.