That which the golden jackal harvests in winter, grows anew fresh and green in spring and summer. Reeds are a true grass and are widely distributed along the shores of Lake Neusiedl. The reed-belt is many kilometres wide in some parts. Reeds grow on the shore or in shallow still or slightly flowing water. The muddy nitrogen-rich ground nourishes the fast-growing reed-stem with abundant nutrients. Around Lake Neusiedl, reeds are used as thatching material and increasingly for heating and insulation for passive houses. The reed-belt around Lake Neusiedl is the second largest continuous reed area in Europe. It is almost 180 square kilometres in size and provides innumerable bird species with a safe habitat. Good to know: reeds use sunlight 3 times more efficiently than comparable plants, consume more CO2 and produce more oxygen.
Reeds grow to maturity in only six weeks, from April to June, and reach a height of 2 m. The reed-belt consists almost exclusively of one plant species. As the leaf surface area of the plant is six times as large as the water surface area it occupies, it is difficult for other plants to grow together with the reeds. There is a difference between canals and open water areas with reed groups of varying ages. The reed-belt acts as a natural purification plant in that nutrients and harmful substances which have found their way into the lake sediment among them. This is explains the brownish coloration of the water in their vicinity and why it is so clear in contrast to the open water of Lake Neusiedl. Natural degradation processes take place in these areas and the water is not constantly stirred by the wind as the reed-belt provides protection to the canals.
The reed-belt provides a habitat for many invertebrates, mammals and birds. Most of the fish species found in Lake Neusiedl use the reed-belt as a spawning ground.
Many islands have formed in the reed-belt. Because of the predominant northwesterly wind, much less reed is to be found growing on the eastern shore of the lake as compared to the western shore.