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This reintroduction concept, focusing on landscape planning, was developed to support the Saxon conservation program for Common hamsters (Cricetus cricetus) in the form of a master’s thesis. The toolbox provided therein was conceptually applied to selected areas in Northern Saxony that lie within a former center of distribution. This was preceded by a GIS-supported analysis and evaluation of the study area, from which qualitatively graded potential areas were derived. Depending on their suitability for hamster protection, different conservation measures were assigned to these areas, leading to a mosaic-like landscape of around 5700 hectares. In line with Saxony's conservation efforts, hamsters are to be released into the wild on the areas integrated into this landscape after being bred for this purpose at Leipzig Zoo.
This exemplary spatial application demonstrated the strengths of landscape planning that can be utilized in active hamster protection. A self-sustaining population can only be re-established if land use management is geared towards special species protection and involves all affected land users through target group-orientated communication. By including ‘the bigger picture’ in the area analysis and evaluation, integrating various land use interests into a long-term strategy and communicating fields of action to the relevant target groups, landscape planning makes a valuable contribution to conservation of this key species.