Editing Aalen (section)

=== Natural monuments ===
The Baden-Württemberg State Institute for Environment, Measurements and Natural Conservation has laid out six protected landscapes in Aalen (the ''Swabian Jura escarpment between Lautern and Aalen with adjacent territories'', the ''Swabian Jura escarpment between Unterkochen and Baiershofen'', the ''Hilllands around Hofen'', the ''Kugeltal and Ebnater Tal valleys with parts of Heiligental valley and adjacent territories'', ''Laubachtal valley'' and ''Lower Lein Valley with side valleys''), two sanctuary forests (''Glashütte'' and ''[[Kocher]] Origin''), 65 extensive [[natural monument]]s, 30 individual natural monuments and the following two [[protected areas]]:<ref>{{harvnb|State Institute for Environment, Measurements, and Nature Conservation Baden-Württemberg|2013a}}</ref>

The {{convert|24.1|ha|acre}} large ''Dellenhäule'' protected area between Aalen's Waldhausen district and Neresheim's Elchingen district, created in 1969, is a sheep pasture with [[juniper]] and [[wood pasture]] of old willow oaks.<ref>{{harvnb|State Institute for Environment, Measurements, and Nature Conservation Baden-Württemberg|2013b}}</ref>

The {{convert|46.5|ha|acre}} large ''Goldshöfer Sande'' protected area was established in 2000 and is situated between Aalen's Hofen district and Hüttlingen. The sands on the hill originated from the [[Early Pleistocene]] are of geological importance, and the various grove structures offer habitat to severely endangered bird species.<ref>{{harvnb|State Institute for Environment, Measurements, and Nature Conservation Baden-Württemberg|2013c}}</ref>