Editing Minden (section)

== Land use ==
[[File:Nordholz1.JPG|thumb|Nature protection area ''Nordholz'']]
The forestry use of the considerably inclined Wiehen Hills shows a striking contrast to the nearly woodless [[loess]] stripes of the northern foothills as well as north of the Bastau depression. The loess developed to most fertile soils ([[luvisol]]s) and has been used as arable land since prehistoric times. Both of its stripes are key traffic veins, today the {{ill |Bundesstraße 65 |de}} from Minden to [[Lübbecke]] and the regional road from Minden to [[Espelkamp]]. The villages, so connected, have developed into settlements of considerable size.

The Bastau depression is wood and housing estate-free, having agricultural use. Only one north-south road passes through it, southwest of the town. The [[gleysol]]s of this area as well as in the Weser valley depression are in agricultural use after drainage.

Four [[Naturschutzgebiet|nature conservation areas]] extend completely or partly over Minden territory. The most northern of them provides a biological site ({{lang|de|Biologische Station Nordholz}}) for education in ecology.

The percentage of woodland is smaller than in other towns of the same type.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+Land use (2019)<ref>{{cite web |last1=Information und Technik Nordrhein-Westfalen |first1=Statistisches Landesamt |title=Kommunalprofil Minden |url=https://www.it.nrw/sites/default/files/kommunalprofile/l05770024.pdf |website=www.it.nrw |access-date=20 January 2022}} p.3</ref>
! 
! Settlement and traffic
! Agriculture
! Woodland
! Other areas
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| Minden || 40.7% || 49.0% || 6.1% || 4.1%
|-
|style="text-align:left;"| Towns of same type<br />in North Rhine-Westphalia || 31.9% || 42.7% || 22.4% || 3.0%
|}