Matter transformation processes in fens and conclusions for their restoration under special consideration of nature conservation and water management

Eingeladen durch Dr. Klaus-Holger Knorr.

Natural peatlands are important sinks for atmospheric C and nutrient and are characterized by a specialized flora and fauna. Peatlands store about 20-40 % of global C bound in soils. This original storage function was lost due to drainage activities for agricultural land-use. In opposite, peatlands appear now as ecosystems polluting atmosphere and surface waters by CO2, CH4, and nutrients. Many species of the flora and fauna typical for wetlands are endangered or extinct regionally. Therefore, a re-wetting of peatlands is an urgent challenge and will be performed in large areas in Northern Germany. The re-establishment of the original ecological functions is a challenging process since strong changes of soil chemistry and soil physics took place during desiccation. In the presentation, problems and management strategies of peatland re-wetting under special consideration of nature conservation and water quality of adjacent surface waters will be discussed.

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