Climate protection and promotion of biodiversity through restoring peatland areas
By restoring natural water levels and hydrological fluctuations, the project aims to rehabilitate peatlands so they can gradually regain their original function as carbon sinks. In the long term, healthy peatlands are able to form new peat, store significant amounts of carbon, and help remove CO₂ from the atmosphere, thereby contributing to climate protection.
The project also supports biodiversity conservation, as peatlands are essential habitats for peat-forming plant communities and their characteristic species. These ecosystems are particularly rich in fauna, especially invertebrates. Previous studies conducted by ÖNSOR have shown that the remaining peatland areas host a remarkably high number of endangered arthropod species, including a peatland-associated species that was previously considered extinct or lost. Many of these species are closely dependent on peatland habitats, while others rely on peatland remnants as refuge areas. All of them ultimately depend on near-natural hydrological conditions to survive and thrive.
For more information about peatland ecosystems and our reasoning to get involved in projects around peatland restoration, click here.
As part of the project, ÖNSOR intends to continue its efforts to restore peatlands in the districts of Rotenburg and Stade. The project focuses primarly on the installation and operation of peatland water-level monitoring systems. These monitoring gauges are essential for identifying ecological development trends and detecting unfavourable hydrological changes at an early stage, both in existing and future restoration areas, allowing for timely and targeted management interventions.
In addition, monitoring hydrological conditions and processes is fundamental to developing a comprehensive understanding of disturbed peatland ecosystems. the project plans to install approximately 20 water-level gauges across the peatland conservation areas managed by ÖNSOR. Water levels will be continuously monitored and recorded to support the long-term restoration and management of these valuable ecosystems.
