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Effects of a hydrological protection zone on the restoration of a raised bog: a case study from Northeast-Germany 1997–2008

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Abstract

We investigated the changes of water level and vegetation in a restored cut-over raised bog in response to a hydrological protection zone established around the bog. The restoration began 1997 and techniques involved ditch blocking within and around the bog to stimulate a return to conditions of intact bog ecosystems. In order to monitor the rehabilitation of the raised bog, water levels and vegetation have been recorded since before restoration measures began. The monitoring is ongoing, but an assessment of 15 year’s data (1994–2008) is presented. A hydrological protection zone with continuous high water levels could be established around the raised bog which minimizes the runoff of precipitation. Shortly after the first measures, the water levels increased significantly at all dipwells. Parallel to the increasing water levels a vascular plant species assemblage and a diverse Sphagnum community developed. In particular Sphagnum fimbriatum, S. palustre, S. recurvum and S. squarrosum spread efficiently. The cover of trees decreased significantly because of high water levels and ongoing acidification by Sphagnum spp. The high water levels have stimulated the re-vegetation and the hydrology self-regulation of the acrotelm. The successful regeneration of the acrotelm particularly became apparent in years with below-average precipitations (e.g. 2008), when the water levels in the central parts of the raised bog did not fall back to the low level reached in previous years, which had also remarkably water deficits (e.g. 2003).

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to M. Runze, I. Koska, I. Witt, D. Triebel and D. Gremer for providing invaluable help in the design and implementation of the field experiments. We further thank Dr. H. Lange for providing statistical analyses. Special thanks are given to all of the members of the nature conservation authority, who made the restoration program possible and who applied for subsidies for embankments for re-wetting. The thoughtful comments of Dr. S. Glatzel and several anonymous reviewers greatly improved this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Landscape Ecology and Site Evaluation, University of Rostock, Justus von Liebig Weg 6, 18059, Rostock, Germany

    André Bönsel

  2. Department of Botany, University of Rostock, Wismarsche Str. 8, 18051, Rostock, Germany

    Anne-Gesine Sonneck

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  1. André Bönsel
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  2. Anne-Gesine Sonneck
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Correspondence to André Bönsel.

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Bönsel, A., Sonneck, AG. Effects of a hydrological protection zone on the restoration of a raised bog: a case study from Northeast-Germany 1997–2008. Wetlands Ecol Manage 19, 183–194 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11273-011-9210-x

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