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Peatland protection: contribution to achieving Germany's climate targets
Peatlands provide a natural habitat for many animal and plant species, some of which are threatened, and an equally important "home" for one of the most important agents of climate change: carbon dioxide (CO2). Although peatlands account for only 3 to 4% of the Earth's land surface, they sequester a total of 26 to 44% of the organic carbon stored in soils worldwide. This is more than twice the carbon stored in all the world's forests.
Many of us know and visit peatland regions primarily for their impressive extensive and varied landscapes. Peatlands are characterised by a high diversity of fauna and flora (niche for endangered species, among others). As so-called "kidneys of the landscape", peatland plants store pollutants dissolved in water. However, peatlands also have another important role to play: They serve as long-term carbon reservoirs.
If peatlands are drained due to agricultural or forestry use, these greenhouse gases are released. In Germany, so-called moor soils cover about 4% of the federal territory. Due to Germany's historical development, the following apply today about 95% of the peatlands as dead. As a result, drained peatlands in this country stand out with approx. 47 million tonnes of emitted CO2equivalent greenhouse gases for more than a third of the total greenhouse gas emissions produced by agriculture and thus for about 5% of the total German climate-relevant emissions (BMU). This trend can only be stopped in the long term by raising the water levels of drained peatlands.
Politicians have long been aware of the relevance of peatlands to the climate and their worthy character for protection. Numerous guidelines as well as target agreements for the protection and revitalisation of peatlands recently exist at federal and state level, accompanied by multinational projects such as the "International Climate Initiative" (IKI) or the "Global Peatland Initiative".
Above all, however, social awareness of the protection and value of peatland regions and their relevance to the climate must be raised. Complaints against the re-watering and revitalisation of former moorland landscapes by the regional population are not uncommon. Fear of mosquito swarms and "unusable landscapes" are the main reasons. In addition, the extent of the drainage/peat cutting of peatlands in Germany does not seem to be a fact of which the general public is aware. Although less than 5% of the area of all German peatlands is still intact, about ten million cubic metres of peat are still extracted annually as potting soil for horticulture. This is despite the fact that sustainable revitalisation strategies with relatively low emission reduction costs could make a significant contribution to achieving Germany's climate targets.
Online references:
https://www.eschenbach-freizeitoptik.com/de-DE/403/news/show/345/Moore-in-Deutschland
https://www.bmu.de/pressemitteilung/besserer-moorschutz-fuer-besseres-klima-und-mehr-artenvielfalt/
https://www.moorschutz-deutschland.de/
https://www.arge-donaumoos.de/arbeitsfelder/themen/moor-wiedervernaessung/
https://www.dw.com/de/die-m%C3%BChsame-wiedervern%C3%A4ssung-der-moore/a-18530748
https://www.gruenes-medienhaus.de/artikel/7102
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