How can land that was previously used intensively be ecologically enhanced and rare habitats restored? Students from the Institute of Environmental Planning explored this question during a field trip to the Bockmerholz and Gaim nature conservation and FFH area. Together with the Environment and Urban Greenery Department of the City of Hanover (Christoffer Zoch) and the working groups on nature conservation with a focus on fauna (Lara Diekmann) and on planning-related biodiversity development with a focus on vegetation (Wiebke Winkelhues), they were able to learn about nature conservation measures on site and, in some cases, put them into practice themselves.
The focus of the field trip was the restoration of species-rich grassland habitats on land formerly used for arable farming. Using measures that had already been implemented, the students gained insights into different approaches to grassland development – ranging from targeted seeding to develop mesophilic grassland to extensive grazing. Things then took a practical turn during the transfer of mown grass to reintroduce the FFH habitat type of moor grass meadows. To this end, the group worked together to transfer mown grass from one of Lower Saxony’s most species-rich grasslands to a suitable site. The students were able to lend a hand themselves and experience first-hand how nature conservation concepts are translated into concrete measures on the ground.
Particularly striking were also several small, nutrient-poor and calcareous still waters containing colonies of charophyte algae. Such bodies of water and their characteristic vegetation have become rare in Lower Saxony due to intensive land use and eutrophication. The field trip thus offered the students the opportunity to experience these unique habitats and their biodiversity first-hand and to understand the importance of targeted conservation and development measures.
The field trip thus combined content from university teaching with practical experience gained from nature conservation work. Rare habitat types, their flora and fauna, and various methods for developing and maintaining biotopes could be examined and experienced first-hand in the field, rather than merely considered in theory. It is precisely this combination of specialist knowledge and practical application that enables us to understand the challenges of nature conservation in all their complexity.
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Christoffer Zoch and the Environment and Urban Greenery Department of the City of Hanover for organising the field trip, providing expert guidance and facilitating valuable on-site discussions.
