Biodiversity of fen paludicultures with Reed and Cattail

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions from drained peatlands, extensive rewetting measures are required. Paludiculture could play a key role here. Paludiculture comprises the agricultural or forestry use of wet and rewetted peatlands, thereby combining the preservation of peat with production.  On fen soils, these include common reed (Phragmites australis) and cattail species (Typha angustifolia and T. latifolia), whose biomass can be used for energetic purposes (substrate in biogas plants, pellets, briquettes) or material purposes (e.g. insulation material, thatching material).

The establishment of fen paludicultures creates new habitats for flora and fauna. Currently, paludicultures with Reed or Cattail are limited to a few experimental sites, and there is little research on the function and quality of these crops as habitats for various species groups.

For this reason, we are investigating the importance of fen paludicultures with Reed and Cattail as habitat for flora and fauna on experimental sites in Lower Saxony and examining how these cultures can be established and managed in a way that maximises the benefits for biodiversity. In addition to field studies conducted by scientific staff, the monitoring is integrated into teaching, so that several student projects and theses have already been carried out as part of this research project.

Our research is carried out on pilot sites set up as part of the joint project ‘Product chains from fen biomass’, which was funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Lower Saxony Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (ML). For more information on this joint research project, check out Produktketten aus Niedermoorbiomasse and at Produktketten aus Niedermoor-Biomasse, Modul 4.1 Biodiversität.