Speaker
Description
The Klosterlausnitz mire is the largest peatland in eastern Thuringia. The project area is part of the ‘Sümpfe und Wälder bei Bad Klosterlausnitz’ nature reserve and is located within the Flora-Fauna-Habitat (FFH) conservation area of the same name. Peat extraction, eutrophication, and the construction of the A9 motorway through the site have severely disrupted the water and nutrient balance of this mesotrophic, acidic through-flow mire between 1920 and 1972. Revitalization measures by a Natura2000 project in 2023 aimed to raise the groundwater level by installing 24 sheet pile walls. Bryophytes are an important component of peatlands and serve as indicator organisms for environmental change and thus can aid in the assessment of the revitalizations measures in the Klosterlausnitz mire.
Our study aims to determine the influence of various factors, such as nutrient content, water levels, light conditions, and proximity to woodlands, on the bryophyte species composition and coverage. Five subplots were established at each of the 11 permanent monitoring sites to determine the diversity and exact coverage of the bryophytes. Loggers were deployed to collect environmental data and measure light conditions, humidity, and temperature at each site. Furthermore, water levels at various points in the bog were accessed and compared with data from previous years.
Research focusing on bryophytes, particularly sphagnum moss, in peatlands is becoming increasingly important considering global change. Peatlands, and here mainly bryophytes, store large amounts of carbon dioxide, and restoring them is becoming ever more crucial. Our findings will provide valuable insights into how various factors affect revitalization processes in peatlands. They may also help identify future positive changes, such as growing peat moss layers, increased carbon storage, and increased bryophyte populations, as well as negative changes, such as the loss of bryophyte species.
| Status Group | Master Student |
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