Drömling wetland lowlands in Lower Saxony (Niedersächsischer Drömling)
Project description
The Drömling area in Lower Saxony is part of a once extended area of wetland lowlands. Its fen woodlands, tall sedge swamps, and damp meadows and pastures are of national importance. It provides a habitat for numerous endangered species such as the shining meadow-rue (Thalictrum lucidum), fen violet (Viola persicifolia), Eurasian river otter (Lutra lutra), common snipe (Gallinago gallinago), curlew (Numenius arquata), corncrake (Crex crex), Eurasian crane (Grus grus), white stork (Ciconia ciconia), red kite (Milvus milvus), black kite (Milvus migrans), barred warbler (Sylvia nisoria), moor frog (Rana arvalis), European tree frog (Hyla arborea), European bitterling (Rhodeus sericeus), loach (Misgurnus fossilis), as well as wetland fritillaries and the club-tailed dragonfly (Gomphus Vulgatissimus).
Detailed project objectives defined include:
- Establishment of a higher groundwater table in the ‘Kleines Giebelmoor’, ‘Grosses Giebelmoor’, ‘Kaiserwinkel/Käsebeutel’ and ‘Politz mit Hegholz’ areas
- Reactivation of the floodplain dynamics of the Aller river so that it streams through the Aller floodplain forest during floods
- Extensification of grassland management, including abandoning the use of nitrogenous fertilizers, pesticides, ploughing, and modifications of the relief
- Forest restructuring measures and designation of 280 hectares as natural forest
- Conservation or reestablishment of unspoilt landscape character
- Reducing the degradation caused by fish ponds, coniferous plantations and arable use
- Calming measures in the conservation area and visitor management
The project objectives will be achieved by means of land acquisition and various hydrological engineering and habitat management measures (including the construction or renovation of dams, filling of ditches, restructuring of the dyke network, levelling of ditch and pond sides, creation of bog lakes, forest restructuring measures and mowing of fallow sites). To monitor the water-level raising measures, an observation network of depth gauges and monitoring wells will be set up and a dam commission will be formed.