Wet meadows and kettle holes

Background

Wetlands and kettle holes are special habitats – areas of transition, where dry and permanently wet regions interchange. They are located in the vicinity of river valleys, lakes and valleys in arable landscapes. The diversity of their local plant and animal species is astounding. As early as the beginning of the 19th Century numerous wet meadows were transformed by extensive land improvement measures into cultivated meadows and fields. This has caused hydrophilic animal and plant species to disappear from these areas.

Our contribution

On our agricultural land, we have restored a drained marsh area of 12,500 square metres. In so doing we have laid bare a partially underground, piped trench. We have also raised the watercourse (bed elevations). Locations that dam up additional water were found along the total distance of the trench.
On adjacent areas, the elevated groundwater level improves our growing conditions. However, the best part is that our meadow is once again a habitat and a place of retreat for many hydrophilic species. This is where the Moor Frog (Rana arvalis) has found its spawning ground. Moor Frog males are particularly attractive during mating season as they store lymphatic fluid in their skin which makes them appear blue.

We received significant support from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD). Furthermore the water and soil association “Finofließ” made an invaluable contribution to the implementation of this project.