Berlin’s peatlands under - BfN...Christian Heller, Diana Möller, Christian Klingenfuß & Jutta...

Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Division of Soil Science and Site Scince

Christian Heller, Diana Möller, Christian Klingenfuß & Jutta Zeitz (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin – Division of Soil Science and Site Science)

Berlin’s peatlands under climate change

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Nature-based solutions to climate change mitigation and adaptation in urban areas and their rural surroundings

Workshop at Insel Vilm – 10th March 2015

Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Division of Soil Science and Site Science 2

What is a peatland?

Water- table

Anaerobic environment slowing the rate of decomposition

Definition of peatland soil (German Classification)

≥ 30 cm Thickness

≥ 30 masse-% Organic matter

(Foto: Zeitz)

Peat-Forming


Huge pools for soil organic carbon (SOC)

covering only 3 % of the earth‘s surface,

storing 1/3 of whole SOC

Why are peatlands so important?

BUT:

Also including other ecosystem functions providing

diverse and important ecosystem services (ESS)

Climate protection (global CO2 storage), climate regulation

(local cooling), regulation of nutrients and water, habitat for

endangered and unique species, space for recreation…

Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Division of Soil Science and Site Science

Foto: Succow 1978

Peat loss of 0,8 m within 10 years caused by intensive use (Große Rosin am Kummerower See)

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in densely populated landscapes

often drained, intensively used for farming or peat excavation

Why peatland research matters?

Alnus glutinosa standing on ‚stilts‘

Foto: Zauft


Why peatland research matters?

C-sinks C-sources (considerable emissions of CO2, N2O…)

Decrease of various other ESS (or turning into „disservices“ )

The need for reliable data of different processes and controls

considering the broad variety of peatland soils

Drainage of peatlands


Peatlands differ in peat-forming vegetation

Sphagnum and Eriophorum Alnus and Carex

Foto: Heller Foto: Heller


Peatlands differ in landuse

Protected area Intensive cultivation

- Minerotrophic Fens -

Foto: Heller Foto: Heller


Peatland soils in urban areas and their surroundings…

… intensively used (influenced by groundwater lowering)

… hydrological and pedological attributes strongly modified

‚Hot-spots‘ of ecosystem services in urban environments

… contrasting zones due to special fauna and flora

… regulation of landscape hydrology and local climate

… favourite spaces for recreation


What is missing in Berlin…

… current knowledge about peatland conditions and their distribution

… general approach to promote environmental relief and

… a strategy of climate change mitigation for peatlands


Gr. und Kl. Rohrpfuhl

Lietzengraben/ Bogenseekette

Tegeler Fließ

Teufsbruch

Grunewald- moore

Gosener Wiesen

Krumme Laake, Pelzlaake

Erpetal

Neue Wiesen

Teufelsseemoor

Moore am Müggelsee

Berlin peatlands


Aim of the project

Provisioning Services Supporting Service

Habitat for flora and fauna

Regulating Services

Climate protection, Filtering of nutrients/pollutants, Cooling, Water retention

Cultural Services

• System of indicators for the assessment of ESS in (urban) peatlands

• Identification of management strategies

„Berlin‘s peatlands under climate change“ („Berliner Moorböden im Klimawandel“)


System of indicators

Water table

Our input parameters

Vegetation

Soil

Assessment of ESS

Three level rating scheme


Climate protection

Habitat Service

Filtering of nutrients/pollutants

Water retention

Cooling

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Development of a system of indicators…

ESS assessment on a detailed scale (1:5.000)

Climate protection

Habitat Service


ESS: Climate Protection

Climate protection through carbon accumulation –

a „historical“service

Fundamental question:

How much C was removed from the atmosphere which is stored in Berlin‘s peatlands since the last 10.000 years?

How can we measure and assess this C-pool? Input Parameter:

• Thickness of organic layers • Organic C concentrations • Bulk densities


C-Storage

Modular System

HSK und ZG Corg [t*ha-1*dm-1]

nHm:Ha 9-10 135,50

nHv:Ha 9-10 136,90

nHa:Hnr 7-8 121,21

nHa:Ha 9-10 107,69 More Information

www.carbstor.de (in German)

http://www.carbstor.de/


C-storage: Looking into peatland soils

Example: (climate protection through carbon storage - a „historical“ service)

Deep peat Peat depth > 4 m

C-pool > 2.000 t * ha-1

Flat peat Peat depth = 30 cm

C-pool < 100 t * ha-1


Climate protection

C-storage „historical“ service of climate protection

Kleine Pelzlaake Teufelsfenn

Legend

high (< 900 t*ha-1)

very high

extremely high (> 1.800 t*ha-1)

C-storage 3.800 t*ha-1

C-storage 2.000 t*ha-1


ESS: Habitat service

Fundamental question:

How much area is provided as habitat for typical wetland species (biodiversity)?

How do we measure and assess this? Input parameter:

• Water table • C/N-ratio (trophic level) • Current structure of biotop • Deviation from ‚ideal type ‘


Habitat

service

Habitat Service

Legend

Kleine Pelzlaake

Teufelsfenn

good

medium

bad

n.s.


Management strategies in Berlin

General strategies to improve water supply & to re-establish characteristic wetland species

• Removal or locking of ditches

• Removal of trees which are not site-specific

• Removal of degraded topsoil horizons

• Artificial water supply by constructions

• Annual cutting: support of threatened plant species (brown mosses; orchis…)


Management strategies – Case study

Monitoring of Kleine Pelzlaake during restoration

Legend

good medium bad

Assessment of Habitat Service

Restoration before

after


Management strategies – Case study

Monitoring of Kleine Pelzlaake during restoration

Project costs 79.300 €

CO2-compensation 45 t CO2-eq. / year

Cost of reduction 32 € / t CO2-eq.


Former treeless peatland `Krumme Laake`

Foto: Thrum

Site management: Removal of trees

Aim: Support for remaining Sphagnum-mosses

and improvement of the water supply


Brown moss segde reed (Tegeler Fließtal/Berlin)

Foto: Klingenfuß

Site management: Annual cutting (September)

Aims: Preservation from trees and shrubs;

biomass and nutrient removal


Brown moss segde reed in the Tegeler Fließtal/Berlin

Site management: Annual mowing in September

Aims: Preservation from trees and shrubs;

biomass and nutrient removal

New Peat formation upon a buried peatland supported by annual cutting (September)

Foto: Klingenfuß

Brown moss segde reed (Bäkewiese/Berlin)


Teufelsfenn (Grunewald/Berlin)

Teufelsfenn

Teufelssee

Groundwater supply by a closed down waterwork


Outcomes

• Umweltatlas Berlin http://www.stadtentwicklung.berlin.de/umwelt/umweltatlas/

• Project website (German/English) http://www.berlinermoore.hu-berlin.de/

• System of indicators assessing ESS of urban peatlands

• Results important for selection of management strategies

• ESS assessment system offers possibility for long-term monitoring programs

Published in

http://www.stadtentwicklung.berlin.de/umwelt/umweltatlas/



http://www.berlinermoore.hu-berlin.de/




Contact:

Christian Heller (Tel.: +4930-2093 46492)

[email protected]

Diana Möller (Tel.: +4930-2093 46491)

[email protected]

Thank you for your attention!

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mailto:[email protected]






Berlin’s peatlands under - BfN...Christian Heller, Diana Möller, Christian Klingenfuß & Jutta...

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