Support priority:

Protecting valuable habitats: Procedures and methods for habitat restoration

Location:

Meppen, Landkreis (district) of Emsland, Lower Saxony

Period:

11/1991 - 02/1993 (Preliminary study)

11/1995 - 02/ 2002 (Main project)

01/1999 - 12/2003 (In-process scientific studies)

Short description:

The objective of the project is to develop a model procedure for restoring the floodplain of a lowland river. The intention is to test the extent to which the natural dynamic of the river, in both channel and floodplain, can be restored under the conditions pertaining today, and what improvements this may help to bring about for typical floodplain species and habitats. For this purpose, land is being purchased in the floodplain area, dikes are being opened or removed, cut-off dead waterarms are being reconnected to the flowing river and typical floodplain habitats are being developed through changes of use and targeted measures.

The objective of the scientific monitoring is to document and evaluate changes in the aquatic and topographical morphology, vegetation, flora and fauna which occur following the reshaping of the project area. The groups of fauna to be studied are mammals, amphibians, ground beetles, bugs, grasshoppers and molluscs.

Project executing agencies:

Landkreis (district) of Emsland (Preliminary study and main project)
Postfach 15 62
49705 Meppen, Germany

University of Osnabrück (In-process scientific studies)
Neuer Graben/Schloss
49069 Osnabrück, Germany

Liaison within BfN:

Eckhard Peters, Unit  FG II 3.2

Project funding agencies:

BfN, Land (state) of Lower Saxony, Landkreis (district) of Emsland