On September 20th and 21st, 2023, the HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein held a peatland excursion in Upper Styria . The following peatlands were visited:
- Obersdorfer Moor
- Ödensee Moor
- Pürgschachen Moor
- Wörschacher Moos
- Bogs and floating mats at Spechtensee.
Additionally, hydromorphic mineral soils (augleys), wet and damp meadows (slender sedge swamp, reedbeds, iris meadows, litter meadows) were found on the - Visited the Trautenfels nature reserve areas.
A total of 25 people participated in the excursion. The participants included soil scientists, botanists, zoologists, hydrobiologists, and experts in agriculture or nature conservation. Soil science, floristics, plant sociology, nature conservation, and agricultural topics were discussed in the field.
The primary aim of the moorland excursion was to bring together scientists, public administration staff and private companies, as well as representatives of agriculture and nature conservation, to discuss moorland protection, rewetting of moors and agricultural use of moors.
Peatlands are peat-forming plant communities with characteristic species. They provide numerous ecosystem services and fulfill important landscape ecological functions. The protection and conservation of peatlands is therefore a key concern in the European Union. Peatland protection is also climate protection, because intact (hydrologically largely undisturbed) peatlands sequester large amounts of carbon. Furthermore, peatlands are habitats for numerous very rare, highly endangered, or critically endangered animal and plant species. They are therefore of great importance for biodiversity.
We would like to thank Dr. Andreas Bohner and Franziska Schrempf for their professional and organizational work in handling the moorland excursion.
Pictures from the 2023 moorland excursion in Raumberg-Gumpenstein
All photos (C) HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein, Franziska Schrempf
