The Oosteindsche Veen near Schoonebeek is getting a makeover in an attempt to preserve and perhaps expand the remaining raised bog. New quays and dams must prevent dehydration and retain rainwater in the area.
The area is over 128 hectares and is located about two kilometers west of Bargerveen.
“Everywhere you see those clumps of one-eared woolly grass, with the gray leaves of the heather running through them and, it is still winter, the dark brown leaves of the shrub heath,” says ecologist Hans Dekker of the province of Drenthe. “This is a mixed vegetation, beautifully open and typical of resting raised bogs. This raised bog is no longer active, it does not grow well and is in fact just lying here. We hope that it will come back to life as soon as it gets wetter here.”
Raised bog is a soaking wet area where the water reaches ground level, the ecologist explains. “That’s where peat moss grows. If you drain the area or the environment to mine it, the water level drops and the peat comes to rest above it. That top layer dries out and CO2 is released.”
The plants that belong to the raised bog can no longer grow there. “Lots of grass, including strawberry, and birch are taking their place. Birches love those kinds of conditions and will increase in numbers. Ultimately, you are left with a monotonous birch forest and the raised bog area has evaporated.”
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