Peat Pals for LIFE

Introduction

Natuurmonumenten (NM), Natuurpunt (NP), Wageningen University, Department of Environmental Sciences (WU-DES), and Eurosite (ES) will restore a variety of degraded and carbon-rich peat ecosystems in the Netherlands and in Flanders. These ecosystems have all been shaped by human activity in the past and suffer from similar problems such as desiccation, climate change, and high nitrogen deposition.

Objectives

The overall objective is to improve the conservation status so we can attain a favourable status of the Annex I habitats and associated species in N2000 areas. By doing this, we will create a variety of peat ecosystems that will be more resilient to external effects, specifically in the following locations:

1. Fochteloërveen (the Netherlands)
2. Vallei van de Abeek (Flanders)
3. Dommeldal (Flanders)
4. Veewei (Flanders)

Habitat Improvement

NM and NP will improve the hydrological condition of:

• 260 ha raised bog habitats in the Netherlands, focusing on:
  • Priority habitat H7110*
  • Habitat H7120
• 56 ha peatland habitat in Flanders, including:
  • H7140
  • H6410
  • H3150

This will lead to quality improvement and extension of these habitats, which will also have a positive effect on the Greenhouse Gas budget of these carbon-rich areas.

Peat Pals for LIFE Strategy

Peat Pals for LIFE combines, updates, and promotes best practices into a ‘Peat Pals for LIFE Strategy’. This strategy includes developed insights, experiences, and lessons learned on improving hydrological and abiotic conditions for peatland restoration.

Knowledge Dissemination

Through the Peat Pals for LIFE strategy and partner Eurosite, the explicit intention is to apply the adapted recovery measures and the experience gained elsewhere in peatland sites with similar habitats and problems. Eurosite will use its (peatland) network to obtain and disseminate knowledge during and after the project. This will also improve the collaboration between different member states and platforms on peatland recovery and the policies they create.