Peatlands
Peatland Restoration
Many peatlands have been destroyed. Those that remain now cover only 5 per cent of the Earth’s land surface. Protecting these few wetlands has been the aim of the international Ramsar Convention since 1971, and Austria is one of its signatories.
All restoration work in the peatland is carried out by hand.
To enable damaged peatlands to store carbon again and form peat, they must be rewetted. Wooden sheet-pile walls are used to retain water within the peat body. This creates water levels close to the surface.
The removal of dwarf pine and birch is another measure used to raise the water level in the peatland.
The uppermost layers in the former peat-cutting site have lain outside the waterlogged zone for decades. During restoration work, these mineralised and damaged layers are carefully removed and used to fill the lateral ditches.
After only a few years, sundew (Drosera spp.) and lesser bladderwort (Utricularia minor) begin to recolonise the restored areas.
Austria’s Peatland Strategy 2030+ and the EU LIFE project AMooRe support peatland restoration. Across Austria, existing peatlands are being preserved on 1,400 hectares, and dried-out peatlands are being rewetted. The Piller peatland was severely damaged by peat extraction in the 20th century. Since watertight barriers and peat dams have prevented the water from draining away, the first successes have become visible: typical species such as sundew (Drosera spp.) and lesser bladderwort (Utricularia minor) are beginning to return.