Ecological Engineering and Green Infrastructure in Mitigating Emerging Urban Environmental Threats

Mihai, Florin‐Constantin; Schneider, Petra; Eva, Mihail

doi:10.1002/9781119678595.ch5

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…If the authors' findings [2] are followed, it becomes evident that the current consumption of land and resources by humans, alongside the corresponding environmental changes, has a predominantly negative impact on biodiversity at all levels, ranging from genetic diversity Land 2024, 13, 581 2 of 29 to the biome. Reintroducing degraded lands into new green infrastructures for urban areas [3,4], or areas close to the natural state habitats, is supported by ecological engineering approaches to reduce the land consumption pressures of built-up environments.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Natural Climate Protection through Peatland Rewetting: A Future for the Rathsbruch Peatland in Germany

Schneider,

Fauk,

Mihai

et al. 2024

Land

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Draining peatlands to create agricultural land has been the norm in Europe, but in the context of climate change and the loss of biodiversity, these rich ecosystems may reactivate their functions as greenhouse gas sinks and retreat spaces for animals and plants. Against this background, the National Moor Rewetting Strategy was put into effect in Germany in 2023, together with the Natural Climate Protection Action Plan. This article examines the methodology of peatland rewetting from scientific, administrative, social, and technical perspectives. The article focuses on an example of moor rewetting in central Germany: the Rathsbruch moor near the municipality of Zerbst, Saxony-Anhalt. To illustrate the importance of rewetting projects for degraded peatlands, five scenarios with different target soil water levels were considered, and the associated greenhouse gas emissions were calculated for a period of five years. For the planning solution, an estimate of the medium-to-long-term development of the habitat types was made based on current use and the dynamics typical of the habitat. The results for the Rathsbruch moor area showed that increasing the water level in steps of 1, 0.8, or 0.5 m has no significant influence on reducing the CO2 emissions situation, while a depth of 0.3 m has a slight influence. When the water was raised to 0.1 m below the surface (Scenario 5), a significant CO2 reduction was observed. The calculated avoided CO2 costs due to environmental damage show that the environmental benefits multiply with every decimeter of water level increase. The rising groundwater levels and extensification favor the establishment of local biotopes. This means that two of the biggest man-made problems (extinction of species and climate change) can be reduced. Therefore, this research is applicable to the development and planning of recultivation work at municipal and regional levels in Germany and beyond within the framework of EU restoration policy.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%