Løvenholm Forest
- sub-projekt no. 1
Subarea 1 is located in Norddjurs Municipality and in the habitat area H43 and Natura2000 area 47, which is called "Eldrup Forest and lakes and bogs in Løvenholm Forest". Most of the Natura 2000 area has previously been part of a very large bog complex. The project is carried out in a part called Gjesing Mose.
Today, the area contains habitat types such as active raised bog (7110*), degraded raised bog (7120), brown-water lake (3160), quaking bogs (7140), dry heath (4030) and forested peat bog (91DO*) and beech on (9120 ). The majority of these habitat natural types have arisen in the nature that remains after peat digging in the former raised bogs.
In the northern part of the area, private landowners have dug peat for their own use in smaller areas. Here, there has not been a need to drain the area so much. This means that in the northernmost part there are still water-saturated and thick layers of peat with vascular plants and peat mosses. The southern part of Gjesing Mose has contained large peat pits and peat extraction has been far more extensive. Here, peat has been dug for fuel and peat has been scraped off for soil improvement.
The Natura 2000 plan for the area states that expansion of the area with active raised bog (7110*) has the highest priority, and that ensuring a good state of conservation of the raised bogs can be done at the expense of habitat types such as occasionally wet meadow (6410), quaking bogs (7140) or forested peat bog (91DO*). Most of the area in Gjesing Mose with active raised bog (7110*) and degraded raised bog (7120) is today in an unfavorable state of conservation.
Sphagnum is the most important plant group for (intact, degraded and forested) raised bogs and for hanging bags. Occurrence and distribution of the individual sphagnum species gives a good indication of the condition of the areas and possibilities for recovery.
Sphagnum cuspidatum and S. fallax are often the first species to immigrate after peat extraction and the most intensive drainage have ceased and water has returned to the area. The two species are often seen, even though most of the peat layer has been removed.
Species such as S. magellanicum, S. papillosum and S. rubellum, on the other hand, are signs that peat digging has been less intensive (the peat layer has not been completely removed or dewatered) and dominate completely or partially in unexcavated and undrained raised bogs.
In Gjesing Mose, approx. 1 ha. that can be characterized as actually active (peat-building) raised bog (7110*). Here the occurrence of, among other things, Sphagnum (S.) rubellum, S. papillosum, S. magellanicum, S. cuspidatum, S. fallax and s. angustifolium, O. rotundifolia, Eriophorum vaginatum, Eriophorum angustifolium, Rhynchospora alba, Vaccinium oxycoccos, C.vulgaris, E. tetralix and A polifolia.
The area's areas with degraded raised bog (7120), forested peat bog (91DO*) and quaking bogs (7140) also contain many species of Sphagnum (e.g. S. cuspidatum, S. fallax, S. angustifoilium and S. riparium. ). Together, these show that there is great potential for the restoration of active raised bog (7110*) in sub-area 1.
The efforts in sub-area 1 must create the best possible hydrology and more light-open areas. As far as possible, changing the hydrology will be carried out as one integrated intervention, which means that the area will subsequently develop into an active raised bog (7110*) without the need for care. Trees will be cleared/drowned, and a fringe zone of trees is preserved around the recreated active raised bog (7110*), which will protect the bog from airborne nitrogen. Overall, it is expected that approx. 35 ha of active raised bog (7110*) can be established within the project area of 62 ha.