Peatlands are extremely efficient carbon sinks, storing more CO despite their low surface coverage2 bind together like all forests. They are also a habitat for highly specialized plant and animal species. But in order to be able to use them for agriculture, almost 95% of the moors in Germany were drained – with drastic consequences: the drained areas alone cause around 7.5% of Germany’s greenhouse gas emissions. Because of the drainage, oxygen enters the peat and the moors release enormous amounts of CO2 free.
The Fraunhofer IGD is now working on approaches Moor rewetting. To this end, researchers together with the Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology at the University of Greifswald have developed digital models to rethink moors: as active climate protectors, as habitats with high biodiversity and as a basis for sustainable land use.
With the help of drones, cameras, sensors, level measurements and AI-supported data analysis, a detailed digital image of the moors is created. Water levels, vegetation, emissions and biodiversity are brought together in an interactive model – right down to the evaluation of individual square meters. The goal is to make ecosystem services measurable, to be able to precisely estimate emissions, to visualize complex data in an understandable way and to be able to preserve and use moors as climate-active landscapes. This creates a digital monitoring system that opens up new paths for certification, verification and sustainable use of peatlands – data-based, transparent and practical.