Großes Moor (near Gifhorn)
Encyclopedia
The Großes Moor near Gifhorn
is part of the Northwest German raised bog (Hochmoor) region, which stretches from the Netherlands to the eastern border of Lower Saxony
on the sandy areas (geest
) left behind by the ice age
. The moor has a total area of about 6100 hectares (15,073.4 acre), of which around 5000 hectares (12,355.3 acre) are raised bog and some 1100 hectares (2,718.2 acre) are fen
-like bog (Niedermoor). The peat
layer is up to almost 6 metres thick in places. Individual parts of the moor have their own names like Stüder Moor, Hestenmoor or Weißes Moor.
, to the west the moor extends as far as Wesendorf
. To the north is the village of Schönewörde
. The former fen colony (Moorkolonie) of Neudorf-Platendorf
extends from the south into the Großes Moor and its six-kilometre-long main street is the longest, straight, village high street in Lower Saxony.
) there is only one peatworks left today that cuts peat on an industrial scale. In summer 2003, under the guidance of NABU
, the Gifhorn district organisation began a large mammal pasture creation project. On an area of initially 30 hectares (74.1 acre) Aurochs
(ancient cattle) and Konik ponies
(primitive Polish horses) that have been back-bred have been settled. The existing grasslands were partly given over to grazing by Moorschnucke and extensively mowed.
. It is one of the largest nature reserves in Lower Saxony. An area of 2630 hectares (6,498.9 acre) has been designated for the protection of the White-faced darter
as a special area of conservation
; a further 2617 hectares (6,466.7 acre) was designated as a Special Protection Area
for birds. By stopping the artificial drainage a refuge for plants and animals that thrive in wet areas is being created. In addition the regeneration of raised bog is being encouraged. This has produced areas of moor grass
, cross-leaved heath and cottongrass. In the Großes Moor there was once the great population of black grouse
in Germany. In 1963 there were still 850 black grouse, in 1982 only 20 were left and since then they have become extinct in the area.
In the Großes Moor there used to be around 150 animal species and 40 types of vascular plant, that are endangered in Lower Saxony of which eleven are threatened with extinction. These include the adder, crane
, nightjar
, woodlark
, snipe
, shrike
and stonechat
.
. These run outside the nature reservce in the southern part of the Großes Moor. One is a 12 km long cycle path and the other a 5 km long walking trail. The region can also be visited using the Moor Railway.
spread very quickly and jumped over the Elbe Lateral Canal, thus setting the Großes Moor on fire. On the first day of the fire a fire engine was overwhelmed by a rolling barrage near Neudorf-Platendorf
. Two firefighters suffered serious burns. At the same time other fires broke out on the Lüneburg Heath
, which led to a fire disaster and became known in the national news as the "fire on the Lüneburg Heath
". Not until 9 days later, on 17 August 1975, was the fire in the forests finally extinguished. The peat fire on the Großes Moor continued to smoulder underground for weeks afterwards.
Gifhorn
Gifhorn is a town and capital of the district Gifhorn in the east of Lower Saxony, Germany. It has a population of about 42,000 and is mainly influenced by the small distance to the industrial and commercially important cities nearby, Brunswick and Wolfsburg...
is part of the Northwest German raised bog (Hochmoor) region, which stretches from the Netherlands to the eastern border of Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
on the sandy areas (geest
Geest (topography)
Geest is a type of slightly raised landscape that occurs in the plains of in Northern Germany, the Northern Netherlands and Denmark. It is a landscape of sandy and gravelly soils, usually mantled by a heathland vegetation, comprising glacial deposits left behind after the last ice age during the...
) left behind by the ice age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
. The moor has a total area of about 6100 hectares (15,073.4 acre), of which around 5000 hectares (12,355.3 acre) are raised bog and some 1100 hectares (2,718.2 acre) are fen
Fen
A fen is a type of wetland fed by mineral-rich surface water or groundwater. Fens are characterised by their water chemistry, which is neutral or alkaline, with relatively high dissolved mineral levels but few other plant nutrients...
-like bog (Niedermoor). The peat
Peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...
layer is up to almost 6 metres thick in places. Individual parts of the moor have their own names like Stüder Moor, Hestenmoor or Weißes Moor.
Location
The Großes Moor lies north of the town of Gifhorn. To the east it is bordered by the Elbe Lateral Canal. To the south is the village of TriangelTriangel
Triangel may refer to:* Sassenburg-Triangel, a village near Gifhorn, Lower Saxony, Germany* A misspelling of triangle, the geometric shape...
, to the west the moor extends as far as Wesendorf
Wesendorf
Wesendorf is a municipality in the district of Gifhorn, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approx. 12 km north of Gifhorn.Wesendorf is also the seat of the Samtgemeinde Wesendorf . The municipality consists of the following villages:* Wesendorf* Westerholz...
. To the north is the village of Schönewörde
Schönewörde
Schönewörde is a municipality in the district of Gifhorn, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
. The former fen colony (Moorkolonie) of Neudorf-Platendorf
Neudorf-Platendorf
Neudorf-Platendorf is a village in the municipality of Sassenburg in Gifhorn district in the German state of Lower Saxony.- Location :The village lies east of the River Ise and the state forest of Dragen....
extends from the south into the Großes Moor and its six-kilometre-long main street is the longest, straight, village high street in Lower Saxony.
Use
Until the end of the 17th century only the areas around the edge of the moor were utilised, as cattle meadows and for peat extraction. Until about 1870 the central and northern parts were left almost undisturbed. After that, work began on the construction of drainage canals and the industrial cutting of peat, which reached its zenith after 1945. In the 1960s there were about 14 peatworks, which extracted around 60,000 tonnes of fuel peat and 150,000 tonnes of fertiliser peat per annum. In Westerbeck (Gemeinde SassenburgSassenburg
Sassenburg is a municipality in the district of Gifhorn, Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approx. 7 km northeast of Gifhorn, and 15 km northwest of Wolfsburg. The seat of the municipality is in the village Westerbeck....
) there is only one peatworks left today that cuts peat on an industrial scale. In summer 2003, under the guidance of NABU
Nabu
Nabu is the Assyrian and Babylonian god of wisdom and writing, worshipped by Babylonians as the son of Marduk and his consort, Sarpanitum, and as the grandson of Ea. Nabu's consort was Tashmetum....
, the Gifhorn district organisation began a large mammal pasture creation project. On an area of initially 30 hectares (74.1 acre) Aurochs
Aurochs
The aurochs , the ancestor of domestic cattle, were a type of large wild cattle which inhabited Europe, Asia and North Africa, but is now extinct; it survived in Europe until 1627....
(ancient cattle) and Konik ponies
Konik
The Konik or Polish primitive horse is a small horse, a kind of semi-feral horse, originating in Poland. The Polish word konik is the diminutive of koń, the Polish word for "horse" . However, the name "konik" or "Polish konik" is used to refer to certain specific breeds...
(primitive Polish horses) that have been back-bred have been settled. The existing grasslands were partly given over to grazing by Moorschnucke and extensively mowed.
Flora and fauna
In 1984 part of the region - an area of 2720 hectares (6,721.3 acre) - was placed under conservationHabitat conservation
Habitat conservation is a land management practice that seeks to conserve, protect and restore, habitat areas for wild plants and animals, especially conservation reliant species, and prevent their extinction, fragmentation or reduction in range...
. It is one of the largest nature reserves in Lower Saxony. An area of 2630 hectares (6,498.9 acre) has been designated for the protection of the White-faced darter
White-faced Darter
The White-faced Darter is a small dragonfly belonging to the genus Leucorrhinia in the family Libellulidae. Its flight period lasts from May to August. It is found in peat bogs from northern Europe eastwards to Siberia. In southern Europe there are populations in some mountainous areas such as the...
as a special area of conservation
Special Area of Conservation
A Special Area of Conservation is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive , also known as the Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora...
; a further 2617 hectares (6,466.7 acre) was designated as a Special Protection Area
Special Protection Area
A Special Protection Area or SPA is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds.Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and certain particularly threatened birds.Together with Special...
for birds. By stopping the artificial drainage a refuge for plants and animals that thrive in wet areas is being created. In addition the regeneration of raised bog is being encouraged. This has produced areas of moor grass
Molinia
Molinia is a genus of two species of grasses. The genus is named after Juan Ignacio Molina, a 19th century naturalist and scientist from Chile.Species*Molinia caerulea . Northern Europe and Asia....
, cross-leaved heath and cottongrass. In the Großes Moor there was once the great population of black grouse
Black Grouse
The Black Grouse or Blackgame is a large bird in the grouse family. It is a sedentary species, breeding across northern Eurasia in moorland and bog areas near to woodland, mostly boreal...
in Germany. In 1963 there were still 850 black grouse, in 1982 only 20 were left and since then they have become extinct in the area.
In the Großes Moor there used to be around 150 animal species and 40 types of vascular plant, that are endangered in Lower Saxony of which eleven are threatened with extinction. These include the adder, crane
Crane (bird)
Cranes are a family, Gruidae, of large, long-legged and long-necked birds in the order Gruiformes. There are fifteen species of crane in four genera. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back...
, nightjar
European Nightjar
The European Nightjar, or just Nightjar, Caprimulgus europaeus, is the only representative of the nightjar family of birds in most of Europe and temperate Asia.- Habitat and distribution :...
, woodlark
Woodlark
The Woodlark is the only lark in the genus Lullula. It breeds across most of Europe, the Middle East Asia and the mountains of north Africa. It is mainly resident in the west of its range, but eastern populations of this passerine bird are more migratory, moving further south in winter...
, snipe
Snipe
A snipe is any of about 25 wading bird species in three genera in the family Scolopacidae. They are characterized by a very long, slender bill and crypsis plumage. The Gallinago snipes have a nearly worldwide distribution, the Lymnocryptes Jack Snipe is restricted to Asia and Europe and the...
, shrike
Shrike
Shrikes are passerine birds of the family Laniidae. The family is composed of thirty-one species in three genera. The family name, and that of the largest genus, Lanius, is derived from the Latin word for "butcher", and some shrikes were also known as "butcher birds" because of their feeding habits...
and stonechat
European Stonechat
The European Stonechat is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a subspecies of the Common Stonechat. Long considered a member of the thrush family Turdidae, genetic evidence has placed it and its relatives in the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae.It is 11.5–13 cm long and...
.
Nature trails
Two nature trails start in Westerbeck, a village within the municipality of SassenburgSassenburg
Sassenburg is a municipality in the district of Gifhorn, Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approx. 7 km northeast of Gifhorn, and 15 km northwest of Wolfsburg. The seat of the municipality is in the village Westerbeck....
. These run outside the nature reservce in the southern part of the Großes Moor. One is a 12 km long cycle path and the other a 5 km long walking trail. The region can also be visited using the Moor Railway.
1975 forest fire catastrophe
On 8 August 1975 stubble burning near the village of Stüde got out of control. The fireFire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
spread very quickly and jumped over the Elbe Lateral Canal, thus setting the Großes Moor on fire. On the first day of the fire a fire engine was overwhelmed by a rolling barrage near Neudorf-Platendorf
Neudorf-Platendorf
Neudorf-Platendorf is a village in the municipality of Sassenburg in Gifhorn district in the German state of Lower Saxony.- Location :The village lies east of the River Ise and the state forest of Dragen....
. Two firefighters suffered serious burns. At the same time other fires broke out on the Lüneburg Heath
Lüneburg Heath
The Lüneburg Heath is a large area of heath, geest and woodland in northeastern part of the state of Lower Saxony in northern Germany. It forms part of the hinterland for the cities of Hamburg, Hanover, and Bremen and is named after the town of Lüneburg. Most of the area is a nature reserve...
, which led to a fire disaster and became known in the national news as the "fire on the Lüneburg Heath
Fire on the Lüneburg Heath
The fire on the Lüneburg Heath was a major forest fire in 1975 on the southern part of the Lüneburg Heath in north Germany, with various points of origin near Gifhorn, Eschede and Meinersen. It has been to this day the largest forest fire in the Federal Republic of Germany.- Causes :The fire was...
". Not until 9 days later, on 17 August 1975, was the fire in the forests finally extinguished. The peat fire on the Großes Moor continued to smoulder underground for weeks afterwards.
Sources
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- Herbold, Detlev: Von der Vision über die Idee zum Projekt./ Nds. Jäger 11, 46-47, Hannover.
- Niedersächsisches Landesamt für Ökologie -Abteilung Naturschutz-: Schutz, Pflege und Entwicklung des Grünlandes in Niedersachsen. Effizienz der Maßnahmen des Naturschutzes./ [Vervielf. maschr. Ms.], 177 S., 17 Abb., 29 Tab., [Hildesheim].
- Fischer, Mathias: Zur Heuschreckenfauna (Insecta: Saltatoria) im Großen Moor bei Gifhorn (SO-Niedersachsen)./ Braunschw. Naturkundl. Schrr. 6 , H. 2, 281-291, 2 Abb., 1 Tab., Braunschweig.
- Koch, J.; Wehner, H.: Polyzyklische Aromatische Kohlenwasserstoffe (PAK) in Torfen: Mikroskopische, brennstoffchemische und chromatographische Untersuchungen an einem Torfprofil aus dem Großen Moor/ Gifhorn, TK 3429 Wesendorf./ [Vervielf. maschr. Ms., o. S.], BGR, Hannover.
- Melter, Johannes; Schreiber, Matthias: Wichtige Brut- und Rastvogelgebiete in Niedersachsen. Eine kommentierte Gebiets- und Artenliste als Grundlage für die Umsetzung der Europäischen Vogelschutzrichtlinie./ Vogelkdl. Berr. Nieders., Bd. 32, Sonderh., 320 S., 9 Abb., 6 Tab., Goslar.
- Oldekop, Werner; Melchert, Friedmund; Hermenau, Bernd: 50 Jahre Limikolenbeobachtung in der Umgebung Braunschweigs./ Milvus Braunschweig 19 , 1-35, 38 Abb., Braunschweig.
- Hermenau, Bernd; Velten, Peter: Bestandsschätzung ausgewählter Brutvogelarten im NSG "Großes Moor" bei Gifhorn in den Jahren 1994 bis 2001./ Milvus Braunschweig 20 , 7-17, 5 Abb., Braunschweig.