At the edge of the Kalmthoutse Heide in the Stappersven is De Nol, a former peat bog that is in danger of drying out. When a peatland area dries out, all the CO2 stored in the ground thousands of years ago is released. To counter this, the peat must remain sufficiently wet and be restored. Therefore, as part of the European Interreg CANAPE project, Natuurpunt placed a 1,000-metre-long and 5-metre-deep foil screen around the area to keep it wet.
De Nol is a former peatland area where peat has been mined since the 14th century and where there are still 32 ha of peat in the soil. "To preserve the peat, we install a foil screen so that the area has a higher water level. This way, the peat does not come into contact with the air, so it does not break down and release the stored CO2. In the long term, the peat will even regrow and store extra CO2," says Frederik Naedts (Natuurpunt Manager Stappersven). "Now the peat is suffering greatly from desiccation. This is partly due to the surrounding canals that have to keep the adjoining agricultural plots dry and partly due to the summers getting drier and drier. By installing this foil screen, the precious water stays in the area without disturbing adjacent property owners. And because the water is retained for longer, the deeper groundwater will also be replenished which will benefit the drinking water supply."
Peat area De Nol where the foil screen is placed © Frederik Naedts
Humidification is an added value for nature and climate
"A higher water level is also interesting for rare plants such as sundew, peat moss and peat mosses. These are now being squeezed out by pipeweed, a grass that can take deep roots and gets an extra boost from the excess nitrogen that falls from the sky every year. This humidification is also of interest to birds that like peat and quiet. We are thinking primarily of the crane, which is on the rise in the low countries. It is expected that a pair will also breed in the Kalmthoutse Heide within 10 years, but we secretly hope we won't have to wait that long," says Frederik Naedts.
In the Netherlands and Denmark, where there are even more peatlands, they have been using this method for decades. For Flanders, it is a new technique.
The cost of the works amounts to €270,000 and is being carried out with support from Flanders and the European Union (Interreg CANAPE).