Restoration of the heathlands of the and mires High Fens plateau 2007-2012 LIFE Nature Project Printed on recycled paper Agriculture exploitation of the High Fens : But how come people centuries old human practices exploited this environment? We know that most of the High Fens If there is one form of former villages existed at the end of the exploitation that is still well known 2 HISTORY Middle Ages. Their population today, this definitely is the peat exploited these difficult lands with exploitation as a means for heating. poor yield, so the balance between Testimonies of this activity date back The notion that the High Fens is an From the Middle Ages up to the beginning needs and resources was fragile. as far as the end of the Middle Ages. environment at its natural state is th Hence, in former days, the fen was This malodorous combustible, causing completely wrong. Just like almost of the 19 century: exploitation through needed to support the survival of lots of smoke and with a calorific all European landscapes, the High village communities. value much lower than coal, was Fens have been modelled through- agricultural and pastoral practices probably adapted by the local population out the ages by various forms of as a result of the lack of human exploitation. wooded areas. Originally, natural woods occupied the vast majority of the High Fens © zvs - Archiv Sankt-Vith plateau surface (except for 2.000 ha 1. At the beginning: of mires). These woods were a millenium ago gradually transformed into a heath landscape due to agricultural and pastoral practices: grazing, peat Grazing in High Fens extraction, harvesting mulch for the stables, cultivation, tree cutting, ... Grazing at the High Fens dates back at least to the end of the Middle Ages. Peat extraction Herds came from the villages located near the high plateau and grazed here Oak and birch woodlands on peat soil all together, for better or for worse. In spite 2. From the Middle Ages up to of the vast area, the High Fens heathlands the beginning of the 19th century space was disputed between herds. Grazing had a considerable impact on © Rudy Giet the landscape: it prevented regeneration © Roger Herman of woods (as the animals trampled the the beginning of the 20th century. soil and fed on small plants). In this way, Mowing certain plants, such as ling, grazing contributed to maintaining was practiced in order to have mulch the heath landscape all reserve for the livestock. Finally, we the way up to should not forget the numerous other © perspectives forms of exploitation illustrating the inventiveness of man in extracting some 3. From the end of the 19th century up to the beginning of his needed resources from his direct of the 20th century environment: fire agriculture, wood coaling, bilberry picking, apiculture, ... Sphagnum magellanicum Agriculture exploitation of the High Fens : centuries old human practices HISTORY 3 From the end of the 19th century until Exploitation of the the beginning of the 20th century: High Fens waters the introduction of spruce changes During the 19th and 20th centuries the exploitation of the High Fens waters the landscape once more took on industrial proportions. Dams capable of holding millions of cubic The 19th century introduced another way to exploit the High Fens: a massive spruce meters of water were built. From the plantation was started. However, these conifer forests, that have become common place middle of the 19th century onwards, today, did not grow naturally in Belgium! These woods lay at the origin of the last important the textile industry in Verviers demanded landscape modification caused by man. and obtained the construction of the dam on the Gileppe River, built In the Ardennes, on soils suitable to its growth (dry ground), spruces are between 1867 and 1875. still an important economical resource for the region today. During the same period, the On the other hand, on peat soils, which are very wet and acidic, its growth is far less development of tourism, the latest fruitful. On these soils, systematic cultivation required digging a vast network of form of High Fens exploitation, began; drains, needed to dry the parcels and in this way create more favourable conditions for today this activity has more importance growing these trees. Unfortunately, these drains contributed to degrading the mires by than ever before. cutting off the water necessary for their development, without even resulting in a sufficiently lucrative forestry production. Today, even though the spruce has gradually been eradicated from the nature reserve, the future of these peatbogs still remains compromised. © Ulg Station Scientifique des Hautes Fagnes Compared to the initial 2,000 hectares of peatbogs, about 125 hectares are still considered to be active. The rest of the area is very often completely invaded by a graminaceous plant, the purple moor-grass (Molinia caerulea). Its development is favoured by draining and burning, as well as atmospheric nitrogen pollution. Spruce plantation Digging of drains Why is the protection and restoration of the High Fens environment important today? Boloria Aquilonaris 4 TARGETS 1. A rare natural heritage, 2. Global climatic importance a threatened biodiversity (carbon sinks) With its highest point at 694 meters, the High Fens plateau has a much tougher climate In natural functioning conditions, peatbogs are considered to be great carbon sinks. As compared to anywhere else in Belgium. The cold and rainy conditions allowed the a matter of fact, they can store up to ten times more CO2 compared to mineral soils. On development of rare threatened environments that are protected at the European level. Black grouse the other hand, exploitation and draining of peatbogs modify the carbon balance and the degraded peatbogs release more CO2 in the atmosphere. In the long-term rewetting Numerous species directly depend on these restored poor habitats. of degraded peatbogs implies the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, such as CO2 The High Fens, for instance, hosts the last population of black grouse living in Belgium, a population that is actually significantly reduced and threatened. Other species strictly linked to mire and heathland plants life conditions are also threatened: the cowberry fritillary (Boloria aquilonaris), the European stonechat (Saxicola rubicola), the nightjar (Caprimulgus Europaeus), etc. Why is the protection and restoration of the High Fens environnement important today? TARGETS 5 3. Landscapes that testify former human activities The High Fens landscapes represent an open-air testimony and an education source for future generations. First of all, there is the heritage of small monuments. Numerous boundary markers remind of the past frontier zone of the High Fens; crosses testify to tragic traffic accidents or murders. Last but not least, there are also the three High Fens pillars, rare reminders of road signs from our ancestors. Other traces, less evident but yet present all over the area, testify of human activity: tracks of former roads, old peat exploitation pits, drain networks, etc. As illustrated before, the heathland landscape is the result of the century’s old extensive agricultural and pastoral practices. The peatbogs also have an archive function. This wet, acidic environment with few microorganisms does not completely decompose organic materials (plants, ani- mals). Sampling in the thick peat layers reveals the remains of dead plants (espe- cially: pollens). They are the remains of the various High Fens landscapes that suc- cessively emerged during the last 12,000 years. In the same way, due to the typical characteristics of mires of inhibiting decomposition, one of the most remarkable road remains of Belgium is preserved buried underneath the peat layers: the cob- bled pavement of Charlemagne (Road of Charles the Great). 4. An educational tourist attraction Today tourism has become one of the framework to prove the importance of most important factors for economical preserving our environment, both locally development in the area surrounding as well as on a global scale. the High Fens plateau. Every year, approximately 200,000 tourists visit this area! They all have various motivations: relaxing, special interest in nature, sports,... The challenge for the tourist sector is double. On the one hand, they need to welcome this substantial num- ber of visitors, making sure that the © Station Scientifique du Mont Rigi Ulg impact on the High Fens ecosystem is minimized. And on the other hand, they The cobled pavement of Charlemagne must take advantage of this exceptional Restoring the mires and heathlands 6 GOALS Aware of the threats weighing on In 2007, a new European project was The High Fens LIFE project is basically Oak and birch woodland on peat soil the fens, several protagonists, amongst launched: the “LIFE-Nature: High Fens” aimed at restoring the heathlands others the scientists from the Walloon Project. The LIFE-Nature projects aim at and mires (minimum 1400 hectares) Public Service, the Liège University sci- restoring natural habitats at the within an action area of 10,000 ha. entific Station, the DNF or volunteers European level. These projects are How? By reconverting mainly peaty, © Roger Herman (Amis de la Fagne, Sonnentau, developed within the NATURA 2000 degraded and drained soils, surfaces Patrimoine Nature...), have been carry- network. All over Europe, the NATURA covered with purple moor-grass, or ing out restoration actions on the high 2000 zones were mapped out accord- areas planted with spruces that are not plateau for many decades. ing to criteria of rarity and threatened economically rentable, into: biological importance, with the objec- ➔ peatbogs where peat is generated tive of providing them with improved again, protection. The various environments ➔ heathlands maintained by grazing or present in the High Fens comply with mowing, these criteria: mires, heathlands, ➔ broadleaf forests (birch woods, oak Restored mire natural birch and oak woods, woods, beech woods...) adapted to the sphagnum birch woods and ecological conditions of the environ- juniper bushes.