PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The floodplain landscape along the middle Elbe is one of the greatest natural treasures joined together again by the re-unification of Germany. In 1997, three LIFE projects were already up and running along the Elbe when they were joined by this fourth project, located in the Kliekener Aue, not far from Dessau and part of the Biosphere reserve Mittlere Elbe in Sachsen Anhalt. The project area, bordering the Elbe, consists of floodplain forest, meadows, oxbow lakes and tributary channels of the river. Besides naturally eutrophic bodies of water and humid tall-herb vegetation, remnants of alder and ash and mixed oak-elm forests occur. The Elbe valley is a paradise for birds and Klieken is no exception: here bittern (Botaurus stellaris), spotted crake (Porzana porzana), crane (Grus grus) and kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) all have nesting sites. Otter and beaver also occur. Threats are the eutrophication and terrestrialization of oxbow lakes, lowering of groundwater levels, the exploitation of floodplain forest for grazing purposes and the fragmentation of biotopes wherever they are cris-crossed by sections and strips of intensively used farmland. Klieken is part of the long-term planning for the establishment of one single biosphere reserve along the middle Elbe, spreading across several German Länder. Hitherto, each Land has its own reserve administration.
OBJECTIVES
The purpose of the project was to restore and interconnect the biotope mosaic of river, oxbow lakes and floodplain forest. To achieve this, four specific groups of measures were to be carried out: First, a stagnant tributary channel would be reconnected to the Elbe by opening both of its ends, in order to revitalize it and reinstate dynamics. The sand and gravel excavated in the process would be used to build low, gradually-sloping beaches burying the steep banks now found along the channel. Second, a terrestrialized oxbow lake would be dredged (but without wrecking its reedbeds) to create areas of open water for fish and aquatic plants and to limit the speed of silting up. Third, meadows and stands of old oak trees formerly used as grazing land would be converted into 60 ha of hardwood floodplain forest. Fourth, humid arable land, which had to be bought first, would be changed into alder swamp forest by raising groundwater levels, thereby creating 30 ha of forest with potential as habitat for the crane. The development of both the hardwood floodplain forests and the alder woods would be accelerated by planting young trees. Visitors and inhabitants would be kept updated by regional information events, information panels and leaflets.
RESULTS
The project was managed by a project coordinator, backed by the staff of the biosphere reserve administration. Two working groups were established to give scientific input, as well as to allow the local community to be represented in the project. The results of this project are listed according to the different subsites (subsites 1-4): # Subsite 1, Kurzer Wurf: - purchase of 1 ha for the reconnection work - reconnection of the oxbow by opening an in- and outflow and installation of a threshold to minimise water flow during periods of low water level in the river Elbe, in order to guarantee enough water depth for commercial shipping on the Elbe. # Subsite 2, Alte Elbe: - purchase of 7 ha land for dumping the dredged silt - the dredging of the silt in this oxbow lake has been done by a Dutch specialist company using boats. The work was made difficult because of unexpected submerged old oak logs. Reed beds and other sensitive areas were excluded from the dredging. This work reversed terrestrialisation and slowed down its speed in the future by also preventing additional eutrophication and pollution from the neighbourhood. Freshwater inflow from the Katschbach stream was improved to give an additional positive boost to the lake. # Subsite 3, Matzwerder and Schleusenbruch: - purchase of 14 ha poplar forest, which was cut down to allow natural floodplain forest development, accelerated by new plantations on a total of 72 ha. As deliberate plantation of floodplain forest is still uncommon, this subproject was monitored by the forestry service and river experts. The water- and shipping authorities insisted on a free flow of floodwater, i.e. no barriers in the floodplain area. Thus the development of this plantation will shed light on how to manage floodplain areas and establish natural forest habitats next to highly frequented shipping rivers. - the problem of beavers and game browsing the young shoots of the planted trees had to be solved, as simple fencing would create additional undesirable barriers to the water flow in flood events. Providing alternative foraging places was one solution. # Subsite 4, Sarenbruch: - purchase of 6 ha to plant ash-alder forest and other humid forest types on altogether 21 ha, adjoining existing forest areas which also host the crane, Grus grus. - Several different methods of preparing the soil and planting schemes were tried out on these sections, supervised by the forestry department. The monitoring of the new habitats is being done via additional plots within the existing monitoring programme of the biosphere reserve. Special scientific attention was given to the equal distribution of male and female willows in the plantations. Because of these experiments, well-documented and monitored, the project site will be of value as demonstration and research site for a more natural development of riparian floodplains along shipping waterways. The public information work was done in the framework of the biosphere reserve park. The project exhibition is displayed in the reserve's information centre. The information panels on site are integrated in the information system of the reserve as a whole. The PR events during the project duration focused on the local public as well as on a scientific audience of riparian experts, foresters and the relevant authorities, towards whom the target was to disseminate the experience gained and to discuss methods.