Floodplains as allies in climate protection

The beaver was extinct in Germany for 400 years. Only a small population survived in Saxony-Anhalt. The beaver is slowly spreading again in Germany. Its construction activities are changing the dynamics of watercourses and creating new spawning, breeding and resting grounds for countless species in many places. Beaver territories are among the most species-rich biotopes of all. Thanks to the beaver, new riparian forests can also be created, which are particularly important for native biodiversity. However, only 1% of Germany's riparian forests are still ecologically intact.

Creating space for beavers

The beaver was extinct in large parts of Germany for around 400 years, apart from a small population in Saxony-Anhalt. It was only about 50 years ago that they began to be reintroduced in Bavaria. Since then, the beaver has been spreading again, but remains a rare and strictly protected species under European law (FFH species).

The beaver plays a central role in ecosystems: Through its construction activities, it brings new dynamics to watercourses and creates important habitats for numerous species, including spawning, breeding and resting sites. The biotopes it creates are among the most species-rich in Central Europe, as they provide diverse habitats for specialized animals and plants. Its structures also have benefits for humans, as they contribute to the recharge of groundwater, slow down the drying up of watercourses and regulate water runoff by creating floodplains, thereby preventing flooding.

Flood protection

Intact floodplains also offer a wide range of benefits for society. As natural water reservoirs, floodplains are important retention areas and are of central importance for nature conservation and flood protection. The preservation and promotion of floodplain forests is therefore immensely important in times of increasing droughts and heavy rainfall events.

Key role in the fight against climate change

Intact and living floodplains are also a huge CO₂ reservoir and therefore help to protect the climate. Active floodplains store carbon both in the soil and in the trees. The floods typical of floodplains stimulate plant growth, while the water-saturated soil is low in oxygen. Organic compounds are incompletely decomposed and a particularly large amount of carbon is stored in the soil in the long term.

According to BUND, one hectare of an old, intact hardwood floodplain forest stores around 300 tons of carbon per hectare, around 150 tons of which is stored in the soil. A research group at the University of Hamburg came to a similar conclusion: a floodplain area covered with old floodplain forest stores an average of 124 tons of carbon per hectare down to a depth of one meter. For comparison: in German forests, an average of 99 tons per hectare are bound in the soil.

The study also shows that if arable land is reduced in favour of intact floodplains and these are planted with meadows and forests, the study shows that an additional 11 tons of CO₂ equivalents per hectare can be reduced. If floodplains that are no longer intact are renatured and reintroduced to natural rivers, CO₂ storage could even be increased by around 43 tons per hectare.

Floodplains are disappearing from our landscape

Alluvial forests are facing complete destruction across Germany. In its floodplain status report from 2021, the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) comes to the conclusion that only 1% of alluvial forests in Germany are very little changed and therefore intact and ecologically functional. According to the BfN, the main causes of endangerment are the construction of river banks, river straightening, the construction of barrages, recreational activities, sand and gravel extraction and afforestation with alien tree species. Numerous renaturation projects have been implemented on larger rivers since 1983, but according to the BfN, only a small part of the nationwide potential for the reconnection of floodplain areas has currently been exhausted. 

Alluvial forests develop in Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate and Thuringia

Intact ecosystems are a key prerequisite for counteracting climate change and halting the loss of biodiversity. The Blue Planet Certificate therefore rebuilds floodplains. The focus here is on restoring the natural course of the watercourse, creating near-natural bank breaks and banks, lowering the banks to increase the floodplain area, planting alluvial forests and riparian vegetation.

As a climate partner of the Blue Planet Certificate, you can help to stop the destruction of ecosystems and restore degraded ecosystems. With a contribution of €6, you can plant a tree or help a new tree to grow and at the same time restore the important wetlands of the floodplains. In total, a climate contribution of €6 will store 500 kilograms of CO₂ in the floodplain ecosystem in the long term.

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