Hummelsbütteler Moore

Summary

The Hummelsbütteler Moore nature reserve, established in January 2008, is located not far from the Raakmoor nature reserve in north-west Hamburg, which has existed since 1979. As the name suggests, these wetlands represent the last remnants of what was once a vast peatland landscape. The Susebek river flows through the 60-hectare site. Unfortunately, the view is spoiled by two adjacent rubbish dumps dating from the 1960s. Regular measurements are carried out to monitor any potential leakage of pollutants. In future, parts of the nature reserve will be developed more naturally, as renaturation measures cannot simply be achieved by raising the water level.

Description

The landscape is characterised by nutrient-poor areas with birch swamp forests. The presence of dead birch trees does not indicate poor health of the tree population, but rather points to the high water table typical of peatland. This charming scene is complemented by lush stands of bog asphodels in the damp peatland meadows. Walkers will easily spot sphagnum mosses, cranberries, cross-leaved heather and cottongrass in spring, as these can be seen from a distance. Their inflorescences consist of spikelets made up of multiple flowers. The long floral bracts of the fruits form the characteristic white woolly tuft. Contrary to common belief, these 'cotton-like tufts' are not displayed by the plants when they are in flower, but when they are bearing fruit. Marsh cinquefoil, marsh speedwell and marsh gentian can also be found in the Hummelsbüttel peatlands. The Hummelsbütteler Moore Nature Reserve aims to preserve native ecosystems and provide a habitat for rare and endangered animal species. These include the moor frog, which turns blue during the spawning season, and the viviparous lizard. Moor frogs depend on permanently wet habitats and have suffered as a result of the large-scale drainage of wetlands that took place in the past. The quiet observer may also spot the black darter and ruddy darter.