Good and Bad Bogs in the Freising District

Did you know that there are several bog areas in the Freising district? Together, they cover over 5,000 hectares (or nearly 7% of the area)! The most famous is the Freisinger Moos, which is actually the second-largest contiguous low-lying bog area in Bavaria. And where are the others located?

Are bogs good or bad? Both. There are many reasons to consider bogs important. For bog plants and bog animals, it is their habitat; for humans, it is a recreational area; for living beings in general, it is a source of fresh air and pleasant temperatures when it is hot. And for our planet, they were once an almost inexhaustible means of storing carbon dioxide from the air.

About a hundred years ago, the bog areas were drained to make them suitable for agriculture. This was correct at the time, but people did not know that this would cause the stored carbon to begin escaping into the atmosphere again. Nowadays, it is an important task to restore the bog soils to a state where they emit fewer greenhouse gases, while also providing fresh air, recreation, and habitat for bog biodiversity.

How can bogs be restored to a healthy state? Where is this already happening, what is planned, and is this decided in secret by a few, or is it a task requiring collaboration among many? Judith Jabs-Ingenhaag, the bog commissioner for the Freising district, discusses this and also leaves room for questions and discussion.