Germany has named as a Wetland of International Importance the Rosenheim Basin Bogs (no. 2444 on the List of Wetlands of International Importance), to mark World Wetlands Day. This is Germany’s 35th “Ramsar Site” and its first addition to the List since 2008.
These bogs make up one of the largest peatland complexes of the Alpine foothills in southern Germany. The Site is comprised of the peatlands Rote Filze, Abgebrannte Filze, Sterntaler Filze, Kollerfilze and Hochrunsfilze. They were drained and peat was extracted from the beginning of the 1800s to fuel salt pans and for beer brewing.
Today these moors have been largely returned to their natural state, and many habitats have been restored for nationally vulnerable or endangered species including the spotted darter dragonfly (Sympetrum depressiusculum), the meadow pipit (Anthus pratensis) and the great grey shrike (Lanius excubitor excubitor), a bird that winters in the Site.
The restoration of these peatlands has also had a positive effect on the local climate, local water cycle, water retention and flood prevention. As part of the restoration project, two visitor centres for extensive public relations work and education on the protection of bogs were opened at the Site.
