Veenweiden

Veenweiden, or peat meadows, are a type of nutrient-poor, wet grassland situated on former peat bogs that have been drained for agricultural use. In the Netherlands and parts of northern Germany and Denmark, these landscapes developed from shallow peatlands into extensively managed pasture and hay fields.

From the Middle Ages onward, drainage ditches and water level control lowered the water table to permit hay and grazing. The peat soil oxidizes under drier conditions, causing subsidence and carbon dioxide emissions. To maintain usable pasture, water levels are carefully managed by sluices and dikes.

Veenweiden are characterized by acidic, nutrient-poor soils with specialized plant communities. In managed sites, rough grasses, sedges, and mosses such as Sphagnum may occur, with occasional purple moor-grass Molinia caerulea. Biodiversity benefits include ground-nesting birds and amphibians, especially in mosaics with wet edges and ditches. Management combines mowing hay and grazing, with periodic restoration after drainage.

Historically important for dairy farming and landscape heritage; today many peat meadows are in decline due to continued drainage, peat oxidation, agricultural intensification, and conversion to arable land. Conservation efforts aim to re-wet peatlands, restore water level management, and protect habitats under Natura 2000 networks and Ramsar sites.

Veenweiden exemplify a rare, semi-natural farming landscape that balances agricultural use with peatland conservation.