Fintlandsmoor and Dänikhorster Moor
The Fintlandsmoor and Dänikhorster Moor is a nature reserve in the Lower Saxony town of Westerstede and the municipalities of Bad Zwischenahn and Edewecht in the district of Ammerland.
The nature reserve with the registration number NSG WE 289 is around 343 hectares in size. The FFH area of the same name, 240.05 hectares in size, is completely part of the nature reserve. The area has been under protection since June 17, 2017. The nature reserves “Fintlandsmoor” and “Dänikhorster Moor” have merged into it. The responsible lower nature conservation authority is the district of Ammerland.
The nature reserve, which consists of three sub-areas, is located west of Bad Zwischenahn between Ocholt in the north and Edewecht in the southwest. It protects the remains of a largely drained and only partially cultivated raised bog. Large parts of the uncultivated bog areas are occupied by bog forest with pipe grass. The dominant tree species is the birch. Open areas are partly occupied by heather with rosemary, broom heather and bell heather as well as common cranberries. In addition, grassland areas are included in the protected area, which also connect the remains of the raised bog with one another. Parts of the raised bog are rewetted. In particular, former peat cuttings have been flooded with water. In these areas, peat moss and other plant species typical for raised bogs grow, including medium and round-leaved sundew, narrow-leaved and cotton-wool grass as well as white beak reed.
The grassland is characterized by different intensities of use. It is often damp to wet and structured with hedges. Extensively used grassland areas are often interspersed with rush.
The nature reserve offers a habitat for numerous plants and animals typical of bog, such as dragonflies and grasshoppers or meadow birds typical of high bogs.
The area is drained via trenches and the Dänikhorster Moorkanal to Ollenbäke, which flows into the Große Süderbäke at Apen, and via trenches and the Fintlandsmoor Canal to the floodplain, which merges with the Soeste at Barßel (now known as Nordloher Tief). The Dänikhorster Moorkanal crossing the area was partially backfilled and provided with dams in order to reduce the drainage of the area. The area borders almost entirely on agricultural land.
In the area of the Fintlandsmoor, a hiking trail runs through part of the nature reserve.