Shaping Wetlands: 250 Years of Human Impact in Two Contrasting Landscapes – A Comparative Analysis of the Rhinluch Peatlands and the Lower Havel River Floodplain

Floodplains and peatlands across Central Europe have long been subject to human transformation. From early drainage efforts to large-scale engineering projects in the modern era, anthropogenic interventions have altered their hydrology, morphology, and ecological functions. Yet the nature, intensity, and consequences of these changes vary widely depending on local geomorphological and hydrological conditions. Understanding these differences is essential for assessing the long-term impacts of land use on wetland ecosystems and their geomorphological development.

This talk presents a comparative study of land use changes over the past 250 years in two distinct wetland regions of northeastern Germany: the peat-rich Rhinluch and the fluvial Lower Havel floodplain. Both areas have experienced extensive human interventions, including peat extraction, river regulation, mill and canal construction, settlement expansion, and deforestation. By analysing old maps from multiple time periods, we trace the spatial and temporal development of land use changes and their varying impacts on landscape form, surface hydrology, and sediment pathways.

The comparison highlights how geomorphological settings shape both the trajectory and consequences of land use transformation. While palynological studies, confirm considerable human impact in both regions, the old map analysis shows that the nature and focus of interventions differ, reflecting the contrasting characteristics of fen and fluvial environments. This regional perspective underlines the value of old map analysis for reconstructing long-term anthropogenic influences on geomorphic processes.