Location: Between Reitzenhain and Satzung in the Ore Mountain region at an elevation of 790 m to 820 m above sea level

SAC area: not an SAC area

SPA area: Ore Mountain ridge near Satzung, domestic identification number: 71)

Brief description:
Covering an area of 45 ha, the Philipphaide is one of the largest moors in the Saxon Ore Mountains. It is a watershed moor with a very asymmetrical shape. It is comprised of three moor cores. In the Philipphaide, the peat layer reaches a depth of 3 m. The southern part of the moor core, which formerly had the greatest peat moss depth, fell victim to peat mining. The entire peat bed has been thoroughly drained by a tight network of ditches. Although construction of drainage ditches began in 1828, a raft ditch had already existed at the edge of the northern part of the core moor area since about 1580.
In addition to its few open spaces, the Philipphaide also has open or closed woodlands comprised of conifers or birches. The herbaceous layer is dominated by dwarf shrubs. Typical moor plants found there include hair’s-tail and narrow-bladed cottongras, bog bilberries, and cranberries. The Philipphaide is home to over ten different species of peat moss, including sphagnum magellanicum, which is threatened with extinction in Saxony. A fauna assessment identified spiders Agyneta cauta and Pirata uliginosus as well as several rove beetles that live primarily in the high moors of the Ore Mountains. Discovered scat specimens further confirm that the black grouse uses the Philipphaide as its home range.
 
Implementation of measures:
As part of a graduate school research project in 1999, the flora and fauna was investigated and work started on a map of the ditches. The area had been measured extensively by 2004 and a hydrological survey was performed with concrete suggestions for action. Measures taken to retain water in the southeastern foothills of the Philipphaide as well as in the northern core of the moor were initiated in 2006 with the construction of a timber sheet piling and board dams in the drainage ditches. An attempt was made to manually fill a very deep section of ditch with sawdust (from untreated wood) following a professional conference held in the nature park on the subject of the moor project. The sawdust was covered with peat sod harvested from the local area. This method has already been well-tested in moor projects in Switzerland. Since the ditch was extremely deep in some places, the Philipphaide was a good place to try this method out. On the one hand, filling prevents the formation of very deep pools of water in the ditches that are slow to be overgrown with peat moss and on the other hand, the capillary effect of the sawdust promotes a balanced rise in the moor water levels. The method turned out to be a success, but the use of technology seemed unavoidable. Further ditch dams were constructed in the year 2010 during the implementation of the sixth construction phase in the western core of the moor.

As part of the Target 3 projects, it was possible to reassess and plan the Philliphaide. Marienberg forest district was responsible for the implementation of further revitalization measures. Technology was used for the first time in the realization of this project.  www.moorevital.sachsen.de