Heavy Metal and Contaminant Loading in the Oder River Floodplains and Consequences for Livestock Management

The predominately pristine lower Oder floodplains have experienced sedimentation and enrichment of heavy metals and contaminants since the start of industrialization in the region. With the creation of the German-Polish National Park, which included the flooded grassland area, intensive milk production has been prohibited. The objective of this research was to estimate the impact of the floodplain heavy metal and contaminant levels on the lower Oder region. Soil and plant content were analyzed for three transects according to accepted DIN methods. High content in soil did not consistently result in high plant contents; however, higher content levels were often observed in hollows. A particular vegetation characteristic of heavy metal soil content was not observed. Exceeded levels in terms of the German fodder ordinance were most frequently detected for Cadmium and Manganese. Extensive pasturing of suckler cows and young or beef cattle is possible with the exception of problem areas

Long Term Results for the Naturalisation of River Valley Grassland in the Lower Floodplains of the River Oder

The flooded grassland area in the lower reaches of the River Oder covers about 10,000 ha, of which 4,000 ha are situated on the German side and the remainder in Poland. In spite of extreme flooding conditions (annual winter flooding from 15 Dec. to 15 April and occasional summer flooding) the area was used very intensively in GDR times. After the political change in 1989, the management of the cross-border GermanPolish National Park, which was situated in this area, was changed abruptly to extensive grassland utilisation. This paper reports on changes in the composition and productivity of the grassland