Armeria purpurea
The main species of this special LIFE project is Armeria purpurea which found its last habitat all over the world in the Benninger fen. In previous habitats at the Lake Constance this species has no longer been found since 1975. For this reason this species is considered to be extinct in that region. In the Benninger fen about 20.000 specimen of Armeria purpurea can be found in empty spaces in the Schoenus dominated communities.
Region around spring waters: typical habitat of Armeria purpurea
As the seed of this species can only sprout well upon open moss waddings, a high level of the ground water is appreciated. For this reason empty spaces are created by scrub clearance in the fen and at the same time the water consumption in the fen is reduced.
In order to obtain a better development of the seed of this self-sterile species it is necessary to raise the quantity of pollinating insects in the fen. For this reason the meadows around the fen shall be extensified. Their connection to the fen has already been improved by the scrub clearance measures.
