News
2024
What's the problem?
New legal opinion reveals obstacles
26/06/2024 With their vegetation and soils, terrestrial ecosystems such as intact peatlands, floodplains and forests are valuable carbon reservoirs and sinks. However, rapid restoration often fails due to legal obstacles. The new report "Legal issues in connection with the rewetting of peatlands" in the GMC publication series provides a comprehensive analysis and shows possible solutions for the implementation of peatland climate protection. The rewetting of peatlands and their sustainable wet use, paludiculture, play a major role in natural climate protection. There are particular obstacles in terms of land availability, planning and approval. The German government's Natural Climate Protection Action Program aims to protect and strengthen these endangered ecosystems - and to understand and remove the obstacles that stand in the way of restoring these valuable areas. The new legal opinion by Prof. Dr. Sabine Schlacke and Prof. Dr. Michael Sauthoff makes an important contribution to this. It was drawn up as part of the MoKKa - Moorland Climate Protection through Capacity Building project, in which the Succow Foundation, the University of Greifswald and the Baltic Sea Foundation are working together. The results of the report will be presented today at the "Fachforum: Natürlichen Klimaschutz beschleunigen - Rechtliche Rahmenbedingungen verbessern", jointly organized with the Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt in Berlin. The possibilities for implementing the legal policy recommendations will also be discussed.
Peatland research in Brazil and photovoltaics
New GMC newsletter out now
05/06/2024 Huge peatlands, lots to do in peatland research - in the latest issue of our newsletter, Felix Beer takes us to the peatlands of the Brazilian Cerrado. The recently founded PaludiAllianz project also has a lot to do. It aims to ensure rapidly growing demand for paludiculture biomass -now! And - lots of interest in photovoltaics on peatlands! The MoorPV project is taking a close look at the win-win-win for the energy industry, climate protection and biodiversity. Also in the newsletter: Save the date for RRR2025, new MoorAgentur founded, new funding for building with renewable materials.
Not only do we hope you enjoy reading the newsletter, but we would also be happy to receive feedback on the newsletter by emailing communication@greifswaldmoor.de.
Save the Date for RRR2025
On Global Peatlands Day
02/06/2024 In celebration of this year’s World Peatlands Day, the Greifswald Mire Centre warmly invites you to save the date for the 4th international RRR conference on the Renewable Resources from Wet and Rewetted Peatlands. Taking place in Greifswald, Germany from September 23rd to 26th, 2025, the conference will unite experts from diverse disciplines to share insights and experiences and address pressing questions within the field of paludiculture.
In 2024, "paludiculture" marked its 25th anniversary since being called into life, with significant advancements made in practical knowledge regarding rewetting, cultivation, processing, marketing, policy development and awareness-building, but large-scale implementation is still low. This conference aims to unite stakeholders involved in the utilisation of rewetted peatlands, welcoming scientists, landowners and users, administrators, manufactors, artists, designers and policymakers. By fostering cross-sector networks, sharing experiences and knowledge, we seek to bridge the gap between science and practice and together discuss and shape the future of paludiculture.
Through a diverse program including lectures, poster presentations, excursions, and a range of interactive events, we endeavour to facilitate meaningful dialogue and collaboration. Stay tuned for further details, including abstract submission and registration information, which will soon be available on our website. We look forward to your participation! For conference updates please visit our website rrr2025.com, or follow @greifswaldmoor on the GMC’s social media channels.
Afforesting drained peatlands?
No viable option, new GMC paper shows
13/05/2024 Although the EU Nature Restoration Law was wiped off the EU’s trilogue-agenda in March, scientists took a close look on what was suggested as a restoration measure during the negotiations: active afforestation of degraded peatlands. Their conclusion: evidence for long term overall climate benefits is lacking. Their recommendation: the NRL should foster true natural ecosystems wherever possible, particularly where those are demonstrably carbon capture systems.
For the article “Active afforestation of drained peatlands is not a viable option under the EU Nature Restoration Law” peatland professor Gerald Jurasinski with colleagues of Greifswald Mire Centre and other European peatland scientists assembled facts of several studies. In most cases CO2 release from peat soil degradation will likely exceed carbon sequestration in the forest biomass, as the paper pubished in Ambio Journal of Environment and Society states. It is pointing out the severe challenges to measure greenhouse gas fluxes in peatland forests both with airtight chambers and eddy covariance technique. Another point of critique: the studies quoted in favor of afforestation do not describe the situation after afforestation of agricultural fields or cutover peatlands.
No peatlands in Bellevue's Garden?
Yes - at the Environment Week 2024
13/05/2024 There are no peatlands in the garden of Bellevue Palace? That's right, but there will be during the Environment Week on June 4-5.
We from the Greifswald Mire Center, together with the Agency for Renewable Resources, will be demonstrating how important peatland protection is for climate protection - with cattail in the wall and peat moss on the plate - at the Environment Week of Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU).
At our stand no. 35, interested visitors can find out how peat moss is propagated in a bioreactor or what a landscape with paludiculture looks like in a model. As a souvenir, you can take home some cress in a home-made press pot - filled with substrate made from paludiculture biomass, of course!
Registration for the event is open until May 15.
But what is the Environment Week? Not quite for a week, but for two days, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the DBU invite environmental and nature conservation organizations and other exhibitors to the park of the official residence to showcase current and imaginative ideas and projects for more environmental, climate and species protection. The show is intended to inspire all participants for a sustainable future. The park will be transformed into a tent city. This year, around 190 exhibitors and more than 70 specialist forums on health, society, the economy, nature conservation, etc. will be taking place.
The Week of the Environment was launched in 2002 by the then Federal President Johannes Rau. Since then, it has been organized together with the Osnabrück-based German Federal Environmental Foundation. This year it is in its seventh edition.