News/All pieces
Paper in Nature Climate Change
Indicators for climate change in the tundra
09/07/2015 Data from 37 sites in 9 countries were collected by Prof. Martin Wilmking (Greifswald University) and other researchers to find sound explanations for climate sensitivity of shrub growth in the tundra biome. Climate sensitivity of growth was greatest at the boundary between the Low and High Arctic, where permafrost is thawing and most of the global permafrost soil carbon pool is stored. The results have now been published in the paper „Climate sensitivity of shrub growth across the tundra biome“ in Nature Climate Change. This work will improve future projections of climate change impacts across the tundra biome.
Open for public comment
Palm oil industry present a draft synthesis report
3/7/2015 A Draft Synthesis Report of a „High Carbon Stock Study (HCSS)“ of the palm oil industry is now online and open for public comment. This study on carbon stocks is commissioned to independent experts to make the upcoming massive expansion of palm oil cultivation in Southeast-Asia as well as West- and Central Africa ecologically more sustainable and socially more compliant. The protection of carbon sinks in vegetation and soil is one of the key issues. GMC member Dr. Alexandra Barthelmes is in charge of the GMC's Global Peatland Database and contributed to a report on practical guidance to locate and delineate peatlands and other organic soils in the tropics. Prof. Hans Joosten is member of the Technical Committee and co-author of the main report.
Regional parliament calls for more paludiculture
Across all political parties for more support
3/7/2015 The Parliament of the federal state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern decided unanimously about the proposal of the leading parties (the social-democratic SPD and the christian-democratic CDU) on supporting paludicultures today (03.07.3015). All speakers stressed the need for more basic and applied research on agriculture and forestry on wet peatlands, building on the current works at the Greifswald Mire Centre.
“Peatlands and Forests in the Climate Architecture”
DEHSt puts presentations online
29/6/2015 Silvestrum VoF und DUENE e.V.,partner im GMC, presented results of their joint research project „Peatlands and Forests in the Climate Architecture” at a workshop of the German Emissions Trading Authority (DEHSt) at the 4th of June 2015 in Bonn during a side event at SBSTA42 to the UNFCCC . The DEHSt has now put the report and presentations online. “Peatlands and Forests in the Climate Architecture” describes political and economic possibilities for regulating climate change mitigation from peatlands and forests. The research project was financed by the Federal Environment Agency.
Taking GEO journalists into the wet
Latest edition reports on Greifswald peatland experts
29/6/2015 For an article in the current GEO edition the magazine’s journalists accompanied the GMC scientists on an excursion into peatlands of Karelia. Text: The current edition of GEO provides an entertaining read and brilliant pictures on GMC experts’ research in Karelian peatlands. The magazine’s journalists accompanied the scientists into the North-West of Russia last summer. Despite wet feet and dry comments the reporters got plenty of information on peatlands and their potential for climate protection. Read about thinking peatlands, comparisons to whiskey on ice and plants as skilled starvationists – unfortunately in German only.
Small bird, great dissertation
Doctor’s thesis on the Aquatic Warbler
29/6/2015 End of June Cosima Tegetmeyer has successfully defended her dissertation „The Aquatic Warbler in the Djoudj National Park area – Aspects of its wintering ecology”. The globally threatened Aquatic Warbler is breeding in fen mires of Eastern and Central Europe and wintering in West-Africa. Tegetmeyer’s dissertation is a good example for linking science and practice at the GMC: Her scientific results yielded four publications in peer-reviewed journals and at the same time helped improving the land management for Aquatic Warbler protection by the Djoudi National Park Administration.
Peatland Management Practices online
MICCA presents case studies of Paludiculture
19/6/2015 The Mitigation of Climate Change in Agriculture (MICCA) Programme of the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) made case studies on peatland management practices available online. Included are the case studies on sphagnum farming projects at Greifswald University and the “Wetland Energy”-Projekt of the Michael Succow foundation in Belarus. Both institutions are partner in the GMC.
Guiding “The Guardian“ in rewetted areas
English daily paper plans extensive report
19/6/2015 From 15th-16th June experts of the GMC took Arthur Neslen, Europe environment correspondent at the Guardian, on a tour of paudiculture projects in Germany and Poland. Neslen is currently researching for extensive reporting on peatland rewetting, paludiculture and climate change mitigation. The Brussels based journalist visited reed beds in Rozwarowo, East of Świnoujście/Poland where reed is cultivated for thatching. In the Peenevalley and at Lake Kummerow, both in North-Estern Germany, Neslen gained impressions on further sustainable utilisation of rewetted areas(paludiculture) e.g. of pasture with water buffaloes on rewetted polder Rustow-Randow or on peatland meadows near Neukalen. Sedges, canary grass and reed growing here are used for energy generation in Germany’s first fen biomass heating plant in Malchin near Greifswald. It provides heating for 650 houses, the local kindergarden and a school. At Neukalen and Malchin Neslen got first hand information by peatland farmer and plant manager Ludwig Bork.
Resolution on „Peatlands and climate change“
RAMSAR reacts on call of the Nordic Council
12/6/2015 The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands adopted several resolutions including the resolution on 'Peatlands and climate change’ at its 12th Meeting of the Conference of Contracting Parties (COP12). The resolution is part of the new Strategic Plan combating factors that drive wetland loss and degradation from 2016 to 2024. Key decisions for its implementation include the key role of peatlands in climate change regulation. The COP 12 at Punta del Este/Uruguay thus reacted on a call of the Nordic Council of Ministers for the Environment to preserve peatlands for climate change regulation, conservation of biodiversity and providing ecosystem services. The statement is based on a recent report ‘Peatlands and Climate in a Ramsar context - A Nordic-Baltic Perspective’ which was prepared for the Nordic Council by experts of Greifswald University (Germany), partner in the GMC, and Risager Consult (Denmark).
Nordic Council calling for more peatland protection
Ramsar Convention welcomes statement ahead of COP 12
In a joint statement the Nordic Council of Ministers for the Environment is calling the 12th Meeting of the Conference of Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP12) to preserve peatlands for climate change regulation, conservation of biodiversity and providing ecosystem services. The statement is based on a recent report ‘Peatlands and Climate in a Ramsar context - A Nordic-Baltic Perspective’, which was prepared for the Nordic Council by experts of Greifswald University (Germany), partner in the GMC, and Risager Consult (Denmark). The Ramsar Convention already welcomed the statement in a press release ahead of the COP 12 from 1st-9th June in Punta del Este (Uruguay).