News
Thawing permafrost: one of 5 largest environmental threats
Thawing permafrost: one of 5 largest environmental threats
UNEP Frontiers report based on GMC expertise
07/03/19 The new report Frontiers 2018/19: Emerging Issues of Environmental Concern issued by the United Nations‘ Environmental Organisation (UNEP) defines five pressing but hitherto underestimated environmental threats. Thawing Arctic permafrost is one of them. The chapter Permafrost Peatlands: Losing ground in a warming world is authored by Prof. Hans Joosten (GMC).
Besides detailled background information the chapter offers a new circumpolar map on the distribution of permafrost and Arctic peatlands based on the Global Peatland Database of the GMC. UNEP’s „Frontiers“ reports regularely address environmental threats of global implications which are not yet being sufficiently recognised and tackled/fought against. The report is being translated into six languages and made available to governments and environmental institutions worldwide.
BOnaMoor + DESIRE
BOnaMoor + DESIRE
New projects starting
20/02/19 The Greifswald Mire Centre is happy about two new paludiculture projects starting: BOnaMoor aims at optimising thermal utilisation of fen biomass. Peatland scientists and landscape ecologists of Greifswald University examine its growth and yields at the agricultural enterprise Voigt. They will also conduct an economic and financial assessment. Engineers of the Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin specialised on renewable energies analyse combustion at the heating plant Malchin as well as in the laboratory.
The project is funded by the Federal Ministry for Agriculture through the Fachagentur für nachwachsende Rohstoffe (FNR). The international project DESIRE develops sustainable peatland management for nutrient retention and other ecosystem services through restoration and paludiculture within the Neman River catchment. The project is part of the regional programme Interreg Baltic Sea and is coordinated by the GMC (Greifswald University and Succow Foundation). It supports politicians and other decision-makers in assessing their region’s paludiculture potential and in utilising peatlands sustainably. DESIRE develops pilot sites, fosters communication on wet peatland management and assesses it economically.
More moss for the GMC
More moss for the GMC
New peatmoss nursery established
17/12/18 Twelve peatmoss species are growing now in the new established nursery at the University of Greifswald. The project MOOSzucht intends to identify the species growing best under site conditions in (Northwest) Germany to reach high yields and produce large amounts of renewable biomass to substitute peat in horticulture. Nearly 500 samples of wild provenances across Europe – from Ireland to Estonia, from Sweden to Czech Republic and in Georgia – were collected within the MOOSzucht project as the base for research. Dr. Ulf Hauke from the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, responsible for peatlands, visited the Greifswald Mire Centre on 17.12.18 including the new moss nursery.
Finally: permanent professorship!
Finally: permanent professorship!
Greifswald peatland sciences enforced
17/12/2018 A new professorship of peatland sciences was agreed upon by the government of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and the University of Greifswald at 17th December. This gives a promising and reliable basis for future peatland sciences at Greifswald University, where peatland research started some 200 years ago and the university acts as a partner in the Greifswald Mire Centre since 2015. “The Greifswald peatland scientists analyse, how people and agriculture may make use of peatlands without exploiting them. This is what we want to support with a new professorship” explains Birgit Hesse, Minister of Education and Science in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. This state is one of Germany’s peatland-rich states. State and university are financing the new W3 professorship jointly with the Stifterverband der deutschen Wissenschaft (tbc) and the Michael Succow Foundation. Further information (German only) is provided in the the state’s press release and at the university’s website.
In the picture from left to right: Thomas Krüger (Chairman of the parliamentary group of SPD MV)), Prof. Dr. Johanna Eleonore Weber (Rector of Greifswald University), Birgit Hesse (Minister of Education and Science MV) and Dr. Jürgen Buchwald (State Secretary of Agriculture and Environment MV) (Foto: H. Lipski)]
Policy brief for COP24
Policy brief for COP24
Reporting GHG emissions from organic soils in the EU
11/12/2018 Just in time for UNFCCC COP24 in Katowice, the Greifswald Mire Centre together with peatland scientists from 7 European institutions have produced a policy brief on reporting GHG emissions from organic soils in the EU. The brief covers the policy framework, weaknesses in reporting organic soils in National Inventory Submissions to UNFCCC, and recommendations for improvement. We have presented it at several events during UNFCCC COP24 in Katowice. The policy brief has been produced within the project INVESTIGATE funded under the European Climate Initiative (EUKI) of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU). It has been co-ordinated by Alexandra Barthelmes (Greifswald Mire Centre).
Peatlands at COP24
Peatlands at COP24
Against peat fires and for the climate
10/12/2018 The Greifswald Mire Centre, together with partners from the Global Peatlands Initiative, co-organises several peatland events at the 2018 UNFCCC conference in Katowice. The side event „The trace of haze: Peat fires as local and global challenges“ at 6th December was coordinated by UN Environment and Greifswald Mire Centre, and hosted by the German Government. The session presented global experience on peat fires and showcased coalitions for peatland restoration, e.g. the Restoring Peatlands in Russia Project, which was awarded the UNFCCC “Momentum for Change” award in 2017. A side event at 7th December brought together multilateral environmental conventions such as Ramsar Convention, CBD, UNCCD and UNFCCC, and future joint action on peatlands was agreed. At 11th December, the lunch session „Stop eating peat“ co-organised by CMok, Wetlands International and GMC will bring attention of the Climate Hub Katowice to peatlands. We will also contribute to a side event on peatlands and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC‘s) 12th December. Follow @greifswaldmoor on twitter for details on COP24!