News/All pieces

Peatlands & climate & Baltic coast

Restoration on 850 hectares by 2034

5/10/24 Twelve diked coastal polders between Rostock and the Polish Baltic Sea will be restored over the next ten years as part of the ‘Peatland Climate Protection on the Baltic Sea Coast’ project. One aim of the ANK model project is to significantly reduce the ongoing release of climate-damaging gases on these 850 hectares, up to 24,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. Another aim is to establish climate-friendly land use. Last Friday, Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke visited Bresewitz (district of Vorpommern-Rügen) to see the successfully renaturalised peatland areas on the coast. She handed over the grant notification for 27.8 million euros to the project managers Georg Nikelski (Baltic Sea Foundation), Professor Maren Voß (Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde/Marine Cycles) and Professor Gerald Jurasinski (University of Greifswald/Greifswald Mire Centre). The project is funded by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, the funds are provided by the Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMUV) in the Natural Climate Protection Action Programme (ANK). The state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is contributing 2.3 million euros to the project.

Image: People from left: Prof Maren Voß, Georg Nikelski, Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke, Dr Balázs Baranyai (Baltic Sea Foundation), Minister Dr Till Backhaus, Prof Gerald Jurasinski (Photo: Andreas Krone.)

New information paper on paludiculture and biodiversity

Everything important in brief

26/09/24 Compared to agriculture on drained peatland, paludiculture promotes biodiversity, as the new information paper of Eberswalde University of Sustainable Development, Peatland Science Centre and Greifswald Mire Centre summarizes. It’s clear: typical peatland and peatland-specific species have no habitat on drained peatland soils. If and which they have on cultivated rewetted areas, is meanwhile shown by studies in several areas. For example, the number of Red List species of birds has doubled within four years on a cattail cultivation area in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. On a peat moss cultivation area in Lower Saxony, the number of dragonfly species typical to bogs almost equals that of near-natural bogs in the area after nine years of observation.

After rewetting, wetness-loving and rare species are found where previously widespread species of moist or dry conditions dominated. The intensity of use, mowing and harvesting time have different effects on these species. The mowing of areas creates a more species-rich vegetation due to less litter, more light incidence and leaching. In winter, however, this causes a lack of host plants and winter refuges for some animal species. The information paper addresses both negative and positive aspects, as well as possible conflicts with nature conservation and accompanying measures that can promote biodiversity.

GMC auf IPCS in Weihenstephan

Overview of our contributions

10/09/2024 From 18th-21st September, the Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences is hosting the International Peatland Science Conference (iPSC). Naturally, numerous GMC employees will be taking part with presentations and posters. Here is an overview of them:

Thursday 19th September
14:45 More than a paper tiger: Paludiculture pilot projects in paper production - Clemens Kleinspehn
15:00 Paludiciulture can support biodiversity conservation in rewetted fen peatlands - Hanna R. Martens

Friday 20th September
8:30 Opening with environmental Art ‘MoorReaktor’ - MONAS collective in cooperation with GMC
13:20 Keynote People make Peatlands - practical projects and political processes towards peatland rewetting - Prof. Dr Gerald Jurasinski:
11:15 The relevance of drainage ditches as breeding habitat for mosquitoes in Northern Germany - Felix Sauer
15:30 Water Management for Spaghnum and Typha Paludiculture - Matthias Krebs
15:30 Spaghnum paludiculture sites as surrogate habitats for bog species of many species groups - results of long-term investigation in Northwest Germany - Dr Greta Gaudig
16:00 Bright spots in peatland conservation and restoration Renske Vroom
16:00 Putting Paludiculture into practice - six years of large scale Typha cultivation in Northeast Germany - Josephine Neubert
16:15 Peat formation potential of Typha spp. on a Paludiculture pilot site - Meline Brendel
16:30 PEATMAP: Prototype model for the study of peatland and swob distribution, ecology and carbon dynamics in the Iberian Peninsula lanscaoe mosaic - Miguel Geraldes
16:30 Paludiculture and biomass quality of cattail on a 10 ha Paludiculture Pilot site in Northeast Germany - Nora Köhn

Dr Franziska Tanneberger, GMC co-director and winner of the German Environmental Award 2024, is a member of the Scientific Committee. The conference will take place at the Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences (HSWT) campus in Freising. Further information in the detailed programme.

Invitation: Conclusion "TyphaSubstrat"

50% less peat is possible

22/07/2024 The aim of the three-year TyphaSubstrat project - harvesting and utilising cattail as an alternative substrate material for press pot soil in vegetable growing - was to develop a peat-reduced press pot soil with up to 50% less peat. At the final event on 5 September in Darmstadt, the project participants will present their results. These show: 50% peat reduction in pressed potting soil is possible! Presentations and dialogue in the morning at the Forschungsring e.V. in Darmstadt will be complemented by a tour of the practical tests in a vegetable nursery and a young plant farm near Mannheim. Detailed information on registration and the programme can be found here.

TyphaSubstrat focuses on cattail in a mixture with other peat substitute components such as sphagnum, green waste compost and wood for press pots, on which lettuce and vegetables are grown commercially. In addition, special technology for harvesting cattail was further developed in the project, and cattail raw material was analysed with regard to substrate properties, including pesticides and herbicides. By reducing the use of peat and utilising paludiculture biomass, TyphaSubstrat makes a dual contribution to the transformation towards climate-neutral use of wet peatlands (paludiculture) and demonstrates possibilities for sustainable substrate production. The proven suitability of cattail biomass as an alternative substrate offers the industry a new renewable raw material that can be produced regionally. A step towards a long-term secure and climate-friendly raw material supply and a contribution to peatland protection. TyphaSubstrat is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture via the Agency for Renewable Resources (Fachagentur für nachwachsende Rohstoffe e.V.).