Wet peatlands protect the world’s climate as gigantic carbon sinks. Drained peatlands, in contrast, globally emit over 2 Gt of carbon dioxide per year. To reverse this dramatic climate damage, peatlands must be rewetted and can often still be cultivated. Paludiculture – the utilization of wet peatlands – can get things started and deliver renewable energy resources and biomass for building materials or fodder while substituting fossil resources. Apart from this, wet peatlands offer ecosystem services such as nutrient removal, water retention and habitat provision. Almost 200 scientists, land owners, land users and environmentalists have come together at the RRR2017 to promote this promising and necessary concept.
Prof. Dr. Johanna Eleonore Weber, rector of the University of Greifswald, proudly pinpointed the origin of the term ‘paludiculture’ and the 200 years of peatland science in Greifswald. In her opening speech, she stressed that within the last 20 years, there have been more than 20 projects on peatlands and paludiculture at the University of Greifswald, since 2017 also as part of the State’s research excellence initiative. The Greifswald born concept of a sustainable use of wet peatlands has meanwhile gained international reputation and acceptance.
More Information
www.rrr2017.com
www.paludikultur.de
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Contacts at the University of Greifswald
Dr. Franziska Tanneberger & Greta Gaudig
Greifswald Mire Centre
c/o Michael Succow Stiftung
Ellernholzstraße 1/3
17489 Greifswald
Tel.: +49 3834 8354220
Fax: +49 3834 8354222
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