The Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment will also make a permanent annual contribution of € 50.000, starting in the year in which the position is appointed. The University of Greifswald expects to receive funds from the Stifterverband (Association of Foundations for German Science) amounting to € 450.000, for a maximum period of five years. Greifswald’s Michael Succow Foundation for the Protection of Nature is also providing a total of € 100.000.
‘We all need to address climate change and climate protection,’ stressed Science Minister Birgit Hesse during the signing of the target agreement in Schwerin. ‘Peatlands make a substantial contribution to the ecological equilibrium, but are strongly threatened due to human use. Greifswald’s scientists are investigating how mankind and agriculture can use peatlands without destroying them. By creating this professorship, we wish to support these efforts,’ said Hesse.
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has approximately 300,000 hectares of peatlands. This amounts to approximately 13 percent of the state’s surface area. A considerable proportion of the peatland areas was drained for agricultural use in the past, in fact 98 % of peatland areas throughout Germany were drained. Drained peatland areas with emissions of more than six million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents per year are by far the largest individual source of greenhouse gas in the federal state. They must be rewetted with perseverance. The University of Greifswald is also developing approaches for combining plant production in areas with high water levels with exploitation opportunities for these plants.
‘Peatland research at the University of Greifswald is regarded at a national level and makes an important contribution toward the upkeep and protection of these natural treasures. It is an excellent example of how the authorities and research can cooperate successfully on various fronts in the interests of the state,’ stressed Minister of Agriculture and Environment, Dr. Till Backhaus. ‘By creating a professorship for peatland sciences, this branch of research will be supported by a reliable long-term foundation and the academic location Vorpommern shall be strengthened further,’ said Backhaus.
This media release was published by the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture on the 18/12/2018.
Contact
Ministry of Education, Science and Culture Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Werderstraße 124, 19055 Schwerin
Tel.: +49 385 588 7003
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