A5035240399- Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology
- Botany and Plant Ecology Studies
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics
- Avian ecology and behavior
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Environmental Conservation and Management
- Land Use and Ecosystem Services
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Viral gastroenteritis research and epidemiology
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Forest Management and Policy
- Ecology, Conservation, and Geographical Studies
- Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior
- Bryophyte Studies and Records
- Integrated Water Resources Management
- Animal Disease Management and Epidemiology
- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Ecology and biodiversity studies
- Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Studies
- Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management
- Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability
- Vector-Borne Animal Diseases
- Environmental Changes in China
- SARS-CoV-2 detection and testing
Universität Greifswald
2015-2025
Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research
2024
Leipzig University
2021-2023
Universitätsmedizin Greifswald
2020-2023
Institute of Sustainable Development of Landscapes of the Earth
2011-2020
Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Botany
2016
Abstract Peatlands are lands with a peat layer at the surface, containing large proportion of organic carbon. Such cover ≈1 000 km 2 in Europe, which is almost 10% total surface area. In many countries, peatlands have been artificially drained over centuries, leading to not only enormous emissions CO but also soil subsidence, mobilization nutrients, higher flood risks, and loss biodiversity. These problems can largely be solved by stopping drainage rewetting land. Wet do release ,...
Peatlands have been drained for land use a long time and on large scale, turning them from carbon nutrient sinks into respective sources, diminishing water regulation capacity, causing surface height loss destroying biodiversity. Over the last decades, peatlands rewetted biodiversity restoration and, as it strongly decreases greenhouse gas emissions, also climate protection. We quantify success by comparing 320 fen peatland sites to 243 near-natural of similar origin across temperate Europe,...
ABSTRACT Translocations are a conservation measure that is increasingly applied to assist the recovery of animal populations threatened with extinction. Long‐distance migrating passerines, however, have been rarely addressed in translocation projects so far. One such species globally Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola , habitat specialist breeding fen mires Central Europe and wintering sub‐Saharan Africa. The global population has severely declined during last decades due loss. Although...
Based on the ‘European Mires Book’ of International Mire Conservation Group (IMCG), this article provides a composite map national datasets as first comprehensive peatland for whole Europe. We also present estimates extent peatlands and mires in each European country individually entire continent. A minimum peat thickness criterion has not been strictly applied, to allow (often historically determined) country-specific definitions. Our ‘peatland’ concept includes all ‘mires’, which are where...
To meet the challenge of proactive ecosystem-based climate mitigation and adaptation, new sources funding are needed. Peatlands provide most efficient global store terrestrial carbon. Degraded peatlands, however, contribute disproportionally to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with approximately 25% all CO2 emissions from land use sector, while restoration can be cost-effective. Peatland therefore provides a newopportunity for investing in through development carbon markets. Set international...
In spite of the worldwide largest proportional loss mires, Europe is a continent with important mire diversity. This article analyses condition and protection status European ecosystems. The overview based on system regions, representing regional variety ecosystem biodiversity. We combined peatland distribution data land cover maps Copernicus Land Monitoring Service as well World Database Protected Areas to assess extent degraded peatlands proportion located in protected areas each region....
Abstract Peatlands in the European Union are largely drained for agriculture and emit 25% of total agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. Drainage-based peatland use has also negative impacts on water quality, drinking provision biodiversity. Consequently, key EU environmental policy objectives include rewetting all peatlands as an essential nature-based solution. Rewetting can be combined with site-adapted land use, so-called paludiculture. Paludiculture produces biomass from wet rewetted...
Of all terrestrial ecosystems, peatlands store carbon most effectively in long-term scales of millennia. However, many have been drained for peat extraction or agricultural use. This converts from sinks to sources carbon, causing approx. 5% the anthropogenic greenhouse effect and additional negative effects on other ecosystem services. Rewetting can mitigate climate change may be combined with management form paludiculture. Rewetted peatlands, however, do not equal their pristine ancestors...
Ecosystem markets are proliferating around the world in response to increasing demand for climate change mitigation and provision of other public goods. However, this may lead perverse outcomes, example where funding crowds out private investment or different schemes create trade-offs between ecosystem services they each target. The integration could address some these issues but date there have been few attempts do this, is limited understanding either opportunities barriers such...
Paludiculture, the productive use of wet or rewetted peatlands, offers an option for continued land by farmers after rewetting formerly drained while reducing greenhouse gas emissions from peat soils. Biodiversity conservation may benefit, but research on how biodiversity responds to paludiculture is scarce. We conducted a multi-taxon study investigating vegetation, breeding bird and arthropod diversity at six fen sites dominated Carex Typha species. Sites were either unharvested, low-...
Most peatlands and other carbon-rich soils in Germany are drained responsible for 7% of national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Peatlands used agriculture account 43 million tonnes CO2 equivalents per year, or 80% these Rewetting such areas would be an effective strategy to reduce their GHG This does not mean that productive land use has abandoned, as plants grown on rewetted can many purposes, e.g. horticultural substrates, building materials bioplastics. However, the implementation...
To meet climate targets, drained peatlands will need to be rewetted, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural landscapes. However, possibilities for continued productive use of these landscapes are also necessary. A novel concept that has emerged in recent years is peatland photovoltaics (PV) combination with rewetting. Until now, there almost no practical experience PV on rewetted peat soils; our project explores the biodiversity a ‘wet’ site.For...
Abstract Drainage of peatlands causes severe environmental damage, including high greenhouse gas emissions. Peatland rewetting substantially lowers these After rewetting, paludiculture (i.e. agriculture and forestry on wet peatlands) is a promising land use option. In Northeast Germany (291,361 ha peatland) multi-stakeholder discussion process about the implementation took place in 2016/2017. Currently, 57% peatland area used for (7% as arable land, 50% permanent grassland), causing...
Abstract Grasslands are globally distributed and naturally occurring; however, in Europe, most grasslands anthropogenically created or altered by livestock grazing mowing. Low‐intensity use management have led to species‐rich communities European grasslands. The intensification of crop production farming with stabling throughout the year has an abandonment that no longer economically profitable. In this study, we looked at influence grassland on biodiversity. We hypothesized decreases...
The globally threatened Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola is an umbrella species for fen mires and at risk of extinction in its westernmost breeding population due to severe habitat loss. We used boosted regression trees model selection order make recommendations effective management the last remnant habitats. Habitat data were collected years 2004–2006 all remaining sites Pomerania (eastern Germany western Poland) as well recently abandoned sites. Models validated using from similar...
Abstract The EU Nature Restoration Law (NRL) is critical for the restoration of degraded ecosystems and active afforestation peatlands has been suggested as a measure under NRL. Here, we discuss current state scientific evidence on climate mitigation effects forestry. Afforestation drained without restoring their hydrology does not fully restore ecosystem functions. Evidence long-term benefits lacking it unclear whether CO 2 sequestration forest peatland can offset carbon loss from peat over...
In 2011, MoorFutures® were introduced as the first standard for generating credits from peatland rewetting. We developed methodologies to quantify ecosystem services before and after rewetting with a focus on greenhouse gas emissions, water quality, evaporative cooling mire-typical biodiversity. Both premium approaches assess these developed, tested in rewetted polder Kieve (NE-Germany). The are default tier 1 estimation procedures, which require little time few, mainly vegetation data....