Public Evening Lecture by Professor Dr. Jürgen Kreyling (University of Greifswald, Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology)
The draining of temperate peatlands has caused multiple problems, such as greenhouse gas emissions, eutrophication, and subsidence due to peat mineralization, as well as the loss of highly specialized biodiversity. Based on data from the Greifswald Mire Center, I will explore the potential of paludiculture—that is, the wet use of peatlands—in addressing the multiple challenges mentioned above. Rewetting effectively curbs carbon losses, but rewetted fens are richer in nutrients and differ in vegetation composition compared to natural fens. Harvesting aboveground plant biomass can effectively reduce competition between plant species and also lower nutrient loads, while belowground production—which leads to peat formation and potential carbon storage—is actually enhanced by high nutrient loads. Paludiculture has the potential to support conservation goals across multiple taxa, such as plants, arthropods, and birds. Drought events are occurring with increasing intensity and frequency due to climate change. However, high rates of decomposition under these conditions are offset by increased root production resulting from an extended belowground growing season. I conclude that paludiculture is a viable management option for rewetted fens that can mitigate multiple environmental challenges such as greenhouse gas emissions, eutrophication, and biodiversity loss.
Jürgen Kreyling is Professor of Experimental Plant Ecology at the University of Greifswald. He is the spokesperson for the DFG Collaborative Research Center WETSCAPES2.0 and a member of the steering committee of the Greifswald Moor Centrum. He investigates how ecosystems respond to global change through experiments conducted at various scales—ranging from controlled laboratory experiments in climate chambers to pot experiments, mesocosm experiments, field experiments, and field observations. His current research focuses on underground plant growth, the role of plant roots in ecosystem functions, phenotypic plasticity and species adaptations, the restoration and use of fens, winter ecology (and climate change in winter), the ecological significance of extreme weather events, and experimental design.
Moderator: Dr. Hasmik Hunanyan
