Paludiculture

Wendelin Wichtmann

Institute for sustainable development of landscapes (DUENE e.V) Greifswald, Federal State Mecklenburg Western Pomerania, Germany Where I come from Partners in the Greifswald Mire Centre (GMC)

• Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University Greifswald  Research Interface between • Michael Succow Foundation Science and  Implementation, Politics refering Nature protection to mires and peatlands • DUENE e.V.  Consultancy, Implemementation Problems of drained peatland utilisation

Potatoes for bioethanol-production? Donaumoos, Bayern Meadow dominated by golden foxtail grass (Alopecurus pratensis)

Production of silage on degraded fen peatland in the Randow-lowland in Brandenburg Foto: Walter Thiel Bild Erle auf Stubben Deeper water levels  more emissions

Jurasinski et al. 2015 N-losses from drained peatlands

Vegetation type sedges wet meadow ext. grassland int. grassland

Medium water table Inputs

fertilzation

Outputs harvest

N-leaching InputInput sum sum Output sum

Assessment peat formation peat losses peat loss and eutrophication Holsten & Trepel 2016 Minimum nutrients release from the catchment area general values from literature

kg/ha N 20 P 0,2 K 30 Mg 10 Wetlands and nutrients removal

Meta Analyse by Land et al. 2016

Mittlerer Nährstoffrückhalt: Stickstoff: 37% (N=38) Phosphor: 46% (N=51)

Lasst die Moore wieder ihren Job machen!

Sink Source New concept  Paludiculture* • Cultivation of biomass on wet and rewetted peatlands  bog: peat moss  fen: Common Reed, Reed Canary Grass, Sedges, Alder, Cattail... • Utilisation of biomass for industry and energy  peat conservation  reducing GHG emissions  replacing fossil resources

*„palus“ – lat.: swamp Paludiculture

• Paludiculture is an innovative alternative to conventional drainage-based peatland agri- and silviculture • Ideally the peatlands should be so wet that peat is conserved and peat accumulation is re-installed. • Paludiculture uses that part of net primary production that is not necessary for peat formation (80-90% of NPP). Paludiculture

• In the temperate, subtropical and tropical zones, peat is generally formed by roots and rhizomes. • Aboveground parts can be harvested without harming peat formation. • Harvesting biomass exports 50 – 100 kg N and 3 – 8 kg P from the site Rewetting and paludiculture

Establishment of a sink for nutrients and pollutants

• Reduction of environmental burden from the whole catchment • Function as „Wetland Buffer Zones“ (kidneys in the landscape) – Sedimentation, reduction, sequestration – Export of nutrients by harvesting biomass – Elimination – Denitrification – Carbon sink Examples for paludiculture Wet meadow with Reed Canary Grass, Segdes and herbs productivity: 2 – 5 t DM/ha*a Polder Seewiese at Lake Kummerow, rewetted ~2000; Foto W. Wichtmann 2016 Coastal peat meadow with Reed and halophytes productivity: 2 – 6 t DM/ha*a Coastal flooded peatland Karrendorfer Wiesen, restored 1994; Foto W. Wichtmann Reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacia), Utilisation: energy (combustion, biogas) productivity: 3.5 – 15 t DM/ha*a Foto: W. Wichtmann Common Reed (Phragmites australis) for construction material, energy productivity: 3 – >25 t DM/ha*a Sedges (Carex spp.), for energy (combustion, biogas) 3 – 12 t DM/ha*a www.kuleuven-kulak.be Cattail (Typha spec.) for construction, insulation, fodder Productivity : 5 - 22 t DM/ha*a Black Alder (Alnus glutinosa) productivity: 3 – 10 t DM/ha*a Ernte Pilot activities and best practice examples

and different aims Bio Energy/heat production Conservation management Ukraine/Romania Germany Austria Poland Germany E Belarus Austria Germany CM Denmark Growing media GM Construction material Water purification Poland WP Research Germany Russia Sweden Italy R Netherlands Denmark  often multi-functional use understood and pursued Germany E Biomass heating plant Malchin

• Fen biomass for local heat supply • Rewetted, mown sites with high biodiversity value Belarus E Wetland Energy project / Lida peat factory

• Replacement of peat by briquettes and pellets from paludiculture Ukraine/Romania E Poltava Oblast and Danube Delta

• Production of pellets from Common Reed • Production of thatch Germany GM Sphagnum farming in Hankhausen

• 2011 Establishing of 4 ha • 2016 Harvest + extension to 13 ha

2016

2011 Poland Bio Biebrza and Chełm marshes

• Protection of Aquatic Warbler habitats on large areas • Development of new machinery and agri- environmental programmes Austria Lake Neusiedel Bio

• Management of biotopes • Nutrient export • Production of energy Germany Bio Water Buffalo grazing in various wetlands • Habitat management • Beef production (usually direct marketing) Sweden CW Constructed wetlands

• Nutrient retention in agriculturally used catchments in the lowlands • Biomass use to produce energy (combustion, biogas) Italy CW Constructed wetlands around Massaciuccoli Lake

• Purification of waters (N, P) • Energy production from biomass Poland CM Rozwarowo Marshes

• Production of thatch (well- established market chains) • High biodiversity values Germany CM Danube valley

• Production of insulation plates from Typha • High market demand for raw material Netherlands R University of Nijmegen

• Research on how to reduce CH4 and P emissions after rewetting (e.g. salinity pulses) • Research on suitable paludiculture plants for NL Denmark R University of Aarhus • Database of Phragmites genotypes • Testing cultivation of paludiculture plants in DK Germany University of Greifswald/Greifswald Mire Centre

R

Global Peatland Database (GPD)  Availability of drained peat soils Database of Paludiculture Plants Guidance on cultivation and use Department of Landscape Economics  Profitability of paludicultures http://www.paludiculture.uni-greifswald.de/en/ Examples show that often several ecosystem services can be achieved by paludiculture

Always: Restoration of degraded peatlands Soil protection Climate protection Protection of waters Production of raw materials Perspectives for regional development

Often: Site-typical biodiversity New peat formation Flood control ….. Summary

• Paludiculture is an accepted system for provision of different ecosystem services in many countries  We do not walk alone  • Paludiculture is a good tool for the reduction/elimination of nutrients from diffuse sources • Large scale implementation of paludiculture can be an important tool for purification of waters on catchment scale RRR 2017 conference http://www.paludiculture.uni-greifswald.de/en/projekte/rrr2017/ Thanks a lot for listening Paludiculture pilot activities and best practice examples

planned operational

Characteristic peat forming plants in different parts of the World

Climatic Dominant peat Dominant peat Dominant zones and formers formers peat forming sections (physiognomy) (taxonomy) plant organs Arctic / Mosses Sphagnaceae, Stems, Boreal/ Hypnales branches, Oceanic leaves Temperate Reeds Poaceae, Rhizomes, / Subtropic Cyperaceae, rootlets Equisetaceae Tropic Trees Angiospermae/ Roots Dicotyledoneae