NEWSLETTER CONSERVATION GROUP Issue 2011/1, July 2011

INTERNATIONAL MIRE NEWSLETTER CONSERVATION GROUP issue 2011/1, July 2011

The International Mire Conservation Group (IMCG) is an international network of specialists having a particular interest in mire and peatland conservation. The network encompasses a wide spectrum of expertise and interests, from research scientists to consultants, government agency specialists to peatland site managers. It operates largely through e-mail and newsletters, and holds regular workshops and symposia. For more information: consult the IMCG Website: http://www.imcg.net IMCG has a Main Board of currently 15 people from various parts of the world that has to take decisions between congresses. Of these 15 an elected 5 constitute the IMCG Executive Committee that handles day-to-day affairs. The Executive Committee consists of a Chairman (Piet-Louis Grundling), a Secretary General (Hans Joosten), a Treasurer (Francis Müller), and 2 additional members (Ab Grootjans, Rodolfo Iturraspe). Fred Ellery, Seppo Eurola, Lebrecht Jeschke, Richard Lindsay, Viktor Masing (†), Rauno Ruuhijärvi, Hugo Sjörs (†), Michael Steiner, Michael Succow and Tatiana Yurkovskaya have been awarded honorary membership of IMCG.

Editorial This Newsletter comes to you with some delay, for which we apologise. The rising global interest in peatlands has kept us busy. Particularly the UNFCCC negotiations and the development of new IPCC guidelines to address the climate effect of drained and rewetted peatlands in a post-Kyoto framework have kept our agendas filled. Next to our ‘normal’ work, of course – Hans is currently trudging across the Siberian tundra, studying polygon mires. The UNFCCC negotiations are still developing on the peatland front. After the issue of peatland drainage and rewetting was brought to a successful interim-end, the main focus is now on Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) and what it may entail with respect to tropical peatlands. We will report on it all in the next issue of the Newsletter. The voluntary market for carbon mitigation projects in peatlands is gaining shape as well. This Newsletter reports on the launch of the ‘moorfutures’, a regional peatland carbon standard. In this issue you will furthermore find a first (preliminary) programme for next year’s Field Symposium. The 2012 IMCG Field Symposium will take place in the Andes Mountains of Peru, Columbia and Ecuador. High altitude peatlands are fragile, but important ecosystems, playing a key role in water cycling. Next to regulation of global and regional climate, the provision of water is a major ecosystem service offered by mires and peatlands. Besides the upcoming Field Symposium, this Newsletter provides an overview of finances by IMCG’s treasurer Francis Muller and a report by Olivia Bragg on the joint IMCG/IPS scientific journal Mires and Peat. Francis has also sent in a number of articles for our section of Regional News, which again provides a wealth of news items from around the world. Thanks to everyone for providing us with copy, keep it coming. Michael Trepel recently revamped the IMCG Website to make it look nicer and more easily navigable. The new content management will help us and Michael keep you up to date. The next Newsletter will again report on peatlands all over the world in every aspect of conservation and management, including everything that you will send to us. We plan to produce the next Newsletter: in September 2011, so please provide your contributions in time. For information, address changes or other things, contact us at the IMCG Secretariat.

John Couwenberg & Hans Joosten, The IMCG Secretariat Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, Grimmerstr. 88, D-17487 Greifswald (Germany) fax: +49 3834 864114; e-mail: [email protected]

Contents: Editorial ...... 1 A note from the Chair ...... 2 IMCG Field Symposium 2012 in the Andes...... 3 IMCG Finances...... 4 EU Life: restoring flyway habitats for the migrant Aquatic Warbler ...... 5 EU Life: Reconnecting bogs in Europe ...... 6 Mires and Peat: recent milestones and achievements ...... 8 Moorfutures: A new regional carbon standard for peatland rewetting...... 9 Regional News...... 10 New and recent Journals/Newsletters/Books/Reports/Websites...... 19 IMCG Main Board...... 23 UPCOMING EVENTS...... 24

______The IMCG bank acount : IBAN Number : FR76 4255 9000 8341 0200 1467 743; Bic Number (=swift) : CCOPFRPPXXX; Name : IMCG; Beçanson (France)

ISSN 1682-1653 2 IMCG NEWSLETTER

A note from the Chair

Dear fellow members, explored...What more do you need then than to explore these unique wetlands with friends, all I had the privilege of spending time in April and May passionate about théir mires. The IMCG certainly with several of our members in various mires across brings people from across the world together. Soon South Africa. Jan Sliva (from Tsegge/Germany) has we will all meet again in South America!! Read more traveled across South Africa sharing his vision to about the IMCG Field Symposium and general establish a mire research facility with many of us Assembly in 2012!! (read more about these exploits in this edition) Jonathan Price from Canada (not a member yet…..) Networking as colleagues and friends at different visited Althea and myself on our PhD projects in levels of mire conservation is one of the fundamental Maputaland (North eastern South Africa) and what an strengths of our organization. We might not all be experience we had: We were sitting with Jonathan at able to participate in global forums (such as IPCC a waterhole near the Muzi North Mire in Thembe and UNFCCC) (see report from Hans and John Elephant Park where 4 lion, a rhino and some Couwensberg), but can get involved on a local level elephant were interacting with one another. I am where conservation matters. Francis Muller is also waiting, whilst writing this foreword to meet up with emphasising the importance of initiating and Ab Grootjans (from the Netherlands) and his wife supporting regional co-operation in areas where we Baps, to visit some mires in Kruger National Park. have lesser membership. Together with them we discovered at the end of April a calcareous mire in Mapungubwe National Park! We say in Setswana, a local African language: ‘Re batho batee’ – together we are one!! So let’s together It was while sitting at that waterhole in Thembe make a difference in mire conservation. Elephant Park that I realise why I enjoyed mires and the IMCG so much. Hans Joosten once said that Piet-Louis Grundling mires are one of the last frontiers to be South Africa

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IMCG Field Symposium 2012 in the Andes

Whereas not all plans are final, the preparations of - There are two flights involved in the trip: Lima- the IMCG Field Symposium in the Andes are Quito and Quito-Bogotá. The costs of these two becoming more and more concrete. The current plans stretches depend on whether you can include these are to include three Andean countries (Peru, Ecuador, flights in your intercontinental ticket. Colombia) in the trip in order to get a wide overview - All field visits, except Fúquene, will be at altitudes of peatland types and management problems. This of 3500 to 4000 m asl, but overnight will also mean that some transport during the trip will accommodation will be at lower altitudes. happen by airplane because long-distance travel by - We will visit a north-south transect with not only bus is time-consuming and not recommendable. the paramo ecosystem, but also puna wetlands. - We will not only visit protected areas, but also areas with a great deal of intervention and interact with relevant stakeholders and policy makers. - The programme does not involve travelling to Basic information: sensitive/insecure areas in Colombia, nor in the - Timing: July 2012 other countries. - Participants should arrive in Lima (Perú) and leave - More information, including concrete timing and from Bogotá (Colombia) budget, in the next IMCG newsletter.

Very preliminary programme:

Day 1 Arrival of participants in Lima, Peru. Welcome event / start up meeting Day 2 Field visit to wetlands in Central Peruvian highlands. Travel time from Lima 6 hours. Day 3 Continuation of field visit in Central Peruvian highlands. Day 4 Continuation of field visit in Central Peruvian highlands. Travel back to Lima. Day 5 Meeting with stakeholders, especially Lima Water Company and Ministry of Environment (comments on process of legislation for environmental services). Evening: flight Lima-Quito Day 6 Field visit to paramo wetlands in the Eastern Cordillera, Papallacta – Antisana area. A scientific station for paramo monitoring and research is being set up here. Day 7 Field visit to Cotopaxi area Day 8 Stakeholder meeting in Quito: a.o. Quito Water Fund FONAG, Ministry of Environment, Vice- Minister Climate Change Day 9 Flight Quito-Bogota and road travel Bogota-Fúquene (approx 4 hours) Day 10 Field visit Fúquene area Day 11 Further field visits Day 12 Field visit Chingaza National Park Day 13 Scientific symposium in Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá Day 14 Scientific symposium in Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá / IMCG General Assembly Day 15 Participants leave from Bogotá, Colombia

Please fill out the IMCG membership registration form.

Surf to http://www.imcg.net or contact the secretariat.

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IMCG Finances by Francis Muller, treasurer

This article is a follow-up to the article on page 3 of organisation of general interest is tax deductable for IMCG Newsletter 2010-1, in which I explained why you. we need money for IMCG. The reasons remain the Alternatively, projects can be prepared and funding same today: sought by IMCG as a group, using our contacts with - to try and expand the Group’s activities outside governments, foundations, charities or universities. Europe, and especially to countries where mires Of course this requires voluntary input in seeking out have yet to be taken into adequate consideration. funds and preparing applications. This action generates costs that cannot always or all In light of the increase of IMCG actions around the be supported by the people who represent IMCG; globe, we should set up permanent commissions in - to help and increase knowledge and public each continent or subcontinent. Each of these awareness and support restoration actions of mires commissions would define regional actions and raise in countries where local correspondents cannot its own funds to realize them. Such a more regional fulfil these tasks alone; approach would enable contacts between members to - to provide assistance and expertise… remain more constant between the biennial meetings. Moreover, the impact of a biennial meeting can be During the 2010 General Assembly in Poland, we much enhanced when a regional network is in place once again decided that IMCG membership would to carry not only the organisation of the event, but – be free; this to make this membership affordable to possibly more importantly – keep the spirit alive anyone, and also to avoid having to collect small when all the foreign attention has left. We have seen amounts of money in numerous currencies. Yet the this happen in recent years in South Africa + issue of donations was raised again. At present, Lesotho, Tierra del Fuego and Georgia. IMCG has €10,497 in its account, which hardly enables us to be very reactive if projects appear. IMCG’s Main Board remains open to all your For each donation made to IMCG, I will send you a suggestions. Please make your donations to the receipt. This receipt is worded according to French IMCG bank account at Crédit Coopératif: regulations (IMCG is registered under the French IBAN : FR76 4255 9000 8341 0200 1467 743 law) and makes the donation tax deductable for BIC (= SWIFT) : CCOPFRPPXXX French citizens. Please inquire with your tax office in Name : IMCG, Crédit Coopératif Besançon, France. how far a donation to a ‘French’ non-profit

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EU Life: restoring flyway habitats for the migrant Aquatic Warbler

The aquatic warbler (Acrocephalus paludicola) is by aquatic warbler in Brittany’ (LIFE04 far Europe’s rarest warbler. It breeds in central and NAT/FR/000086), targeted resting and feeding areas, eastern Europe (Poland, Hungary, Germany, the while the project ‘Conserving Acrocephalus Baltic States, Ukraine and Belarus) and has an paludicola’ (LIFE05 NAT/PL/000101) in Poland and estimated population of 15,000 pairs. Germany targeted breeding sites. This small passerine bird is found in Specifically, the Spanish and French projects aim to wetlands with sedge and similarly maintain or rehabilitate the ecological functions structured marshy habitats. Drainage of essential for the aquatic warbler. Actions aimed to: such wetlands and destruction of the improve knowledge of the migratory stopover sites habitat has meant that the species has and the role of their habitats for the species (using declined by 40% in the last 10 years. It radio tracking and other techniques); restore and became extinct in western Europe in manage the wetlands habitats (by clearing and the 20th Century and has declined maintaining ditches); implement management plans dramatically in central Europe. As a for the most important stopover sites; and share result, the aquatic warbler is the only results with interested parties. globally threatened passerine bird The main Polish and German project actions involve found in mainland Europe. At the raising awareness among local authorities, local European level, the bird is classified by communities and key stakeholders of the need for IUCN as endangered and is included in conservation of the warbler, in particular its specific Annex I of the Birds Directive. habitat requirements. The project also improved the For many years, its wintering grounds warbler habitat in Pomerania and Biebrza and were unknown, but recently it was enlarged its habitat. Finally, it will identify replicable discovered that the bird’s European population financial and legal mechanisms for ensuring the long- spends its winters in Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary term sustainable management of the warbler in in Senegal –between 5,000 and 10,000 birds visit this Germany and Poland. The project will create 1 500 single site. Aquatic warblers have been recorded in ha of potential habitat in Pomerania and Biebrza and 13 European countries on their migration path. Birds implement restoration actions on another 1 500 ha from Poland and eastern Germany migrate in a with the aim of increasing the population of aquatic westerly direction along the Baltic coast in Poland warbler by 15%. Measures to be implemented include and eastern Germany, then along the North Sea coast hydrological management, removal of shrubs and of western Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and overgrowth from wet meadows and mires, initiation sometimes England, before heading south along the of extensive grazing and appropriate mowing of French and Iberian Atlantic coast. aquatic warbler habitats. Furthermore, the main stopover and feeding areas Together these LIFE projects actions along the during the post-breeding migration are in north- migration route of the aquatic warbler will help to western France, along the Channel coast and further ensure the conservation of the species. Moreover, the down the Iberian Peninsula. These regions are projects have established a platform for knowledge- characterised by a string of coastal marshes and sharing and co-ordinated conservation efforts wetlands that are currently suffering from inadequate throughout the flyways. Nevertheless, full management, degradation of hydrological conditions, conservation of the entire route entails protecting natural filling-up, water pollution and man-made wintering sites outside of the EU (e.g. Senegal) by changes. These factors have led to a decline in their enforcing the international agreements under AEWA. ecological value as feeding and resting habitats for the aquatic warbler during its migration. Reprinted with permission from “LIFE building up LIFE has co-funded three projects that focus on the Europe’s green infrastructure: Addressing connectivity and stopover sites of the species along its migration route. enhancing ecosystem functions”. Projects in Spain, ‘Conservation of the aquatic http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/publications/lifepublic ations/lifefocus/documents/green_infra.pdf warbler in the ZEPA, La Nava-Campos’ (LIFE02 NAT/E/008616), and France, ‘Conservation of the

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EU Life: Reconnecting bogs in Europe

A significant number of LIFE Nature projects have elements. As a result of drainage, widespread spruce focused on the restoration of Europe’s bogs. As well plantation and the abandonment of traditional as restoring important services provided by these extensive agricultural, this area of heaths, fens and ecosystems, such as water retention and CO2 intake, bogs has been reduced from some 20 000 ha at the LIFE co-funding has also helped to increase the bogs’ end of the 18th century to just 5 000 ha today, much resilience. of which is in a degraded state. Since 2002, a total of seven LIFE Nature projects dedicated to bogs and wetland habitats have taken place in Belgium (two for species, four for peat restoration and one on a military site in the Ardennes). While these projects have been carried out by a range of beneficiaries, they have had certain common goals: - To stop threats to existing sites; - To restore these sites and extend their borders; and - To increase connectivity by restoring new sites. When all seven LIFE projects are completed, more than 4 000 ha will have been restored and 1 500 ha will be classified as nature reserves. Four of the seven Belgian projects have taken a highly integrated approach to restoration of bog habitats, with major benefits for species. The LIFE Croix Scaille project (LIFE05 NAT/B/000087), which ran from January 2006 to the end of 2009, targeted the Croix Scaille plateau in southern Belgium (containing the following habitats: bog woodland; Nardus grasslands and Tilio-Acerion; and alluvial forests). Extensive conifer plantation has LIFE restored open landscapes and enhanced connectivity caused the destruction and fragmentation of these between fragmented bog habitats in Belgium semi-natural habitats. In particular, the bogs are threatened by spontaneous reforestation and invasion The aim of the LIFE project, ‘Rehabilitation of heath by purple moorgrass (Molinia caerulea). and mires on the Hautes-Fagnes plateau’ The project focused on the removal of 160 ha of (LIFE06/NAT/B/000091), which runs from January exotic conifer plantations from three Natura 2000 2007 until December 2011, is to restore some 1 800 sites. The overall objective was to improve the ha of endangered peaty and wet habitats on a 9 724 quality of the two river valleys of the Croix Scaille ha working zone in six Natura 2000 sites. Targeted plateau by restoring open landscapes and enhancing habitat types include peat moss (Sphagnum) and connectivity between fragmented habitats. birch woods, raised bogs, damaged or inactive bogs, Thanks to the extensive work of the beneficiary, wet heathlands, transition mires, wet open acid peat Réserves Naturelles-RNOB, and its project partners, with white beak-sedge (Rhynchospora alba), old an area of 170 ha was cleared of conifers (60 ha from acidophilous oak woodlands on sandy plains, as well the peat zones on the plateau and 110 ha along the as dry heathlands, mat-grass swards, mountain hay river valleys leading from the plateau). The project meadows, rivular alder woods, and tall-herb team also restored some 85 ha of river valley habitats communities of humid meadows or watercourse (low marsh, alluvial meadows, etc.) and 44 ha of peat fringes. bogs by blocking drains and digging hundreds of In addition to clearing trees from 400 ha, purchasing ponds. 100 ha of forest for habitat restoration and To maintain and develop the achievements of the negotiating with forest owners to turn 630 ha of Croix Scaille project, a long-term management plan plantation forests over to nature conservation, the has been prepared. The plan proposes four kinds of project seeks to guarantee the sustainable actions, depending on the particular site and habitat: conservation of the open landscapes and related - Maintenance by mowing; habitats through the introduction of extensive grazing - Maintenance by grazing; via agreements with farmers. - Maintenance by coppicing; and An important feature of the two LIFE Nature projects - Total non-intervention (re-wilding). outlined above, and the other Belgian projects targeting wet habitats, is that they have focused on rehabilitation of heath and mires existing core natural areas (e.g. mires and heathlands) The ‘high fens’ of eastern Wallonia are a region of and areas with a good conservation status. These great ecological value with outstanding flora and areas can act as sources (donors) of species and fauna that preserve boreo-montane and oceanic habitats for surrounding areas, which have the IMCG NEWSLETTER 7 potential for recovery, and connect with other core In Germany, the ‘Rosenheim Master Basin Bogs’ areas. This increases connectivity, improves project (LIFE05 NAT/D/000053) took steps not only landscape permeability and creates many new to restore 444 ha of raised bogs, but also, crucially, to possibilities for the exchange of individuals and improve the hydrological situation of adjacent fen- genes, even over short distances. meadow habitats through closure of drainage ditches. By maintaining the natural dynamics of rivers and enhancing connectivity and resilience across Europe streams in the project area, it is hoped that the long- LIFE support for restoration of bogs, fens and mires term hydrology of the bogs and fens will be is not limited to Belgium, however. In the UK, for improved. example, the projects ‘Restoring active blanket bog Such restoration of bogs, fens and mires projects of European importance in North Scotland’ (LIFE00 improved the conservation status of the targeted NAT/UK/007075) and ‘Restoration of Scottish raised habitats. As a result, the projects were able to bogs’ (LIFE00 NAT/UK/007078) are also reconnect bog habitats in a spatial coherent way and noteworthy. The former, in addition to enlarging an increase the permeability of the landscape, not only area of restored blanket bog – benefiting more than to species movements, but also to water flow and 16 600 ha of peatland through the removal of dynamics between the restored bogs. This was done commercial forestry and blocking of drains – devised mainly by eliminating overgrowth and commercial the Peatlands of Caithness & Sutherland Management forests that broke up the bogs landscape, and by Strategy 2005-2015, a long-term land use strategy for regulating and raising the water levels of the bogs (by the sustainable management of the SAC/SPA in co- blocking the drainage). Moreover, the projects operation with the principal stakeholders improved some bogs’ ecosystem functions, such as (landowners, conservation NGOs, the forestry ground water retention and gas intake (CO2) and authorities and the statutory conservation agency). A retention (methane), as well its aesthetic value. All of Peatlands Partnership is continuing to promote these projects have helped to enhance the sustainable economic development and an conservation status of the bog habitats and species, appropriate balance between woodlands and improve intake of gas as a mitigation measure against peatlands. The second Scottish LIFE project again climate change, and increase resilience to climate used a partnership approach to restore 1 256 ha of change of these important habitats. active raised bog across 11 sites to a favourable condition, as well as increasing an area of raised bog Reprinted with permission from “LIFE building up by 315 ha through the clearance of trees, shrubs and Europe’s green infrastructure: Addressing connectivity and heather. enhancing ecosystem functions”. http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/publications/lifepublic ations/lifefocus/documents/green_infra.pdf

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Mires and Peat: recent milestones and achievements

Mires and Peat - the IMCG-IPS open-access peer- “Calculating carbon budgets of wind farms on reviewed internet journal – has now entered its sixth Scottish peatlands” from Dali Rani Nayak and year. Volume 8 opened on 01 January 2011 and so colleagues at Aberdeen University. This article has far contains just two articles, both of which are well now been pleasingly complemented by Todd Mitchell worth reading. The first is a new analysis of long- and colleagues (Edinburgh University), who carried term carbon and mass balance at the Åkhult Mire out an independently conceived calculation of CO2 (south Sweden) from Nils Malmer and colleagues, payback time for a hypothetical wind farm and the second encapsulates the pressing case for installation at their long-term research site on improvement of greenhouse gas emission factors for afforested shallow peatland in northern England. managed peat soils that John Couwenberg has just The primary purpose of Mires and Peat is to publish presented to the IPCC in Geneva (see elsewhere in high-quality research and review articles on all this newsletter). aspects of peatland science, technology and wise use, Last year saw some significant milestones and plus occasional book reviews in this subject area. achievements for Mires and Peat. First, the 100th Since the journal first went online, 61 articles (740 manuscript submitted since the journal began was pages) have been published; the shortest turnaround published as Article 6.07, squeezing into the main interval from manuscript submission to publication is volume for 2010 just before it closed in December. 44 days; and the rejection rate is around 30 %. The The author list features Ab Grootjans and both journal is currently ‘read’ by around 6,500 visitors to Grundlings, along with colleagues from South Africa our website each month, and the enduring most- and Canada. It is illustrated with Grootjans hallmark popular Article 1.01 has been downloaded more than ‘conceptual model’ diagrams, which are used to help 6,000 times. Mires and Peat is indexed by CSA, determine whether thermal mires that have developed CABI and EBSCO, and our first evaluation for around hot-water springs in Kruger National Park Thomson Reuters Web of Science is ongoing. (South Africa) are threatened by the large game Mires and Peat is produced with the help of a core animals that visit the site to drink. Perhaps editorial team of ‘volunteers’ comprising Professors disappointingly, there are no elephant, rhinoceros or Jack Rieley (Deputy Editor) and Dicky Clymo buffalo in the photographs. (Assistant Editor), Drs Richard Payne (Assistant Although 2010 began quietly enough with Editor) and Michael Trepel (Website Administrator), publication of another article from Ab Grootjans and Derrick Lai (Assistant Editor - book reviews and explaining the ecohydrology of sites visited during page layouts) supported by 24 Associate Editors the memorable IMCG field symposium in Tierra del representing most continents of the world, occasional Fuego, it did not stay that way. On 01 June we Guest Editors, and many reviewers who often opened Special Volume 7 (2010/11), Review of contribute anonymously. All of these inputs, along Protocols in Peat Palaeoenvironmental Studies, with the continuing support of the IMCG and IPS which is guest-edited by François De Vleeschouwer, Secretariats and the vital contributions of our authors, Paul Hughes, Jonathan Nichols and Frank Chambers. are most gratefully acknowledged. I am always happy The aim of this volume is to establish standard to hear from any new volunteers for active editorial procedures for the derivation of proxy roles such as journal promotion and, especially, palaeoenvironmental evidence from the peat archive. English language editing. But in any case, please It already contains nine articles written by leading continue to consider publishing some of your papers specialists and further contributions on radiocarbon in Mires and Peat, and to cite our articles in any dating, diatoms, pollen and non-pollen manuscripts that are destined for other academic palynomorphs, stable isotopes and biomarkers are journals. To find Mires and Peat, go to planned. The year also saw the completion of Special http://www.mires-and-peat.net/mpj3.html and Volume 4 (2008–2010), Wind Farms on Peatland, browse! after a long wait for finalisation of the contribution Olivia Bragg

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Moorfutures: A new regional carbon standard for peatland rewetting

On 2 March 2011, the Minister of Agriculture and perpetually and/or the rewetted status will be legally Environment of the German federal state of prescribed in the cadastre in order to guarantee Mecklenburg–Western-Pomerania presented permanence. Land acquisition will be coordinated by ‘MoorFutures’, a new investment instrument for the Landgesellschaft Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. climate and nature conservation. Mecklenburg– This team, Ministry, University, Foundation and Western-Pomerania is with 300,000 ha of peatlands Landgesellschaft can look back to over a decade of the German state with most peatlands. Most of these experience in peatland rewetting. peatlands have been drained, largely for agriculture, The first project to be financed with MoorFutures is and currently these peatlands emit an equivalent of the 50 ha large Polder Kieve in the Müritz region. Its 6.2 Megatons CO2. This makes peatlands to the rewetting will cost around 500,000 Euro. Over a single largest source of CO2 in the state followed on a project period of 50 years the project will avoid some distance by public electricity and heating with some 4 15,000 tons of CO2 equivalents, leading to avoidance Megatons. costs of around 35 € per ton. Since the 1990s, climate change mitigation and Peatland rewetting is not only interesting from a peatland conservation are seen in Mecklenburg– climate point of view. Pristine and rewetted peatlands Western-Pomerania as a joint endeavour. Already the are important habitats for threatened species. In this first climate strategy of the state, published in 1997, way climate policy can be coupled to biodiversity mentioned peatland rewetting as a typical climate conservation. Intact peatlands furthermore function as mitigation option. The interrelations between climate sinks of nitrogen, purifying the water. In addition and nature conservation policy further materialized in they may buffer weather extremes and cool the the Concept for Conservation and Utilisation of regional climate by evaporation cooling. Especially Peatlands (2009). The concept presented a practical the importance of the latter services will grow with and cheap monitoring approach (the GEST-approach, changing climate. Mecklenburg–Western-Pomerania Couwenberg et al. 2011) that enables to estimate has now started also to quantify and monetize these greenhouse gas fluxes from peatlands using services that can be seen as an ‘add-on’ to the vegetation as an indicator. MoorFutures. This approach allowed to quantify emissions MoorFutures is a specific regional standard that reductions and to offer regional carbon credits, the allows companies to invest in rewetting sites in their MoorFutures, on the voluntary market. own region, thus allowing the investments to be For the generation of these credits the Ministery in reached and enjoyed easily. collaboration with Greifswald University defined More information: Thorsten Permien: scientifically sound and transparent criteria that are [email protected] based on the criteria of the Verified Carbon Standard (www.v-c-s.org) and the Kyoto-Protocol. Ministry Couwenberg J, Thiele A, Tanneberger F, Augustin J, and University guarantee the high quality of the Bärisch S, Dubovik D, Liashchynskaya N, Michaelis D, MoorFutures standard. Minke M, Skuratovich A & Joosten H. (2011). Assessing After rewetting, the property of the sites will be greenhouse gas emissions from peatlands using vegetation as a proxy. Hydrobiologia. DOI: 10.1007/s10750-011- transferred to a dedicated foundation (Stiftung für 0729-x Umwelt und Natur) that will manage the sites

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Regional News

News from France the Ramsar network, developing international co- New National Wetlands Action Plan operation.

In 1995, after more than half of the surface of mires Some other measures relate to wetlands in general: had disappeared during the five previous decades, the protecting wetlands of urban areas, reinforcing French government decided to implement an Action Medwet actions (initiative for wetlands in the Plan for Wetlands (PNAZH). The plan aims mainly Mediterranean basin). A special focus lies on French to stop wetland loss and associated degradation. A Overseas Territories, including some ‘hotspots’ of recent assessment showed limited results, however. biodiversity. So, it was decided to launch a new action plan. What A working group, composed of people involved in are the measures proposed and how would they affect wetlands (from, for example, NGOs, farmer mires? organizations, administrations, water agencies, etc…) The plan aims: regularly meets to implement these actions. Although - to develop sustainable agricultural practices in the budget is limited and some conflicts may appear, wetlands. Several semi-natural fens are grazed the goal is to resolve issues (e.g., drainage, water with low intensity. A decline in these practices (or, catchments) and coordinate sustainable management in contrast, an intensification of grazing, as it of wetlands. appears in the Pyrenees – see our presentation for the IMCG conference in Finland in 2006) would The framework of French protected mires, including Ramsar sites increase degradation; - to include measures favourable to wetlands not Mires in France were badly damaged during the last only in the policies of the Ministry of Ecology but centuries. More than 100,000 hectares of peatland also in those of other ministries and remain in mainland France; most of them have administrations; suffered considerable change from their original - to support mobilization of specialists in order to condition. Many of the most valuable peatlands are restore and manage wetlands, developing the being designated as protected areas, but legal networks and knowledge of these specialists; protection alone will not be sufficient for long term - to enforce the knowledge of wetlands, i.e. by viability as often active management is required. better understanding of the goods and services France has until now designated 36 Ramsar sites, they provide and the effect global change may after ratifying the Convention on wetlands in 1986. have on them, and by refining the monitoring of a Until recently, few sites were adequately protected in selection of wetlands in order to judge the effects terms of management plans and targeted actions. of protection (10 mire areas have newly been Things have begun to change: not only were new added to this selection). Wetland data should be sites approved but also a charter of Ramsar sites is better organized and available; being prepared, and site managers have started to - to make French wetlands more widely known on meet regularly. an international level, improving the inclusion in Several Ramsar sites include significant areas of mires; see map below:

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On mainland France, Ramsar sites that include mires are: - Marais audomarois (region Nord-Pas-de-Calais) - Marais du Cotentin et du Bessin (region Lower Normandy) - Grande Brière (region Pays-de-la-Loire) - Bassin du Drugeon (region Franche-Comté) - Impluvium d’Evian (region Rhône-Alpes) - Lac du Bourget et marais de Chautagne (region Rhône-Alpes)

The percolation mire of Bagliettu, Moltifao, Corsica. Photo F. Muller, 2010

The nine National Parks (PN) of France include few wetlands and even fewer mires, except for Cévennes PN. A proposed new forest PN between Burgundy The fens of Chautagne, Rhône-Alpes, photo F. Muller, 2006 and Champagne will include interesting tufa formations. A Wetlands PN is also planned, but the In French Overseas Territories, mires are found in three projects presented (none including significant the Ramsar sites of: mire areas) have faced significant local opposition. - Guyane (Guiana) at ‘Marais de Kaw’, and may also Several National Nature Reserves (RNN) include be in the other sites mires, both fens and bogs and are protected and - TAAF (French Southern and Antarctic Territories): managed by the network of French Conservancies the vast nature reserve includes mires especially in federated by FCEN. They are complemented by the crater of former volcano on Amsterdam Island, Regional Nature Reserves (RNR), like the one in south-western Indian Ocean, that has been protecting the relatively large mires area of Frasne, in studied by the former chair of IMCG, Jennie Franche-Comté. But the political dynamics are very Whinam. different from one region to the other.

RNN of Lac Luitel, near Grenoble, Rhône-Alpes, the first official French Nature Reserve, celebrates its 50th The mires on Ile Amsterdam, TAAF, South-western Indian anniversary in 2011. Photo F. Muller, April 2011 Ocean, photo J. Whinam Of course, as mires are important within the Habitats New sites may be added to the Ramsar network, like Fauna Flora Directive of the European Union, many original Mediterranean mires on Corsica, near the sites have been designated in this framework, village of Moltifao. contributing to the Natura 2000 network. Some 12 IMCG NEWSLETTER

actions have already been implemented, despite - the completion of studies, like one in the region limited budgets, local opposition, or inadequate Franche-Comté, on how to make field sites accessible inclusion of mire types, e.g., acidic fens. to the public without damaging the mires. - the support of regional projects, like in the Alps News from the French Mire Resource Centre and in the Paris Basin. Following the recent creation

The French Mire Resource Centre was created in of a Conservancy in French Guiana, we met with 2002 under the first PNAZH, along with similar colleagues from Guiana to scope the mires between centres for three other types of wetlands (Inland the coastline and the large forests to arrive at a peatless marshes and ponds, Mediterranean lagoons, protection plan for these sites. Atlantic coastal swamps). Still being operated by the Federation of French Conservancies of Natural Areas (Fédération des Conservatoires d’espaces naturels - FCEN), with a team of 4 persons, the “Pole-relais tourbières” is now in its second phase. Funds from the State were cut by half, obliging us to find new resources on a regional level or through different programmes. Nevertheless, several actions were implemented during the past few years: - an international conference on “The use of peat in horticulture and the restoration of mires” in Jura in 2007, in which several IMCG members took part (www.pole-tourbieres.org/ Actes_Colloque.htm) - a number of meetings and conferences involving partners and focusing on mires on a regional level. Two of the meetings were cross-border conferences, concerning the mires of Vosges and the Black Forest Meeting in Grenoble, Rhône-Alpes, about how to limit the (with Germany: www.pole-tourbieres.org/ negative effects of winter sport resorts and tracks, on mires Bitche.htm), and the mires of the Pyrenees (with and other wetlands. Photo F. Muller, 2008 Spain: www.pole-tourbieres.org/pau.htm). In 2011, we will have meetings and share experiences with our Belgian colleagues who run large restoration programmes on their mires, especially in the Hautes- Fagnes area (old.biodiversite.wallonie.be/ Publications and exhibitions offh/lifeplthautesfagnes). - the operation of our documentation centre located Other goals of Pôle-relais tourbières are to enhance in Besançon, which makes wetland references and the public awareness for mires and to give mire reports available to the public and includes a national managers tools and information. portal website on mires in collaboration with the Concerning the first objective, a series of 4 to 6 page Wetlands database run by the National Board of flyers were produced aimed at different professions Water and Aquatic Habitats (ONEMA). or activities, highlighting how to support mires, or at least avoid or mitigate damage! These pamphlets were aimed at farmers, mayors, foresters, ski resort managers, fishermen, hunters, holiday monitors and teachers, and even soldiers on manoeuvre! A project is currently underway at Pôle-relais tourbières, to edit a manual for companies working on wetlands, to provide good practice guidance for these fragile habitats. We are also preparing, with the Science Pavilion of Montbéliard, an exhibition on mires. The exhibition will be aiming at a young public and highlight what we can be learnt and discovered in these habitats. The exhibition will be released nationwide after its inauguration in Besançon at the end of this year. Two of the publications for site managers we edited deserve particular mention: one focuses on management of floodplain fens and marshes, and the other on mountain mires and their management The documentation centre of « pôle-relais tourbières » in (http://www.pole-tourbieres.org/publications.htm). Besançon, Franche-Comté. Photo F. Muller, 2009

IMCG NEWSLETTER 13

Scientific research in French mires and they learnt an enormous amount about peatlands

There are many scientific research programmes on and peatland processes. South Africans are very French mires currently being undertaken by appreciative of the interest shown by Mire Specialists universities and research institutes, like the in our systems, and hope that friendships and Universities of Franche-Comté, Orléans, Rennes, St- collaborative links continue to strengthen and grow. Etienne and Lausanne in Switzerland… Some of the research programmes include:

- the ‘Peatwarm’ programme, aiming to understand the behaviour of mires subjected to climate change. Measuring stations have been established on mire sites, using ‘Open Top Chambers’ that increase the temperature under their open domes. Several French mires, all over the country, are now equipped with meteorological and hydrological stations (http://peatwarm.cnrs-orleans.fr/accueil/ home2.html). - the ‘μPOL-AIR’ programme, using Sphagnum bogs to quantify long distance deposition caused by air pollution.

A measuring station of the ‘Peatwarm’ programme, in Frasne, Franche-Comté. Photo F. Muller, 2009

All French news provided by Francis Muller ______

News from South Africa: Peatlands of the Western Cape

Nancy Job and Debra Bekker conducted their first field trip to the Goukou Wetlands in the Western Cape, as part of their research for their Masters Degrees being done in collaboration with Fred Ellery at Rhodes University. The research aims to discover the factors contributing to the formation and degradation of this spectacular peatland, which is dominated by Prionium serratum (“palmiet”), a single genus in the family Prioniaceae. Palmiet is a robust perennial plant that is somewhat palm like and forms dense strongly-rooted stands up to 2 m tall and

with woody stems up to 10 cm diameter. The Goukou Wetland, situated north and east of the The group of researchers was extremely fortunate to town of Riversdale, is singularly spectacular in its briefly host Jan Sliva on the first 3 days of the trip, extent (tens of km long and up to 1 km wide) and 14 IMCG NEWSLETTER depth of peat (typically 6-8 m of peat overlying beds representatives from ASEAN countries participating of cobble and boulder that indicate high-energy in the Training. fluvial environments typical of streams of the Cape The objective of the TOT session is to build the Fold Mountain Belt). Sections of the wetland are in a capacity of senior technical personnel from Southeast pristine state, while sections – especially in tributary Asian countries in sustainable peatland management streams – are alarmingly damaged by gully erosion to and conservation, focusing on the area of peatland bedrock. In these damaged tributary streams, gully assessment and management. Modules of the training walls are up to 8 m high, made of peat and ash, and programme include 1) Introduction to Peat, 2) Values reduced to streams that flow on beds of quartzite of Peatlands, 3) Threats to Peatlands and cobble and boulder. In many sections, erosion has Consequences of Disturbance, 4) Management of removed the armour of rock and the stream flows Peat and, 5) Training on Peat Assessment. Besides directly on bedrock. Huge rafts of peat have broken classroom lectures, participants were also assigned off the side walls and litter the valley floor, some into various groups for the field assessment with dimensions of 2 m x 2 m x 2 m. Fred Ellery has component, and to prepare a field assessment report. described this as a national disaster, but the scale of David Lee the problem is daunting and the cost of rehabilitation excessive given the massive size of the gullies and Local community in Indonesia requests end the energy of the streams. to REDD+ funding from Australia

It is hard to believe, given the high energy of the Local communities are becoming increasingly vocal streams flowing from the mountains upstream, that in their opposition to REDD+ (Reducing Emissions peat forms in this environment. Research is clearly for Deforestation and forest Degradation). In showing that palmiet plays a major role in taking Indonesia a local NGO, Yayasan Petak Danum hold of streams and converting them to peatlands that (YPD), has written to the Australian Government to are nothing short of spectacular. voice the objections of local communities against a Nancy and Debra hope to shed light on why these REDD+ Pilot program in Kalimantan. They have peatlands form and why they degrade, so that asked that the Australian Government withhold rehabilitation, when it does happen, can be in funding for the project until their concerns are harmony with natural processes and lead to the long addressed. term security of these amazing valley-bottom The REDD+ pilot program is part of the Kalimantan peatlands that are an important part of our natural Forests and Climate Partnership (KFCP), signed by heritage. the governments of Australia and Indonesia in 2007. Text: Fred Ellery Australia has committed $30 million to the Photographs: Nancy Job partnership. But local communities have raised a ______number of concerns with the REDD+ project: bias in reporting of the project progress; lack of recognition for customary rights; inadequate inclusion of News from Southeast Asia: community input in the project and activity design; Training on peatland assessment and absence of effective community consultation and management engagement; poor understanding of REDD policy; The ‘Training Program on Peatland Assessment and and failing confidence in the international NGOs Management – Regional Training of Trainers (TOT) contracted to implement the pilot project. was held in Kuala Selangor, 22-26 February 2011. More than 40 participants representing 9 countries in The carbon cost of peatland conversion Southeast Asia participated in this training. The A research group around the ecologist Lian Pin Koh Training Programme was organised by the ASEAN investigated carbon emissions due to peatland Secretariat and the Global Environment Centre in conversion into oil-palm plantations in Southeast partnership with the Forestry Department Peninsular Asia. They tried systematically to assign a value to Malaysia, and the Selangor Forestry Department. It the loss of carbon by peatland destruction. The was held as part of the regional capacity building clearance of about 6% of all peat-swamp forest in the activities to support the implementation of the area of Peninsular Malaysia and the two islands ASEAN Peatland Management Strategy (2006-2020) Borneo and Sumatra of Indonesia caused a release of under the IFAD-GEF funded ASEAN Peatland CO2 equivalent to the amount released by the entire Forests Project (APFP). The training was also jointly UK transport sector in one year. supported by the European Commission under Further calculations refer to a recent study according SEApeat project. In conjunction with this Training, to which over a period of the first 25 years after the the European Commission Ambassador H.E. Mr conversion of peat-swamp forest into oil-palm Vincent Piket launched the EC funded SEApeat plantations, every year 60 t of CO2 per hectare are project in the presence of the Director General of the released. Since 90% of the oil-palm plantations of Forestry Department Peninsular Malaysia, the Southeast Asia were developed on non-peat soil until Director of Global Environment centre, and all the the early 2000s, up till then the conversion of former vegetation into oil-palm plantations is responsible for IMCG NEWSLETTER 15 a total release of 140 million t of carbon from above derived from peat. Peat Resources Limited is active ground biomass and an additional release of 4.6 in Newfoundland and Ontario and holds rights to million t of carbon from below ground peat. In recent large peatland properties in both provinces. The years this picture has changed dramatically, as more company has designed an “environmentally and more oil palm plantation are on peat soil. acceptable” extraction and processing system to Accounting for endemic species in peat-swamp supply peat fuel to utilities and other industrial forests the study uses a ‘species extinction calculator’ facilities for heat and power generation, and has model to examine effects of land-use change on established a small-scale peat fuel processing facility wildlife, finding that the conversion into oil-palm in Stephenville (Newfoundland). Based in Nova plantations had put four bird species at risk of Scotia, BioEnergy Inc. is developing new extinction in Borneo, 16 species at risk in Sumatra technologies for the manufacture of specialized and 46 in Peninsular Malaysia. “biomass” products, derived from peat and other Because of a lack of remote-sensing images only materials, for energy generation, water purification, older plantations and plantations bigger than 200 gas purification and other applications. hectares could be considered in the study. Yet For more information: www.peatresources.com and because of its large geographical focus, the study www.bioenergy.ca. remains valuable. ______Source: nature.com

Indonesia names two new Ramsar sites News from the USA: The Government of Indonesia has designated two Whooping cranes additional Wetlands of International Importance, In February 2011, the Louisiana Department of Rawa Aopa Watumohai and Sembilang National Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) started an attempt to Parks, bringing the country's Ramsar Sites total to release a small flock of whooping cranes (Grus five sites covering 964,600 hectares. americana) in a protected wetland. Due to habitat Rawa Aopa Watumohai National Park, located in the loss and hunting the wild population had decreased to Province of South East Sulawesi consists of only 21 individuals in 1941. Since 1975 three mangroves, savannah, peat swamps, lowland tropical attempts to reintroduce captive-bred birds were rain forests and sub-montane forests. undertaken but were not as successful as hoped. Swamps within the national park (particularly Aopa This time it is the first reintroduction site with Peat Swamp) are important regulators of water. They historically documented nesting data. The 10 birds act as a reservoir for freshwater, while run-off were brought to the White Lake Wetlands habitats help to control water discharge. Aopa Conservation Area in Vermilion Parish, southwestern Swamp is the only representative peatswamp wetland Louisiana. In this area the cranes were absent for 60 in Sulawesi. Threats to the site include illegal years but the habitat is still likely to be right. logging, poaching of waterbirds and collection of Whooping cranes breed in prairie wetlands and hence eggs. A section of the Aopa Swamp is being drained also in mires. Coastal Louisiana is a giant wetland to direct water into surrounding agricultural areas. with different wetland types. The southwestern part Sembilang National Park in South Sumatra Province itself has more than 5000km² of marshes and open supports a unique estuarine environment which has water supporting a rich variety of bird species. the largest mangrove formation in East Sumatra, Source: nature.com along the western part of Indonesia. The site also ______supports coastal forest, lowland tropical forests, swamps, and peatlands. The swamps and peat forests act as container areas to News from the EU: store freshwater, this in turn recharges ground water Biodiversity Strategy for 2020 that feeds seventy small rivers in the park. Threats to the site include illegal logging and encroaching The European Commission has adopted an ambitious development (e.g. harbour and industrial estates). new strategy to halt the loss of biodiversity and Source: ramsar.org ecosystem services in the EU by 2020. There are six ______main targets, and 20 actions to help Europe reach its goal. Biodiversity loss is an enormous challenge in the EU, with around one in four species currently News from Canada: threatened with extinction and 88% of fish stocks Biomass peat extraction over-exploited or significantly depleted. The six targets cover: Peat Resources Limited and BioEnergy Inc., both - Full implementation of EU nature legislation to Canadian enterprises, have reached agreement to protect biodiversity collaborate on technological research and - Better protection for ecosystems, and more use of development. The work is intended to lead towards green infrastructure the establishment of a Joint Venture to develop - More sustainable agriculture and forestry advanced processing technologies and products - Better management of fish stocks 16 IMCG NEWSLETTER

- Tighter controls on invasive alien species Meanwhile, the opposition accuses the government - A bigger EU contribution to averting global on breaking promises they made before the general biodiversity loss election that people would be able to continue cutting The strategy is in line with two commitments made peat, even in protected habitat areas. by EU leaders in March 2010 to halt the loss of Farmers have complained that the compensation biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystem package to end peat cutting on designated peat and services in the EU by 2020, and to restore them in so habitat sites did not go far enough and would not ease far as feasible. The new Biodiversity Strategy follows the anger among turf-cutters over the restrictions. It on from the 2006 Biodiversity Action Plan. has been suggested to raise the payments to €2,000 http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/biodiversity/ per annum, and for the lifetime of the bog, not 15 comm2006/2020.htm years. The NGO Friends of the Irish Environment said the ______row over turf-cutting was only the tip of a vast unregulated industry that was using loopholes in the Environmental Planning Acts to avoid planning and News from Ireland: licensing, with raised bogs in excess of 100 hectares Millions in fines over peat cutting being stripped across the midlands. Peat was

The Irish government has been told by the European apparently being trucked out for export with no Commission that it could face penalties of tens of planning permission or EPA licence. millions of euro plus fines of more than €20,000 per Source: The Irish Times day unless it takes steps to end peat cutting in ______protected peatland habitats. Small scale peat cutting by hand continues in these areas in spite of their protected status. In lieu of the penalties, the Irish News from Germany: I am not a peat head Minister for the Environment and the Minister for Heritage announced a compensation package for peat Friends of the Earth Germany recently started the cutters with turbary rights on sites designated as campaign “I am not a torfkopp (peathead)!” raising special areas of conservation (SACs). awareness that the use of peat containing potting soil Under the compensation scheme, peat cutters would leads to the destruction of both mires and climate and receive payments of €1,000 per year for a maximum advertising horticulture without peat. On their of 15 years. Alternatively, where feasible, peat webpage a lot of articles informing about related cutting would relocated to alternative, non-designated aspects, peatlands in general and the situation in sites. The scheme will apply immediately to peat Germany can be found - unfortunately not in English: cutters on 31 raised bog SACs where a cessation of http://www.bund.net/bundnet/themen_und_projekte/ cutting was confirmed by the previous government in naturschutz/moore/sei_kein_torfkopp/ May 2010. Similar measures will apply for a further ______24 raised-bog SACs from the end of 2011. The announcement follows a decision by the Irish government to establish an independent peatland News from The Netherlands: council to deal with the future management of Largest peat experiment in the world peatlands, including the protection of bogs designated An alliance consisting of universities and firms as SACs and natural heritage areas (NHAs). In their started the largest peatland experiment in the world programme for government the Coalition said it on a site near Amsterdam which formerly served as a would allow an exemption for domestic peat cutting disposal area for toxic waste. The Volgermeer Polder on 75 NHA sites, subject to the introduction of an is the most heavily contaminated area in Western agreed national code of environmental practices as Europe and a total clean up of the hazardous waste is well as resolving the SACs issue. impracticable and risky. Therefore plans have been Ireland’s raised bogs are regarded as the best developed to cover the waste with foil and sand and examples of the tiny portion of such habitats left in then allow reestablishment of the natural vegetation Europe. The scientific advice available to the consisting of peat wetlands. Government is that continued peat extraction and As re-inducing peat formation is a great challenge, a conservation of these sites are incompatible. research project was set up to investigate this Altogether there are some 3500 landowners in the 31 challenge in general and the capacity of the SAC bogs where peat cutting was due to cease in Volgermeer Polder to grow peat in particular. The 2010. Of these it is estimated that 750 are active peat interactions between driving factors will be tested to cutters. If each of them was to receive €1,000 in optimize wetland development and peat formation. In compensation per year for 15 years, the cost would be order to create realistic environmental conditions, the €11.25 million. A similar annuity scheme for those experiments will be held at field scale in controlled with turbary rights in the remaining 24 raised-bog replicated basins – the largest experiment of its kind SACs would bring the overall cost to about €20 so far. million. Source:uva.nl IMCG NEWSLETTER 17

______amend the relevant legislation with respect to protected nature areas to enable them to be used for peat extraction. The protected areas will be reduced News from Belarus: in area to enable peat extraction for existing peat plans for peat extraction in protected areas factories. New peat factories will not be built, but

On 17 June 2011, the Council of Ministers of the instead the existing will expand their activities in the Republic of Belarus has adopted Decree No. 794 “On protected territories. The number of hectares that will questions of peat extraction and optimization of the be sacrificed to peat extraction is defined, but no system of specially protected territories”. maps exist that indicate which concrete areas are This Decree defines new potential peat deposits for concerned, i.e. nobody knows (also not the factories peat extraction in order to meet the economic in question) where exactly in the protected areas peat demands for peat. The peat deposits in question are extraction is going to take place. situated in protected areas. The decree orders to

List of protected areas in Belarus where new peat extraction is planned Total protected Extraction area Name of area District Protection status area (ha) planned (ha) Morochno Stolin Local biological reserve 5,283 200 Vygonoschanskoe Lyakhovichi National landscape reserve 54,915 500 Janka Šarkaŭščyna Planned national wetland reserve 13,800 1,000 Golubitskaya puscha Dokshitsy Local reserve 6,734 500 Dokudovskij Lida National biological reserve 1,985 500 Ozery Grodno National landscape reserve 23,871 250 Veterevichski Pukhovichi Local landscape reserve 1,533 200 Unuhalskoe-1 Klichev Local hydrological reserve 686 200 Total 108,807 3,350

The plans for expanding peat extraction in specially important issue that Belarus wants to continue using protected nature areas are inconsistent with other peat as a fuel. Peat is just a fossil fuel, similar to coal plans, including the national plans to expand the area or oil, only somewhat dirtier. Its emission factor is of protected territories from currently 7.7% to 8.3% 106 t CO2/TJ against 98.3 for coal (anthracite), 73.3 by 2015. Furthermore, the national landscape reserve for fuel oil and 52.2 for natural gas. Replacing other Vygonoschanskoe is a prospective wetland of fossil fuels by peat thus increases greenhouse gas international importance and an important bird area, emissions. It is also not so, that Belarus has to drain while Ozery holds a health centre of the National pristine peatlands to continue peat extraction. Belarus Bank of Belarus including all necessary infrastructure has before 1990 drained 1.5 million ha of peatlands for tourism. Both areas are included in the list of the for peat extraction, forestry and agriculture. Some Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of (parts of) these peatlands are impossible to rewet protected areas that are promising for the because of inadequate relief and water conditions. If development of tourism. Last but not least, just a few peat extraction is necessary, it should be concentrated years ago, UNDP/GEF has allocated considerable on these areas. amounts of money for the rewetting of Dokudovsky On the other hand, some 800,000 ha of drained and Morochno, and in that framework the peatlands are degraded, i.e. not anymore suited for government has guaranteed the sustainable use of the purposes for which they have been drained. These these restored wetlands. Is the right hand not areas are largely available for rewetting. As rewetting knowing what the left is doing? decreases greenhouse gas emissions, it may Within the Climate Convention, Belarus champions compensate for the extra emissions from using peat the inclusion of peatland rewetting under the Kyoto as a fuel. To what extent this compensation is partly, Protocol. At home Belarus implements ambitious total or whether even overcompensation is taking programmes of peatland rewetting with financial place, depends on the areas of rewetted peatlands and support of UNDP (25,000 ha), the International the volumes of burned peat involved. Climate Initiative of the German Government The Decree of the Council of Ministers is inadequate (17,000 ha) and other funders. At the moment because it tries to address current and future Belarus even prepares the sale of considerable economic problems with strategies of the past. It amounts of carbon credits from rewetted peatlands on focuses on a low quality and dirty fossil fuel, the voluntary market, which could become the first disregarding that harvesting biomass from rewetted large-scale sales under the new Peatland Rewetting peatlands (paludiculture) may provide an and Conservation module of the Verified Carbon economically feasible, sustainable and climatically Standard VCS. beneficial alternative. Several projects in Belarus, The Decree of the Council of Ministers seems at odd funded by Germany and the EU, currently explore with all these developments. It is not the most this potential, e.g. by large-scale harvesting and 18 IMCG NEWSLETTER pelleting of biomass from peatlands and by on peat biofuels” and asked for simplification of reconstructing a peat briquette factory to producing relevant land use procedures. mixed peat/biomass briquettes. Biofuels from Tatiana Minaeva and Andrey Sirin chaired one of the rewetted peatland share with peat the much-wanted sections: “Environment technologies, use and benefits of energy diversification, national energy conservation of peatland resourses and problem of independence and sustainable rural employment, but peat safety”. In our section we tried to make the have a much better greenhouse gas and biodiversity participants aware that the development as proposed profile. It is anyhow remarkable that a country like by the Forum is risky: Under present conditions of Belarus, which is so rich in forests, agricultural lands permanent changes in Russian legislation and the and highly productive wetlands, derives only 1.6% of already accumulated unbalances in some spheres of its energy from biomass. legislation, the situation may arise in which the short- The second reason that the Decree is unfortunate is sighted preference for one sector of peat use causes because it fails to notice that trading carbon from problems for other sectors, especially with respect to peatland rewetting on the voluntary market is – most land management, after use and rehabilitation. It may and for all – a matter of excellent performance and happen that the entire responsibility for after use long-term reliability. The voluntary market does not (rehabilitation, rewetting, etc.) will be transferred to trade in mere carbon; its main asset is the “good the municipalities who cannot afford to implement it. name”. Even if the extra emissions from the use of The energy sector will compete with agriculture, peat fuel would be overcompensated by reduced forestry, water management and nature conservation. emissions from peatland rewetting, the “clean and The balance between these sectors is a regional issue positive story” that buyers of carbon credits need is and can not be provided by overall preferential more difficult to communicate. Buying credits from a mechanisms on the Federal level. The presentations country that mutilates protected areas by peat in our section demonstrated which difficulties extraction is not the best way to boost your corporate managers and decision makers face in their attempts social identity. Potential buyers will quickly seek to implement the principles of wise use of peatlands. their fortune in countries with a less complex story. What Belarus needs is a transparent, integral and consistent long term peatland policy, not the ad hoc behaviour it performs now. ______

News from Russia: all-Russian Peat Forum

The Peat Forum in Tver – a Russian region situated The Tver Peat Forum featuring Belarus Academician between Moscow and St Petersburg - was initiated by Ivan Lishtvan (Photo: Andrey Sirin). the Ministry of Energy of Russian Federation and the Russian Peat Society, a member of the International We also had a discussion in which the Byelorussian Peat Society. The forum was the logical prolongation Academician Ivan Lishtvan opposed the idea to of a conference held in June 2010 in Kirov, European consider a peat deposit as a mire; that all those mires Russia, see IMCG Newsletter 2010-3/4. are the consequences of activities of foreign funds, The Peat Forum, in which tremendous amounts of that we all are serving the “dollar”. He again - as 20 money were invested, had one main goal: to push the years ago – pushed the idea that it is necessary to idea that peat can be classified as renewable energy forbid the organization of protected areas on source and even more: that it is a biofuel. Such peatlands – everything like in good old kind Soviet classification would help the Russian peat industry to times…. exploit all benefits and preferences that the The entire Forum looked like a Communist Party Presidential Aid Program gives to companies to Forum indeed and even I looked like a Komsomol implement the Strategy for Effective Energy Use. activist – those things fascinate the public…. The draft decision that was presented to the Forum I will not be surprised if peat will be classified as a used concepts like “safe and effective energy based biofuel in Russian legislation soon. Tatiana Minaeva

IMCG NEWSLETTER 19

New and recent Journals/Newsletters/Books/Reports/Websites

Last year the Wetlands International project “Development and Introduction of Principles of Ministry of Energy of theRussian Federation Complex Administration and Protection of Peat Bogs 2010. Energy Strategy of Russia for the in Russia” within the BBI Matra Program Period up to 2030. Approved by Decree N° (Matra/2007/037) supported several interesting 1715-r of the Government of the Russian publications: Federation dated 13 November 2009. Moscow, 172 p. Stroganov M (2010) The Russian Bog: From the document: Between Nature and the Culture: Materials of “The objective of the energy policy of Russia is to the International Scientific Conference. Tver: maximize the effective use of natural energy Tver State University, 348 p. (in Russian) resources and the potential of the energy sector to This collection of articles presents the description of sustain economic growth, improve the quality of life the natural system of the bog as a cultural space. The of the population and promote strengthening of authors try to reveal the reasons for the complex foreign economic positions of the country. … negative connotations connected with the bog, which p. 112–113: “The use of local energy resources in the conflict with its beauty and the economic benefits it regional energy balances is insufficient at present. In entails. Addressing the problems of the bog from 2008, the share of peat in the fuel and energy balance various scientific and cultural viewpoints reveals the of Russia was less than 1%, the share of other hard significance of bog for Russian culture. The goal of fuels, including various wastes, and wood fuel for the authors was to overcome stereotypes in reception heat supply were within the range from 3 to 4%. of the bog for the purpose of advocating it as a “Peat is one of the most important and promising positive factor in human life. local fuel. Main areas of the peat utilization will be satisfaction of municipal and household needs, as Yurkovskaya TK (2010) Research problems well as requirements of agriculture and related and goals in modern mire science in Russia. industries. Upon increase in the volumes of peat Tula, 276 p. (in Russian) production and modernization of technological base This book is dedicated to the prominent Russian mire of the peat industry, its efficient use at thermal power scientist Ekaterina Alekseevna Galkina. It presents plants will become possible. the outcomes of recent research on mires and “Along with traditional areas of its use as fuel and peatlands in Russia including new theories and data, fertilizer, the peat, due to its multisided natural methodological innovations and review articles. The features, will also be used in medicine and oil topics covered are: classiﬁcation, mapping and industry, which will require to form an appropriate patterns of mire vegetation; ﬂoristic analysis; legislative base, as well as development and Holocene peat accumulation and palaeogeography; application of rational forms of state support of the peatland hydrodynamics and related processes; peat industry, including the issues of appropriate applications of remote sensing in mire science; target programs elaboration, subsidizing of interest regional studies; and mire conservation. This rates payable on loans for production development publication will be of interest to experts in a wide incurred by the peat industry entities, etc. This will range of disciplines including mire science, enable facilitation of introduction of modern highly vegetation science, physical geography, terrestrial efficient technologies and equipment for mining, hydrology, palaeogeography, palaeoecology, peat agglomeration and burning of peat products for the science, ecology, forest and water management and needs of small and medium energy enterprises, as mire conservation. well as increase the share of peat use in the fuel and energy balance of peat-producing regions from the Russian Academy of Agriculture Science current insignificant amounts (as a rule not exceeding (2011) Innovative technologies of agricultural 1–2%) to at least 8–10%. use of peat. VNIIPTIOU, Vladimir, 470 p. (in “The state policy in the sphere of local energy Russian) resources use for the period up to 2030 will provide This collection presents an analysis of the current use for the following: of peat resources in agriculture and considers major - restoration and support of development of local lines of restructuring agricultural use of peat in energy resources production, establishment of Russia. New technologies for using peat and peat thermal power plants and boiler rooms running on products in agriculture are described. Issues of these sources (peat, wastes of forestry and wood improving the legislative and normative basis for peat processing industries), including in hard-to-reach extraction, processing and use are discussed and and remote areas; principles of peatland conservation and - creation of favorable conditions for energy environmental friendly utilization are formulated. production on the basis of municipal wastes. The collected papers are targeted at agricultural Implementation of the stated policy, along with the sector specialists, research scientists and planners development of autonomous energy sector and use of concerned with the issues of agricultural use of peat. local hydrocarbon and coal resources, will make it 20 IMCG NEWSLETTER possible to reduce the share of delivered energy Galudra G, van Noordwijk M, Suyanto, resources in regional fuel and energy balances by a Pradhan U. (2010) Hot spots of confusion: factor of 1.3–1.5, while at present this share amounts contested policies and competing carbon to about 45%. … claims in the peatlands of Central P. 114-115: “At the second and third phases of the Kalimantan, Indonesia. ASB Policybrief 21. Strategy implementation …[t]he use of coal from the Nairobi: ASB Partnership for the Tropical Siberian federal district, as well as local energy Forest Margin resources (coal, biomass, peat) will be slightly The policy brief is available from: increased.…” http://www.worldagroforestry.org/sea/Publications/fil es/policybrief/PB0017-11.PDF World Growth (2011) The Economic Benefits of Indonesia’s Palm Oil Industry. How Verwer, C.C. & van der Meer, P.J. 2010. Indonesian Palm Oil Contributes to Carbon pools in tropical peat forests. Economic Growth and Food Security in Towards a reference value for forest biomass Indonesia and the World. 27 p. carbon in relatively undisturbed peat swamp This report assesses the palm oil industry, addresses forests in Southeast Asia. Alterra-report the benefits and challenges facing the industry, and 2108, Alterra, Wageningen, 64 p. examines the role the industry has played in Critical overview of sources and methodologies to Indonesia’s economic growth and development. It estimate above ground and below ground biomass counters arguments of NGOs who continue to engage and carbon content of litter, coarse woody debris and in ‘smear campaigns’ against the industry, with peat soil. The report gives an overview of the most ‘misleading’ information about environmental important data limitations, uncertainty of results and impacts. In Indonesia, for example, the palm oil potential improvements of the current estimates. industry supports directly and indirectly nearly 20 Downloadable under: million people and produces exports worth over http://content.alterra.wur.nl/Webdocs/PDFFiles/Alter $US6.5 billion. rarapporten/AlterraRapport2108.pdf Download PDF: www.worldgrowth.org/assets/files/WG_Indonesian_ Kamphuis, B.M., Arets, E.J.M.M., Verwer, Palm_Oil_Benefits_Report-2_11.pdf C.C., van den Berg, J., van Berkum, S. & Harms; B. 2011. Dutch trade and biodiversity. Public Institution Economic Research Center Biodiversity and socio-economic impacts of (2011) Cost-benefit analysis. Effect of the Dutch trade in soya, palm oil and timber. increase of state tax on natural resources for Alterra-report 2155, Alterra, Wageningen, 146 the Lithuanian peat industry and state tax pp. collection. Vilnius, 15 p. Downloadable under: Discusses the effect of the increase of state tax on http://content.alterra.wur.nl/Webdocs/PDFFiles/Alter natural resources for the Lithuanian peat extraction rarapporten/AlterraRapport2155.pdf industry. With much information on Lithuanian peat extraction. Downloadable under: tinyurl.com/3fqr4cn The Water Wheel July/August 2010 with lead article: For peat sakes – Can SA afford the WWF Austria / Austrian State Forestry / demise of its natural carbon & water stores Austrian Ministry for the Environment (2011) for the sake of short-term economic gain? Moore im Klimawandel. Wien/Purkersdorf, 23 With overview of South African peatland topics. p. (in German) Downloadable under: http://tinyurl.com/WW2010-04 In Austria 90% of the originally existing peatlands are already lost and 2/3 of all existing areas are Wendel, D. 2011. Autogene disturbed. As a response to climate change and the Regenerationserscheinungen in expected significant changes in rainfall and erzgebirgischen Moorwäldern und deren temperature, the vulnerability of peatlands will Bedeutung für Schutz und Entwicklung der increase, especially the one of bogs. New modelling Moore / Autogenous regeneration data from the Umweltbundesamt show that 85% of phenomena in peatland forests of the Ore all bogs are critically endangered due to a Mountains and their importance for peatland temperature increase of 2.3°C until the middle of the protection and development. PhD thesis, 21st century. In order to safeguard the carbon storage Technical University, Dresden. 248 p with of Austrian peatlands and to enable climate extensive appendices (in German) adaptation, a dual strategy is necessary which means Rewetting due to filling-up of ditches and peat to preserve existing peatlands and to restore disturbed cuttings by sedimentation and autogenous peatland areas. regeneration occur even in heavily degenerated Download PDF: peatlands. Regeneration areas account, however, for www.oebf.at/uploads/tx_pdforder/Studie_Moore_im_ only a small part at the peatland area (study area: 1 Klimawandel.pdf %, study sites: 12 %) and are often of mesotrophic nature. The regeneration potential is determined by IMCG NEWSLETTER 21 abiotic conditions. Irreversible changes of the hydro- Friends of the Irish Environment 2011. The morphological structure due to drainage or peat destruction of Ireland’s protected raised cutting are limiting factors. Regeneration prevailingly bogs. A report by Friends of the Irish occurs in cases of convergent water flow and slight Environment on the continuing cutting of inclination. Local processes like the formation of Ireland’s Natura 2000 raised bogs. 24 p. obstacles for water flow may cause ditches to become Ireland has failed, generally and structurally, to apply ineffective. Establishment of peat-forming vegetation EU law in respect of peat extraction. This photo is crucial. Downloadable under: collection illustrates the destruction of Ireland’s http://www.qucosa.de/recherche/frontdoor/ ‘protected’ bog heritage. ?tx_slubopus4frontend[id]=6794 Ireland’s behaviour represents a direct, persistent challenge to the rule of law in the EU (see Regional News in this IMCG Newsletter). To date, no effective Keßler, K., Edom, F., Dittrich, I. with Wendel, action has been taken, either at the EU or national D. & Feger, K.-H. 2011. Informationssystem levels, to protect Ireland’s peatlands, notwithstanding Moore. Erstellung eines Fachkonzepts für ein the designation for protection of raised and blanket landesweites Informationssystem zur Lage bogs under the Habitats Directive, legal proceedings und Verbreitung von Mooren und anderen brought by the European Commission, and adverse organischen Nassstandorten (SIMON). judgments of the European Court of Justice (ECJ). Schriftenreihe des LfULG, Heft 14/2011. Active raised bog and active blanket bog are priority Landesamt für Landwirtschaft, Umwelt und habitats under Annex I of the Habitats Directive. As Geologie, Sachsen. (in German) such, they are amongst the most threatened habitats The Saxonian information system for peatlands and in the EU, and must be protected by the designation organic wet locations, briefly SIMON, aims to bundle and protection of Special Areas of Conservation available information on peatlands in Saxonia for (SACs). nature protection, soil conservation, spatial planning In February 1998, Síle de Valera, then Minister for and water management. This report gives an Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, announced overview of peatland inventories in other federal that she would seek to phase out turf cutting in states and of other countries. blanket bog SACs over 5–10 years, and that a ban on By compiling existing maps of various disciplines, turf cutting should apply immediately in respect of the total area of peatlands in Saxonia was determined raised bog SACs. However, by February 1999 - just at approx. 46,800. Information is given on peat one year later - following “a series of depths, land use, ecological condition and protection consultations…with representatives of the farm status. organisations and turf cutters”, the government’s Downloadable under: position had changed fundamentally. Minister de www.umwelt.sachsen.de/umwelt/boden/23800.htm Valera announced a self-awarded, unlawful „derogation‟ of up to 10 years for „domestic cutting‟ in raised bogs and a „derogation‟ of indefinite Sodhi NS, Ehrlich PR (2010) Conservation duration for cutting in blanket bog SACs. The results Biology for all. Oxford University Press, have been devastating, and cutting continues to this xvii+344 p. day, notwithstanding the expiry of the „derogation‟ Oxford University Press offers this high quality in respect of Ireland’s first 31 raised bog SACs. conservation biology book as free download. The In their 2006 Report, “Assessment of impacts of turf book contains basic but state of the art knowledge cutting on designated raised bogs”, Valverde et al. written by some of the most prominent scientists in record „the reduction in the original raised bog area the field. It covers the following research areas: [in Ireland] from 311,000ha to [the] current area of balancing conversion and human needs, climate around 18,000ha [a reduction of over 94%].‟ change, conservation planning, designing and Ireland’s 2007 Article 17 report to the European analyzing conservation research, ecosystem services, Commission under the Habitats Directive recorded a endangered species management, extinctions, fire, further decrease of 36% in active raised bog extent habitat loss, and invasive species. from 1994-2005. Most recently, Ireland’s 4th Offering this book for free aims for making National Report to the Convention on Biological conservation knowledge available to as many persons Diversity, released on 14 May 2010, stated that „It is as possible bearing in mind the paradoxal situation estimated that there has been a 99% loss of the that access to authoritative literature is often original area of actively growing raised bog in especially difficult in those regions where the Ireland, and one-third of the remaining 1% has been potential benefit of knowledge application is greatest lost in the last 10 years.‟ and the need for action most urgent. The 2006 Valverde et al. report noted that of the 139 Download PDF: bogs designated for protection under EU and national http://www.mongabay.com/conservation-biology-for- legislation, turf cutting was taking place on 117 – all.html 84.2%. … This Report is composed of sample photographs illustrating the forms of damage recorded during our 22 IMCG NEWSLETTER site visits and a summary Table which lists the 4th edition of the Ramsar Handbooks damage recorded and gives links to the full The 4th edition of the Ramsar Handbooks for the photographic records of each visit – more than 700 wise use of wetlands is now available in PDF format photographs in total - together with GPS locations. on the Ramsar website at www.ramsar.org/ As Valverde et al. concluded in 2006: “Turf cutting handbooks4. The 20 handbooks, joined by the has broken the link between the peat body and local Ramsar Strategic Plan 2009-2015 as a 21st volume, topography, climate and local hydrology. The long embody all of the current guidelines and advice term conservation of raised bogs requires that this officially adopted by the Conference of the link be re-established as far as possible. After the Contracting Parties on a wide range of wetland- cessation of turf cutting it is essential to proceed to related matters, including wetland policy and restore the hydrology of the bog. Unless urgent steps management, inventory and monitoring, river basin are taken to prevent further deterioration of the management, Ramsar Site designation, international remaining examples of this priority habitat, Ireland is cooperation, and much more. The 4th edition, in in danger of losing these invaluable habitats in the English, French, and Spanish versions, supersedes all next few decades.” previous editions of the Handbooks – a CD-ROM The full photographic record can be viewed online at edition is in preparation and will be available free of http://tinyurl.com/FOIE-DestructionBogsIreland charge.

INTERNATIONAL MIRE

CONSERVATION GROUP

IMCG NEWSLETTER 23

IMCG Main Board

Chair: Tapio Lindholm (Finland) Piet-Louis Grundling (South Africa, Canada) Dr, Doc, Leading Expert Department of Geography, Univ of Waterloo, Canada Nature Division Finnish Environment Institute Tel.: + 1 519 885 1211 X35397 P.O.Box 140 Cell: + 1 519 591 0340 Fin-00251 Helsinki Finland [email protected] / [email protected] tel +358 20 610 123 / fax +358 9 5490 2791

[email protected] Secretary General [email protected]

Hans Joosten (Germany, Netherlands) Tatiana Minayeva Botanical Institute, Arctic Senior Techn. Officer, Wetlands International Grimmerstr. 88, Nikoloyamskaya 19 bd.3, Moscow 109240 Russia D-17487 Greifswald, Germany; Tel.: +7 9166955484 / Fax.: +7 4957270938 Tel.: + 49 (0)3834 864177 / Fax: 864114 skype: tminaeva [email protected] [email protected] http://www.uni-greifswald.de/~palaeo/ www.wetlands.org; www.peatlands.ru

Treasurer Eric Munzhedzi Tshifhiwa (South Africa) Francis Muller (France) Implementation & Aftercare Manager, Working for Pôle-relais Tourbières, Wetlands, South African National Biodiversity Maison de l'Environnement de Franche-Comté, Institute, P/Bag X 101, Pretoria 0001 7 Rue Voirin- 25000 Besançon. Tel: +2712 843 5089 / Fax: 086 681 6119 Tel: +33 381 817864 / Fax: +33 381 815732 [email protected] [email protected] www.sanbi.org, wetlands.sanbi.org http://www.pole-tourbieres.org Faizal Parish (Malaysia) Global Environment Centre, additional Executive Committee members 2nd Floor, Wisma Hing, 78, Jalan SS2/72, Ab Grootjans (Netherlands) 47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia Community and Conservation Ecology group, Tel + 60 3 7957 2007 / Fax + 60 3 7957 7003 University of Groningen, [email protected] / [email protected] PO Box 14, 9750 AA Haren, The Netherlands www.gecnet.info / www.peat-portal.net Tel: +31 50 363 2229 / Fax: +31 50 363 2273 [email protected] Line Rochefort (Canada) Bureau de direction Centre d'Études Nordiques

Rodolfo Iturraspe (Tierra del Fuego, Argentina) Département de phytologie Alem 634, (9410) Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Pavillon Paul-ComtoisUniversité Laval, Argentina; Québec, Qc, CanadaG1K 7P4 [email protected] Tel (418) 656-2131 / Fax (418) 656-7856 [email protected] [email protected] http://www.geocities.com/riturraspe Wang Shengzhong (China)

Director of Institute for Peat and Mire Research Northeast Normal University(NENU). other Main Board members: 5268 Renmin Street, Changchun City, 130024, P. R. Olivia Bragg (Scotland, UK) China. Geography Department, The University, Tel.: 0086-431-85098717, Dundee DD1 4HN, UK; [email protected] Tel: +44 (0)1382 345116 / Fax: +44 (0)1382 344434 [email protected] Jennie Whinam (Australia)

Nature Conservation Branch Eduardo García-Rodeja Gayoso (Galicia, Spain) Dept of Primary Industries, Water & Environment Departmento de Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola GPO Box 44; Hobart TAS 7001 Facultade de Bioloxía, USC, Rúa Lope Gómez de Tel.: +61 3 62 336160 / Fax: +61 3 62 333477 Marzoa s/n. Campus Sur, 15782, Santiago de http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.html Compostela, Spain [email protected]

Tel: +34 981563100, ext: 13287 / 40124 Leslaw Wolejko (Poland) Fax: +34 981596904 Botany Dept., Akad. Rolnicza, [email protected] ul. Slowackiego 17, 71-434 Szczecin, Poland; Tel.: +48 91 4250252

[email protected] or [email protected]

24 IMCG NEWSLETTER

UPCOMING EVENTS See for additional and up-to-date information: http://www.imcg.net/imcgdia.htm

Necessity of peatlands protection For more information please visit 1 - 2 September, Tleń, Poland www.unimas.my/swsac2011. Topics to be covered are peatlands and forest areas, protection of peatlands in agricultural and forestry Baltic Peat Forum 2011: After-Use of Cut- landscape and multifunction of peatlands. The over Peatlands: Measures and Methods conference is dedicated to Professor Kazimierz 14 - 16 September, Riga, Latvia Tobolski on the occassion of his 75th birthday. More The Latvian National Committee of IPS is hosting information can be found at www.tiny.cc/cyl4r. this year’s Baltic Peat Producer’s Forum. More information: 2nd Asian Wetland Convention and www.peat.lv/index.php?m0=6&m1=11&lng=en. Workshop "Asian Wetlands and Beyond - Livelihood, Sustainability and Management" Sustainable management of wetlands in 13 - 15 September, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. transboundary context The convention will have sessions on 1) Livelihood 11 – 13 October, Minsk, Belarus practices in wetlands, 2) Wetland sustainability and The Conference will be organized by the Ministry of management, 3) Wetland science and biodiversity Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of and 4) Wetlands and climate change. It will include the Republic of Belarus in cooperation with workshops on best management practices and UNDP/GEF. For more information contact wetland rehabilitation/restoration and a visit to the [email protected] Sarawak Ramsar Site