Reed as a Renewable Resource; Greifswald; Feburary 14.-16. 2013

Paludiculture

Potential in North East Germany

Christian Schröder University of Greifswald

Foto: W. Thiel Natural versus drained peatland

Mire = growing peatland peat-formation carbon storage surface raise

water table

Drained peatland

peat degradation CO2-Emissions subsidence

water table Nabu 2012 Peatlands of Mecklenburg- Western Pomerania

 ca. 300.000 ha  13% of the total area  95% are drained Peatland Drainage

 peat degradation  subsidence  increase of drainage costs  management problems

-1 -1 25tons CO2 eqha a Annual CO2 emissions in Mecklenburg- Western Pomerania 7

Used 6 For Forestry 5

4

equ per year per equ - 2 Used

3 For t CO t

6 6 Agriculture 2

1 Semi- 0 natural

Emissions in 10 in Emissions Public energy Industry Traffic Small Emissions and remote customers from heating supply peatlands MLUV 2009

Agricultural used peatlands show highest emissions Estimation of GHG-Emissions from peatlands

70

60

1

- 50 CO2 yr

CH4 1

- 40 GWP

30

äq ha äq

emissions -

- 20 2

10 t CO t GHG 0 -10 -20 -100 -80 -60 -40 -20 0 20 water table[cm] Rewetting of peatlands

Loss of agricultural land Use wet peatlands !

Paludiculture Paludiculture

„palus“ – lat.: swamp,

Sustainable land use of peatlands

 Production of  Preservation of the peatbody  Reduction of  Maintain ecosystem services

Peatland conservation by sustainable land use Nature conservation vs. paludiculture

rewetting

frequency of harvesting

water managment

planting fertilisation

intensity of land use Nature conservation Paludiculture management Use of Biomass

Raw material for industrial use

Harvesting

Energy generation Paludibiomass as a raw material

Foto: W. Wichtmann Photo: S. Wichmann

Photo: www.typhatechnik.com Photo: S. Wichmann Photo: S. Wichmann Paludibiomass as a biofuel

Foto: W. Wichtmann

Foto: S. Wichmann Foto: L. Lachmann Foto: C. Schröder Paludiculture Potential for Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Paludiculture Potential for Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

GIS-analysis for Greifswald  30 km radius

 37.000 ha (16%) peatlands

 expert guess: 7.000 ha for paludiculture

 56.000 t biomass (8 t ha-1)

 19% suitable for paludiculture

Dahms 2010 Paludiculture - Potential for Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

Reduction of GHG emissions

300.000 ha peatlands 19% 57.000 ha paludiculture

Rewetting Substitution of fossil fuel -1 -1 -1 25t CO2 eq ha a 456.000t biomasse (8 t ha ) -1 -1  10t CO2 eq ha a  188.000t fuel oil

-1 -1  855.000 t CO2 eq a  570.000 t CO2 eq a

-1 Reduction of ~ 1.4 Mio t a CO2 eq a

Conclusion

 Sustainable „wet“ peatland agriculture is needed

 Utilisation of biomass from wet peatland is possible

 Paludiculture on peat can provide large amount of biomass for different purposes

 Paludiculture can reduce green house gas emissions from peatland

www.paludiculture.com