Peatlands in Germany. Paving the Way for a Social and Ecological Transformation
Amelie Hünnebeck-Wells, Franziska Tanneberger, 10 July 2024
Peatland protection is climate protection: if we want to combat climate change effectively, we cannot afford to overlook the importance of protecting peatlands. While forests often steal the spotlight in environmental discussions, peatlands play a crucial role that has only recently begun to be recognised. Despite covering just 3% of the Earth's surface, these remarkable landscapes are responsible for storing 30% of the global soil carbon stock, twice as much carbon as all the forest biomass combined! However, Peatlands must be wet in order to fulfill their functions, yet large expanses have had their water removed.

What was initially an ingenious and necessity-driven solution for creating more land for agriculture and harvesting peat has now turned into a major environmental problem: 15% of the world’s peatlands have been damaged for the purpose of farming and human development, and this has led to a wide range of issues, including habitat degradation, loss of biodiversity, soil degradation, devastating peat fires, water pollution, increased flood risks, and greenhouse gas emissions. In Germany alone, peatlands cover approximately 1.9 million hectares, while its drained peatlands contribute a staggering 53 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents to the atmosphere each year. That amounts to 7% of the country's total greenhouse gas emissions, all from drained organic soils! By reversing the artificial drainage systems that crisscross our landscapes and raising the water levels, we have a powerful tool at our disposal to combat greenhouse gas emissions and halt further degradation of these vital ecosystems. The path to peatland restoration is not without its challenges, demanding a systemic transformation in how we manage these landscapes – a shift that presents obstacles as well as wide-reaching opportunities.
Why paludiculture is relevant
Where appropriate, rewetting initiatives can be complemented by paludiculture. Derived from the Latin word ‘palus’ for swamp, paludiculture describes a form of agriculture or forestry practiced on wet and rewetted peatlands. By exclusively harvesting above-ground biomass, paludiculture safeguards the carbon-storing water-saturated peat layers, and, given the right conditions, can also encourage the regeneration of peat formation beneath the surface. Given that much of Germany’s potentially rewettable peatlands are currently under agricultural use, paludiculture offers a highly viable solution for sustaining agricultural production post-rewetting. This integrated approach enables farmers to sustain their livelihoods but also contribute to the production of renewable goods.

From wet meadows and pastures to purposefully cultivated permanent crops, paludiculture presents versatile options suited to various peatland types. In Germany, the adoption of paludiculture has primarily centred around wet grassland areas, where traditional cultivation techniques can still be applied, albeit with some adjustments. Specialised machinery, such as caterpillar mowers for example, or smaller-scale equipment, are often utilised as part of landscape management strategies. Up until 2022/23, the majority of paludiculture projects have adhered to the standard duration of around three years. In selected pilot projects, small-scale crops have been successfully introduced, such as the production of Sphagnum mosses in Hankhausen Lower Saxony, harvested as an alternative to peat for horticultural use.

In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, a cattail (Typha) plantation has been set up, now offering research opportunities for the cultivation of this promising plant for producing building materials.
How the PaludiZentrale works
A large-scale transformation of peatland rewetting and the establishment of paludicultures demands a collective effort towards systemic change. Representing a ground-breaking 10-year project, the PaludiZentrale brings together nine individual endeavours from across Germany, as well as including varied stakeholders, which together form the PaludiNetwork (PaludiNetz).

While each new initiative in paludiculture is a step forward, it is the scale of the efforts led by the PaludiZentrale that stands out as unprecedented – amplifying the impact of individual projects and addressing the immense scale of the task at hand.
As a collaborative project of the Thünen Institute in Braunschweig, the University of Greifswald and the Michael Succow Foundation, the "PaludiZentrale" serves to orchestrate, monitor, and scientifically evaluate each project in close partnership with the projects and local stakeholders. The PaludiNetwork is made up of five model and demonstration projects (MuD projects) funded by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) for "peatland protection including the use of renewable raw materials from paludiculture" through the Agency for Renewable Resources (FNR).

Also integrated into the PaludiNetwork are four pilot projects on peatland protection funded by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety, and Consumer Protection (BMUV) through ZUG GmbH. Together, these projects strive to implement and upscale the rewetting of peatlands in Germany alongside the establishment of paludiculture.
The market for biomass derived from wet peatlands remains relatively small at present. However, the widespread rewetting of these areas can only be effectively achieved with a social and economic outlook in mind.

Such a perspective is essential for garnering support from landowners, land users, and society as a whole. This is why the PaludiZentrale and PaludiNetwork are focused on establishing value chains spanning from cultivation to utilisation for paludiculture biomass. Their target sectors include construction materials such as insulation and load-bearing boards, paper and packaging, horticultural substrates, and energy production. The PaludiZentrale serves as a platform for exchanging ideas and providing guidance on the development of corresponding products, raw material properties, requirements, and potential obstacles. Supporting farmers in adapting their farming practices is a central component of the project. PaludiZentrale will closely collaborate with the recently launched ‘Alliance of Pioneers’ for paludiculture – 14 large companies committing themselves to trialing and upscaling a paludiculture product, working together in the PaludiAllianz project.

Methodological issues
Ensuring consistency and comparability in the data collected across all the MuDs and pilot projects is paramount. Consider biodiversity data, for instance: given the vast and diverse nature of these datasets and recording techniques, discrepancies can emerge in terms of what data are recorded and how this is done. While each dataset holds value, differences can hinder comparisons. Variations may arise, for example, in plot size, duration or season of sampling, or the techniques used to monitor different species, such as trapping insects with various attractants that could lure different species. Climate change exacerbates these challenges by altering temperatures, water availability, and prey abundance, for example, thereby impacting the behaviors and reproductive cycles of animals such as birds and insects. To address these issues, the Biodiversity Working Group within the PaludiZentrale is ensuring consistent methodological approaches across its nine individual projects, harmonising data collection processes and resulting datasets. Implementing standardised or harmonised methods over a prolonged period facilitates more accurate and straightforward comparisons, thereby enhancing the evaluation of variables such as vegetation cover and water table levels. To better understand potential benefits and risks for biodiversity on paludiculture sites, PaludiZentrale organises, in addition to local monitoring efforts, a central standardised biodiversity monitoring on all PaludiNetz sites using audio recorders and environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling.
Further factors measured and monitored by the PaludiZentrale encompass aspects of cultivation and utilisation, as well as business and socio-economic analyses and the monitoring of long-term ecological impacts, such as the evolution of greenhouse gas exchange, soil conditions, hydrology, water quality, and biodiversity in rewetted areas. The PaludiZentrale coordinates working groups for each of these areas.
Outlook
Integral to the aims of the PaludiZentrale is the facilitation of the transfer of this wealth of generated knowledge and experience within the PaludiNetwork and beyond. Through the development of recommendations for economically profitable paludiculture and its utilisation in regional value chains throughout Germany, the aim is to share the knowledge and experiences gained and bridge the gap between science and practice. Embracing paludiculture will entail sharing knowledge on new harvesting techniques and water management strategies for example, and fostering a fresh perspective on peatland management. This is where pilot and demonstration projects emerge as invaluable tools in showcasing the feasibility and benefits of integrated peatland management. The PaludiZentrale's ambitious approach demonstrates a pioneering commitment to exploring the full potential of paludiculture in Germany. By fostering collaboration and synergy, it paves the way for a future in which collective action drives meaningful change in peatland conservation and the upscaling of paludiculture.