British ambassador enthusiastic about Greifswald moor research!

British ambassador enthusiastic about Greifswald moor research!

On July 31, 2025, the University of Greifswald hosted an important visit: British Ambassador Andrew Mitchell CMG met with students and researchers to discuss peatland research and student mobility between Great Britain and Germany. These topics are particularly relevant because Greifswald moor research looks back on a 200-year tradition, which is now supported by the DFG special research center “Transregio WETSCAPES 2.0”. Loud uni-greifswald.de Mitchell noted that King Charles III. has a jacket made of cattail material, which is used in the Greifswald moor research projects. In this context he was supported by Prof. Dr. Hans Joosten informed about the extensive fund of literature on British moors in the Greifswald Moor Library.

Particular attention was paid to the exchange of students and the challenges that arose from the loss of Erasmus+ funding. The student vice-rector Lukas Voigt emphasized the advantages of small student groups at the university, which enable closer supervision. This makes it clear that students have a great desire for exchange programs at British universities.

Moor research at the University of Greifswald

The working group (AG) on peatland research at the university deals with central questions ranging from paleoecology to the sustainable use of peatlands. The focus includes important topics such as recording carbon turnover and the exchange of greenhouse gases as well as synthesizing data on the role of peatlands in the climate system. While the exchange took place between the ambassador and the researchers, Dr. Greta Gaudig and Dr. Franziska Tanneberger describes the complex, interdisciplinary landscape ecology that is required in peatland research in order to combine basic research with practical applications, such as the rewetting and renaturation of peatlands. These research projects span various regions, including Europe, Siberia and Tierra del Fuego.

Particular attention is paid to moor types such as flow, spring and basin moors as well as the various types of peat in this research. The range of training programs and excursions demonstrates the university's commitment in this area, which is complemented by the high level of international exchange with students from countries such as England, Poland and Vietnam.

Innovative approaches to rewetting

Another important aspect of current moor research in Greifswald is the “MoorPower” project, which deals with the feasibility of photovoltaic systems on rewetted moorland. This interdisciplinary project involves institutions such as the Universities of Greifswald and Hohenheim as well as the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE and is funded with 7 million euros by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The goal is clear: to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, 44% of which come from drained moors in Germany, while a total of 7% of the country's greenhouse gas emissions can be traced back to these areas.

Currently around 70% of the moors in Germany have been drained for agricultural use. In order to achieve the climate goals, the annual rewetting requirements are set at at least 50,000 hectares. The innovative project examines how photovoltaics, economics and ecology can be combined to develop practical solutions. Through the parallel planning of PV systems and rewetting, work is being done in new scientific territory, while at the same time the growth of paludicultures is to be promoted.

This multidisciplinary approach to peatland research demonstrates the University of Greifswald's commitment to finding sustainable solutions to current ecological challenges. How uni-greifswald.de reported, the importance of nature conservation in connection with the use of these valuable ecosystems is also emphasized, so that a balance between energy production and environmental protection is sought.