Day 1 (09.00) GMC, ESA

1. Efforts to overcome data and mapping challenges
greifswaldmoor.de
Franziska Tanneberger & Frank Martin Seifert

2. We understand global distribution patterns of peatlands, but to date,
there is no comprehensive global map of peatlands and organic soils
Data: Global Peatland Database (GPD)

3. Peatlands are diverse
and used in many
different ways…
… and often
overlooked or
wrongly mapped.

4. Major knowledge gaps and mapping challenges  esp. in the tropics…
• even very large peatlands just now being confirmed, or still
overlooked, especially those at higher altitudes

5. … in tropical Asia…
• drained and deforested coastal peatlands (e.g. Bangladesh,
Myanmar, Vietnam and Cambodia)
• peatlands in Papua New Guinea (possibly the 7th largest peatland
area in the world)

6. …in South America…
• peatlands in the lowlands of Brazil and the coastal areas of the
Guyanas and Venezuela

7. … and in sub-Sahara Africa
• small peatlands along coastal areas, floodplains and lake shores

8. Peatland/organic soil distribution in Europe (Tanneberger et al. 2017)
Europe benefits
from peatland
mapping
activities for
centuries

9. 2017: New peatland map produced as collaborative effort of >130 peatland
scientists, botanists, pedologists and geologists in a ‚bottom-up approach‘

10. Peatland/organic soil distribution in Europe (Tanneberger et al. 2017)
Five countries
hold ~80% of the
total peatland
area of Europe
40%15%
11%
8%
5%

11. Peatland/organic soil distribution in Europe (Tanneberger et al. 2017)
Many European
countries have
drained the
majority of
their peatlands
35%61%
21%
16%
67%
98%
82%
84%
66%
93%

12. 7% of agricultural land causes 37% of GHG emissions  huge emission
reduction potential
Data: UNFCCC National Inventory Submission Germany 2016

13. Peatland (~300,000 ha)
Dec. 2017: First
regional
paludiculture
strategy launched

14. Paludiculture suitability map of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (NE-Germany)
Class 1, suitable for any type of paludiculture (85,000 ha)
Class 2, suitable but plantations need approval (50,000 ha)
Class 3, suitable excl. plantations (29,000 ha)
Class 4, not suitable (1,500 ha)
Peatland not under EU agricultural funding
 Tool to guide
spatial planning
and agricultural
policy

15. Main message
A comprehensive mapping of peatlands worldwide
is essential to better understanding their extent and status,
and to enable us to safeguard them.
Research and monitoring should be improved to provide
better maps and transparent tools for rapid assessment.