Peat News

New: also Peat News 2002-2004 available for download.

Peat News is the monthly electronic newsletter of the International Peat Society. It is distributed to our members mainly by e-mail. The first issue was sent out in January 2002.

Currently, about 1,200 people are receiving Peat News. About 600 IPS members get the newsletter directly from the IPS Secretariat, Dutch and German members can subscribe via their National Committees. Altogether, about 80% of the IPS members and almost 300 other persons receive the newsletter.

Communications Manager Susann Warnecke works as Editorial Secretary of Peat News. If you are a member of IPS and want to subscribe for the newsletter please contact her.

Any comments and suggestions for the content of the next issue are always welcome. If you wish to be among the authors for one of the next issues, please send your short announcement (5-6 lines) by the 20th of each month to the IPS Secretariat.

Current issue

Peat News 7/2010 11 August 2010

Call for Articles and Advertisements: Peatlands International 2/2010

The IPS Secretariat has started collecting articles and advertisements for Peatlands International 2/2010. Please send your reports on conferences, research projects and all other items related to peat and peatlands by 30 September to susann.warnecke (at) peatsociety.org. Texts should be written in plain text, Arial pt. 10 with single spacing, without indents and caps. Please also mention your full contact details at the end of the text. Pictures should be sent as separate files (not embedded in Word) with high resolution. We also need captions and the names of the copyright holders for all illustrations. Please try to have your articles reviewed by a native English speaker before submission, if possible. The Editorial Board reserves its right to chose, edit and shorten the material where necessary. Advertising space is also still freely available – if you are working for one of our corporate members and would like to promote your products and services, please download the Media Kit 2010 at www.tiny.cc/mdkit and book your space by contacting Susann Warnecke. Peatlands International 2/2010 will be launched in December and sent to approximately 2,000 peat and peatland experts from all over the world.

Registration Deadline Extended: Seminar on Peatland Forestry in Norway

A Nordic seminar and a field trip on “Ditch network maintenance in peatland forests - updating our knowledge on timber production, environmental effects and newest adaptive practices” will be held in Honne, Norway on 13 - 15 September 2010. The event is funded by the Nordic Forest Research Co-operation Committee (SNS). Registrations can be submitted until 15 August to hannu.hokka (at) metla.fi. Dr. Hannu Hökkä of the Finnish Forest Research Institute (Metla) in Rovaniemi, Finland is Chair of IPS Commission VII on Ecology and Management on Forested Peatlands. More information on the seminar and the preliminary programme are available on the Internet at www.metla.fi/tapahtumat/2010/ditch-network/index.htm.

Peat Medicine and Balneology Round Table in Finland

A Round Table Conference on the Use of Peat in Balneology, Medicine and Therapeutics will be organised by IPS Commission VI and the Finnish National Committee in Kurikka, Finland on 2 - 4 September 2010. If you are interested in attending, please contact Riitta Korhonen at riitta.korhonen (at) gtk.fi for more information on the event. More activities of Commission VI and its annual reports can be found at www.peatsociety.org/index.php?id=90. For the complete event calendar of the IPS and a list of related symposia please visit www.peatsociety.org/index.php?id=4.

Register for Peat in Growing Media in Amsterdam

The 6th International Symposium on “Peat in Growing Media” will be held at Hotel Novotel Amsterdam City on 11 October 2010, this time dealing with “Life in Growing Media”. The symposium is organized jointly with the Dutch National Committee of IPS and the International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS). Traditionally, the Symposium takes place one day before the International Horti Fair, which is held on 12 - 15 October 2010. All interested in the use of growing media and their characteristics are warmly invited to attend this international conference, especially peat and growing media producers, microbiologists, growing media quality managers, researchers in the fields of growing media, suppliers of growing media constituents and additives, experts from quality assurance organizations and growers interested in life in growing media.

Physical and chemical characteristics of growing media have been studied by many these past decades. Less attention has been given to biological, in particular, microbiological properties although fungi, bacteria and other organisms which can occur in growing media i.e. nematodes and sciarid fly larvae can have a strong impact on horticultural crops. Such organisms may be beneficial, hazardous or indifferent to the crops we grow, the environment or human health.

For more details and to register please visit www.veengenootschap.nl/symposium3.html. The registration fee amounts to € 250 for IPS members. In case you need more information about the contents of the symposium, please contact the chairman of the Scientific Committee, Mr. Gerald Schmilewski, phone: +49 4492 8275, email: schmilewski (at) klasmann-deilmann.de.

New Book on Saprophytic Fungi in Growing Media

Written and published in German by Prof. Dr. Gunter Schlechte and Dipl.-Ing. Gerald Schmilewski, this 111 page handbook in A4 ring binder format contains fundamental background information on the occurrence and descriptions of over 50 fungi species that can occur in growing media. Often present and less frequently occuring cup fungi (order Peziales), agarics (order Agaricales) and molds of various orders are described in detail. Color pictures were included if available. The handbook reflects the importance of saprophytic fungi to growing media producers, growers and consumers. Preventive and control measures are given. The books ends with a glossary and literature list. This publication is priced at € 49 and can be ordered by contacting Gerald Schmilewski at gerald.schmilewski (at) ewetel.net.

Baltic Peat Forum in Lithuania

The Peat Producers Associations of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will hold their traditional Baltic Peat Forum on 2 - 4 September 2010 in Druskininkai, Lithuania. The conference programme includes presentations of Baltic and Central-European peat experts as well as a field trip to the Zuvintas biosphere reserve. More information on this event and reports on previous Baltic Peat Forums can be found at the website of the Lithuanian Peat Association, www.asocdurpes.lt or by contacting Mr. Juozas Daukantas at info (at) asocdurpes.lt.

Bogs and Biosphere for Young Scientists in Tomsk

The 7th All-Russian Scientific School of Young Scientists with International Participation “Bogs and Biosphere” will be hosted by the State Pedagogical University in Tomsk, Russia on 13 - 15 September 2010. For 16 September, an excursion to Vasyugan mire is scheduled, and during four days on 16 - 19 September the attendees will have the opportunity to see the mires of Gornyi Altaj. The scientific programme will focus on all aspects of peat in the environment as well as on its technological application. The Scientific School will include keynote lectures and presentations of young scientists, but also provide the opportunity for discussion and the exchange of ideas. The organising committee has also planned a tour of the city, including visits to museums, a peat exhibition and a tour at Tomsk University. More information is available in Russian at www.tspu.edu.ru/ltorf/ and by email: agroecol (at) yandex.ru; the first information letter and the final programme in English can be found also at www.peatsociety.org/index.php?id=4.

Forest Bioenergy 2010 in Finland in September

FINBIO - The Bioenergy Association of Finland is organising, in cooperation with FinnMetko Exhibition, the FOREST BIOENERGY 2010 conference in Tampere and Jämsä, Finland from 31 August to 4 September 2010. The programme includes a Pre-Tour from Helsinki to Tampere, the Forest Bioenergy Conference in Tampere and a Technical Tour to the International FinnMetko Exhibition. In addition, a special social and cultural programme has been planned. The official language of the conference is English. More information and a list of topics can be obtained from www.bioenergy.finbioenergy.fi.

Recent Publications in Mires and Peat Journal

During the last few months, several new papers were published in the online journal “Mires and Peat”. The journal is a cooperation project of the International Peat Society (IPS) and the International Mire Conservation Group (IMCG) and can be found at www.mires-and-peat.net.

• The Special Volume 4 on “Wind Farms on Peatland” is closed now and contains 10 papers.
• The regular Volume 5 for 2009 includes 7 papers.
• Volume 6 for 2010 has already 4 papers published.
• A special Volume 7 focusing on “Protocols in Peat Palaeoenvironmental Studies” was recently opened and contains now 4 papers.

All documents can be read and downloaded for free. Mires and Peat is a peer-reviewed internet journal focusing specifically on mires, peatlands and peat. As a truly “free-to-users” publication (i.e. NO subscriptions and NO publication charges), it is immediately accessible to readers and potential authors worldwide. All IPS members and others working in the area of mire and peatland management and research are welcome to submit their papers to the Journal. Abstracts can be sent to the Editor, Olivia Bragg at o.m.bragg (at) dundee.ac.uk.

Investing in Peatlands - Conference in Durham, UK

The Conference “Investing in Peatlands: The Climate Challenge” will be held in Durham City, United Kingdom on 28 - 29 September 2010. The meeting is organised by the International Union for Conservation of Nature UK (IUCN) in collaboration with the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Beauty (AONB) Partnership. The conference will form a platform for exchange and discussion between scientists, landowners and managers and policy makers. There will be a strong focus on climate change, and the conference will be an opportunity to discuss early findings of the IUCN UK Commission of Inquiry on Peatlands. Susan Davies, Scottish Natural Heritage, and Martyn Howat, Commission of Inquiry on Peatlands, will jointly chair the conference. Keynote talks by Prof. Hans Joosten, International Mire Conservation Group, Dr. Sam Fankhauser, UK Climate Change Committee and Prof. Pete Smith, University of Aberdeen, will focus on the international importance of peatlands for climate change mitigation and adaptation, UK climate targets and the role of UK peatlands. Prof. Andrew Watkinson, Living with Environmental Change (LWEC) Director, will open the second day to link science, policy and practice. John Vidal, Guardian Environment Correspondent, will provide insights into effective communication of peatland conservation. The conference is supported by Environment Agency, Natural England, Northumbrian Water Limited and the North Pennines AONB Partnership, and part of a series of IUCN UK “Investing in Peatlands” conferences over 2010-2012. Registrations can be submitted until 21 September 2010. More info: www.iucn-uk-peatlandprogramme.org/conference2010.

Successful Peatland Fire Workshop in Malaysia

A technical workshop on Development of the ASEAN Peatland Fire Prediction and Warning System has been held successfully in Kuala Lumpur on 13 - 14 July 2010. The meeting was attended by more than 60 representatives from government agencies, research institutions, private sector and NGOs mainly from the ASEAN region. Aim of the workshop was to support the implementation of the ASEAN Peatland Management Strategy 2006-2020 as part of the ASEAN Peatland Forests Project (APFP) supported by the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) and the Global Environmental Facility (GEF).

The workshop was organised by the ASEAN Secretariat and the Global Environment Centre (as Regional Project Executing Agency) and was held in association with the Government of Malaysia through the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (NRE), the Forest Department of Peninsular Malaysia and the Selangor Forest Department. Expert presentations were given on the nature and significance of peatland fires in the ASEAN region, current status of fire danger rating and hotspot monitoring programmes, experience in fire prevention and control in peatlands.

Working groups focused on strengthening peatland fire prediction and warning systems and enhancing fire prevention measures in peatlands. All participants agreed on a statement before the workshop concluded on 14 July 2010. A workshop report is under preparation. For further information, please contact Lew Siew Yan (Serena) at the Global Environment Centre in Malaysia, serena (at) gec.org.my or see the final statement and photos of the event at www.gecnet.info.

Dangerous Peatland and Forest Fires in Russia

Mr. Ilya Tverdomed from the IPS Russian National Committee reported that extreme heat conditions in the Central region of Russia have caused massive fires of degraded peatlands in five districts of Moscow Region. As a result, the city of Moscow is covered in smoke and the amount of harmful substances in the atmosphere is four times the standard rate. The National Committee of Russia, with JSC “Rostopprom” (Russian Fuel Company, including peat production) in charge, is taking action to resolve this ecological catastrophe. The problem of After-use of cut-over peatlands is now very clear to the government which is presently concerned with devoting funds to peatland restoration projects so that similar problems can be avoided in the future. News reports on the matter can be found, for instance, at www.tiny.cc/iysrj.

Prof. Dr. Gerd Lüttig has passed away

The IPS Secretariat has received the sad news that Prof. Dr. Gerd Lüttig has passed away on 16 July 2010. Prof. Lüttig from Celle, Germany was the funding Chair of the German Peat Society and one of the funding members of IPS, a devoted geologist and peat specialist. Born in 1926, he was particularly interested in peat balneology and long-time Chair of IPS Commission VI. Prof. Lüttig held a diploma and doctorate from Göttingen University, had worked since 1952 at the Geological Survey of Lower Saxony in Hanover in different positions and started teaching at Braunschweig University in 1963 where he habilitated in 1969. In 1980, Prof. Dr. Lüttig changed to the department of Applied Geology at Erlangen-Nürnberg University until his retirement in 1992. We will sadly miss one of our most active honorary members and our thoughts are with his family and friends.

For an up-to-date list of upcoming events of the International Peat Society and related organisations, please visit www.peatsociety.org/index.php?id=4. Proceedings and other publications can be ordered at www.peatsociety.org/index.php?id=80.

Previous Issues

/Peat News 2002.doc Peat News Index 2002 48.50 KB
/Peat News 2003.doc Peat News Index 2003 47.50 KB
/Peat News 2004.doc Peat News Index 2004 55.00 KB
/peat news/pnindex2005.doc Peat News Index 2005 57.00 KB
/peat news/pnindex2006.doc Peat News Index 2006 57.00 KB
/peat news/pnindex2007.doc Peat News Index 2007 150.00 KB