The Global Restoration Network (GRN) - a project of the Society for Ecological Restoration International - offers the field of ecological restoration a new database and web-based portal to information on all aspects of restoration, from historic ecosystems and recent causes of degradation to in-depth case studies and proven restoration techniques. The mission of the GRN is to link restoration projects, research, and practitioners.
The field of ecological restoration is currently experiencing an explosion of ideas and practices as the number of experts and practitioners increases, and more and more restoration projects are being undertaken around the world. Now that the field has been established, there is a need for a comprehensive source of information for governments, individuals, corporations and nonprofit organizations on the current state of degradation and the best restorative practices.
The GRN offers a resource for policymakers, professionals and community stakeholders alike: whether researching options for ecosystem restoration, writing a project proposal, or looking for educational programs and funding. Perhaps the most exciting feature of the GRN is its Database where you can make a specific query and find restoration case studies and annotated links to a variety of relevant resources including experts, organizations and literature.
Surf to http://www.globalrestorationnetwork.org/
30 years after the first edition, Sylvia Haslam has published a second edition of her well-known classic on river plants. The book is more than welcome: It still offers a comprehensive and detailed overview of the ecology of river plants. There are 20 chapters, with the first eleven chapters discussing river vegetation and individual plant growth are influenced by e.g. flow, substrate, river width, drainage order, width-slope pattern, light, nutrients or rock type. The following three chapters describe the vegetation of streams on soft rocks, hard rocks or in channels with little flow in Britain. The next five chapters look at uses and benefits of river plants, flood hazards caused by river plants, and how river vegetation is managed and maintained. The last chapter introduces the principles of restoration of river vegetation.
Whereas the text in all chapters was updated with new scientific findings, the chapters on nutrients and rock type, plant patterns in streams, pollution and restoration were completely renewed or added to the book.
As most mires and peatlands are naturally drained and sometimes fed by rivers; and drainage and water management are among the most obvious and severest threats for mires, profound knowledge of the ecology of plants growing in water is needed to maintain the best sites and to restore wherever possible a site specific, diverse river and wetland vegetation. The European water framework directive creates much action on river and peatland restoration; however, the measures suggested are often not planned in accordance with the individual biological and morphological properties of river sections. This book offers wetland and river managers the required ecohydrological knowledge to better plan and implement river vegetation restoration measures. This knowledge is especially needed for convincing civil engineers to adapt their “restoration strategy” to the ecological and hydrological requirements of river and wetland plants (and animals).
Sylvia Haslam has not only written an update of her scientific book, but she has peppered the book with her personal view on the developments in river vegetation sciences and restoration over the past 30 years. Together with the excellent line drawings by P. A. Wolseley, the up-to-date reference list on river vegetation and a glossary the book can be truly considered as a contribution to human happiness, both aesthetically as well as practically.
To quote Sylvia Haslam’s approach to river and wetland restoration: “There is no single restoration technique to be applied to all brooks and rivers. There is the principle of good structure, and the possibly opposing principle of stipulated discharge capacity of a stream, to avoid causing flood damage. These two can be worked out in harmony, to the advantage of all interests. It takes much more time at the level of planning and creative thought, but less, with machines on the ground. And it gives much more pleasure, aesthetic and amenity value (as well as the conservation and practical values) to streams. Contributing to human happiness is something to aim at, not to despise! (Haslam 2006: 400)”
Michael Trepel
IPCC (2007). Climate Change 2007
The Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the fourth in a series of reports on climate change. The Assessment is subdivided in three areas, a) the scientific basis, b) impacts, adaptation and vulnerability and c) mitigation of climate change.
The Working Group I Summary for Policymakers (Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis) was published in February 2007; the full report will be published later this year.
The summary report states that warming of the climate system is unequivocal and that most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations. The report notes many observed changes in the Earth’s climate including atmospheric composition, global average temperatures, ocean conditions, and other climate changes.
The Working Group II Summary for Policymakers (Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability) was published in April 2006. The summary reports that observational evidence from all continents and most oceans shows that many natural systems are being affected by regional climate changes, particularly temperature increases. The report observes that anthropogenic warming likely has had a discernible influence on many physical and biological systems.
You can download a PDF of the summary reports from the IPCC webpage: http://www.ipcc.ch/
The project on Vulnerabilities of the Carbon-Climate System: Carbon Pools in Wetlands/Peatlands as Positive Feedbacks to Global Warming was undertaken in the period August 2005-August 2006 under the joint leadership of the Global Environment Centre (based in Malaysia) and the Global Carbon project (based in Australia). The purpose of the project was to bring together interested experts from the Asia pacific Region and elsewhere in the world to share knowledge on the importance and vulnerability of tropical peatland carbon stores and their potential impact on future climate change.
For a PDF download of the report, please surf to: http://tinyurl.com/2lmmx9
Some of the numbers published in this report have been refined since publication.
In Finland biomass and peat combustion play an increasing role in energy supply. Local fuels are important as they support a decentralised and diversified energy system, providing employment and welfare, and securing supply.
This report gives an overview of the Finnish use of biomass and peat for energy, including tables comparing various energy sources with respect to environmental impacts, caloric values, costs and taxes.
A PDF file of the report can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/35oc9n
Greb, S.F. & DiMichele, W.A. (eds.) (2006). Wetlands through time. Special Papers of the Geological Society of America 399. 304p. Geological Society of America. $155/€118
The importance of wetlands in the global ecology is undisputed. This is not only true of present wetlands, but has been true of wetlands for at least the last 400 million years. In fact, with changing flora and fauna, there has been an evolution of wetland functions and ecological links. Because many wetlands are located in lowland habitats and have poorly oxygenated substrates, they have the potential for rapid burial with little erosion and high potential for preservation. For these reasons, abundant fossil flora and fauna have been found in association with ancient wetlands, which are a cornerstone of the terrestrial fossil record and of our understanding of earth history. Likewise, the coals we use as an energy resource are ancient wetland deposits.
Wetlands through Time contains 14 research papers on the ecology and importance of ancient wetlands, spanning the time from the initial colonization of plants on land to an ice-age mammoth-bearing wetland.
On 15 June 15 2005, the government of Ontario announced the scheduled closures of Ontario’s four remaining coal-fired plants.
The Atikokan Generating Station (Atikokan GS) currently uses lignite coal as a feedstock and is scheduled to terminate operations by the end of 2007. This planned closure would impact the local economy by eliminating 90 direct full time positions and 80 indirect positions as well as reduce roughly tax revenues to the Township of Atikokan by one third. Consequently the Township of Atikokan has made a request to the Ontario Government to convert the Atikokan GS from lignite coal to “sustainable” biomass fuels, including peat.
With respect to peat, the report gives a detailed overview of the possibilities and risks of peat fuel. The use of fuel peat at the Atikokan GS would maintain the current station rating of 215 MW and would require a capital cost of $211 million to modify the existing boiler ($5 million) and add stringent emission controls ($206 million). There would be sufficient fuel-grade peat from bogs in the region to meet the entire demand of the Atikokan GS. Peat would be extracted from bogs in the region and delivered in pellet form at 20-25% moisture. The peat would be pulverized before entering the boiler. The biggest risk element of this option is associated with securing environmental permitting for peat extraction on crown lands. Indeed, permitting would be subjected to Individual Environmental Assessment and the onus is on the proponent to meet environmental regulations.
Available under: http://tinyurl.com/2e5mej