December 14th, 2012: Article in duz (Independent German University`s Newspaper)

The headline "Ein Plädoyer für die Entschleunigung: Kann denn Muße Sünde sein?" is the headline of an article written by Prof. Martin Wilmking about the deceleration during working hours.

article (available in German only): www.duz.de/duz-magazin/2013/01/kann-denn-musse-suende-sein/152

December 5th, 2012: Interview with Prof. Martin Wilmking in the E-Paper “Ideen für eine nachhaltige Hochschule von morgen”

An interview with Prof. Martin Wilmking about the “CO2-neutral University Greifswald“ was published in the E-Paper “Ideen für eine nachhaltige Hochschule von morgen”. Besides questions about the motivation and the realization of the project also critical questions are asked.

December 4th, 2012: Speed limit 130 km/h for university cars – article in local newspaper

Martin Wilmking next to a university car, in the front: a sticker saying “We don’t drive faster than 130 km/h in regard of the environment”. This picture illustrates an article about the recently released voluntary commitment of university staff to not drive faster than 130 km/h when using vehicles from the university’s fleet. For Monique Wölk and Martin Wilmking this is another small step on the way to the realization of the “CO2-neutral University” project. 

November 27th, 2012: DrendroGreif publication

The dendroGreif members Allan Buras, Martin Hallinger and Martin Wilmking have discovered a relationship between the summer ablation (i.e. melting) of the Hardangerjökulen icecap and the growth of neighbouring salix-shrubs in Southern Norway. Based on these findings it may become possible - if sufficiently old shrubs are found - to reconstruct the summer ablation of glaciers since the Little Ice Age, and this in areas where the so far applied method (tree growth instead of shrub growth as proxy for the ablation) was not applicable (Arctic and above the treeline environments, where trees are abscent). Their findings were published the 27th of November 2012 in Environmental Research Letters.

Press release of IOP publishing: http://ioppublishing.org/newsDetails/shrubs-lend-an-insight-into-a-glaciers-past

link to article download: http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/7/4/044031

November 26th, 2012: Article in local newspaper about Alexander von Humboldt International Climate Protection Fellow Erica Udas

The local newspaper interviewed Erica Udas, Monique Wölk and Martin Wilmking about Erica’s scientific research in the frame of the “CO2-neutral University” project. Erica aims to model different growth scenarios of the university forest under different management practices. After one year she will return to Nepal where she hopes to also apply the model. In that way, both countries have a benefit: Greifswald University is glad to profit by the scientific skills of the forest scientist Erica Udas whereas Nepal will have benefit from the output of the model.

November 8th, 2012: International Climate Protection Fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation at Greifswald University

Erica Udas started her International Climate Protection Fellowship granted by Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in the beginning of October this year. Her research project at Greifswald University mainly focuses on identifying best forest management practices to enhance the carbon sequestration potential in the University owned forests. This research is a part of the ‘Carbon Neutral University Project’. She will be simulating the carbon balances of "business as usual" and "project scenarios" using a suitable forest growth model (e.g. CO2fix). The parameters like the ‘additionality’ of the project, the potentiality of ‘leakage’ effects and ‘permanence’ will be also analysed for the project sustainability.

Lehrstuhl für Landschaftsökologie

Press release of the university (available in German only): http://idw-online.de/pages/de/news505837

Alexander von Humboldt Foundation https://www.humboldt-foundation.de/web/home.html

International Climate Protection Fellowship 

http://www.humboldt-foundation.de/web/icf-fellows-2012-2013.html
www.humboldt-foundation.de/web/icf.html

October 3rd, 2012: Contribution to Climate-Actionday

The working group contributed to the 4th Climate-Actionday of the “Klimaschutzbündnis Greifswald 2020” (Climate-Protection-Alliance of Greifswald 2020). Almuth Klemenz (member of the working group LEED) and Ines Kaulitz (staff of the Department of Building and Technics) represented the university as a partner within the alliance. Visitors could inform themselves about the climate- and environmental-protection activities of the university and the city of Greifswald. Besides a poster exhibition where the project “CO2-neutral University” and the “AG Umweltmanagement” were presented, the simulation game “Energie nachhaltig nutzen” (Using energy in a sustainable way) could be played and one’s personal carbon footprint could be calculated.

Some of the university’s lately purchased “staffbikes” could be tested by the visitors. But also the offers from other members of the alliance like a free repair of one’s bike lights and brakes were frequently used and altogether made the day a whole success.

September 13th, 2012: Paludiculture in radio broadcast „Deutschlandradio"

Under the headline "New utilization of wetlands" Prof. Dr. Michael Manthey gave an interview within the programme " Forschung Aktuell" (Current research) of the German Radio Broadcast presenting the Research project "Vorpommern Initiative Paludiculture" (VIP):

(available in German only) http://www.dradio.de/dlf/sendungen/forschak/1865830/

The same project was presented on August 28th by the project coordinator Christian Schröder within the radio broadcast detector.fm in the programme "Green Radio":

(available in German only) detektor.fm/wirtschaft/green-radio-trockengelegte-moore-verstaerken-den-treibhauseffekt/

September 6th, 2012: Article in „Jahrbuch Ökologie“

Lena Partzsch, Almuth Klemenz and Martin Wilmking wrote an article about the CO2-neutral University Greifswald, which was recently published in “Jahrbuch Ökologie”. This year’s edition of the book deals mainly with turns – turns regarding the use of energy, food production, transportation, economy and science. Even though energy is the only topic with an active and controversial discussion going on right now, also the other turns do have a high value in the heads and hearts of people.

Further information:
http://www.hirzel.de/sachbuch/titel/59244.html
/http://www.jahrbuch-oekologie.de/jahrbuecher.htm

Lehrstuhl für Landschaftsökologie

July 31st, 2012: Article in local newspaper about the simulation-game "Energie nachhaltig nutzen"

The exhibit „Energie nachhaltig nutzen“, see also note on May 30th, 2012 is subject of an article in the local newspaper „Ostsee-Zeitung“. In this report Prof. Martin Wilmking tells some background information about the development of the simulation game, explains the structure and reveals some details about the game content. As examples for an university and a city Greifswald University and the city of Greifswald are used in the game. The player can via touch screen implement several measures on e.g. the university’s library or main building to save energy and reduce emissions. Reducing CO2-emissions of Greifswald University to zero is actually the aim of the currently in reality running project “CO2-neutral University”, declares Martin Wilmking.

Further information about „MS Wissenschaft“: https://ms-wissenschaft.de/english/

July 26th, 2012

The online Magazin Yale Environment 360 reports about water deficiency in the Tarim River basin, China, and the adaptation to climate change, which are investigated by the Institute for Botany and Landscape Ecology as a part of the BMBF Project SuMaRiO: Melting Glaciers May Worsen Northwest China's Water Woes

July 1st, 2012:

Prof. Martin Wilmking, Ph. D.  has been eleceted new speaker of the "Junge Akademie" of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities and the National Academy of Sciences - Leopoldina.

further information: http://idw-online.de/de/news486340

June 2012: European Vegetation Survey

During the European Vegetation Survey workshop in Vienna Florian Jansen has been elected into the Governing Board of the European Vegetation Archive (EVA).

EVA aims to facilitate the international cooperation in vegetation science through a common data portal.

See also: http://www.GIVD.info

May 30th, 2012: Inauguration of the exhibition ship „MS Wissenschaft“ – exhibit of working group on board

The Federal Minister of Education and Research Annette Schavan inaugurated on May 30 the exhibition ship “MS Wissenschaft” in Berlin. On board the vessel is an exhibit of the working group “Landscape Ecology and Ecosystem Dynamics” about sustainable energy use. More than 100.000 people are expected to visit the exhibition in over 30 cities which the vessel will stop at.

March 2012:

Video "Does temperature explain enhanced shrub growth in the circumpolar Arctic?" by Isla Myers-Smith and the Shrub Hub Research Group among which Prof. Martin Wilmking and Martin Hallinger are founding members and the most important data contributors.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJZqvjs2bVg

March 29th and 30th, 2012: "Journey through a trunk" - Children`s and Youth University Greifswald 2012

We will offer an adventurous program for elementary school children at this year's Children's and Youth University Greifswald.
time: Thursday, March 29th: 9-10 am, 10-11 am and 11-12 am
place: Inner courtyard Domtrasse/Rubenowstrasse 

March 2012: Martin Hallinger made a short video about his research

For the Internationale Polar Year Conference in April in Montreal, Ph.D.-student Martin Hallinger made a short 58 sec video presentation about his research on shrubs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y35l8oH5Uto

Februar 2012: 2nd interact grant received: access to (sub-)arctic fieldstations

We are happy and grateful to have received our second INTERACT grant, enabling the access to (sub-) arctic fieldstations. The title of our project is “Recent influence of climate on shrub growth around the Northeast-Atlantic Part II: Assessing the Influence of the North Atlantic Oscillation (ATINAO). This time our fieldwork will lead us to Northern Norway and to the Scottish Highlands. Once again, the Nordic summers and lots of exciting shrubs and trees are awaiting us.

http://www.eu-interact.org/

February 2012: "Gateway to the Scandinavian Alpine"

Field work of the Working group in Finse, Norway, in a short article.

January 2012: Article in Environmental Research Web

Environmental Research Web published a news article on a recent paper with co-authorship of Ph.D. student Martin Hallinger and Prof. Martin Wilmking: "Shrub expansion in tundra ecosystems: dynamics, impacts and research priorities"