current projects

• WET HORIZONS – Improving wetland knowledge and developing tools to enhance protection and restoration of Europe’s wetlands. Focused on biodiversity (European Commission/CORDIS, 09/2022 till 08/2026)

previous projects

• Alnus: Alder afforestation on fen peatlands – Developing a production process for alder timber while minimizing environmentally harmful effects and resource consumption. By integrating silvicultural, ecological, and (socio-)economic findings, criteria and indicators for site selection and site treatment of reforestation areas were elaborated. (DBU 2002-2005)
• Deutscher Moorschutzdialog - Providing momentum for climate and biodiversity protection and sustainable land use in moors by bringing together key players and organizing conferences, information events, workshops, excursions, and field days. Analysis of the on-site situation in peatland-rich areas (BMBF, 2015-2019)

Journal articles (peer-reviewed)

• Wu S, Artz RRE, Barthelmes A, Cui S, Adetsu DV, Eory V, Reed MS, Humpenöder F, Heuts TS, Fritz C, Klimkowska A, Lohila A (2026). Beyond carbon sequestration: The critical oversight of emission avoidance in restoration of wetland ecosystems. Environmental Science and Ecotechnology 29, 100658. doi.org/10.1016/j.ese.2026.100658
• van Giersbergen Q, Barthelmes A, Couwenberg J, Lång K, Martin M, Tegetmeyer C, Fritz C, Tanneberger F (2025). Identifying hotspots of greenhouse gas emissions from drained peatlands in the European Union. Nature Communications 16:10825. doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-65841-6
• Rabel E, Loisel J, Barthelmes A, Malpica-Piñeros C, Tegetmeyer C, Wong JR, Villegas-Mejia L (2025). A probabilistic map of Costa Rican peatlands based on vegetation, ecosystem, and soil inventories. Scientific Reports 15: 18088. Doi:10.1038/s41598-025-03126-0
• Chobanova M, Jovanovska D, Tanneberger F, Barthelmes A, Hristovski S (2024). Exploring the heterogeneity and conservation status of mires and other wetlands in North Macedonia (SE Europe): Insights from mapping efforts. Mires & Peat 32:23, DOI:10.19189/001c.143181
• Jurasinski G, Barthelmes A, Byrne KA, Chojnicki BH, Christiansen JR, Decleer K, Fritz C, Günther AB, Huth V, Joosten H, Juszczak R, Juutinen ,; Kasimir Å, Klemedtsson L, Koebsch F, Kotowski W, Kull A, Lamentowicz M, Lindgren A, Lindsay R, Linkevičienė R, Lohila A, Mander Ü, Manton M, Minkkinen K, Peters J, Renou-Wilson F, Sendžikaitė J, Šimanauskienė R, Taminskas J, Tanneberger F, Tegetmeyer C, van Diggelen R, Vasander H, Wilson D, Zableckis N, Zak DH, Couwenberg J (2024). Active afforestation of drained peatlands is not a viable option under the EU Nature Restoration Law. Ambio 53: 970-983. Doi:10.1007/s13280-024-02016-5
• Zhao J, Weldon S, Barthelmes A, Swails E, Hergoualc'h K, Mander Ü, Qiu C, Connolly J, Silver W, Campbell D (2023). Global observation gaps of peatland greenhouse gas balances: needs and obstacles. Biogeochemistry. 10.1007/s10533-023-01091-2.
• Minasny B, Adetsu D, Aitkenhead M, Artz R, et al. (2023). Mapping and monitoring peatland conditions from global to field scale. Biogeochemistry: 1-43. 10.1007/s10533-023-01084-1.
• Fluet-Chouinard E, Stocker BD. Zhang Z, et al. (2023) Extensive global wetland loss over the past three centuries. Nature 614:281–286 (2023). doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-05572-6
• Temmink RJM, Robroek BJM, van Dijk G et al. (2023) Wetscapes: Restoring and maintaining peatland landscapes for sustainable futures. Ambio, doi.org/10.1007/s13280-023-01875-8
• Jurasinski G, Byrne K, & Chojnicki B, Christiansen J, Huth V, Joosten H, Juszczak R, Juutinen S, Kasimir Å, Klemedtsson L, Kotowski W, Kull A, Lamentowicz M, Lindgren A, Linkevičienė R, Lohila A, Mander Ü, Manton M, Minkkinen K, Couwenberg J (2023). Active afforestation of drained peatlands is not a viable option under the EU Nature Restoration Law. 10.5281/zenodo.7831173.
• Tanneberger F, Moen A, Barthelmes A, Lewis E, Miles L, Sirin A, Tegetmeyer C, Joosten J (2021) Mires in Europe—Regional Diversity, Condition and Protection. Diversity 13(8):381.  doi:10.3390/d13080381
• Humpenöder F, Karstens K, Lotze-Campen H, Leifeld J, Menichetti L, Barthelmes A, Popp A (2020) Peatland protection and restoration are key for climate change mitigation. Environmental Research Letters 15:1748-9326.
• Günther A, Barthelmes A, Huth V, Joosten H, Jurasinski G, Koebsch F, Couwenberg J (2020) Prompt rewetting of drained peatlands reduces climate warming despite methane emissions. Nature Communications 11:1644.
• Tanneberger F, Tegetmeyer C, Busse S, Barthelmes A, Shumka S, Mariné A, Jenderedjian K, Steiner GM, Essl F, Etzold J, Mendes C, Kozulin A, Frankard P, Milanović Đ, Ganeva A, Apostolova I, Alegro A, Delipetrou P Navrátilová J, Joosten H (2017) The peatland map of Europe. Mires and Peat 19:1–17.
• Prager A, Theuerkauf M, Couwenberg J, Barthelmes A, Joosten H, Aptroot A (2012) Pollen and Non-pollen palynomorphs as tools for identifying alder carr deposits: A surface sample study from NE-Germany. Review of Palynology and Palaeobotany 186:38-57.
• Barthelmes A, de Klerk P, Prager A, Unterseher M, Joosten H (2012) Expanding NPP analysis to eutrophic and forested sites: Significance of NPPs in a Holocene wood peat section (NE Germany). Review of Palynology and Palaeobotany 186:22-37.
• Couwenberg J, Thiele A, Tanneberger F, Augustin J, Bärisch S, Dubovik D, Liashchynskaya N, Michaelis D, Minke M, Skuratovich A, Joosten H (2011) Assessing greenhouse gas emissions from peatlands using vegetation as a proxy. Hydrobiologia 674:67-89.
• Barthelmes A, Gerloff D, de Klerk P, Joosten H (2010) Short-lived vegetation dynamics in alder carrs: a palaeoecological case study from Vorpommern (NE Germany). Folia Geobotanica 45:279-302.
• Kaiser K, Miehe G, Barthelmes A, Ehrmann O, Scharf A, Schult M, Schlütz F, Adamczyk S, Frenzel B (2008) Turf-bearing topsoils on the central Tibetan Plateau, China: pedology, botany, geochronology. Catena 73: 300-311.
• Barthelmes A, Prager A, Joosten H (2006): Palaeoecological research of Alnus wood peats with special attention to non-pollen palynomorphs. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 141:33-51.
• Kaiser K, Barthelmes A, Czakó Pap S, Hilgers A, Janke W, Kühn P, Theuerkauf M (2006) A Lateglacial palaeosol cover in the Altdarss area, southern Baltic Sea coast (northeast Germany): investigations on pedology, geochronology and botany. Netherlands Journal of Geosciences 85:197-220.
• Prager A, Barthelmes A, Theuerkauf M, Joosten H (2006) Non-pollen palynomorphs from modern Alder carrs and their potential for interpreting microfossil data from peat. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 141:7-31.
• Prager A, Barthelmes A, Joosten H (2006) A touch of tropics in temperate mires: on Alder carrs and carbon cycles. Peatlands International 2006:26-31.

Other relevant publications

• Tegetmeyer C, Kaiser M, & Barthelmes A (2025). The European Wetland Map ('EWM') [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15302184
• Tegetmeyer C, Kaiser M, Chobanova M, Tanneberger F. & Barthelmes A (2025). The European Peatland Map 2025 (‘EPM2025’) - Technical Description and Data Sources. Proceedings of the Greifswald Mire Centre 03/2025 (self-published, ISSN 2627‐910X), 18 pp.
• UNEP (2024). Global Peatland Hotspot Atlas: The State of the World’s Peatlands in Maps - Visualizing global threats and opportunities for peatland conservation, restoration, and sustainable management. https://wedocs.unep.org/20.500.11822/46635.
• UNEP (2022) Global Peatlands Assessment – The State of the World’s Peatlands: Evidence for action toward the conservation, restoration, and sustainable management of peatlands. Main Report. Global Peatlands Initiative. United Nations Environment Programme, Nairobi.
• Tegetmeyer C, Barthelmes K-D, Busse S, Barthelmes A (2021) Aggregated map of the organic soils of Germany. 2nd, revised version. Proceedings of the Greifswald Mire Centre 01/2021 (self-published, ISSN 2627‐910X), 10 p. (in German).
• Ramsar Convention Secretariat (2018) Guidelines for inventories of tropical peatlands to facilitate their designation as Ramsar Sites. Briefing Notes 9, Ramsar Convention, Gland, Switzerland.
• United Nations Environment Programme, & GRID-Arendal (2017) Smoke on Water: Countering Global Threats from Peatland Loss and Degradation - A Rapid Response Assessment. Revised Edition. wedocs.unep.org/20.500.11822/22919.
• Barthelmes A, Ballhorn U, Couwenberg J, Joosten H (2015) Consulting Study 5: Practical guidance on locating and delineating peatlands and other organic soils in the Tropics. The High Carbon Stock Science Study 2015, available at: www.carbonstockstudy.com/resource-centre/reports
• Barthelmes A, Couwenberg J, Risager M, Tegetmeyer C, Joosten H (2015) Peatlands and Climate in a Ramsar contex: A Nordic-Baltic Perspective. 10.6027/TN2015-544.
• Barthelmes A, Dommain R, Joosten H (2012) Global potential of paludiculture as land use alternative for rewetted peatlands. Proceedings of the 14th International Peat Congress, Stockholm 3-8 June, Sweden, pp. 387-394.
• Barthelmes A, Couwenberg J, Emmer I, Schäfer A, Wichtmann W, Joosten H (2010) MoorFutures® - Kohlenstoff-Zertifikate aus der Wiedervernässung degradierter Moore in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Institut für Dauerhaft Umweltgerechte Entwicklung von Naturräumen der Erde (DUENE e.V.).
• Barthelmes A, Berg J, Brandt V, Lemke E, Lenschow U, Lorenz S, Mauersberger R, Michaelis D, Röhe P, Rowinsky V, Schröder J, Wirner M (2010) Moore und Feuchtwälder in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Exkursionsführer zur Jahrestagung der Arbeitsgemeinschaft Forstliche Standorts- und Vegetationskunde, Landesforst Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Schwerin.
• Barthelmes A (2009) Vegetation dynamics and carbon sequestration in Holocene alder (Alnus glutinosa) carrs in NE Germany. Dissertation, Universität Greifswald.
• Barthelmes A, Couwenberg J, Joosten H (2009) Peatlands in National Inventory Submissions 2009 - an analysis of 10 European countries. Wetlands International, Ede, 2009.
• Barthelmes A, Couwenberg J (2008) Carbon accumulation in alder carrs (case studies from north-east Germany). In: Farrel C, Feehan J (eds.) After wise use - The future of peatlands. Proc. 13th Int. Peat Congress, Tullamore 8-13 June Ireland, pp. 564-568.
• Schäfer A, Joosten H, Barthelmes A, Kaffke A, Koska I, Schröder A, Succow M (2005) Erlenaufforstung auf wiedervernässten Niedermooren. ALNUS-Leitfaden, Institut für dauerhaft umweltgerechte Entwicklung von Naturräumen der Erde, Greifswald. 
• Barthelmes A, Joosten H (2003) Moor- und Torftypen. Akademie gemeinnütziger Wissenschaften zu Erfurt, Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Klasse, Sitzungsbericht 12.
• Koska I, Barthelmes A, Kaffke A (2003) Umweltgerechter Erlenanbau – ökologische Aspekte. Greifswalder Geographische Arbeiten 31: 55 - 63.
• Joosten H, Gaudig G, Barthelmes A, Michaelis D (2003) Was lehrt uns die Vegetationsgeschichte über die Dynamik unserer Moore. Archiv für Naturschutz und Landschaftsforschung 42:49–65.
• Barthelmes A (2002) Vom Kesselmoor zum Quellmoor - ungewöhnliche Moorbildungssequenzen im Rodder Forst (Mecklenburg -Vorpommern). Greifswalder Geographische Arbeiten 26:131–134.