On June 13-14, 2019 LIFE REstore International Conference "Sustainable management of degraded peatlands and climate change mitigation" took place at the Academic Centre for Natural Sciences of the University of Latvia which was visited by 159 participants and viewed by 998 persons in online - streeming services provided by the University of Latvia and National News Agency LETA.

The goal of the conference was toraise awareness of peatlands’ role in climate change mitigation. Themes of the conference included:

• The influence of differently managed peatlands on climate change mitigation; development of national GHG emission factors;
• After-use of peatlands affected by peat extraction; recommendations for their sustainable management;
• Inclusion of assessment of ecosystem services in the planning of future use of degraded peatlands.

The LIFE REstore International Closing Conference was organized with the financial support of European Commission LIFE Programme and the Administration of Latvian Environmental Protection Fund, within the framework of project “Sustainable and responsible management and re-use of degraded peatlands in Latvia” (LIFE REstore, LIFE14 CCM/LV/001103).

VIDEO RECORDS OF THE CONFERENCE

Agenda(for download)		Book of Abstracts (for download)		Photo gallery - Day 1 (13.06.2019)
	...		,,,	Photo gallery - Day 2 (14.06.2019)

PRESENTATIONS OF THE CONFERENCE
(Please click on a title of the presentation to download)

13.06.2019.

Introduction session

• Significance of peatland management in the context of nature conservation.Juris Jātnieks, Director General of Nature Conservation Agency of Latvia
• The contribution of LIFE programme in Latvia.Ilona Mendziņa, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, Deputy Director of Department of Nature Protection
• LIFE REstore – the first climate project of EU LIFE programme in Latvia. Framework and achievements.Ieva Saleniece, LIFE REstore Manager, Nature Conservation Agency of Latvia

Session 1 - Impact of Peatlands on Climate Change Mitigation

• Objectives of EU LULUCF sector for climate change mitigation, and their achievement(video-conference). Giacomo Grassi, European Commission, Joint Research Centre
• The contribution of LIFE REstore project in development and implementation of climate policy.Ilze Prūse, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, Director of Climate Change Department
• The contribution of LIFE REstore project to improvement of activity data for accounting greenhouse gas emissions due to management of wetlands.Andis Lazdiņš, LIFE REstore Expert, Senior Researcher at Latvian State Forest Research Institute "Silava"
• Results of GHG emission measurements in differently managed peatlands in Latvia – the basis for new national GHG emission factors. Ainārs Lupiķis, LIFE REstore Expert, Researcher at Latvian State Forest Research Institute "Silava"
• Paris 2015 and peatlands – vision and reality. Experiencein Europe with different after-uses of degraded peatlands during last decades.Bernd Hofer, International Peat Society, Chair of Peatland and Environment Commission

Session 2 - Management recommendations for peatlands affected by peat extraction

• Conditions of peatland management in Latvia after peat extraction. Recultivation types of degraded peatlands and recommendations for sustainable management.Ingrīda Krīgere, LIFE REstore Expert, Member of the Board of Latvian Peat Association
• Importance of ecosystem services provided by Latvian mires. Andris Širovs, Director of Nature Conservation Agency, Pierīga Regional Administration
• LIFE REstore developed optimisation model for sustainable management of territories affected by peat extraction. Elina Konstantinova, LIFE REstore Expert, Association "Baltic Coasts"
• Functional land management model – a tool for planning of sustainable land management policy.Aleksejs Nipers, Senior Researcher at the Institute of Economics and Regional Development, Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies
• Linking the LIFEREstore recommendations for after-use of degraded peatlands with Guidelines for sustainable use of peat. Kristīne Gāga, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, Senior Expert at Department of Environmental Protection
• Responsible peatland management in Latvia. Uldis Ameriks, Chairman of the Board of “Laflora” Ltd.
• Peatland restoration at a national scale: Scotland’s Peatland ACTION project.Emily Taylor, Peatland ACTION Project Officer, Crichton Carbon Centre
• Pennine PeatLIFE - geographically appropriate Sphagnum-based bog restoration techniques.Paul Leadbitter, Pennine PeatLIFE Manager
• Peatland renaturalization experience in Latvia and results of vegetation studies in LIFE REstore project.Māra Pakalne, LIFE REstore Expert, University of Latvia, Association “Baltic Coasts”
• Wise use of degraded peatlands – tool to mitigate climate change.Nerijus Zableckis, Projects Manager of Lithuania Fund for Nature, LIFE Peat Restore
• Experiences and challenges of restoration and use of peatlands in Estonia.Juri-Ott Salm, Project Coordinator, Estonian Fund for Nature, LIFE Mires Estonia

POSTER SESSION

LIFE RESTORE PROJECT POSTERS

• Five demonstration areas in the project - evaluation of impact on the GHG emissions.Andis Lazdiņš, Aldis Butlers, Ainārs Lupiķis, Arta Bārdule
• Inventory of territories affected by peat extraction and its results.Juris Pētersons, Andis Lazdiņš
• LIFE REstore project open access database and its application.Ieva Bukovska
• Three-dimensional hydrogeological modelling in demonstration sites in Lauga and Ķemeri Bogs.Oļģerts Aleksāns, Juris Pētersons
• After-use of post-harvested peatlands and restoration of the raised bog: assessing the economic value of ecosystem services.Aija Peršēvica, Elīna Konstantinova, Līga Brūniņa
• Establishment of Highbush BlueberryVaccinium corymbosumand Large CranberryVaccinium macrocarponplantations in peatlands degraded by peat extraction.Juris Pētersons
• Peatland recultivation - a case study of a commercial tree plantation in a former peat extraction area.Dagnija Lazdiņa, Santa Neimane, Santa Celma, Vita Krēsliņa, Kārlis Dūmiņš, Toms Arturs Štāls, Modris Okmanis, Gints Spalva, Andis Lazdiņš, Kristaps Makovskis
• Renaturalization (Sphagnum Planting) of degraded peatland in LIFE REstore demo site at Ķemeri National Park.Agnese Rudusāne, Māra Pakalne, Juris Pētersons
• Stabilization of the hydrological regime of the Višezers Lake at LIFE REstore demo site in Lauga Mire.Agnese Rudusāne, Juris Pētersons
• A type of peatland recultivation: reforesting.Dagnija Lazdiņa, Ingrīda Krīgere, Inārs Dreimanis, Laimdota Kalniņa, Andis Lazdiņš
• A type of peatland recultivation: establishing arable land for the cultivation of arable crops.Ingrīda Krīgere, Inārs Dreimanis, Dace Siliņa, Laimdota Kalniņa, Andis Lazdiņš
• A type of peatland recultivation: cultivation of large cranberries.Ingrīda Krīgere, Inārs Dreimanis, Dace Siliņa, Laimdota Kalniņa, Andis Lazdiņš
• A type of peatland recultivation: cultivation of highbush blueberries and lowbush blueberries.Ingrīda Krīgere, Dace Siliņa, Inārs Dreimanis, Laimdota Kalniņa, Andis Lazdiņš
• A type of peatland recultivation: paludicultures.Ingrīda Krīgere, Laimdota Kalniņa, Ilze Ozola, Andis Lazdiņš
• A type of peatland recultivation: renaturalisation.Ingrīda Krīgere, Laimdota Kalniņa, Inārs Dreimanis, Māra Pakalne, Andis Lazdiņš
• A type of peatland recultivation: establishing of water reservoirs.Ingrīda Krīgere, Inārs Dreimanis, Laimdota Kalniņa, Andis Lazdiņš
• Type of peatland recultivation: perennial grasslands.Ingrīda Krīgere, Inārs Dreimanis, Laimdota Kalniņa, Dace Siliņa, Andis Lazdiņš
• LIFE REstore project: summary.Anda Zālmane

OTHER POSTERS

• Alternative use of peat.Edgars Ameriks.
• Cultivation of large cranberries in peat bog in Latvia.Līga Vilka, Dace Siliņa
• EU protected mire habitat mapping and quality assessment by airborne remote sensing data.Rūta Abaja, Dainis Jakovels, Jevgēnijs Fiļipovs, Juris Taškovs, Gatis Eriņš
• Evidence of climate changes in Lubāns wetland deposits: example of Sūļagols and Asne site.Līga Paparde, Laimdota Kalniņa, Jānis Dreimanis, Aija Ceriņa
• Innovative method of greenhouse gas emission assessment for peatlands based on remote sensing data and GEST analysis.Rūta Abaja, Jevgēnijs Fiļipovs, Līga Strazdiņa, Māra Pakalne, Dainis Jakovels
• Mapping of ecosystems and their services – Latvian coastal ecosystems case study.Inga Hoņavko
• Nature Census in Latvia.Irisa Mukāne, Gita Strode, Anita Namatēva
• Peatland restoration for carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation in three Latvian peatlands – LIFE project “Peat Restore”.Māra Pakalne, Līga Strazdiņa, Agnese Priede, Krišjānis Libauers
• Restoration experiment of Sphagnum magellanicum in the Pyreneanmires.Jordina Gili, Aaron Pérez Haase, Jaume Espuny
• The importance of geological studies for the assessment of degraded peatlands. Laimdota Kalniņa, Ingrīda Krīgere, Jānis Dreimanis, Agnese Rudusāne, Līga Paparde, Reinis Bitenieks
• Ecosystems services economic valuation: case study in Latvia.Aija Peršēvica, Elīna Konstantīnova, Līga Brūniņa

LIFE RESTORE MANUAL "SUSTAINABLE AND RESPONSIBLE AFTER-USE OF PEAT EXTRACTION AREAS"

The participants of LIFE REstore conference received LIFE REstore manual "Sustainable and Responsible After-use of Peat Extraction Areas". English version of the manual in PDF format available -HERE.

d

d

d

d

d

d

d

d

d

d

d

d

d

dd

LIFE RESTORE DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILMS

• About the LIFE REstore project
• Inventory of peatlands affected by peat extraction in Latvia
• After-use of degraded peatlands: planting ofSphagnummosses
• After-use of degraded peatlands: renaturalization in Lauga Mire
• After-use of degraded peatlands: afforestation
• Measurements of greenhouse gas emissions in managed peatlands in Latvia

d

FIELD TRIP TO LIFE RESTORE DEMONSTRATION SITES

On the second day of the conference - June 14, 2019 - field trip to LIFE REstore demonstration sites took place where after-use scenarios are implemented in peat extraction affected territories - afforestation and highbush blueberry plantation. The participants of the conference were introduced to greenhouse gas emission measurementprocess and visited peat extraction company Laflora Ltd. to get aquainted with responsible peatland management activities in the company.

Photo gallery availbalbe -HERE.

d

d

d

d

d

PEAT ARTIST EDGARS AMERIKS OPENS PEAT CULPTURE "HUMAN AND NATURE"

Peat researcher and artist Edgars Ameriks unveiledthe peat sculpture “Human and Nature” and presented it to the Academic Center for Natural Sciences of the University of Latvia. Present was received by rector of the Univeristy of Latvia - professor Indriķis Muižnieks.

d

d

d

d

d

d

d

PHOTOGRAPHYEXHIBITION "RESTORING PEATLANDS FOR CLIMATE"

LIFE Peat Restore project photography exhibition “Restoring Peatlands for Climate” invited to learn about mires, their role in nature, as well as mire restoration and research in five European countries.

d

d

d

d

d

d

d

The LIFE REstore International Closing Conference was organized with the financial support of European Commission LIFE Programme and the Administration of Latvian Environmental Protection Fund, within the framework of project “Sustainable and responsible management and re-use of degraded peatlands in Latvia” (LIFE REstore, LIFE14 CCM/LV/001103).

The article contains only the vision of the LIFE REstore project developers. The European Commission Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.