Wetlands International

<title>Abstract</title> Peatlands are critical for climate regulation, biodiversity conservation, and water management, yet they face growing threats from unsustainable and extractive land use practices. Indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) are increasingly recognised as essential actors in peatland restoration, but the effectiveness of different engagement strategies remains poorly understood. This Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA) synthesises empirical evidence on IPLC engagement in peatland conservation, restoration, and sustainable management. Our final dataset included 48 studies, predominantly journal articles. Engagement methods identified include participatory decision-making and co-design, community-based monitoring, awareness campaigns and capacity building, integration of traditional knowledge, and financial incentives. Multi-method, bottom-up approaches were generally more effective than single interventions. Key challenges include structural constraints, method-related issues (e.g., limited participation, knowledge gaps), and poorly aligned incentives. Our findings highlight the need to promote community-led governance, integrate local knowledge, align incentives with livelihoods, secure land and resource rights, invest in education and capacity building, embed adaptive management, and link local initiatives with national strategies. Evidence gaps remain in evaluating effectiveness, documenting non-tropical peatlands, and assessing locally led initiatives in local languages.

Abstract As salt marshes struggle to keep up with sea level rise, natural resource managers and agencies are increasingly utilizing nature-based solutions and exploring Beneficial Use of Dredged Material (BUDM) for marsh restoration. A United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) BUDM project in cooperation with The Wetlands Institute and the State of New Jersey at the Scotch Bonnet Island wetlands, in Stone Harbor, NJ, USA provided a unique opportunity to measure hydrodynamic and morphologic conditions in two marsh channels (North and South) before, during, and immediately after the material placement to better understand impact to these parameters. This paper focuses on pre-placement observations of tides, flow velocities, and pre-placement channel bathymetry and presents a methodology to estimate volumetric flow at channel transects, with a future goal of evaluating change in tidal prism as a potential consequence of BUDM. Using SONAR survey, satellite imagery, and walking survey measurements, area models at channel transects were created. From Nov.-Dec. 2023, with the ebb and flood stages of tide, the North and South Channels both saw phase-averaged peak discharge of −2.9 m 3 /s but inflow of 3.8 m 3 /s and 2.0 m 3 /s respectively.

The Natura 2000 (N2K) network is a key conservation instrument in the European Union, but its effectiveness is challenged by climate change. We surveyed 382 N2K managers to investigate their perceptions of climate change and related site adaptation strategies. Warming and precipitation shifts were frequently perceived as threats, with vulnerability of N2K sites highest in the Mediterranean and lowest in the Boreal region. Our results suggest that the official N2K site information stored in the Standard Data Forms greatly under-report managers' assessment of vulnerability. Around half of the surveyed managers implemented adaptation strategies, which, when characterised following a Resist-Accept-Direct framework, aimed not only at resisting, but also at directing and accepting the effects of climate change. Managers also highlighted the need for scientific knowledge on local vulnerability and increased funding to improve the implementation of adaptation strategies inside protected areas.

Abstract. This study investigated whether rewetting of drained temperate, groundwater-fed fens results in consistent shifts of above- and belowground production and litter mass loss of vascular plants, as compared to undrained fens, and how these processes relate to abiotic and biotic factors. We tested the hypotheses that (1) due to higher availability nutrient rewetted and drained fens exhibit higher production, (2) due to higher decomposability of plant biomass rewetted fens show higher plant biomass decomposition than undrained, and (3) in rewetted fens, less peat is potentially formed than in undrained fens. We analysed the effects of hydrological status (undrained, drained, rewetted) on plant production and litter mass loss during one year in 39 peatland sites across temperate Europe. Above- and belowground productivity, as well as mass loss of autochthonous vascular plant litter and Rooibos tea were measured above- and belowground. Aboveground vascular plant production was higher in rewetted fens than in undrained fens, in line with our first hypothesis. This difference was linked to the proportional graminoid cover and N content in aboveground biomass. In contrast to our first hypothesis, belowground production did not differ between fens of different hydrological status. It was highest in the 0–5 cm horizon, where soil temperature, and microbial biomass were also highest. Likewise, and in contrast to our second hypothesis, decomposition of above- and belowground vascular plant biomass was not affected by hydrological status. Only Rooibos tea mass loss showed small, ecologically irrelevant differences between differing hydrological statuses. Decomposition of aboveground biomass at soil surface was higher with higher nitrogen and phosphor content of the biomass, higher soil temperature, and higher cover proportion of herbs in the vegetation. Belowground biomass loss was positively correlated with phosphor content in soil porewater and aboveground biomass. One-third of the overall belowground biomass production took place in the 0–5 cm horizon, while decomposition in this horizon was lower than in the subsoil, irrespective of hydrological status. Our third hypothesis was also not confirmed because belowground production, decomposition and peat formation potential did not differ between the hydrological status. Although aboveground vascular plant production was higher in rewetted fens higher than in undrained, this difference will not result in a higher peat formation potential in rewetted fens due to the strong decomposition in of the easily degradable aboveground vascular plant biomass on a long time. Rather than hydrological status, soil depth, and nitrogen and phosphor availability had stronger impact on short-term vascular plant production and mass loss in the temperate fens studied. All these results were obtained during an extremely dry and warm growing season throughout Europe and causing deep drop downs of the water level at most sites. These meteorological conditions may have impacted the observed pattern of productivity and decomposition in unknown way.

Rigid docking remains the most popular method of predicting protein-protein interactions in cases when experimental 3D structures of the complexes are not available. The docking often relies on known unbound (Apo) protein structures, which may differ significantly from their bound (Holo) forms. Modern machine learning (ML) based conformational sampling techniques allow generating ensembles of functionally relevant protein structures, which may be closer to their Holo forms and thus could improve the outcomes of the classical rigid protein-protein docking. Here, we sampled conformations of the protein subunits in 30 complexes from the novel PINDER data set with two state-of-the-art ML-based techniques and evaluated their docking performance using several physics-based, data-based, and ML-based scoring functions. We showed that such conformational sampling rarely produces structures that are closer to the Holo conformations than the corresponding Apo ones. Moreover, even when such conformations are generated, none of the tested scoring functions were able to prioritize and rank them correctly. Our work highlights critical limitations in the current ML-enhanced rigid protein-protein docking workflows and emphasizes the need for new approaches that can better utilize the potential of modern techniques for conformational generation and scoring.

<strong class="journal-contentHeaderColor">Abstract.</strong> Multi-hazard events pose increasingly complex challenges to societies worldwide, as natural hazards interact in cascading and compounding ways that amplify risks beyond individual hazards. Understanding these complex interactions is critical for effective disaster risk management, preparedness, and response strategies. National and international frameworks have increasingly recognised these risk dynamics, most notably the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015&ndash;2030. With the Sendai Framework approaching its conclusion, there is a pressing need to address current shortcomings and contribute meaningfully to shaping the next generation of global disaster risk reduction (DRR) frameworks. Acknowledging this need, the 3rd International Conference on Natural Hazards and Risks in a Changing World took place on June 12&ndash;13, 2024, with the objective of strengthening the integration of multi-hazard risk into scientific research and policy practice in support of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. Here, we document the arc of the scientific discussions held at the conference, synthesise the main findings from sessions, and set forth expert knowledge on how state-of-the-art science can fill gaps outlined by the Sendai Framework Mid Term Review by identifying four perspective themes: (1) assessments and tools for risk understanding and decision-making; (2) complex risk landscapes; (3) emerging technologies for risk and resilience; and (4) multi-level governance for coordinated risk management. Ultimately, there was a strong call from the conference for moving beyond siloed thinking toward greater integration of multi-hazards, vulnerability dynamics, multi-level governance, stakeholder engagement, and scientific disciplines across spatial and temporal dimensions, while recognising that the challenge ahead lies in finding the optimal balance between sufficient integration and manageable complexity. This perspective emphasises that effective DRR must initiate transformative processes to build resilience against increasing global challenges while informing the development of post-2030 frameworks and supporting broader Sustainable Development Goals.

Abstract. In recognition of the importance of inland waters, numerous datasets mapping their extents, types, or changes have been created using sources ranging from historical wetland maps to real-time satellite remote sensing. However, differences in definitions and methods have led to spatial and typological inconsistencies among individual data sources, confounding their complementary use and integration. The Global Lakes and Wetlands Database (GLWD), published in 2004, with its globally seamless depiction of 12 major vegetated and non-vegetated wetland classes at 1 km grid cell resolution, has emerged over the last few decades as a foundational reference map that has advanced research and conservation planning addressing freshwater biodiversity, ecosystem services, greenhouse gas emissions, land surface processes, hydrology, and human health. Here, we present a new iteration of this map, termed GLWD version 2, generated by harmonizing the latest ground- and satellite-based data products into one single database. Following the same design principle as its predecessor, GLWD v2 aims to avoid double counting of overlapping surface water features while differentiating between natural and non-natural lakes, rivers of multiple sizes, and several other wetland types. The classification of GLWD v2 incorporates information on seasonality (i.e., permanent vs. intermittent vs. ephemeral); inundation vs. saturation (i.e., flooding vs. waterlogged soils), vegetation cover (e.g., forested swamps vs. non-forested marshes), salinity (e.g., salt pans), natural vs. non-natural origins (e.g., rice paddies), and stratification of landscape position and water source (e.g., riverine, lacustrine, palustrine, coastal/marine). GLWD v2 represents 33 wetland classes and – including all intermittent classes – depicts a maximum of 18.2 ×106 km2 of wetlands (13.4 % of the global land area excluding Antarctica). The spatial extent of each class is provided as the fractional coverage within each grid cell at a resolution of 15 arcsec (approximately 500 m at the Equator), with cell fractions derived from input data at resolutions as small as 10 m. The upgraded GLWD v2 offers an improved representation of inland surface water extents and their classification for contemporary conditions (∼ 1984–2020). Despite being a static map, it includes classes that denote intrinsic temporal dynamics. GLWD v2 is designed to facilitate large-scale hydrological, ecological, biogeochemical, and conservation applications, aiming to support the study and protection of wetland ecosystems around the world. The GLWD v2 database is available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.28519994 (Lehner et al., 2025).

ABSTRACTHeuglin's Gulls (Larus heuglini) GPS‐tracked from Sri Lanka to the Arctic in successive years followed a combination of coastal and overland routes through Eurasia (~8000 km) instead of the shortest maritime (~15,000 km) or shortest transcontinental (6346 km) routes, revealing a novel transcontinental passage for seabirds between the Indian and Arctic Oceans.

The assignment of emission factors (EFs) to land classes is vital for evaluating and reporting the effectiveness of rewetting drained peatlands in mitigation projects. This process currently relies on developing land class catalogues with assigned EFs based on extensive datasets, known as GEST catalogues. However, the GEST method, which assigns EFs based on vegetation types, often fails to provide satisfactory results in heterogeneous sites or in projects aimed at reducing emissions from multiple sources beyond drainage.We propose to assign EFs to mapping units by modelling the spatial structure and functions of peatland ecosystems. This method was tested in several peatland restoration projects conducted in Russia (2011-2022), Peru (2023-2024), and Mongolia (2023-2024).Our spatial modelling approach is founded on the observation that most chamber emission measurements typically occur at the microform level (10-4 to 10-2 ha). However, microforms are too small for practical mapping at the project scale (from 102 ha). To overcome this limitation, we employed a hierarchical landscape classification to upscale chamber measurement outcomes. Landscape units at the facies level comprise various combinations of elementary microform units, represented by phytocoenoses or complexes thereof. These facies collectively define peatland areas (10-1 to 102 ha), making them suitable mapping units for typical peatland restoration projects. Notably, GEST does not clearly define spatial boundaries; it may refer to either facies or peatland areas, according to different authors.&amp;#160;To derive the EFs at the facies level, the area of each microform type is multiplied by its corresponding EF. The cumulative value theoretically yields the desired emission factor for the facies. This procedure can similarly be applied to calculate EFs for the spatial scale of peatland areas, aligning with classes identified in the IPCC guidelines.Like many methods for calculating EFs, our proposed approach includes inherent uncertainties. A key question remains regarding the relationship between ecosystem function quantification (in this case, greenhouse gas emission factors) and the proportional area of the land cover class for which specific assessed values have been derived.At the Orshinski Mokh peatland (Tver, Russia), we validated our calculated fluxes against direct measurements from an Eddy-Covariance tower. Preliminary calculations incorporating the area fractions of each facies resulted in net ecosystem exchange (NEE) values of 4.8 tCO2/ha and methane emissions of 7.8 kg CH4/ha over 157 days, while initial readings from the Eddy Covariance method indicated 4.6 tCO2/ha and 18.4 kg CH4/ha for the same duration. Further detailed calculations will refine these values.In 2024, we set up a similar experiment in Mongolia's Khurkh peatland, with expectations for preliminary results in 2026.Another methodological challenge encountered in assigning EFs for restoration projects in Mongolia and Peru involved factors and processes that complement drainage, notably nitrification and carbonisation, which significantly increase emissions. We propose to investigate these processes' impacts on peat under various conditions by summing up the outcomes of ex-situ published laboratory experiments. The resulting fluxes will be averaged over the duration in the nature of the conditions studied and incorporated into the GEST or calculated EFs for the drainage-rewetting process.