Vera Luthardt

Professor Vera Luthardt serves as Professor of Vegetation Science and Applied Plant Ecology at Eberswalde University of Sustainable Development, where she also leads the Biosphere Reserves Institute (BRI). Her academic career spans over three decades at the institution, with significant research contributions in peatland ecology and conservation.

• PhD in Biological Sciences from Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University, Greifswald (1987)
• Diploma in Biology from Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University, Greifswald

Professor Luthardt's research focuses on applied moor science and ecology, with particular emphasis on climate change adaptation in peatland ecosystems. Her work integrates ecological monitoring with practical conservation strategies for sustainable landscape management. She has pioneered approaches to moor renaturation and moor-conserving agricultural practices that balance ecological preservation with land use needs. Her research demonstrates how biosphere reserves can serve as model regions for sustainable development while maintaining biodiversity in changing climatic conditions.

Her publication record shows consistent research output in peatland ecology, with recent work focusing on climate resilience in natural moors, mire-specific biodiversity assessment, and paludiculture as a sustainable land use option. These publications reveal a research trajectory increasingly focused on practical climate change mitigation strategies through wetland conservation.

• Scientific Director of the Biosphere Reserves Institute (BRI) Eberswalde since 2019
• Chair of the Brandenburg Nature Conservation Advisory Board since 2011
• Appointed Member of the BMU German Man and Biosphere (MAB) National Committee since 2018
• Elected Board Member of the German Society for Peat and Turf Science (2009-2022)

Professor Luthardt actively collaborates with multiple research projects related to forest moor protection in Brandenburg, including the Waldmoorschutz Brandenburg initiative (2022-2026), which addresses the professionalization of forest moor renaturation. She serves in numerous advisory capacities for nature parks and biosphere reserves throughout Brandenburg, providing scientific guidance for conservation practices. Her leadership extends to the Moorschutzprogramm working group at MLUK and the Moorbodenmonitoring Germany project board.

She maintains active membership in international networks including the International Peat Society and International Mire Conservation Group, connecting her regional work in German peatlands to global conservation efforts. Her institutional leadership roles include serving on the coordination council of the biosphere.center Eberswalde and as an appointed member of the Board of Trustees for the Uckermärkische Seen Nature Park.