Background: Ghanas transition forests, neighbouring savannahs and timber plantations in the Ashanti region face a constant degradation due to the increased occurrence of fires. In most cases the fires are deliberately set by rural people for hunting purposes. Main target is a cane rat, here called grasscutter (Thryonomys swinderianus), whose bushmeat is highly esteemed throughout the country. The animal is a wild herbivorous rodent of subhumid areas in Africa south of the Sahara. The grasscutter meat is an important source of animal protein. Existing high-value timber plantations (mainly Teak, Tectona grandis) are affected by fires for hunting purposes. Thus resulting in growth reduction, loss of biomass or even complete destruction of the forest stands. It became obvious that solutions had to be sought for the reduction of the fire risk. Objectives: Since 2004 the Institute for World Forestry of the Federal Research Centre for Forestry and Forest Products, Hamburg, Germany is cooperating with a Ghanaian timber plantation company (DuPaul Wood Treatment Ltd.) the German Foundation for Forest Conservation in Africa (Stiftung Walderhaltung in Afrika) and the Center for International Migration with the purpose to improve the livelihood of the rural population in the surroundings of the forest plantation sites and simultaneously to safeguard and improve the timber plantations. The introduction of grasscutter rearing systems to local farmers accompanied by permanent agricultural and agroforestry practices appeared to be a promising approach for the prevention of fires in the susceptible areas. Additionally a functioning grasscutter breeding system could contribute to the improvement of food security, development of income sources and the alleviation of poverty. The following measures are implemented: - Identification of farmers interested in grasscutter captive breeding, - Implementation of training courses for farmers on grasscutter rearing, - Delivery of breeding animals, - Supervision of rearing conditions by project staff, - Development of a local extension service for monitoring activities, - Evaluation of structures for grasscutter meat marketing. Results: After identification of key persons for animal rearing training courses were successfully passed and animals were delivered subsequently. Further investigations will evaluate the effects of the grasscutter rearing in the project region. This will be assessed through the - Acceptance of grasscutter rearing by farmers, - Success of the animal caging, - Reproduction rate, - Meat quality, - Marketing success of meat, - Reduction of fire in the vicinity of the timber plantations, - Improvement of peoples livelihood.
Background: An increasing frequency of massive flooding along the lower Yangtse River in China ended in a disastrous catastrophe in summer 1998 leaving several thousand people homeless, more than 3.600 dead and causing enormous economic damage. Inappropriate land-use techniques and large scale timber felling in the water catchment of the upper Yangtse and its feeder streams were stated to be the main causes. Immediate timber cutting bans were imposed and investigations on land use patterns were initiated by the Chinese Government. The Institute for World Forestry of the Federal Research Centre for Forestry and Forest Products was approached by the Yunnan Academy of Forestry in Kunming to exchange experiences and to cooperate scientifically in the design and application of appropriate afforestation and silvicultural management techniques in the water catchment area of the Yangtse. This cooperation was initiated in 1999 and is based on formal agreements in the fields of agrarian research between the German and Chinese Governments. Objectives: The cooperation was in the first step focussing on the identification of factors which caused the enormous floodings. After their identification measures of prevention were determined and put into practice. In this context experiences made in past centuries in the alpine region of central Europe served as an incentive and example for similar environmental problems and solutions under comparable conditions. Relevant key questions of the cooperation project were: - Analysis of forest related factors influencing the recent floodings of the Yangtse, - Analysis and evaluation of silvicultural management experiences from central Europe for know-how transfer, - Evaluation of rehabilitation measures for successful application in Yunnan, - Dissemination of knowledge through vocational training. Results: - Frequent wild grazing of husbandry is a key factor for forest degeneration beyond unsustainable timber harvests, forest fires and insect calamities leading to increased water run-off in the mountainous region of Yunnan; - Browsing of cattle interrupts succession thus avoiding natural regeneration and leaving a logging ban ineffective; - Mountain pasture in the Alps had similar effects in the past in central Europe. The introduction of controlled grazing has led to an ecologically compatible coexistence of pasture and ecology. Close-to-nature forestry can have positive effects in this sensitive environment. - Afforestation with site adopted broadleaves and coniferous tree species was implemented on demonstration level using advanced techniques in Yunnan.
In dem Vorhaben wird untersucht, wie wirksam die absorbierte Lichtenergie in Biomasse konvertiert wird. Vergleichend werden Grünalgen und Diatomeen unter verschiedenen Licht- und Nährstoffbedingungen studiert. Auf diese Weise können die metabolischen Kosten unter Nährstoffmangel oder anderen produktivitätsbegrenzenden Bedingungen studiert werden. So wird auch die Säureanpassung ausgewählter Phytoplankter untersucht, um die Biomassebildung in extrem sauren Tagebaurestseen auf physiologischer Ebene zu verstehen. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass unter Stickstoffmangel die Überführung anorganischen Kohlenstoffs in Biomassebildung durch eine Veränderung der makromolekularen Zusammensetzung der Zellen ähnlicher Effizienz stattfindet, wie unter optimaler Stickstoffversorgung. Dies führt zu einer ökologisch bedeutsamen Teilentkopplung des C und N Kreislaufs im Ökosystem. Ähnliches beobachtet man auch bei der Anpassung von Phytoplanktonalgen an extrem saure Bedingungen wie man sie in sauren Tagebaurestseen vorfindet.
Background and Objectives: The project area is located in the Ashanti Region of Ghana / West Africa in the transition zone of the moist semideciduous forest and tropical savannah zone. Main land use in this region is subsistence agriculture with large fallow areas. As an alternative land-use, forest plantations are under development by the Ghanaian wood processing company DuPaul Wood Treatment Ltd. Labourers from the surrounding villages are employed as permanent or casual plantation workers. Within three forest plantation projects of approximately 6,000 ha, DuPaul offers an area of 164 ha (referred to as Papasi Plantation) - which is mainly planted with Teak (Tectona grandis) - for research purposes. In return, the company expects consultations to improve the management for sustainable timber and pole production with exotic and native tree species. Results: In a first research approach, the Papasi Plantation was assessed in terms of vegetation classification, timber resources (in qualitative and quantitative terms) and soil and site conditions. A permanent sampling plot system was established to enable long-term monitoring of stand dynamics including observation of stand response to silvicultural treatments. Site conditions are ideally suited for Teak and some stands show exceptionally good growth performances. However, poor weed management and a lack of fire control and silvicultural management led to high mortality and poor growth performance of some stands, resulting in relative low overall growth averages. In a second step, a social baseline study was carried out in the surrounding villages and identified landowner conflicts between some villagers and DuPaul, which could be one reason for the fire damages. However, the study also revealed a general interest for collaboration in agroforestry on DuPaul land on both sides. Thirdly, a silvicultural management concept was elaborated and an improved integration of the rural population into DuPaul's forest plantation projects is already initiated. If landowner conflicts can be solved, the development of forest plantations can contribute significantly to the economic income of rural households while environmental benefits provide long-term opportunities for sustainable development of the region. Funding: GTZ supported PPP-Measure, Foundation
Eine Brennstoffzelle als Primärenergiequelle mit einem Doppelschichtkondensator (Supercap) als Zwischenspeicher zu kombinieren ist ein vielversprechender Ansatz für zukünftige Elektrofahrzeuge. In Kooperation mit einem Fahrzeughersteller wurden verschiedene Strategien für ein Energiemanagement für die Kombination einer Brennstoffzelle mit einem Doppelschichtkondensatormodul entworfen und verglichen. Basierend auf der aktuellen Geschwindigkeit und Beschleunigung werden verschiedene Fahrzeugzustände bezüglich kinetischer Energie und Leistungsbedarf unterschieden. In Abhängigkeit von der verfügbaren Leistung von Supercaps und Brennstoffzelle wird eine optimale Leistungsaufteilung zwischen den beiden Energiequellen ermittelt. In Bremsphasen wird durch Rekuperation Energie zurückgewonnen und in den Supercaps gespeichert. Wenn die Supercaps vollgeladen sind oder ihre maximale Ladeleistung erreicht haben, übernehmen mechanische Bremsen die übrige Ladeleistung. Da diese Situation zu einem Energieverlust führt, sollte sie möglichst vermieden werden. Um immer die notwendige Beschleunigungsleistung und gleichzeitig auch ein Maximum an Rekuperation zu garantieren, wird der Ladezustand der Supercaps kontinuierlich und dynamisch an die kinetische Energie des Fahrzeugs angepasst. Verschiedene Strategien wurden in Matlab/Simulink mit einem Stateflow-Chart zur Abbildung der Zustände implementiert. Die verfügbare Supercapleistung wird mit Hilfe eines impedanzbasierten Modells für Supercaps berechnet. Mit diesen Strategiemodellen können die Leistungsfähigkeit der verschiedenen Strategien verglichen und die Einflüsse von Parametern untersucht werden. Ziel eines Energiemanagements ist es, den Wasserstoffverbrauch zu minimieren und die notwendige Leistung zu jeder Zeit sicherzustellen. Bei der Bewertung der Strategien wird der Wasserstoffverbrauch, die verlorene Bremsenergie und eine mögliche Geschwindigkeitsreduzierung verglichen. Mit einer optimalen Strategie können bis zu 23 Prozent Wasserstoff während eines definierten Fahrprofils gespart werden.
Increasing population pressure is leading to unsustainable land use in North Vietnamese highlands and destruction of natural habitats. The resulting loss of biodiversity includes plant genetic resources - both wild (= non-cultivated) species and cultivated landraces - adapted to local conditions, and local knowledge concerning the plants. A particularly important group among endangered plants are the legumes (1) because Southeast Asia is a major centre of genetic diversity for this family, and (2) because the potential contribution of legumes to sustainable land use is, due to their multifunctionality (e.g., soil improvement, human and livestock nutrition), especially high. The project aims to contribute to the conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources of legumes with an integrated approach wherein a series of components are combined: (1) A participatory, indigenous knowledge survey complemented by information from the literature; (2) germplasm collection missions (for ex situ conservation) complemented by field evaluation and seed increase; (3) genetic diversity analysis of selected material by molecular markers; and (4) GIS based analysis of generated data to identify areas of particular genetic diversity as a basis for land area planning and in situ preservation recommendations. Project results are expected to be also applicable to similar highlands in Southeast Asia.
Ziele: Qualitätssicherung des Biologischen Monitorings organischer und anorganischer Stoffe in arbeits- und umweltmedizinischen Bereichen; Vorgehensweisen: Ringversuch (halbjährlich)
Ziel der Forschungsarbeit ist die Klassifizierung von Boden-Biozönosen in ausgewählten Feldrainen. In drei Naturräumen (Lössböden der Jülicher Börde, Muschelkalkböden in Mainfranken und pleistozäne Sande bei Leipzig) werden typische Lebensgemeinschaften von Collembola und Gamasina (Taxozönosen) beschrieben. Der wesentliche Unterschied zu anderen Klassifikations-Ansätzen liegt in der induktiven Vorgehensweise: Biozönosen werden allein aufgrund der Artenzusammensetzung an den Standorten typisiert. Vegetationskundliche Kriterien dienen als entscheidendes Hilfsmittel zur Vorauswahl von Flächen mit ähnlichen Standortbedingungen. Hierbei wird gleichzeitig die aufgenommene Vegetation als ein weiteres Taxon der zu beschreibenden Biozönose angesehen. Die typische Artenzusammensetzung ist das integrierte Ergebnis aller denkbaren ökologischen Vorgänge. Ein Ziel der Arbeit ist somit die prospektive Formulierung von Erwartungswerten für Collembolen und Raubmilben auf der Basis vegetationskundlicher Daten. Es sollte daher möglich sein, dieses Mehrarten-System mit hoher Sensibilität zur Bioindikation von Standortveränderungen einzusetzen. Die Kenntnis der Artenstruktur wiederkehrender Lebensgemeinschaften kann der funktionellen Ökosystemforschung hilfreiche Hinweise bieten.
The AZV (Altitudinal Zonation of Vegetation) Project was initiated in the year 2002. On the basis of a detailed regional study in continental West Greenland the knowledge about altitudinal vegetation zonation in the Arctic is aimed to be enhanced. The main objectives of the project are: a) considering the regional study: characterize mountain vegetation with regard to flora, vegetation types, vegetation pattern and habitat conditions, investigate the differentiation of these vegetation characteristics along the altitudinal gradient, develop concepts about altitudinal indicator values of species and plant communities, extract suitable characteristics for the distinction and delimitation of vegetation belts, assess altitudinal borderlines of vegetation belts in the study area. b) considering generalizations: test the validity of the altitudinal zonation hypothesis of the Circumpolar Arctic Vegetation Map ( CAVM Team 2003), find important determinants of altitudinal vegetation zonation in the Arctic, develop a first small scale vegetation map of entire continental West Greenland. Field work consists of vegetational surveys according to the Braun-Blanquet approach, transect studies, soil analyses, long-time-measurements of temperature on the soil surface and vegetation mapping in three different altitudinal vegetation belts (up to 1070 m a.s.l.).
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