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Native plants and mycorrhizal fungi in wind erosion control in the Kailash-Manasarovar region (Tibet, China)

We study the effects of plants and root-associated fungi on wind erosion within the alpine environment of Tibet. China is one of the countries most affected by desertification processes and Tibet, in particular, a key region in desertification combat. The presented project focuses on the Barkha Plain surrounded by Mount Kailash and the Lake of Manasarovar (Ngari Prefecture). This Western Tibet region experienced little scientific attention but, nowadays, faces rapidly increasing touristic activities and expanding local settlements associated with socio-economic changes that are serious threats to the delicate ecological balance and potential triggers of desertification. It exists almost unanimous agreement that revegetation is the most efficient and promising strategy to combat wind erosion and desertification in the long term. However, re-colonising success is often poor, mainly under extreme environmental conditions. Compared to conventional practices, the approach of the presented project attains better accordance with natural succession processes and promises acceleration of both plant and soil development and, conclusively, more efficient desertification control. The project assesses the potential of native plants and symbiotic fungi to control wind erosion and desertification processes. It aims to identify key plants and fungi that increase soil aggregate stability and efficiently drive succession into a natural and self-maintaining cycle of the ecosystem. Furthermore, it provides crucial information for implementing environmentally compatible and cost-effective measures to protect high-elevation ecosystems against desertification. Within three successional stages (early, intermediate, late), field investigations are performed on the basis of Modified-Whittaker plots. Classic methods of vegetation analysis and myco-sociology are combined with analysis of distribution patterns at different scales (patchiness, connectivity). Comprehensive soil analysis is performed comprising grain size distribution, aggregate stability, pH as well as water and nutrient contents. Additionally, important parameters of wind erosion are measured concurrently and continuously to assess their magnitude and variability with respect to vegetation and soil at different levels of development. The parameters addressed, include sediment transport, air temperature, radiation, precipitation, relative humidity as well as speed and direction of wind. Surface moisture is recorded periodically and roughness described. Species and environmental parameters are checked for spatial correlation. Cutting edge technologies are applied in laboratory work, comprising molecular methods for fungal species identification and micro-tomography to analyse soil structure. Furthermore, successfully cultivated fungi and plants are subject of synthesis experiments and industrial propagation in view of practical implementation in restoration measures.

Schwerpunktprogramm (SPP) 1889: Regional Sea Level Change and Society (SeaLevel), Teilprojekt: Bestimmung von Wärmeänderungen im Ozean durch Kombination von Satellitengravimetrie, Argo und Radaraltimetrie - ROCSTAR

Veränderungen der Ozeanwärme sind eng mit dem Wärmefluss an der Ozean-Atmosphärengrenze verbunden und spielen daher eine wic--htige Rolle bei der Regulierung des Erdklimas. Allerdings weisen in-situ-Messungen immer noch hohe Ungenauigkeiten auf und sind nur in wenigen Regionen in ausreichender Anzahl vorhanden. ROCSTAR wird neue Einsichten in das Energiebudget der Erde durch die verbesserten Schätzungen der ozeanischen Temperatur (T) und des Salzgehalts (S) liefern. Durch die Kombination der geodätischen Raumverfahren mit Argo-Profilen, werden gleichzeitig die Temperatur, der Salzgehalt und regional variierende Meeresspiegelbeiträge ermittelt. Die daraus resultierenden Schätzungen umfassen die gesamte Ozeansäule und die zugehörigen sterischen Änderungen werden sowohl mit dem beobachteten Meeresbodendruck als auch mit den Meeresspiegelanomalien konsistent sein. Vor diesem Hintergrund verfolgt das Projekt folgende Ziele:1. Erhöhung der Genauigkeit der in sich konsistenten T- und S-Felder und Bereitstellung von realistischen Fehlerschätzungen2. Ermittlung der T- und S-Schätzungen in Regionen mit wenigen Beobachtungen und in den Tiefen des Ozeans3. Quantifizierung der Rolle, welche die flachen und tiefen Schichten des Ozeans in der Energiebilanz der Erde und im Meeresspiegel-Budget spielen4. Identifizierung und Untersuchung von Ozeanwärmehotspots und deren Verbindung zum terrestrischen Wasserkreislauf im Südosten Asiens. ROCSTAR wird innerhalb des SPP1189-Schwerpunkts WPA (Ursprung der regionalen Meeresspiegeländerungen) angesiedelt sein. Das Projekt befasst sich mit globalen Beobachtungen, führt aber intensive Untersuchungen im indischen Ozean und Westpazifik durch, welche die Hauptquellen für Feuchtigkeit, Zyklon und Taifun Entwicklung in der südostasiatischen Region darstellen. Darüber hinaus wird ROCSTAR aktiv an den Öffentlichkeitsarbeiten des SPPs teilnehmen und ein konzeptionelles Brettspiel entwickeln, um Nicht-Wissenschaftlern das regionale Meeresspiegelbudget näher zu bringen.

GTS Bulletin: IUKD13 EDZW - Observational data (Binary coded) - BUFR (details are described in the abstract)

The IUKD13 TTAAii Data Designators decode as: T1 (I): Observational data (Binary coded) - BUFR T1T2 (IU): Upper air T1T2A1 (IUK): Radio soundings from fixed land stations (up to 100 hPa) A2 (D): 90°E - 0° northern hemisphere(The bulletin collects reports from stations: 10771;Kümmersbruck;) (Remarks from Volume-C: high resolution 2 sec.)

Der Einfluss hoher Gebirgsreliefs auf die Isotopenhydrologie und damit verbundener Klimaproxies

Wichtige Klimaproxies wie z.B. Baumringe nutzen stabile Isotopenverhältnisse zur Rekonstruktion paläoklimatischer Verhältnisse. Dies wiederum erlaubt Abschätzungen über die zukünftigen Auswirkungen des derzeit stattfinden Klimawandels. Die Insel Korsika im westlichen Mittelmeer liegt in einer besonders stark von Klimaveränderungen betroffen Region. Die Insel war daher in den letzten Jahren das Ziel von Klimarekonstruktionen mittels Dendrochronologie und stabilen Isotopenmessungen. Allerdings ließen sich vorhandene Untersuchungsergebnisse von Sauerstoffisotopenmessungen an korsischen Schwarzkiefern bislang nicht zufriedenstellend interpretieren. Sauerstoffisotopenuntersuchungen von Baumringen hängen entscheidend vom Sauerstoffisotopenwert (delta18O) des lokalen Niederschlages und des daraus resultierenden Bodenwassers ab. Der delta18O-Wert des Niederschlages variiert vor allem in Abhängigkeit von Temperatur, Geländehöhe und dem Ursprungsgebiet der Luftmassen. Diese Parameter lassen sich heute meist gut bestimmen lassen, müssen für die Vergangenheit aber oft abgeschätzt werden. Ein wichtiger Effekt ist der Höheneffekt, welcher die Abhängigkeit des delta18O-Werts von der Geländehöhe beschreibt. Für solche Isotopeneffekte gibt es über die globale Datenbasis der Internationalen Atomenergiebehörde (IAEA) gute regionale Abschätzungen. Sehr viel schwieriger gestalteten sich hingegen lokale Abschätzungen in Regionen mit einem sehr steilen, hohen Gebirgsrelief. Neueste Arbeiten lassen vermuten, dass für solche Regionen die Isotopenwerte in bestimmten Jahreszeiten keinen höhenabhängigen Gradienten mehr zeigen. Ursache hierfür können jahreszeitliche Schwankungen der Höhenlage der atmosphärischen Grenzschicht sein. Der vorliegende isotopenhydrologische Antrag ist Teil des Bündelantrages CorsicArchive, welcher weitere Anträge zum Klima, der Dendroisotopie und der Dendrologie umfasst. An insgesamt neun Stationen entlang eines Ost-West verlaufenden Höhenprofils sollen Regensammler installiert und beprobt werden. Im Teilprojekt Isotopenhydrologie sollen Fragen zur Wechselwirkung zwischen dem Höheneffekt und der atmosphärischen Grenzschicht untersucht werden. Weitere Fragestellungen sind die Herkunft der Luftmassen sowie der Anteil der lokalen Verdunstung am hydrologischen Kreislauf der Insel. Darüber hinaus sollen Oberflächengewässer- und Bodenwasseruntersuchungen durchgeführt werden, um Veränderungen des delta18O-Wertes auf seinem Weg zum Baumring zu entschlüsseln und zu quantifizieren. Die Untersuchungen sollen zu einem besseren Verständnis isotopenhydrologischer Prozesse in Gebieten mit steilen Höhengradienten beitragen. Dies soll schließlich dazu führen, dass auf stabilen Isotopen basierende Klimarekonstruktionen solcher Regionen zuverlässig interpretiert werden können. Im Hinblick auf den derzeitigen Klimawandel ist es entscheidend solche Prozesse in der Vergangenheit zu verstehen, um verlässliche Prognosen über zukünftige Veränderungen abzugeben.

Release of hexavalent chromium from ore processing residues and the potential of biochar for chromium immobilization in polluted soils

Chromium (Cr) is introduced into the environment by several anthropogenic activities. A striking ex-ample is the area around Kanpur in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, where large amounts of Cr-containing wastes have been recently illegally deposited. Hexavalent Cr, a highly toxic and mobile contaminant, is present in significant amounts in these wastes, severely affecting the quality of sur-roundings soils, sediments, and ground waters. The first major goal of this study is to clarify the solid phase speciation of Cr in these wastes and to examine its leaching behavior. X-ray diffraction and synchrotron-based X-ray absorption spectroscopy techniques will be employed for quantitative solid phase speciation of Cr. Its leaching behavior will be studied in column experiments performed at un-saturated moisture conditions with flow interruptions simulating monsoon rain events. Combined with geochemical modeling, the results will allow the evaluation of the leaching potential and release kinetics of Cr from the waste materials. The second major goal is to investigate the spatial distribution, speciation, and solubility of Cr in the rooting zone of chromate-contaminated soils surrounding the landfills, and to study the suitability of biochar as novel soil amendment for mitigating the deleterious effects of chromate pollution. Detailed field samplings and laboratory soil incubation studies will be carried out with two agricultural soils and biochar from the Kanpur region.

GTS Bulletin: ISND08 EDZW - Observational data (Binary coded) - BUFR (details are described in the abstract)

The ISND08 TTAAii Data Designators decode as: T1 (I): Observational data (Binary coded) - BUFR T1T2 (IS): Surface/sea level T1T2A1 (ISN): Synoptic observations from fixed land stations at non-standard time (i.e. 0100, 0200, 0400, 0500, ... UTC) A2 (D): 90°E - 0° northern hemisphere(The bulletin collects reports from stations: 10564;Schleiz;10565;Osterfeld;10569;Plauen;10574;Carlsfeld;10577;Chemnitz;10579;Marienberg;10582;Zinnwald-Georgenfeld;10591;Lichtenhain-Mittelndorf;10615;Deuselbach;10628;Geisenheim;10635;Kleiner Feldberg/Taunus;10646;Neuhütten/Spessart;10648;Michelstadt-Vielbrunn;10658;Kissingen, Bad;10671;Lautertal-Oberlauter;10686;Wunsiedel-Schönbrunn;10704;Berus;10706;Tholey;10724;Weinbiet;10733;Waibstadt;10736;Mühlacker;10739;Stuttgart (Schnarrenberg);10747;Kaisersbach-Cronhütte;) (Remarks from Volume-C: SYNOP)

Vertical partitioning and sources of CO2 production and effects of temperature, oxygen and root location within the soil profile on C turnover

For surface soils, the mechanisms controlling soil organic C turnover have been thoroughly investigated. The database on subsoil C dynamics, however, is scarce, although greater than 50 percent of SOC stocks are stored in deeper soil horizons. The transfer of results obtained from surface soil studies to deeper soil horizons is limited, because soil organic matter (SOM) in deeper soil layers is exposed to contrasting environmental conditions (e.g. more constant temperature and moisture regime, higher CO2 and lower O2 concentrations, increasing N and P limitation to C mineralization with soil depth) and differs in composition compared to SOM of the surface layer, which in turn entails differences in its decomposition. For a quantitative analysis of subsoil SOC dynamics, it is necessary to trace the origins of the soil organic compounds and the pathways of their transformations. Since SOM is composed of various C pools which turn over on different time scales, from hours to millennia, bulk measurements do not reflect the response of specific pools to both transient and long-term change and may significantly underestimate CO2 fluxes. More detailed information can be gained from the fractionation of subsoil SOM into different functional pools in combination with the use of stable and radioactive isotopes. Additionally, soil-respired CO2 isotopic signatures can be used to understand the role of environmental factors on the rate of SOM decomposition and the magnitude and source of CO2 fluxes. The aims of this study are to (i) determine CO2 production and subsoil C mineralization in situ, (ii) investigate the vertical distribution and origin of CO2 in the soil profile using 14CO2 and 13CO2 analyses in the Grinderwald, and to (iii) determine the effect of environmental controls (temperature, oxygen) on subsoil C turnover. We hypothesize that in-situ CO2 production in subsoils is mainly controlled by root distribution and activity and that CO2 produced in deeper soil depth derives to a large part from the mineralization of fresh root derived C inputs. Further, we hypothesize that a large part of the subsoil C is potentially degradable, but is mineralized slower compared with the surface soil due to possible temperature or oxygen limitation.

Forschergruppe (FOR) 1806: The Forgotten Part of Carbon Cycling: Organic Matter Storage and Turnover in Subsoils (SUBSOM)

We are currently facing the urgent need to improve our understanding of carbon cycling in subsoils, because the organic carbon pool below 30 cm depth is considerably larger than that in the topsoil and a substantial part of the subsoil C pool appears to be much less recalcitrant than expected over the last decades. Therefore, small changes in environmental conditions could change not only carbon cycling in topsoils, but also in subsoils. While organic matter stabilization mechanisms and factors controlling its turnover are well understood in topsoils, the underlying mechanisms are not valid in subsoils due to depth dependent differences regarding (1) amounts and composition of C-pools and C-inputs, (2) aeration, moisture and temperature regimes, (3) relevance of specific soil organic carbon (SOC) stabilisation mechanisms and (4) spatial heterogeneity of physico-chemical and biological parameters. Due to very low C concentrations and high spatio-temporal variability of properties and processes, the investigation of subsoil phenomena and processes poses major methodological, instrumental and analytical challenges. This project will face these challenges with a transdisciplinary team of soil scientists applying innovative approaches and considering the magnitude, chemical and isotopic composition and 14C-content of all relevant C-flux components and C-fractions. Taking also the spatial and temporal variability into account, will allow us to understand the four-dimensional changes of C-cycling in this environment. The nine closely interlinked subprojects coordinated by the central project will combine field C-flux measurements with detailed analyses of subsoil properties and in-situ experiments at a central field site on a sandy soil near Hannover. The field measurements are supplemented by laboratory studies for the determination of factors controlling C stabilization and C turnover. Ultimately, the results generated by the subprojects and the data synthesized in the coordinating project will greatly enhance our knowledge and conceptual understanding of the processes and controlling factors of subsoil carbon turnover as a prerequisite for numerical modelling of C-dynamics in subsoils.

GTS Bulletin: ISID05 EDZW - Observational data (Binary coded) - BUFR (details are described in the abstract)

The ISID05 TTAAii Data Designators decode as: T1 (I): Observational data (Binary coded) - BUFR T1T2 (IS): Surface/sea level T1T2A1 (ISI): Intermediate synoptic observations from fixed land stations A2 (D): 90°E - 0° northern hemisphere(The bulletin collects reports from stations: 10161;Boltenhagen;10168;Goldberg;10180;Barth;10193;Ueckermünde;10210;Friesoythe-Altenoythe;10235;Soltau;10249;Boizenburg;10261;Seehausen;10267;Kyritz;10281;Trollenhagen;10282;Feldberg/Mecklenburg;10289;Grünow;10305;Lingen;10309;Ahaus;10312;Belm;) (Remarks from Volume-C: SYNOP)

GTS Bulletin: ISMD03 EDZW - Observational data (Binary coded) - BUFR (details are described in the abstract)

The ISMD03 TTAAii Data Designators decode as: T1 (I): Observational data (Binary coded) - BUFR T1T2 (IS): Surface/sea level T1T2A1 (ISM): Main synoptic observations from fixed land stations A2 (D): 90°E - 0° northern hemisphere(The bulletin collects reports from stations: 10609;Trier-Petrisberg;10616;Hahn;10641;Offenbach-Wetterpark;10655;Würzburg;10675;Bamberg;10688;Weiden;10708;Saarbrücken-Ensheim;10729;Mannheim;10731;Rheinstetten;10742;Öhringen;10776;Regensburg;10791;Großer Arber;10805;Lahr;10815;Freudenstadt;10836;Stötten;10870;München-Flughafen;10895;Fürstenzell;10908;Feldberg/Schwarzwald;10929;Konstanz;10948;Oberstdorf;10961;Zugspitze;10962;Hohenpeißenberg;) (Remarks from Volume-C: SYNOP)

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