The nature of the microbial communities inhabiting the deeper soil horizons is largely unknown. It is also not clear why subsurface microorganisms do not make faster use of organic compounds under field conditions. The answer could be provided by a reciprocal soil transfer experiment studying the response of transferred soils to fluctuations in microclimate, organic inputs, and soil biota. The subproject P9 will be responsible for the establishment of reciprocal transfer experiments offering a strong link between subgroups interested in organic matter quality, transport of organic substances, as well as functions of the soil microbial community. A single, high molecular weight substrate (13C labelled cellulose) will be applied at two different levels in the pre-experiment to understand the dose-dependent reaction of soil microorganisms in transferred surface and sub-soils. Uniformly 13C labelled beech roots - representing complex substrates - will be used for the main reciprocal soil transfer experiment. We hypothesize that transferring soil cores between subsoil and surface soil as well as addition of labelled cellulose or roots will allow us to evaluate the relative impact of surface/subsurface habitat conditions and resource availability on abundance, function, and diversity of the soil microbial community. The second objective of the subproject is to understand whether minerals buried within different soil compartments (topsoil vs. subsoil) in the field contribute to creation of hot spots of microbial abundance and activity within a period of two to five years. We hypothesize that soil microorganisms colonize organo-mineral complexes depending on their nutritional composition and substrate availability. The existence of micro-habitat specific microbial communities could be important for short term carbon storage (1 to 6 years). The third objective is to understand the biogeography and function of soil microorganisms in different subsoils. Parent material as well as mineral composition might control niche differentiation during soil development. Depending on size and interconnectedness of niches, colonization and survival of soil microbial communities might be different in soils derived from loess, sand, terra fusca, or sandstone. From the methodological point of view, our specific interest is to place community composition into context with soil microbial functions in subsoils. Our subgroup will be responsible for determining the abundance, diversity, und function of soil microorganisms (13C microbial biomass, 13C PLFA, enzyme activities, DNA extraction followed by quantitative PCR). Quantitative PCR will be used to estimate total abundances of bacteria, archaea and fungi as well as abundances of specific groups of bacteria at high taxonomic levels. We will apply taxa specific bacterial primers because classes or phyla might be differentiated into ecological categories on the basis of their life strategies.
Der Dienst stellt Daten des Verwaltungsatlas Sachsen dar. Er umfasst die Standorte von Gerichten und Staatsanwaltschaften sowie die Zuständigkeitsbereiche der Fachgerichte, Landgerichte, Amtsgerichte und des Verfassungsgerichtshofes. Darüber hinaus beinhaltet der Dienst die Notariellen Amtsbereiche.
Der Datensatz beinhaltet Daten der Karten des "Verwaltungsatlas Sachsen". Er umfasst die Standorte von Staatsanwaltschaften und Gerichten sowie deren Zuständigkeitsbereiche.
Predictions of effects of climate change on species distributions assume constant climatic niches. Our current understanding of how climate niches developed through evolution is very limited. This project shall analyse how climate niche of the 5488 mammal species worldwide is related to their phylogenetic position. The hypothesis is that closely related species will also have similar climate niches, indicating climate niche conservation. Based on current distributions and environmental data, we shall quantify the climate niche of each species and compare it to that of its closest relative (sister species). We shall investigate whether climate niche position is similarly phylogenetically constrained as other species traits such as body weight, gestation length or litter size. The huge breadth of mammal ecologies, their highly resolved phylogenetic tree, their high conservation relevance and their relatively well-known geographical distribution make them an ideal study system. In the process of this study, new methodological standards for the analysis of niche evolution will be developed, including randomisation tests, virtual species analysis and character tracing of climate niche position. In the end, we shall be able to specify the adaptation potential to climate change for a large number of species studied.
An estimate of sediment transport rates in alluvial rivers is important in the context of erosion, sedimentation, flood control, long-term morphological assessment, etc. Extensive research during the last decades has produced a plethora of sediment transport models. Sediment transport is complex and often subject to semi-empirical or empirical treatment. Most of the sediment transport functions are based on simplified assumptions that the rate of sediment transport could be determined by one or two dominant factors, such as water discharge, average flow velocity, energy slope, and shear stress (Yang, 1996). In many practical situations prediction errors of these models are observed to be high.An alternative approach is to use data driven modelling, which is especially attractive for modelling processes about which adequate knowledge of the physics is limited, like in the case of sediment transport. Over the last decade fuzzy rule-based models have been introduced in engineering as a powerful alternative modelling tool. The fuzzy rule-based approach introduced by Zadeh (1965) is being widely utilized in various fields of engineering. It is a qualitative modelling scheme in which the system behaviour is described using a natural language (Sugeno & Yasukawa, 1993). This research focuses on the applicability of a data-driven fuzzy rule-based modelling approach in estimating sediment transport rates. It also aims at the comparison of the results of the fuzzy rule-based model with the results of other commonly utilized sediment transport functions.A number of variables play important roles in determining sediment transport capacity. These variables are: flow depth, particle fall velocity, particle diameter, flow velocity, energy or water surface slope, shear velocity, shear stress, fluid density, sediment density, stream power, unit stream power, and discharge. Additionally; size, shape, and unit weight of bed composition; morphology of bed forms and availability of sediment from source area affect sediment transport capacity. The most significant factors affecting sediment transport capacity will be identified and used for constructing a fuzzy model. The fuzzy model identification is usually carried out in two steps: (1) determining the number of fuzzy rules and their associated membership functions and (2) optimizing the fuzzy model. The fuzzy logic toolbox in MATLAB will be used for performing the fuzzy modelling.A general fuzzy system has the components of fuzzification, fuzzy rule base, fuzzy output engine, and defuzzification. Fuzzification converts each piece of input data to degrees of membership by a look-up in one or more several membership functions. Intuition, fuzzy clustering, neural networks, genetic algorithms, and inductive reasoning can be among many ways to assign membership values or functions to fuzzy variables...
Objective: Increasing awareness by the public opinion about environmental issues, energy and material conservation at all stages of product life (from raw materials to disposal/recycling) is putting the industry in general and the transport industry in particular under increased pressure to reduce CO2 emissions and save energy. Environmental protection and safety will be increasingly influenced by legislation. The European transport industry is estimated to generate 22 percent of the carbon dioxide emission. As the car population is expected to grow 40 percent by the year 2010 new tough targets for reducing emissions by 30 percent in 2010 are being set by the EU, against the state of the art technologies of 1995. It is generally agreed by the industry that reductions of this size will require a change in current technologies. Multi-material technology (sandwich and/or hybrid materials) is becoming increasingly important in new vehicle design. Public service vehicles (buses and coaches) are regarded as primary targets for application of sandwich construction and multi-materials. Public service vehicles (PSV) play a major role in the transportation industry of both industrialized and developing countries. The proposed project will be focused on the development of a novel technology to manufacture bus/coach bodies using sandwich multi-material panels. The main overall objectives of the project are: - Solving the problem of reducing weight and production costs of land transport vehicles through the development of a technology of modular bus/coach construction, using 'all composite' multi-material sandwich panels instead of steel/aluminium space frame lined with sheets of different materials. - Devise design methodologies that reduce production lead time through reduction of number of components, functional integration, and allowance for dismantling, easy repair and recycling. Primce Contractor: INEGI - Instituto de Engenharia Mecanica e Gestao Industrial, Leca do Balio, Portugal.
In Anbetracht der potentiell katastrophalen Nebeneffekte von Climate Engineering (CE) wird generell ein passgenaues Haftungsregimes als Voraussetzung für einen international anerkannten und legitimen Einsatz für erforderlich gehalten. Diesbezüglich ergeben sich jedoch zwei grundsätzliche Fragen: Zum einen bedarf der Klärung, ob ein Haftungsregime als Mittel der Zuordnung und Verteilung von Risiken gewollt und realisierbar ist; zum anderen ist zu untersuchen, wie mit der Tatsache umzugehen ist, dass die Einschätzung der durch CE hervorgerufenen Klimaeffekte nur auf numerischen Klimamodellen, nicht aber auf empirischen Daten beruht. Obwohl das Thema der Haftung für CE-induzierte Schäden in der Literatur zunehmend Beachtung gefunden hat, wurde diesen Fragen bislang noch nicht systematisch Aufmerksamkeit geschenkt. Auch ist ungeklärt, wie Urteile über die Robustheit und Verlässlichkeit konkurrierender Modelle, die Auswirkungen eines CE-Einsatzes simulieren, getroffen werden können. Noch nicht beleuchtet worden ist schließlich, ob und wie die Entscheidung darüber, wie Beweise zu beurteilen sind, das Verhalten der Streitparteien (Staaten) beeinflusst, insbesondere im Hinblick auf die Frage, wann und ggf. wie CE eingesetzt wird. Angesichts dieser Forschungslücken kommt in vorliegendem Projekt, anders als in traditionellen Haftungsregimen, der Verlässlichkeit und Robustheit von Modellen zentrale Bedeutung zu. Vor diesem Hintergrund wird CELARIT (1) der Frage nachgehen, wie konkurrierende Modelle vor Gericht oder einem anderen zuständigen Gremium beurteilt, verglichen und bewertet werden können, und mit welchen Abstrichen erhöhte Robustheit und Verlässlichkeit einhergehen; (2) untersuchen, ob und ggf. nach welchen Kriterien ein Modell vor Gericht als zulässige Methode der Beweiserbringung herangezogen werden kann; und (3) erarbeiten, wie ein Schaden in einer Situation festgestellt werden kann, in der der kontrafaktische Zustand, welcher zur Ermittlung des Schadens herangezogen wird (eine Welt ohne CE oder sogar ohne Klimawandel), keiner Beobachtung zugänglich, sondern selbst Ergebnis eines numerischen Modells ist. Schließlich (4) wird das Problem in einem größeren Zusammenhang betrachtet. Es wird untersucht, wie Modelle trotz ihrer beschränkten Verlässlichkeit genutzt werden können, um mit CE zusammenhängende Maßnahmen zu steuern, und wie wissenschaftliche Politikberatung angemessen mit Unsicherheit und Nichtwissen umgehen kann. CELARIT bringt die Projektpartner von CEIBRAL (Klimamodellierer, Ökonomen, Juristen und Philosophen) erneut zusammen, geht jedoch insoweit einen großen Schritt über CEIBRAL hinaus, als eine methodische Neuorientierung in Richtung einer integrierten Untersuchung unternommen wird, und zwar von Anfang an disziplinübergreifend hinsichtlich sämtlicher Forschungsfragen.
Im Rahmen des Forschungsvorhabens sollen der Zugang zu Gerichten und die gerichtliche Kontrolle im Hinblick auf die Einhaltung von Umweltrechtsvorschriften in einer Zusammenschau analysiert werden und sollen Vorschlaege fuer eine rechtspolitische Weiterentwicklung erarbeitet werden. Dabei sind die einschlaegigen Vorgaben der ECE-Konvention 'Uebereinkommen ueber den Zugang zu Informationen, die Oeffentlichkeitsbeteiligung und den Zugang zu den Gerichten im Umweltangelegenheiten' mit einzubeziehen. Die gerichtliche Kontrolle in Deutschland, Frankreich, Grossbritannien und ggf. anderen Staaten soll analysiert und vor dem Hintergrund der genannten ECE-Konvention miteinander verglichen werden. Besondere Aufmerksamkeit bedarf zum einen der Zugang zu den Gerichten sowie zum anderen die Art und Weise der gerichtlichen Kontrolle sowie das Zusammenspiel beider Aspekte. Unterschiedliche Konzepte wie die Bindung des Zugangs zu den Gerichten an die moegliche Verletzung einer Rechtsposition vs. einem erweiterten Zugang sowie verschiedene Formen der gerichtlichen Kontrolle sind herauszuarbeiten. Neben Aspekten, die wie der administrative Beurteilungsspielraum oder die administrative Entscheidungspraerogative in der deutschen Rechtsdiskussion bekannt sind, sollen rechtsvergleichend auch die im Ausland massgeblichen Aspekte fuer das Verhaeltnis von Exekutive und gerichtlicher Kontrolle herausgearbeitet werden. Dabei sollten auch konzeptionelle Unterschiede in der gerichtlichen Kontrolle, die sich z.B. in der Betonung entweder individualrechtsorientierter oder gemeinwohlorientierter Belange aeussern, in die Untersuchung einbezogen werden. Die Rechtsschutzgarantie des Artikels 19 Abs. 4 GG und die Frage nach unterschiedlichen Formen der gerichtlichen Kontrolle beduerfen besonderer Aufmerksamkeit. Unter Beruecksichtigung dieser Aspekte sollen konkrete moegliche Zuschnitte fuer ein ausgewogenes Verhaeltnis zwischen den Zugang zu Gerichten und der gerichtlichen Kontrolle entwickelt werden.
Lichens are highly specialized symbioses between heterotrophic fungi and autotrophic green algae or cyanobacteria. Polar and alpine habitats are mostly dominated by lichens, which successfully outcompete vascular plants and bryophytes in terms of biodiversity and often also biomass. Previous results by the applicant show that (sub) Antarctic and arctic populations of Cetraria aculeata select different strains of the green algal photobiont Trebouxia jamesii s. lat. than temperate populations. However, it is so far unknown, whether this is just a phlogeographic pattern or whether genetic differences between the photobionts are associated with differences in physiological traits (ecotypic differentiation). In this project, we propose (1) to genotype mycobionts and photobionts from six antarctic, arctic and temperate populations, (2) to measure photosynthetic parameters for these genotyped lichens and their isolated photobionts, and (3) to transplant temperate individuals to arctic populations and vice versa in a common garden design to measure changes in dry weight over three years. The ultimate goal is to investigate whether differential association with ecotypically differentiated photobionts allows widely distributed lichen fungi to inhabit climatically hostile Polar Regions. The results of our study will strongly influence our ability to predict the impact of global climate change on polar terrestrial ecosystems.