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.
The basidiomycete Armillaria mellea s.l. is one of the most important root rot pathogens of forest trees and comprises several species. The aim of the project is to identify the taxa occurring inSwitzerland and to understand their ecological behaviour. Root, butt and stem rots caused by different fungi are important tree diseases responsible for significant economic losses. Armillaria spp. occur world-wide and are important components of many natural and managed forest ecosystems. Armillaria spp. are known saprothrophs as well as primary and secondary pathogens causing root and butt rot on a large number of woody plants, including forest and orchard trees as well as grape vine and ornamentals. The identification of several Armillaria species in Europe warrants research in the biology and ecology of the different species. We propose to study A. cepistipes for the following reasons. First, A. cepistipes is dominating the rhizomorph populations in most forest types in Switzerland. This widespread occurrence contrasts with the current knowledge about A. cepistipes, which is very limited. Second, because the pathogenicity of A. cepistipes is considered low this fungus has the potential for using as an antagonist to control stump colonising pathogenic fungi, such as A. ostoyae and Heterobasidion annosum. This project aims to provide a better understanding of the ecology of A. cepistipes in mountainous Norway spruce (Picea abies) forests. Special emphasis will be given to interactions of A. cepistipes with A. ostoyae, which is a very common facultative pathogen and which often co-occurs with A. cepistipes. The populations of A. cepistipes and A. ostoyae will be investigated in mountainous spruce forests were both species coexist. The fungi will be sampled from the soil, from stumps and dead wood, and from the root system of infected trees to determine the main niches occupied by the two species. Somatic incompatibility will be used to characterise the populations of each species. The knowledge of the spatial distribution of individual genets will allow us to gain insights into the mode of competition and the mode of spreading. Inoculation experiments will be used to determine the variation in virulence expression of A. cepistipes towards Norway spruce and to investigate its interactions with A. ostoyae.
Das Hauptziel des Projekts ist die Untersuchung und die Entwicklung von Methoden nicht nur zur punktuellen, sondern auch zur flächenhaften Bestimmung der Bodenfeuchte. Zur Anwendung sollen Geländetechniken wie Time-Domain Reflectrometry (TDR), Georadar (GPR), Elektrische Widerstand (ER), Elektromagnetische Induktion (EMI) sowie GNSS Scatterometry kommen. Eine der methodischen Hauptfragen ist die Nutzung der GNSS Scatterometry zur Ermittlung der Bodenfeuchte im Feldmaßstab. Eine weitere grundlegende Forschungsfrage wird die weitere Entwicklung der elektrischen und elektromagnetischen geophysikalischen Techniken für bodenkundliche Anwendungen sein.
Especially during the last decades, the natural forests of Ethiopia have been heavily disturbed by human activities. Some forests have been totally cleared and converted into fields for agricultural use, other suffered from different influences, such as heavy grazing and selective logging. The ongoing research in the Shashemane-Munessa-study area (Gu 406/8-1,2) showed clearly that, in spite of interdiction and control, forests continue to be cleared and degraded. However, it is not yet sufficiently known, how and why these processes are still going on. Growing population pressure and economic constraints for the people living in and around the forests contribute to the actual situation but allow no final answers to the complex situation. Concerning a sustainable management of the forests there is to no solid basis for recommendations from the socioeconomic and socio-cultural view. Therefore, a comprehensive analysis of the traditional needs and forms of forest use, including all forest products, is necessary. The objective of this project is, to achieve this basis by carrying out intensive field observations, the consultation of aerial photographs, satellite imagery and above all semi-structured interviews with the population in the study area in order to contribute to the recommendations for a sustainable use of the Munessa Shasemane forests.
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.
We will compare the role of an RNA-binding protein in floral transition in Arabidopsis thaliana and Hordeum vulgare. The RNA-binding protein AtGRP7 promotes floral transition mainly by downregulating the floral repressor FLC via the autonomous pathway. Based on our observation that AtGRP7 affects the steady-state abundance of a suite of microRNA precursors, we will globally compare the small RNA component of the transcriptome during FTi regulation in wild type plants and AtGRP7 overexpressors by deep sequencing. This will extend the knowledge on small RNAs associated with floral transition and provide insights into the regulatory network downstream of this RNA-binding protein. Further, we will address the question how AtGRP7 orthologues function in crop species lacking FLC homologues. A barley line with highly elevated levels of the AtGRP7 orthologue HvGR-RBP1 shows accelerated FTi and preanthesis development when compared to a near-isogenic parent with very low expression of this gene. We will characterize in detail flowering of this line with respect to different photoperiods and its vernalization requirement. We will employ a TILLING approach to further delineate the function of HvGR-RBP1 in flowering. A candidate gene approach to identify downstream targets will provide insights into the signaling pathways through which HvGR-RBP1 influences FTi. This project contributes to the development of a functional cross-species network of FTi regulators, the major strategic aim of the SPP.
Research question: Agri-environment schemes play an increasingly important role in European CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) to support biodiversity and environment in agricultural landscapes. They have been implemented since 1992 and now cost a yearly 1.7 billion Euro. Still, there is no conclusive evidence that these schemes actually do contribute to the conservation of particularly biodiversity. The primary objective of this project is to evaluate the (cost-) effectiveness of European agri-environment schemes in protecting biodiversity and to determine the primary processes that determine their effectiveness. This project furthermore aims to determine how CAP may be introduced in candidate EU-members without unacceptable loss of biodiversity. It will provide simple guidelines how researchers, governmental authorities may efficiently evaluate agri-environmental measures. Aim: Agri-environment schemes have been used to protect biodiversity and environment in agricultural areas since 1992. Their effectiveness has never been reliably evaluated. This project aims to evaluate the (cost-)effectiveness of agri-environment schemes with respect to biodiversity conservation in five European countries. It will determine the proper scales that have to be addressed for conservation efforts for a range of species groups. It will determine the most important environmental factors that influence the effectiveness of the schemes. Based on this, recommendations will be made how the effectiveness of schemes may be improved and simple guidelines will be produced how ecological effects of agri-environment schemes can be evaluated efficiently by governmental authorities or other institutions. The ecological effects of the introduction of CAP in a candidate EU-member will be investigated to reduce negative side effects of anticipated land-use changes Scientific methods: We will examine the effectiveness of agri-environment schemes by surveying pairs of fields: a field with an agri-environment scheme and a nearby field that is conventionally managed. In five countries, in each country in three areas, and in each area on seven pairs of fields the species richness of birds, plants and three insect groups (pollinators, herbivores, predators) will be determined. Effects of schemes on pollination efficiency and pest control will be examined using indicator communities. Correlative studies will examine the effects of landscape structure, land-use intensity and species pool on the effectiveness of agri-environmental measures. The spatial scale that is relevant to nature conservation efforts will be investigated via the spatial distribution of species groups. The results will be used to formulate recommendations how to improve the effectiveness of agri-environment schemes and to construct a set of simple guidelines how schemes can be evaluated efficiently yet reliably.
The detritusphere is an excellent model to study microbial-physicochemical interactions during degradation of the herbicide MCPA. Whereas during the first phase of SPP 1315 we focused on bacterial and fungal abundance at the soil litter interface and carbon flow between different compartments, the second phase will be devoted to elucidating complex regulation mechanisms of MCPA degradation in the detritusphere: (1) At the cellular level, co-substrate availability and laccase abundance might be important regulators, (2) at the community level, bacteria harbouring different classes of tfdA genes might control degradation of MCPA and (3) at the microhabitat level, interaction between MCPA degraders and organo-mineral surfaces as well as transport processes might be important regulators. The concept of hierarchical regulation of MCPA degradation will be included into the modelling of small-scale microbial growth, MCPA transport and MCPA degradation near the soil-litter interface.
WebMapService (WMS) mit den Probestellen aus der Trinkwasserdatenbank ZTEIS in Hamburg. Der WMS-Dienst unterliegt Datenschutzrechtlichen Bestimmungen und ist ausschließlich für die Visualisierung im Trinkwasserportal. In der Trinkwasserdatenbank ZTEIS (zentrales Trinkwassererfassungs- und Informationssystem) werden Untersuchungsergebnisse gesammelt, die vom Trinkwasserlabor der Hamburger Wasserwerke nach § 14 Trinkwasserverordnung (TrinkwV) und vom Institut für Hygiene und Umwelt nach § 19 TrinkwV durchgeführt werden. Die Untersuchungen erfolgen im Rahmen der Umsetzung der Trinkwasserverordnung und und stammen sowohl aus den Wasserwerken, wie auch aus dem Leitungsnetz. Der Behörde für Gesundheit und Verbraucherschutz (BGV) obliegt die Überprüfung der öffentlichen Wasserversorgung. Die Datenbank hat primär den Zweck, die Berichterstattung gemäß § 21 TrinkwV zu gewährleisten. Seit 2003 werden in der Trinkwasserdatenbank ca. 24.000 Proben mit ca. 1,2 Mio. Untersuchungsergebnissen (Stand Februar 2014) gespeichert. Zur genaueren Beschreibung der Daten und Datenverantwortung nutzen Sie bitte den Verweis zur Datensatzbeschreibung.
In der Trinkwasserdatenbank ZTEIS (zentrales Trinkwassererfassungs- und Informationssystem) werden Untersuchungsergebnisse gesammelt, die vom Trinkwasserlabor der Hamburger Wasserwerke nach § 14 Trinkwasserverordnung (TrinkwV) und vom Institut für Hygiene und Umwelt nach § 19 TrinkwV durchgeführt werden. Die Untersuchungen erfolgen im Rahmen der Umsetzung der Trinkwasserverordnung und und stammen sowohl aus den Wasserwerken, wie auch aus dem Leitungsnetz. Der Behörde für Gesundheit und Verbraucherschutz (BGV) obliegt die Überprüfung der öffentlichen Wasserversorgung. Die Datenbank hat primär den Zweck, die Berichterstattung gemäß § 21 TrinkwV zu gewährleisten. Seit 2003 werden in der Trinkwasserdatenbank ca. 24.000 Proben mit ca. 1,2 Mio. Untersuchungsergebnissen (Stand Februar 2014) gespeichert.
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