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.
It has been suggested that dying and decaying fine roots and root exudation represent important, if not the most important, sources of soil organic carbon (SOC) in forest soils. This may be especially true for deep-reaching roots in the subsoil, but precise data to prove this assumption are lacking. This subproject (1) examines the distribution and abundance of fine roots (greater than 2 mm diameter) and coarse roots (greater than 2 mm) in the subsoil to 240 cm depth of the three subsoil observatories in a mature European beech (Fagus sylvatica) stand, (2) quantifies the turnover of beech fine roots by direct observation (mini-rhizotron approach), (3) measures the decomposition of dead fine root mass in different soil depths, and (4) quantifies root exudation and the N-uptake potential with novel techniques under in situ conditions with the aim (i) to quantify the C flux to the SOC pool upon root death in the subsoil, (ii) to obtain a quantitative estimate of root exudation in the subsoil, and (iii) to assess the uptake activity of fine roots in the subsoil as compared to roots in the topsoil. Key methods applied are (a) the microscopic distinction between live and dead fine root mass, (b) the estimation of fine and coarse root age by the 14C bomb approach and annual ring counting in roots, (c) the direct observation of the formation and disappearance of fine roots in rhizotron tubes by sequential root imaging (CI-600 system, CID) and the calculation of root turnover, (d) the measurement of root litter decomposition using litter bags under field and controlled laboratory conditions, (e) the estimation of root N-uptake capacity by exposing intact fine roots to 15NH4+ and 15NO3- solutions, and (f) the measurement of root exudation by exposing intact fine root branches to trap solutions in cuvettes in the field and analysing for carbohydrates and amino acids by HPLC and Py-FIMS (cooperation with Prof. A. Fischer, University of Trier). The obtained data will be analysed for differences in root abundance and activity between subsoil (100-200 cm) and topsoil (0-20 cm) and will be related to soil chemical and soil biological data collected by the partner projects that may control root turnover and exudation in the subsoil. In a supplementary study, fine root biomass distribution and root turnover will also be studied at the four additional beech sites for examining root-borne C fluxes in the subsoil of beech forests under contrasting soil conditions of different geological substrates (Triassic limestone and sandstone, Quaternary sand and loess deposits).
Cherry leaf roll virus (CLRV) is a plant pathogen of economic and ecologic importance. It is globally distributed in a wide range of forest, fruit, and ornamental trees and shrubs. In several areas of cherry and walnut production CLRV causes severe losses in yield and quality. With current reference to the rapid dissemination and strong symptom expression in Finnish birches and the Germany-wide distribution of CLRV in birches and elderberry, we continuously investigate and gradually reveal CLRV transmission pathways as by pollen, seeds or water. However, modes and interactions responsible for the wide intergeneric host transmission as well as for the exceptional CLRV epidemic in Fennoscandia still remain unknown. In this project systematic studies shall investigate biological vectors as a causal agent to finally derive control mechanisms and strategies to avoid new epidemics in different hosts and geographic regions. Detailed monitoring of the invertebrate fauna of birch stands/forests and elderberry plantations in Germany and Finland shall reveal potential vectors to subsequently study them in detail by approved virus detection methods and transmission experiments. Molecular analyses of the CLRV coat protein shall prove its role as a viral determinant for a virus/vector interaction. Consequently, this project essentially will contribute important answers on the CLRV epidemiology, and this will be a key element within the first network of research on plant viral pathogens in forest trees.
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.
Methane (CH4) is a major greenhouse gas of which the atmospheric concentration has more than doubled since pre-industrial times. Soils can act as both, source and sink for atmospheric CH4, while upland forest soils generally act as CH4 consumers. Oxidation rates depend on factors influenced by the climate like soil temperature and soil moisture but also on soil properties like soil structure, texture and chemical properties. Many of these parameters directly influence soil aeration. CH4 oxidation in soils seems to be controlled by the supply with atmospheric CH4, and thus soil aeration is a key factor. We aim to investigate the importance of soil-gas transport-processes for CH4 oxidation in forest soils from the variability the intra-site level, down to small-scale (0.1 m), using new approaches of field measurements. Further we will investigate the temporal evolution of soil CH4 consumption and the influence of environmental factors during the season. Based on previous results, we hypothesize that turbulence-driven pressure-pumping modifies the transport of CH4 into the soil, and thus, also CH4 consumption. To improve the understanding of horizontal patterns of CH4 oxidation we want to integrate the vertical dimension on the different scales using an enhanced gradient flux method. To overcome the constraints of the classical gradient method we will apply gas-diffusivity measurements in-situ using tracer gases and Finite-Element-Modeling. Similar to the geophysical technique of Electrical Resistivity Tomography we want to develop a Gas Diffusivity Tomography. This will allow to derive the three-dimensional distribution of soil gas diffusivity and methane oxidation.
The geomagnetic field shields our habitat against solar wind and radiation from space. Due to the geometry of the field, the shielding in general is weakest at high latitudes. It is also anomalously weak in a region around the south Atlantic known as South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA), and the global dipole moment has been decreasing by nearly 10 percent since direct measurements of field intensity became possible in 1832. Due to our limited understanding of the geodynamo processes in Earths core, it is impossible to reliably predict the future evolution of both dipole moment and SAA over the coming decades. However, lack of magnetic field shielding as would be a consequence of further weakening of dipole moment and SAA region field intensity would cause increasing problems for modern technology, in particular satellites, which are vulnerable to radiation damage. A better understanding of the underlying processes is required to estimate the future development of magnetic field characteristics. The study of the past evolution of such characteristics based on historical, archeo- and paleomagnetic data, on time-scales of centuries to millennia, is essential to detect any recurrences and periodicities and provide new insights in dynamo processes in comparison to or in combination with numerical dynamo simulations. We propose to develop two new global spherical harmonic geomagnetic field models, spanning 1 and 10 kyrs, respectively, and designed in particular to study how long the uninterrupted decay of the dipole moment has been going on prior to 1832, and if the SAA is a recurring structure of the field.We will combine for the first time all available historical and archeomagnetic data, both directions and intensities, in a spherical harmonic model spanning the past 1000 years. Existing modelling methods will be adapted accordingly, and existing data bases will be complemented with newly published data. We will further acquire some new archeomagnetic data from the Cape Verde islands from historical times to better constrain the early evolution of the present-day SAA. In order to study the long-term field evolution and possible recurrences of similar weak field structures in this region, we will produce new paleomagnetic records from available marine sediment cores off the coasts of West Africa, Brazil and Chile. This region is weakly constrained in previous millennial scale models. Apart from our main aim to gain better insights into the previous evolution of dipole moment and SAA, the models will be used to study relations between dipole and non-dipole field contributions, hemispheric symmetries and large-scale flux patterns at the core-mantle boundary. These observational findings will provide new insights into geodynamo processes when compared with numerical dynamo simulation results.Moreover, the models can be used to estimate past geomagnetic shielding above Earths surface against solar wind and for nuclide production from galactic cosmic rays.
Um aktuelle Umwelt- und Klimaveränderungen in einem längeren zeitlichen Kontext bewerten zu können, insbesondere anthropogene und natürliche Einflüsse auf den atmosphärischen Aerosoleintrag in die Atmosphäre zu verstehen, werden Informationen über die Zusammensetzung der Atmosphäre in der Vergangenheit benötigt. Eisbohrkerne aus den Polarregionen oder Gletschern sind wertvolle Umwelt- und Klimaarchive, da sie unter anderem das mit dem Schnellfall deponierte Aerosol enthalten. Daher kann die Analyse von partikel-gebundenen Spurenstoffen in Eisbohrkernen stoffliche Informationen über zurückliegende Umwelt- und Klimabedingungen liefern. Bis heute konzentrieren sich diese Bemühungen auf anorganische Substanzen und nur wenige organische Analyten. Ein Großteil der in diesen Bohrkernen enthaltenen Informationen geht dadurch verloren. Dies charakterisiert das Hauptziel des Vorhabens, durch Erarbeitung organischer spurenanalytischer Methoden basierend auf LC-HRMS (Flüssigchromatographie in Kombination mit hochauflösender Massenspektrometrie) eine ausgewählte Palette von Markersubstanzen zu quantifizieren. Zielmoleküle sind insbesondere neue Marker für biogene sekundäre organische Aerosole (biogenic SOA) und Biomasseverbrennungs-Marker. Die Auswahl dieser Verbindungen basiert einerseits auf dem zu erwartenden Informationsgewinn über die Quellen und deren Zusammensetzung (terrestrische Vegetation/Waldbrände), andererseits auf der atmosphärischen Lebensdauer der Marker, da nur langlebige Marker weit entfernt liegende Regionen erreichen können. Zusätzlich zur Analyse dieser Zielanalyten sollen auch ââ‚ Ìnon-target screening-Methoden zum Einsatz kommen. In enger Zusammenarbeit mit einem etablierten Eisbohrkernlabor am PSI in der Schweiz werden die entwickelten Analysetechniken auf einen Eisbohrkern aus dem Belukha-Gletscher im Sibirischen Altai Gebirge angewendet.
Soil structure determines a large part of the spatial heterogeneity in water storage and fluxes from the plot to the hillslope scale. In recent decades important progress in hydrological research has been achieved by including soil structure in hydrological models. One of the main problems herein remains the difficulty of measuring soil structure and quantifying its influence on hydrological processes. As soil structure is very often of biogenic origin (macropores), the main objective of this project is to use the influence of bioactivity and resulting soil structures to describe and support modelling of hydrological processes at different scales. Therefore, local scale bioactivity will be linked to local infiltration patterns under varying catchment conditions. At hillslope scale, the spatial distribution of bioactivity patterns will be linked to connectivity of subsurface structures to explain subsurface stormflow generation. Then we will apply species distribution modelling of key organisms in order to extrapolate the gained knowledge to the catchment scale. As on one hand, bioactivity influences the hydrological processes, but on the other hand the species distribution also depends on soil moisture contents, including the feedbacks between bioactivity and soil hydrology is pivotal for getting reliable predictions of catchment scale hydrological behavior under land use change and climate change.
Der Beginn der nordhemisphärischen Vereisung und die Entwicklung kontinuierlichen Permafrostes in Eurasien zwischen dem Ende des Miozäns und dem frühen Pleistozän zählt zu den bedeutendsten klimatischen Ereignissen des Känozoikums. Der Zeitpunkt extensiver Vereisung auf den Kontinenten und des Arktischen Ozeans und damit verbundene Veränderungen der klimatischen Bedingungen bleibt bislang ungenau bestimmt.Speläotheme (sekundäre Höhlenkarbonate) stellen ein wichtiges Archiv kontinentaler Umweltbedingungen dar, welches durch besonders genaue radiometrische Altersmodelle für eine grosse Bandbreite an Paläoklimaproxies charakterisiert ist.Wir konnten erfolgreich diagenetisch unveränderte und datierbare Proben aus Zentral- und Nordsibirien identifizieren und schlagen eine Multi-proxy-Studie an U/Pb-datierten Stalagmiten vor. Diese Studie wird Einblicke in die thermalen und hydrologischen Bedingungen zwischen 10.3 Ma und 8 Ma liefern. Wasser aus in den Speläothemen eingeschlossenen Fluidinklusionen wird auf seine Isotopenzusammensetzung hin untersucht. Zudem wird die in den Speläothemen beobachtete Lamination genutzt, um die Saisonalität während des Torton und Messiniums zu rekonstruieren. Wir suchen finanzielle Unterstützung für die parallele Analyse der Isotopie des Fluidinklusionswassers, der Sauerstoff- und Kohlenstoffisotopie des Karbonates, und der Elementkonzentration in den Speläothemen. Diese Kombination geochemischer Methoden wird Einblicke in regionale Umweltbedingungen, die Niederschlagshistorie und Temperaturen während des Miozäns und vor der Entwicklung kontinuierlichen Permafrostes geben. Zusätzliche Proben werden genutzt, um den Wechsel vom eisfreien zu einem durch Permafrost charakterisierten Sibirien zeitlich genauer einzugrenzen.Das vorgeschlagene Projekt wird unser Wissen zur atmosphärischen Zirkulation, und daran geknüpfter Veränderungen des Feuchte- und Temperaturregimes während eines saisonal eisfreien Arktischen Ozeans erweitern.
Electrical conductivity is a key parameter in models of magnetic field generation in planetary interiors through magneto-hydrodynamic convection. Measurements of this key material parameter of liquid metals is not possible to date by experiments at relevant conditions, and dynamo models rely on extrapolations from low pressure/temperature experiments, or more recently on ab-initio calculations combining molecular dynamics and linear response calculations, using the Kubo-Greenwood formulation of transport coefficients. Such calculations have been performed for Fe, Fe-alloys, H, He and H-He mixtures to cover the interior of terrestrial and giant gas planets. These simulations are computationally expensive, and an efficient accurate scheme to determine electrical conductivities is desirable. Here we propose a model that can, at much lower computational costs, provide this information. It is based on Ziman theory of electrical conductivity that uses information on the liquid structure, combined with an internally consistent model of potentials for the electron-electron, electron-atom, and atom-atom interactions. In the proposal we formulate the theory and expand it to multi-component systems. We point out that fitting the liquid structure factor is the critical component in the process, and devise strategies on how this can be done efficiently. Fitting the structure factor in a thermodynamically consistent way and having a transferable electron-atom potential we can then relatively cheaply predict the electrical conductivity for a wide range of conditions. Only limited molecular dynamics simulations to obtain the structure factors are required.In the proposed project we will test and advance this model for liquid aluminum, a free-electron like metal, that we have studied with the Kubo-Greenwood method previously. We will then be able to predict the conductivities of Fe, Fe-light elements and H, He, as well as the H-He system that are relevant to the planetary interiors of terrestrial and giant gas planets, respectively.
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