In strict nature reserves and core zones of protected areas hunting and forestry operations are often restricted or banned. However, regarding the management of Wild boar, such hunt-free zones are discussed controversially and can lead to conflict. Hunters whose areas border no-hunting zones (and who have to reimburse farmers for crop damages caused by Wild boar) are concerned that the boars may evade effective population management by staying within the limits of the no-hunting zone, and farmers fear increased crop damage in the surroundings of such areas. Some conservationists are also concerned because Wild boars increasingly root protected habitats and can cause damage to rare plant assemblies. The three-year project Wild boar problem in the vicinity of protected areas by the Game Research Institute (Wildforschungsstelle) at the Centre for Agriculture Baden-Württemberg (LAZBW) aims at investigating if and how no-hunting zones might affect Wild boar activity, movement patterns, home range size, and habitat use, as well as crop damage caused by boars, by comparing these aspects between hunting-free zones and unprotected areas. Although there have already been a number of telemetry studies on Wild boar, including space use in the context of hunting activity, to date there is no study that has specifically investigated spatial and ecological aspects in and around protected areas. My dissertation Ecology of Wild boar Sus scrofa in the vicinity of protected areas is being carried out within the scope of the Game Research Institutes project and apart from the aims outlined above, further aspects of Wild boar ecology will be investigated, especially the role of Wild boar as bio-engineer and habitat creator for other species vs. unwanted damages at protected sites. Twenty-seven Vectronic GPS-GSM satellite collars with integrated activity sensors are available to tag Wild boars in three study areas: the non-protected Altdorfer Forest near Aulendorf with regular hunting activity and forestry, the nature reserve Wurzacher Ried with its ca. 700 ha core zone that is a strict reserve with no human activity, and the Biosphere Reserve Swabian Jura, especially in the surroundings of the former military training area near Münsingen and the 170 ha no-usage-area Föhrenberg.
Objective: Nano-scale objects interact with living organisms in a fundamentally new manner, ensuring that a fruitful marriage of nanotechnology and biology will long outlast short term imperatives. Therefore, investment in an infrastructure to drive scientific knowledge of the highest quality will have both immediate benefits of supporting the safety assessment of legacy nano-materials, as well as pointing towards future (safe) applications with the lasting benefits to society. There are immediate priorities, for few doubt that serious damage to confidence in nanotechnology, unless averted, could result in missed opportunities to benefit society for a generation, or more. QNano will materially affect the outcome, at this pivotal moment of nanotechnology implementation. The overall vision of QNano is the creation of a 'neutral' scientific & technical space in which all stakeholder groups can engage, develop, and share scientific best practice in the field. Initially it will harness resources from across Europe and develop efficient, transparent and effective processes. Thereby it will enable provision of services to its Users, and the broader community, all in the context of a best-practice ethos. This will encourage evidence-based dialogue to prosper between all stakeholders. However, QNano will also pro-actively seek to drive, develop and promote the highest quality research and practices via its JRA, NA and TA functions, with a global perspective and mode of implementation. QNano will also look to the future, beyond the current issues, and promote the growth and development of the science of nano-scale interactions with living organisms. By working with new and emerging scientific research communities from medicine, biology, energy, materials and others, it will seek to forge new directions leading to new (safe, responsible, economically viable) technologies for the benefit of European society.
Objective: The project will examine the health impacts of greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction policies in urban settings in Europe, China and India, using case studies of 3-4 large urban centres and three smaller urban centres. Sets of realistic interventions will be proposed, tailored to local needs, to meet published abatement goals for GHG Emissions for 2020, 2030 and 2050. Mitigation actions will be defined in four main sectors: power generation/industry, household energy, transport and food and agriculture. The chief pathways by which such measures influence health will be described, and models developed to quantify changes in health-related 'exposures' and health behaviours. Models will include ones relating to outdoor air pollution, indoor air quality and temperature, physical activity, dietary intake, road injury risks and selected other exposures. Integrated quantitative models of health impacts will be based on life table methods encompassing both mortality and morbidity outcomes modelled over 20 year time horizons. Where possible, exposure-response relationships will be based on review evidence published by the Comparative Risk Assessment initiative or systematic reviews. Uncertainties in model estimates will be characterized using a mathematical framework to quantify the influence of uncertainties in both model structure and parameter estimates. Particular attention will be given to economic assessments, both in terms of behavioural choices/uptake of various forms of mitigation measure (with new surveys to address evidence gaps), and in terms of health benefits and costs calculated from societal, health service and household perspectives. A decision analysis framework will be developed to compare different mitigation options. Experts and user groups will be consulted to define the mitigation questions to be examined, and the results will be discussed in consultative workshops scheduled for the final months of the project.
Ziel des Projektes war die Erarbeitung eines Qualitätshandbuchs mit einheitlichen Standards zur Qualitätssicherung bei Dichtheitsprüfungen privater Abwasserleitungen. Als Grundlage wurden ausführliche Interviews mit 38 Städten und Gemeinden in NRW und 2 Städten in Hessen geführt und 214 Dichtheitsnachweise in verschiedenen Kommunen Nordrhein-Westfalens hinsichtlich ihrer Qualität ausgewertet. In den Interviews zeigten sich Unterschiede und Unsicherheiten bezüglich der möglichen Vorgaben zur Prüfmethode, zur Dokumentation und zur Vorlagepflicht sowie eine unterschiedliche Interpretation des Umgang mit Regenwasserleitungen im Mischsystem. Unsicherheiten bestehen auch bei der Kalkulation des Personalbedarfs und bei der Festlegung des Umfangs einer Prüfung von eingereichten Dichtheitsnachweisen. Bei der durchgeführten Qualitätsprüfung der Dichtheitsnachweise anhand eines erarbeiteten Bewertungskataloges stellte sich die Qualität der Prüfungen insgesamt als ausreichend bis zufrieden stellend dar, wobei die optischen Inspektionen etwas besser abschnitten. Verbesserungspotential besteht bei der Schadensansprache und bei der Art und Tiefe der Dokumentation der Prüfungen. Dies betrifft vor allem die Dokumentation untersuchter und auch nicht untersuchter Leitungsstränge und die digitale Aufzeichnung des Messverlaufs bei Prüfungen mit Wasser oder Luft. Unter Berücksichtigung der Ergebnisse der geprüften Dichtheitsnachweise werden technische Anforderungen an die Durchführung der Dichtheitsprüfung und an den Umfang und den Inhalt der im Rahmen der Dichtheitsprüfung zu erstellenden Unterlagen definiert. Darüber hinaus werden Kriterien für die Wahl der Prüfmethode anhand der Schutzziele Umwelt- und Gesundheitsschutz, Schutz der öffentlichen Abwasseranlage und Eigentumsschutz aufgezeigt. Eine Verbesserung der Qualität lässt sich vor allem durch eine systematische Kontrolle der Unterlagen durch die Kommunen erreichen. Für die verschiedenen Prüfumfänge wird der Bearbeitungsaufwand abgeschätzt, wobei über eine Kombination einer einfachen Plausibilitätsprüfung mit einer detaillierten inhaltlichen Prüfung, die stichprobenartig, aber systematisch durchgeführt wird, der Aufwand erheblich reduziert werden kann. Die Ergebnisse der Überprüfung sollten mit den Sachkundigen diskutiert und für eine weitere Nutzung standardisiert dokumentiert werden. Auf dieser Basis können auch Schulungsschwerpunkte ermittelt und Nichtempfehlungen oder Ausschlüsse ausgesprochen werden. Eine weitere Option sind Zusammenschlüsse.
Lakes can be considered as sentinels and thus indicators and integrators of environmental pressures such as climate change. To maintain lakes in a healthy ecological state is nowadays a major task for water management authorities, and will be increasingly so under climate change which is believed to negatively affect lake ecosystem functioning. Phytoplankton plays a key role in lake dynamics as it is at the base of the food web, and changes in its community have potential to affect the entire lake ecosystem. In addition, Cyanobacteria, the only freshwater phytoplankton group that is able to produce cyanotoxins, are capable of inflicting considerable harm to lake ecosystems and to human health through contamination of drinking water supply and toxin accumulation in fishes. Phytoplankton is thus a common indicator to assess the ecological status of lakes. Without understanding the complex mechanisms and processes that underlay a lake ecosystem in a changing climate, planning for future lake management and adaptation will be compromised. Numerical deterministic modelling is today the most appropriate approach to address these global and complex mechanistic features of lake ecosystems. Modeling studies play a key role in exploring the processes responsible for changes since they can be used to test the sensitivity of lakes to both observed and projected changes in climate. The aim of this project is to apply an ecological model to Lake Geneva, which has not been undertaken yet. Lake Geneva, a deep sub-Alpine lake, is the largest lake in central Europe and an essential source of drinking water, having not only a high ecological value, but also economic and social values. Due to its considerable environmental importance, it is crucial to assess, through numerical modeling techniques applied, how the Lakes water quality may be impaired; especially in view of the fact the observed rate of warming since 1900 is more than double that of the observed global average. Moreover, the hydrodynamic characteristics of Lake Geneva, the watershed of its most important inflow river Rhône, as well as the regional climate, have already been modeled. In coupling these models together, we will close the essential gaps, through which we will be able to understand the links between climate, watersheds, and lakes and provide a whole, integrated ecosystem perspective. This integrative model will provide an accurate predictive management tool to help take decisions and response strategies in a timely manner. It is generally recognized that future climate change will have an important impact on Lake Geneva, with a likely deterioration of its water quality. This will be manifested by high phosphorus concentrations, by phytoplankton biomass increase, by a change in phytoplankton composition, by an asynchronous phenology and by an emergence of potentially toxic Cyanobacteria.(...)
Drying, through its effects on soils, is likely to affect any man-made structure and building supported by the ground, as well as the safety of earth structures (such as flood embankments and dams) and land use. The related human and financial costs are incalculable. Studies on climate global change clearly suggest an increasing recurrence of drought events in some parts of the world, making the subject a burning issue. The broad objective of the research is twofold: (i) to gain a better understanding of the consequences of drying the soil, the mechanisms which induce damage and the variables which control it; (ii) to develop a comprehensive predictive model, able to assess such processes. Because of the deformable nature of soils, drying primarily induces shrinkage. More generally, drying is responsible for a large set of processes, which could be sorted as follows: (i) soil de-formation, (ii), strength modification, (iii), structure alteration, (iv), mechanical damage, and (v) fracture. The risks of degradation of buildings, of earth-structures and land use stem from these phenomena. In spite of the existing modelling capabilities, the prediction of the consequences of drying on soil behaviour is still oversimplified. This is primarily because of the lack of global conceptual models for the highly complex processes that occur during drying. We intend to tackle the problem by considering the fundamental couplings between the water retention behaviour and the mechanical behaviour. The structure changes and damages induced by drying will be the focus of our attention. In order to support our understanding of the processes and their modelling, it is planned to conduct experiments, and to measure the evolution of deformation, water saturation, particle arrangement and fracturing related to drying. The work and its planned dissemination will help communities to assess the potential environmental impact and risk on their territory more easily. This research will develop a coherent and experimentally-supported theory. Understanding soil drying shrinkage and damage and developing abilities to predict its behaviour will allow engineers to reduce the principal threat to landforms and structures. This alone will be greatly beneficial to a large portion of the population.
How does fungal resistance of transgenic wheat behave in the open? Fungi, and most particularly mildew, cause enormous losses in wheat harvests. To overcome this, wheat was genetically engineered to resist mildew. But there is still very little information about how this resistance functions in open cultivation. Background Mildew and other fungi cause tremendous damage in wheat production, necessitating the use of sprayed crop-protection products. It has been possible to use genetic engineering to overcome this problem by incorporating a specific barley gene in the wheat genome. This gene produces proteins that degrade the cell walls of fungi and destroy the pests. Little is known, though, about the efficacy of this method in open cultivation or the conceivable risks. Objectives The project aims to investigate how fungal resistance in genetically modified wheat behaves in the open. The aim is to measure the efficacy of this resistance against fungal diseases and to assess the potential benefit for agriculture. Methods The efficacy of mildew resistance will be investigated in three successive years as part of the field trial with transgenic wheat (cf. Keller project I). Among other things, the activity of the resistance genes and the productivity of the wheat lines will be measured. Parallel trials will check the results of the field trial under greenhouse conditions. Significance Plants behave differently in the greenhouse and in the open. It is therefore necessary to test the action of the additional resistance genes in field trials. This project will evaluate both resistance to true mildew and resistance to other pathogenic fungi.
Plant growth is affected by climate change in major ways. Higher temperatures and CO2 levels have a direct and dramatic effect of photosynthesis. Rising temperatures are also predicted to increase the potential for damage inflicted to plants by insects. An in-depth understanding of the underlying mo-lecular events leading to a quantitative modeling of growth processes will lead to the development of improved agricultural strategies. In this subproject, we will establish in situ techniques to meas-ure overall plant growth (including roots) non-invasively, in realistic conditions and with high tem-poral resolution. Growth will be described with several morphological parameters concomitantly with the determination of global gene expression signatures. By studying Arabidopsis growth in di-verse environmental conditions (and mutants) we anticipate identifying molecular signatures of the growth process. This will be achieved by performing a meta-analysis of micro-array data generated from plants harvested at various times of the day (with distinct growth rates); mutants with altered growth rates, and plants exposed to various biotic and abiotic stresses leading to growth alterations. Common molecular patterns emerging from such a study will enable us to identify the underlying gene regulatory network. This will allow us to construct quantitative models of growth control at the whole plant level. 3.2.4.2 Specific Aims 1) Develop a mathematical model that captures the hypocotyl elongation pattern based on 'ex-ternal coincidence' controlled abundance of growth-promoting bHLH transcription factors. Further develop this model to the whole plant level. See also SP1. 2) Measure leaf growth quantitatively through the development of an imaging platform that enables us to monitor rosette growth day and night with high spatial and temporal resolu-tion. 3) Obtain quantitative data on the intimate links between shoot and root growth. Develop novel imaging techniques to monitor root growth in the soil and identify more easily monitorable traits that correlate with root growth. 4) Test the consequences of changes in the environment (biotic and abiotic) on plant growth. This will be determined at the morphological level implementing the techniques developed in points 1 & 2 and at the global gene expression level. 5) Identify sets of genes which are co-regulated and correlate quantitatively with growth rates. By combining network inference from transcriptome analysis with high-resolution imaging of growth we will be able to identify its molecular signatures. We will identify 'transcrip-tion modules' from large sets of micro-array data (1) (2) (3), whose function can then be analyzed. Iteration of such cycles will lead to the establishment of a robust model, which will initially be determined in Specific Aim 1.
How do insecticidal proteins from transgenic plants behave in soil? Many transgenic plants produce proteins that kill certain insect pests that feed on the plants. When these plants are cultivated, proteins of this type also pass into the soil and may harm other organisms there. Background An increasing number of transgenic plants are being cultivated worldwide that produce insecticidal proteins, known as Cry proteins, to defend themselves against insect pests. When these plants are grown, some of the Cry proteins pass into the soil either with dead plant material or directly via the plants' roots. It cannot be ruled out that these proteins may have negative effects on the soil. There are concerns, for example, that the Cry proteins damage beneficial soil organisms and bacteria, and that insect pests could become resistant to these proteins. The possible extent of these effects depends on how strongly Cry proteins adhere to solid components of the soil. Objectives The project aims to achieve a precise understanding of the way Cry proteins adhere to various components of soil. This knowledge will allow assessing the stability of these proteins in soils, the distances over which the proteins are transported in soil and the extent to which beneficial soil organisms come into contact with them. Methods Cry proteins adhesion will be studied to different soil components - including quartz sand, clay minerals and humus - and three selected soils encountered in Swiss agriculture. The adhesion of Cry proteins will be examined directly on the surfaces of the soil components, i.e. on a microscopic scale, using specific instruments. The results will form the basis for the development of a computer model to predict the adhesion and transportation Cry proteins in various soils. Significance The risk of possible damage being caused by Cry proteins in soils can only be assessed if the strength of the adhesion of these proteins to soil components is known. The experimental studies needed to provide this information will be carried out in this project. In addition, the results will be incorporated into a model that will allow estimating possible negative effects of Cry proteins in various agricultural soils.
Objective: As consumption of psychoactive substances such as alcohol, drugs and certain medicines are likely to endanger the drivers aptitude and impaired driving is still one of the major causes for road accidents, some active steps have to be taken to reach the goal of a 50% reduction in the number of road deaths in the EU. The objective of DRUID is to give scientific support to the EU transport policy to reach the 2010th road safety target by establishing guidelines and measures to combat impaired driving. DRUID will - conduct reference studies of the impact on fitness to drive for alcohol, illicit drugs and medicines and give new insights to the real degree of impairment caused by psychoactive drugs and their actual impact on road safety - generate recommendations for the definition of analytical and risk thresholds - analyse the prevalence of drugs and medicines in accidents and in general driving, set up a comprehensive and efficient epidemiological database.
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