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Impact of long-term exposure to elevated pCO2 on activity and populations of free living N2 fixing organisms in a temperate grassland system

The project aims at achieving a better understanding of the processes that drive or limit the response of grassland systems in a world of increasing atmospheric pCO2. We will test the hypothesis that the previously shown increase in below-ground allocation of C under elevated pCO2 provides the necessary energy excess and will stimulate free-living N2 fixers in a low N grassland environment. The project thus aims at assessing the occurrence and importance of free-living N2 fixers under elevated pCO2 and identify the associated microbial communities involved in order to better understand ecosystems response and sustainability of grassland systems. This project had the last opportunity to obtain soil samples from a grassland ecosystem adapted to long-term (10 year) elevated atmospheric pCO2 as the Swiss FACE experiment. The project aims to identify the relevant components of free-living diazotrophs of the microbial community using 15N stable isotope - DNA probing.

AURORa - Investigation of the Radar Backscatter of Rain Impinging on the Ocean Surface

Over land, observations of rain rates are more or less operational. To obtain information about precipitation at the coastal zones, weather radars are used. However, over the oceans, especially away from the main shipping routes, no direct precipitation measurements are performed. In these regions, satellite data can provide information about precipitation events. Satellites deploying passive and active microwave sensors can operate independently of cloud cover and time of day. Passive microwave sensors give crude estimates of rain rates over large areas but cannot resolve small-scale rain events of short duration as are often observed in the tropics, for example. Active microwave sensors with high resolutions, such as synthetic aperture radars can provide more reliable information. Though the effect of rain on the atmosphere is a very topical area of research, the radar backscattering mechanisms at the water surface during rain events combined with wind are still not well understood. The purpose of this project is to investigate the radar backscattering from the water surface in the presence of rain and wind in order to interpret satellite radar data produced by active microwave sensors. Furthermore, the results should be embedded into models of the radar backscattering from the water surface to allow for estimating rain rates by using satellite data. Research topics: Rain impinging on a water surfaces generates splash products including crowns, cavities, stalks and secondary drops, which do not propagate, and ring waves and subsurface turbulence. We are investigating this phenomena at the wind-wave tank of the University of Hamburg. The tank is fitted with an artificial rain simulator of 2.3 m2 area mounted 4.5 m over the water surface. Rain drops of 2.1 and 2.9 mm in diameter with rain rates up to 100 mm/h have been produced. Wind with speeds 10 m/s and monomolecular slicks act on the water surface. The influence of the rain on the water surface is measured with a resistance type wire gauge, a two dimensional laser slope gauge and an coherent 9.8 GHz (x band) continuous wave scatterometer operating at VV-, HH- and HV-polarization. The influence of rain below the water surface is measured with colored raindrops which are observed with a video camera to investigate the turbulent motion and the depth of the mixed layer. At the North Sea Port of Buesum in Germany, a scatterometer operating at all polarizations and five frequencies will be mounted during summer of this year. The radar backscatter of the sea surface during rain events will be measured in combination with meteorological observations. With help of these measurements, existing radar backscatter models of the water surface will be improved for the presence of rain events. To validate the improved models, ERS-2 SAR-images will be compared with weather radar data.

Global Earth Observation and Monitoring (GEOMON)

The overall goal of the GEOMON project is to sustain and analyze European ground-based observations of atmospheric composition, complementary with satellite measurements, in order to quantify and understand the ongoing changes. GEOMON is a first step to build a future integrated pan-European Atmospheric Observing System dealing with systematic observations of long-lived greenhouse gases, reactive gases, aerosols, and stratospheric ozone. This will lay the foundations for a European contribution to GEOSS and optimize the European strategy of environmental monitoring in the field of atmospheric composition observations. Specifically, we will unify and harmonize the main Europeans networks of surface and aircraft-based measurements of atmospheric composition parameters and integrate these measurements with those of satellites. The access to data and data-products will be coordinated at a common data centre for more efficient use. GEOMon will support data gathering at existing networks if necessary, rescue and compile existing ground-based data, and develop new methodologies to use these data for satellite validation and interpretation.. In addition, GEOMON will enable innovative ground-based measurements complementary to satellites, made by upward looking ground based remote sensing instruments Max-DOAS, FTIR, and LIDAR and by systematic measurement programmes of upper-tropospheric composition using passenger aircrafts CARIBIC and MOZAIC. These data will serve to reduce biases and random errors in satellite observations and facilitate interpretation of the columnar measurements in combination with surface data. This will result in a significant improvement in the use of existing and future satellite data. Common techniques and modelling tools will be used in order to add value to the GEOMON data observations, to facilitate their use in satellite validation and help design an optimal network. Prime Contractor: Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique (CEA); Paris; France.

Managing water scarcity: Intelligent tools and cooperative strategies

MAI-TAI deals with integrated water resources management. It is designed as a coordination action of leading research and innovation operators, aiming at developing a coherent set of innovative, relevant and cooperative policy options and management strategies. Regionally it works with partners from China and India, and the work will focus around two lead river basins: The Hai river basin in North-East China and the Yamuna river basin in North India, both in arid and/or semi arid regions. The proposal features the following core coordination activities: 1. Enabling a dialogue between researchers and practitioners promoting state of the art and indigenous technologies and practices: The consortium believes that modern systems alone are not capable of solving the water needs of the people in many developing countries, and there is a strong need of generating innovative options through cross fertilization between both worlds. This cross-fertilization will be enabled by methods and rich experiences of user innovations research. 2. Based on (1), innovative policy options and management strategies will be compiled. Then, a multi-stakeholder interaction in order to evaluate these options and strategies will be carried out, supported by intelligent knowledge management tools: In the presence of a variety of actors (institutions, organisations, individuals) each with specific forms of knowledge with respect to scale, topic, reasoning processes, and a large number of information expected to be generated through the multi-stakeholder interaction, the issue of learning and knowledge management is of paramount importance. A strong impact of the coordination action is ensured by a highly inter- and transdisciplinary team, encompassing internationally reputable scientific institutions as well as strong governmental partners and NGOs. The latter two will considerable facilitate a wide and in particular meaningful stakeholder dialogue throughout the project.

FP6-SUSTDEV, A Supporting Programme for Capacity Building in the Black Sea Region towards Operational Status of Oceanographic Services (ASCABOS)

Communications, data and information exchange are the key elements of the operational ocean monitoring and forecasting networks, defined in the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS). Development of observing and closely related operational forecasting system in the Black Sea region requires the exchange of significant data and information volumes. ASCABOS is designed to strengthen the communication system ensuring flexible and operative infrastructure for data and information exchange between partners and end users. ASCABOS aims to increase public awareness and to stimulate and motivate the utilization of operational oceanographic information in management and decision-making practices. In the same time, high level of the operational services must be built and retained. ASCABOS will support achievement of these crucial objectives by initiating an educational and training programme designed for young scientists and wide spectrum of end users. Considerable work has been performed on compiling meta-databases on the Black Sea environmental data, information and research within previous international initiatives and projects. To support and to strengthen the exchange between scientists, governmental managers and other users ASCABOS is planning to combine experiences and instruments in order to develop a Black Sea information system, containing all available metadata, validated and efficiently updated through the Internet. ASCABOS plans to organize and realize a cost-effective VOS pilot programme, applying modern technologies and developments for data collection, transmission, storage, use and dissemination. The VOS programme will provide data for model assimilation and respond to the GOOS demand for long-term monitoring of the marine ecosystems. Prime Contractor: Institute of Oceanology - Bulgarian Academy of Sciences; Varna, Bulgaria.

FP6-SUSTDEV, Flexible framework for Indicators for Sustainability in Regions using system dynamics modelling (INSURE)

Ökonomie plus Moral - Verkehrsmittelwahl im Spannungsfeld ökologischer Normorientierung und monetärer Kosten

(...) Auf der Basis der Erkenntnis, dass ein hohes Umweltbewusstsein bei großen Verhaltenskosten in der Regel nicht ausreicht, um tatsächlich umweltschonendes Verhalten zu garantieren, stellt die Verringerung der individuellen Kosten für umweltschonendes Verhalten mittlerweile ein wesentliches Ziel von Interventionsmaßnahmen im Umweltbereich dar. Von besonderer Bedeutung ist in diesem Kontext der Kostenfaktor monetärer Preis, da in ihm eine der zentralen Steuerungsvariablen zur Förderung umweltschonenden Verhaltens gesehen wird. Umweltschonendes Verhalten darf also nicht durch höhere Kosten bestraft werden, sondern ist durch gezielte Anreizstrukturen zu fördern. Zusätzlich ist jedoch die Bedeutung von inneren umweltbezogenen Werthaltungen und Einstellungen zu berücksichtigen. Gegenstand des Projekts ist daher die Analyse des Zusammenwirkens von ökologischer Normorientierung und monetären Kosten im Bereich des individuellen Mobilitätsverhaltens. Auf theoretischer und empirischer Ebene existieren hierzu eine Reihe - zum Teil widersprüchlicher - Hypothesen, über die im Rahmen einer quasiexperimentellen Feldstudie eine Entscheidung herbeigeführt werden soll. Als Untersuchungskontext wird das Mobilitätsverhalten von Personen gewählt, da hier ein unmittelbarer Zusammenhang zu globalen Umweltveränderungen (CO2-Anreicherung der Erdatmosphäre) gegeben ist. (...) Im Fokus des aktuellen Projekts steht erneut die Analyse des Wahlverhaltens zwischen Pkw und öffentlichem Personennahverkehr (ÖPNV), wobei die monetären Kosten für die Nutzung von Pkw und ÖPNV in drei Stufen quasi-experimentell variiert werden: (a) ÖPNV-Nutzung teurer als Pkw-Nutzung, (b) ÖPNV-Nutzung und Pkw-Nutzung preisäquivalent, (c) ÖPNV-Nutzung billiger als Pkw-Nutzung. Diese drei-stufige Variation erfolgt hierbei für drei verschiedene Standardstrecken der Upn, und zwar für die drei Zwecke Arbeit/Ausbildung, Einkaufen und Freizeit. Zusätzlich wurde ein Fragebogen entwickelt, in dem neben den bereits im Vorläuferprojekt entwickelten Items zum modifizierten Norm-Aktivations-Modell (neun Subskalen), subjektive Repräsentationen von Preisen (Kostenschätzungen Pkw/ÖV der definierten Standardwege, der subjektiv wahrgenommener eigener finanzieller Spielraum, wahrgenommene Angemessenheit/ Fairness von Preisen und geldspezifische Einstellungen) und Repräsentationen nichtmonetärer Verkehrsmittelattribute (z.B. Komfort, Sicherheit etc.) berücksichtigt werden. (...) In der Auswertung soll überprüft werden, wie monetäre Kosten für räumliche Mobilität subjektiv repräsentiert werden und in welchem Verhältnis subjektive und objektive Kosten stehen. Hier wird erwartet, dass die monetären Kosten für die Pkw-Nutzung im Vergleich zu den Kosten der ÖPNV-Nutzung eher unterschätzt werden. (...) Ein Ziel der Forschungsbemühungen liegt in der Ableitung von Prognosen über die Akzeptanz monetär ausgerichteter Interventionsmaßnahmen zur Förderung umweltschonender Verhaltensweisen.

FP6-POLICIES, Sustainable batteries (SUBAT)

By the end of 2004 the Commission is required to provide report on the possibility to maintain, or not, cadmium, in the exemption list of Directive 2000/53 on End-of-Life Vehicles. The SUBAT proposal aims to make a comprehensive and complete assessment of commercially available and forthcoming battery technologies in the world, including Ni-Cd, on the basis of: - a technical assessment comparing their performances for full EV and HEV (specific energy and power, proven cycle life and calendar life, life cycle cost analysis, operation at extreme temperature, charge acceptance, maintenance, safety, energetically efficiency of the battery systems, availability of recycling process at industrial stage, operation during applications); SUBAT will also take into account the status of these batteries as to their availability as commercial products; - an environmental assessment in order to be able to give them an environmental score which can designate them as being a sustainable solution or not; A life-cycle-analysis approach will investigate availability of primary materials, environmental impact of extraction and manufacturing of the battery, emissions from the battery during use, release of components in case of accident, recycling of active materials, production of non-recyclable waste and environmental impact of recycling processes; - an economical assessment with both a micro-economical analysis of production, manufacturing cost of the batteries, forecast cost for the consumers and a macro-economical study to take into account the position of battery manufacturers on the global market, assessing European vs. non-European products and influence on the European trade balance. Through this multidisciplinary approach, SUBAT will allow to define an overall view of all aspects of the automotive battery market, in order to provide the Commission with a valuable policy support tool that will assist in tracing the pathways for the future sustainable transport.

Kohlenstoffspeicherung in einem ungenutzten Kalkbuchenwald des Nationalparks Hainich

Differenzierung der Quellen- und Senkenfunktion des Bodens unter Berücksichtigung der Nutzungsgeschichte. Im Rahmen des CARBOEUROFLUX-Projekts wurden im Hainich (Thüringen) Kohlenstoff (C)- Speicherungsraten festgestellt, die der Vorstellung der Kohlendioxid-Neutralität von alten Wäldern widersprechen und die Frage nach deren Kyoto-Relevanz aufwerfen. Im Rahmen europäischer Projekte lässt sich allerdings nicht klären, wie diese hohen Speicherraten entstehen und wo C im System verbleibt. Wir vermuten, dass durch historischen C-Export, z.B. infolge von Streunutzung, die Böden im Hainich verarmten und die entleerten Speicher jetzt wieder aufgefüllt werden. Um das Ausmaß des nutzungsbedingten C-Exports abschätzen zu können, werden aus Schriftquellen Art und Umfang der Biomassenutzung in ihrer zeitlichen und örtlichen Entwicklung rekonstruiert. Zudem untersuchen wir, welche Anteile des C-Eintrages veratmet, gespeichert und über den Wasserpfad exportiert werden. Hierzu werden 13C und 14C- Isotopenverhältnisse an Bodengasen sowie gelöstem und festem Boden- C bestimmt. Unsere Untersuchungen zielen auf ein grundlegendes Verständnis der C-Speicherung im Jahresverlauf ab. Die Zusammenarbeit mit dem Kompetenzzentrum 'Dynamik Komplexer Geosysteme' und dem europäischen CARBOEUROPE Cluster wird die Doppelerhebung von Daten verhindern und deren gegenseitige Verfügbarkeit sicherstellen. Ziel der Arbeit ist es, den historischen Kohlenstoffexport insbesondere unter Berücksichtigung der forstlichen Nebennutzung abzuschätzen. Hierzu soll anhand von Literaturdaten einerseits die Vegetationsgeschichte geklärt werden. Andererseits soll der im Untersuchungsgebiet im Zuge der forstlichen und landwirtschaftlichen Nutzungen erfolgte Biomasseentzug nach Art und Umfang dokumentiert werden. Diese Arbeiten sind notwendig, um den Einfluss der Nutzungsgeschichte auf die Kohlenstoffspeicherung im Untersuchungsstandort abzuschätzen. Im Rahmen des Gesamtprojektes sollen zunächst Daten zur Entwicklung der Biomasse im Untersuchungsgebiet zusammengestellt werden. Eine weitere Aufgabe besteht darin, auf der Basis von Literaturstudien einen möglichen Vergleichsstandort mit unterschiedlicher Nutzungsgeschichte zu identifizieren.

Schwerpunktprogramm (SPP) 1167: Quantitative Niederschlagsvorhersage, Coordination of the SPP 1167: Study of the process chain and predictability of precipitation by combining the D-PHASE ensemble and the COPS data sets in the COPS domain

In contrast to their advances in other areas, weather forecast models have not been successful in improving the Quantitative Precipitation Forecast during the last 16 years. One reason for this stagnation is the lack of comprehensive, high-quality data sets usable for model validation as well as for data assimilation, thus leading to improved initial fields in numerical models. Theoretical analyses have identified the requirements measured data have to meet in order to close the gaps in process understanding. In field campaigns, it has been shown that the newest generation of remote sensing systems has the potential to yield data sets of the required quality. It is therefore time to combine the most powerful remote sensing instruments with proven ground-based and airborne measurement techniques in an Intensive Observations Period (IOP). Its goal is to serve as a backbone for the SPP 1167 by producing the demanded data sets of unachieved accuracy and resolution. This requires a sophisticated scientific preparation and a careful coordination between the efforts of the institutions involved. For the first time, the pre-convective environment, the formation of clouds and the onset and development of precipitation as well as its intensity will be observed in four dimensions simultaneously in a region of sufficient size. This shall be achieved by combining the IOP with international programs and by collaboration between leading scientists in Europe, US and other countries. Thus, the IOP is a unique opportunity to make Germany the setting of an international field campaign featuring the newest generation of measurement systems such as scanning radar and lidar and leading to outstanding advances in atmospheric sciences.

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