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.
BACKGROUND: The Kingdom of Jordan belongs to the ten water scarcest countries in the world, and climate change is likely to increase the frequency of future droughts. Jordan is considered among the 10 most water impoverished countries in the world, with per capita water availability estimated at 170 m per annum, compared to an average of 1,000 m per annum in other countries. Jordan Government has taken the strategic decision to develop a conveyor system including a 325 km pipe to pump 100 million cubic meters per year of potable water from Disi-Mudawwara close to the Saudi Border in the south, to the Greater Amman area in the north. The construction of the water pipeline has started end of 2009 and shall be finished in 2013. Later on, the pipeline could serve as a major part of a national water carrier in order to convey desalinated water from the Red Sea to the economically most important central region of the country. The conveyor project will not only significantly increase water supplies to the capital, but also provide for the re-allocation of current supplies to other governorates, and for the conservation of aquifers. In the context of the Disi project that is co-funded by EIB two Environmental and Social Management Plans have been prepared: one for the private project partners and one for the Jordan Government. The latter includes the Governments obligation to re-balance water allocations to irrigation and to gradually restore the protected wetlands of Azraq (Ramsar site) east of Amman that has been depleted due to over-abstraction by re-directing discharge of highland aquifers after the Disi pipeline becomes operational. The Water Strategy recognizes that groundwater extraction for irrigation is beyond acceptable limits. Since the source is finite and priority should be given to human consumption it proposes to tackle the demand for irrigation through tariff adjustments, improved irrigation technology and disincentive to water intensive crops. The Disi aquifer is currently used for irrigation by farms producing all kinds of fruits and vegetables on a large scale and exporting most of their products to the Saudi and European markets and it is almost a third of Jordan's total consumption. The licenses for that commercial irrigation were finished by 2011/12. Whilst the licenses will be not renewed the difficulty will be the enforcement and satellite based information become an important supporting tool for monitoring. OUTLOOK: The ESA funded project Water management had the objective to support the South-North conveyor project and the activities of EIB together with the MWI in Jordan to ensure the supply of water for the increasing demand. EO Information provides a baseline for land cover and elevation and support the monitoring of further stages. usw.
The present-day configuration of Indonesia and SE Asia is the results of a long history of tectonic movements, volcanisms and global eustatic sea-level changes. Not indifferent to these dynamics, fauna and flora have been evolving and dispersing following a complicate pattern of continent-sea changes to form what are today defined as Sundaland and Wallacea biogeographical regions. The modern intraannual climate of Indonesia is generally described as tropical, seasonally wet with seasonal reversals of prevailing low-level winds (Asian-Australian monsoon). However at the interannual scale a range of influences operating over varying time scales affect the local climate in respect of temporal and spatial distribution of rainfall. Vegetation generally reflects climate and to simplify it is possible to distinguish three main ecological elements in the flora of Malaysia: everwet tropical, seasonally dry tropical (monsoon) and montane. Within those major ecological groups, a wide range of specific local conditions caused a complex biogeography which has and still attract the attention of botanists and biogeographers worldwide. Being one of the richest regions in the Worlds in terms of species endemism and biodiversity, Indonesia has recently gone through intensive transformation of previously rural/natural lands for intensive agriculture (oil palm, rubber, cocoa plantations and rice fields). Climate change represents an additional stress. Projected climate changes in the region include strengthening of monsoon circulation and increase in the frequency and magnitude of extreme rainfall and drought events. The ecological consequences of these scenarios are hard to predict. Within the context of sustainable management of conservation areas and agro-landscapes, Holocene palaeoecological and palynological studies provide a valuable contribution by showing how the natural vegetation present at the location has changed as a consequence of climate variability in the long-term (e.g. the Mid-Holocene moisture maximum, the modern ENSO onset, Little Ice Age etc.). The final aim of my PhD research is to compare the Holocene history of Jambi province and Central Sulawesi. In particular: - Reconstructing past vegetation, plant diversity and climate dynamics in the two study areas Jambi (Sumatra) and Lore Lindu National Park (Sulawesi) - Comparing the ecological responses of lowland monsoon swampy rainforest (Sumatra) and everwet montane rainforests (Sulawesi) to environmental variability (vulnerability/resilience) - Investigating the history of human impact on the landscape (shifting cultivation, slash and burn, crop cultivation, rubber and palm oil plantation) - Assessing the impact and role of droughts (El Niño) and fires - Adding a historical perspective to the evaluation of current and future changes.
Im Auftrag des Bayerischen Landesamtes für Umwelt hat bifa den erstmals 2003 durchgeführten Ökoeffizienzvergleich der Entsorgungsstrukturen Bayerns, Deutschlands und der Schweiz erweitert und aktualisiert. Die Ergebnisse aus dem Jahr 2003 zeigten, dass der bayerische Weg zur Gestaltung der Abfallwirtschaft in seiner Ökoeffizienz im Vergleich mit den Entsorgungsstrukturen der Schweiz und dem deutschen Durchschnitt am besten abschnitt. Nach der, im Rahmen der aktuellen Beauftragung, durchgeführten Datenaktualisierung, der Bilanzierung zusätzlicher Wertstoffströme und der Berücksichtigung des Verbots der Ablagerung nicht vorbehandelter Abfälle rücken die Entsorgungsstrukturen hinsichtlich Ihrer Ökoeffizienz deutlich enger zusammen. Die Entsorgungsstruktur Bayerns weist im Vergleich zur Entsorgungsstruktur Deutschlands zwar noch ein geringfügig besseres ökologisches Gesamtergebnis auf, ist aber gleichzeitig mit leicht höheren Gesamtkosten verbunden. Die Entsorgungsstruktur der Schweiz ist etwas weniger ökoeffizient. Die Ursachen dafür sind eine geringere Umweltentlastung im ökologischen Gesamtergebnis, gepaart mit vergleichsweise hohen Entsorgungskosten. Methoden: Analyse und Moderation sozialer Prozesse, Ökobilanzierung und Systemanalyse, Ökonomie und Managementberatung.
In this project we experimentally explore the transport of engineered inorganic nanoparticles (EINP) through soils. This is done for original EINPs and some pre-aged form. Transport of NPs in soil is expected to be different from that of reactive solutes, in that hydrodynamic drag, inertial and shear forces as well as the affinity to water-gas interfaces are expected to be more relevant. Hence, the mobility of EINPs in soil is highly sensitive to the morphology of the porous structure and the dynamics of water saturation.This project provides the pore network structure for natural soils using X-ray micro-tomography to allow for an up-scaling of pore-scale interactions explored by project partners to the scale of soil horizons. The pore structure is represented by a network model suitable for pore scale simulations including the dynamics of water-gas interfaces.Pore network simulations will be compared to column experiments for conservative tracers as well as for unaltered and pre-aged EINPs (obtained from INTERFACE). This includes steady state flow scenarios for saturated (ponding) and unsaturated conditions as well as for transient flow to explore the impact of moving water-gas interfaces. The final goal is to arrive at a consistent interpretation of experimental findings and numerical simulations to develop a module for modelling EINP transfer through soil as a function of particle properties, soil structural characteristics and external forcing in terms of flux boundary conditions.
Bamboos (Poaceae) are widespread in tropical and subtropical forests. Particularly in Asia, bamboos are cultivated by smallholders and increasingly in large plantations. In contrast to trees, reliable assessments of water use characteristics for bamboo are very scarce. Recently we tested a set of methods for assessing bamboo water use and obtained first results. Objectives of the proposed project are (1) to further test and develop the methods, (2) to compare the water use of different bamboo species, (3) to analyze the water use to bamboo size relationship across species, and (4) to assess effects of bamboo culm density on the stand-level transpiration. The study shall be conducted in South China where bamboos are very abundant. It is planned to work in a common garden (method testing), a botanical garden (species comparison, water use to size relationship), and on-farm (effects of culm density). Method testing will include a variety of approaches (thermal dissipation probes, stem heat balance, deuterium tracing and gravimetry), whereas subsequent steps will be based on thermal methods. The results may contribute to an improved understanding of bamboo water use characteristics and a more appropriate management of bamboo with respect to water resources.
Farm structures are often characterized by regional heterogeneity, agglomeration effects, sub-optimal farm sizes and income disparities. The main objective of this study is to analyze whether this is a result of path dependent structural change, what the determinants of path dependence are, and how it may be overcome. The focus is on the German dairy sector which has been highly regulated and subsidized in the past and faces severe structural deficits. The future of this sector in the process of an ongoing liberalization will be analyzed by applying theoretical concepts of path dependence and path breaking. In these regards, key issues are the actual situation, technological and market trends as well as agricultural policies. The methodology will be based on a participative use of the agent-based model AgriPoliS and participatory laboratory experiments. On the one hand, AgriPoliS will be tested as a tool for stakeholder oriented analysis of mechanisms, trends and policy effects. This part aims to analyze whether and how path dependence of structural change can be overcome on a sector level. In a second part, AgriPoliS will be extended such that human players (farmers, students) can take over the role of agents in the model. This part aims to compare human agents with computer agents in order to overcome single farm path dependence.
In my project I aim at a better understanding of the evolution of malacostracan crustaceans, which includes very different groups such as mantis shrimps, krill and lobsters. Previous studies on Malacostraca, on extant as well as on fossil representatives, focussed on adult morphology.In contrast to such approaches, I will apply a Palaeo-Evo-Devo approach to shed new light on the evolution of Malacostraca. Palaeo-Evo-Devo uses data of different developmental stages of fossil malacostracan crustaceans, such as larval and juvenile stages. With this approach I aim at bridging morphological gaps between the different diverse lineages of modern malacostracans by providing new insights into the character evolution in these lineages.An extensive number of larval and juvenile malacostracans is present in the fossil record, but which have only scarcely been studied. The backbone of this project will be on malacostracans from the Solnhofen Lithographic Limestones (ca. 150 million years old), which are especially well preserved and exhibit minute details. During previous studies, I developed new documentation methods for tiny fossils from these deposits, e.g., fluorescence composite microscopy, and also discovered the first fossil mantis shrimp larvae. For malcostracan groups that do not occur in Solnhofen, I will investigate fossils from other lagerstätten, e.g., Mazon Creek and Bear Gulch (USA), or Montceaules- Mines and La-Voulte-sur-Rhône (France). The main groups in focus are mantis shrimps and certain other shrimps (e.g., mysids, caridoids), as well as the bottom-living ten-footed crustaceans (reptantians). Examples for studied structures are leg details, including the feeding apparatus, but also eyes. The results will contribute to the reconstruction of 3D computer models.The data collected in this project will be used for evaluating the relationships within Malacostraca, but mainly for providing plausible evolutionary scenarios, how the modern malacostracan diversity evolved. With the Palaeo-Evo-Devo approach, I am also able to detect shifts in developmental timing, called heterochrony, which is interpreted as one of the major driving forces of evolution. Finally, the reconstructed evolutionary patterns can be compared between the different lineages for convergencies. These comparisons might help to explain the convergent adaptation to similar ecological niches in different malacostracan groups, e.g., life in the deep sea, life on the sea bottom, evolution of metamorphosis or of predatory larvae.As the project requires the investigation of a large number of specimens in different groups, I will assign distinct sub-projects to three doctoral researchers. The results of this project will not only be published in peer-reviewed journals, but will also be presented to the non-scientific public, e.g., during fossil fairs or museum exhibitions with 3D models engraved in glass blocks.
Die Hochwasserereignisse im Dezember 1993 und Januar 1995 am Rhein, Juli/August 1997 an der Oder sowie im August 2002 an der Elbe und die hervorgerufenen Schäden haben in Deutschland zu der Erkenntnis geführt, dass baulich-technische Hochwasserschutzmaßnahmen nicht ausreichen, sondern dass ein vorsorgeorientiertes, die Ziele einer dauerhaft umweltgerechten Entwicklung verfolgendes Hochwassermanagement erforderlich ist. Dazu zählen der technische Hochwasserschutz, die weitergehende Hochwasservorsorge und die Flächenvorsorge zum natürlichen Rückhalt als vorbeugender Hochwasserschutz. Allerdings treten Defizite bei der Operationalisierung dieser politischen Ziele und Strategien auf der Umsetzungsebene auf. Es bleibt bisher die Frage unbeantwortet, ob es sich dabei um Regelungs- oder Vollzugsdefizite handelt. Das Forschungsvorhaben am Institut für Forst- und Umweltpolitik verfolgt das Ziel, die Bedingungen für die Implementation von existierenden politischen Initiativen zum vorbeugenden Hochwasserschutz zu untersuchen. Bedeutsam für die Untersuchung ist dabei die Betrachtung von Akteuren der verschiedenen politischen Ebenen und Sektoren im Durchführungsprozess, deren Kommunikations- und Machtstrukturen sowie der eingesetzten Instrumente, um hieraus Erkenntnisse über die politische Steuerung und deren Wirkung gewinnen zu können. Die Politikfeldanalyse sieht den Vergleich der Hochwasserschutzpolitik der Bundesländer Nordrhein-Westfalen, Rheinland-Pfalz und Baden-Württemberg vor und wird unter Verwendung von Methoden der qualitativen Sozialforschung durchgeführt. Im Ergebnis sollen Effizienzfaktoren ermittelt und schließlich Handlungsempfehlungen für die Implementation von ressort- und grenzübergreifenden Planungsprozessen in komplexen politischen Systemen abgeleitet werden.
Im April 2012 führte PUMA das Rücknahmesystem Bring Me Back ein. Seither können Kunden in PUMA Stores weltweit gebrauchte Produkte zurückgeben, die dann durch die Firma I:CO der Weiterverwendung und Verwertung zugeführt werden. Auch die Produkte der neuen recyclefähigen und biologisch abbaubaren PUMA-InCycle-Kollektion, die seit März 2013 auf dem Markt sind, werden so erfasst. Hierzu gehört etwa das recycelbare PUMA Track Jacket, das zu 98 Prozent aus Polyester aus gebrauchten PET-Flaschen besteht. Der PUMA-Rucksack aus Polypropylen wird nach Gebrauch an den ursprünglichen Hersteller zurückgegeben, der das Material wieder zu neuen Rucksäcken verarbeitet. Durch solche Neuentwicklungen will PUMA seine Planungs- und Entscheidungsbasis verbessern. Deshalb hat sie bifa mit der Analyse abfallwirtschaftlicher Optionen für gebrauchte PUMA Produkte beauftragt. bifa untersuchte hierzu Referenzprodukte und Optionen für die Erfassung und Sortierung von Produkten und Materialien. 35 Pfade mit unterschiedlichen Verwertungs- und Beseitigungsansätzen wurden entwickelt und bewertet. Die Realisierungschancen der Pfade wurden dann dem zu erwartenden Nutzen insbes. für die Umwelt gegenübergestellt. Dabei wurde zwischen gut entwickelten und wenig entwickelten Abfallwirtschaften (Waste-Picking-Szenario W-P-Szenario) unterschieden. Es zeigte sich, dass Pfade, die im Szenario Abfallwirtschaft ökologisch nachteilig sind, im W-P-Szenario durchaus vorteilhaft sein können. Im W-P-Szenario sind zudem Pfade realisierbar, die in entwickelten Abfallwirtschaften keine Chance hätten. Die moderne Abfallverbrennung ist für W-P-Szenarien ökologisch vorteilhaft, aber dennoch eine schwierige Option. In entwickelten Abfallwirtschaften sollten Sammlung und Wiedereinsatz gebrauchter Schuhe und Textilien weiterentwickelt werden. Die folgenden generellen Empfehlungen wurden gegeben: - Der Einsatz von Recyclingmaterialien in PUMA-Produkten ist aus ökologischer Sicht zu empfehlen. Diese Erkenntnis wird auch durch die Ergebnisse der ersten ökologischen Gewinn-und-Verlust-Rechnung von PUMA belegt. Über die Hälfte aller Umweltauswirkungen entlang der gesamten Produktions- und Lieferkette des Unternehmens werden bei der Herstellung von Rohmaterialien verursacht - Das Produktdesign sollte auch für bestehende Verwertungspfade optimiert werden, da realistischerweise nur ein Teil der Produkte über das Sammelsystem erfasst werden kann - Die ökologischen Vorteile von Produkten, die aus nur einem Material bestehen, kommen nur dann zum Tragen, wenn das Produkt nach Gebrauch aussortiert und das Material tatsächlich recycelt wird - Biol. abbaubare Produkte können auch Nachteile haben, zum Beispiel die schnellere Entwicklung von klimaschädlichem Methan bei ungeordneter Deponierung - Eine Verlängerung der Produktlebensdauer über den gesamten Lebenszyklus einschl. der Verwendung als Gebrauchtprodukt ist der effektivste Weg, Umweltlasten zu reduzieren. Meth. Ökobilanzierung und Systemanalyse (Text gekürzt)
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