In the Earth, the dynamo action is strongly linked to core freezing. There is a solid inner core, the growth of which provides a buoyancy flux that drives the dynamo. The buoyancy in this case derives from a difference in composition between the solid inner core and the fluid outer core. In planetary bodies smaller than the Earth, however, this core differentiation process may differ - Fe may precipitate at the core-mantle boundary (CMB) rather than in the center and may fall as iron snow and initially remelt with greater depth. A chemical stable sedimentation zone develops that comprises with time the entire core - at that time a solid inner core starts to grow. The dynamics of this system is not well understood and also whether it can generate a magnetic field or not. The Jovian moon Ganymede, which shows a present-day magnetic dipole field, is a candidate for which such a scenario has been suggested. We plan to study this Fe-snow regime with both a numerical and experimental approach. In the numerical study, we use a 2D/3D thermo-chemical convection model that considers crystallization and sinking of iron crystals together with the dynamics of the liquid core phase (for the 3D case the influence of the rotation of the Fe snow process is further studied).The numerical calculations will be complemented by two series of experiments: (1) investigations in metal alloys by means of X-ray radioscopy, and (2) measurements in transparent analogues by optical techniques. The experiments will examine typical features of the iron snow regime. On the one hand they will serve as a tool to validate the numerical approach and on the other hand they will yield important insight into sub-processes of the iron snow regime, which cannot be accessed within the numerical approach due to their complexity.
Objectives: Sustainable management of tropical moist forests through private forest owners will become increasingly important. Media report that in Brazil, particularly in Amazonia, approx. 80 percent of the timber harvested is from illegal sources. Private management of forests according to internationally acknowledged standards offers an opportunity to significantly lower the portion of illegally cut timber. Moreover, it contributes significantly to the conservation of the Amazon forest. Private forest owners show a clear long-term commitment towards the implementation of management standards according that is ecologically compatible, socially acceptable and economically viable. The project area, a pristine forest in legal Amazonia in the transition zone between moist tropical forests and savannas (cerrado), is extremely diverse in floristic and faunistic terms. The institute cooperates with the private forest owner. Main tasks are to document the faunistic and floristic diversity, to calculate the Annual Allowable Cut and to elaborate concepts for site-specific silviculture. Results: To date (Oct. 2006) the following activities were started: - a comprehensive inventory system for planning at the FMU-level has been successfully introduced; - the inventory system for the annual coupe area has been designed and data for the first coupe are being processed; - the annual allowable cut is currently calculated based on the results of the above described inventories; - two fauna surveys are completed; one focusing on large mammals and one on the avi-fauna. A long-term monitoring concept to assess the influence of forest management on the faunistic diversity is currently under development; - forest zoning is completed applying terrestrial surveys and interpreting high-resolution satellite images; - a study on the use of Bethollethia excelsa-fruits (Brazil nuts) is currently implemented; - a study on timber properties of lesser known species is currently implemented.
Barley (Hordeum vulgare) is an important cereal grain which serves as major animal fodder crop as well as basis for malt beverages or staple food. Currently barley is ranked fourth in terms of quantity of cereal crops produced worldwide. In times of a constantly growing world population in conjunction with an unforeseeable climate change and groundwater depletion, the accumulation of knowledge concerning cereal growth and rate of yield gain is important. The Nordic Genetic Resource Center holds a major collection of barley mutants produced by irradiation or chemical treatment. One phenotypic group of barley varieties are dwarf mutants (erectoides, brachytic, semidwarf, uzu). They are characterized by a compact spike and high rate of yield while the straw is short and stiff, enhancing the lodging resistance of the plant. Obviously they are of applied interest, but they are also of scientific interest as virtually nothing is known about the genes behind the development of plant dwarfism. The aim of this project is to identify and isolate the genes carrying the mutations by using state of the art techniques for gene cloning at the Carlsberg Laboratory. The identified genes will be connected with the mutant phenotype to reveal the gene function in general. One or two genes will be overexpressed and the resulting recombinant proteins will be biochemically and structurally characterized. The insights how the mutation effects the protein will display the protein function in particular. Identified genes and their mutant alleles will be tested in the barley breeding program of the Carlsberg brewery.
Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is one major source of subsoil organic matter (OM). P5 aims at quantifying the impact of DOM input, transport, and transformation to the OC storage in the subsoil environment. The central hypotheses of this proposal are that in matric soil the increasing 14C age of organic carbon (OC) with soil depth is due to a cascade effect, thus, leading to old OC in young subsoil, whereas within preferential flowpaths sorptive stabilization is weak, and young and bioa-vailable DOM is translocated to the subsoil at high quantities. These hypotheses will be tested by a combination of DOC flux measurements with the comparative analysis of the composition and the turnover of DOM and mineral-associated OM. The work programme utilizes a DOM monitoring at the Grinderwald subsoil observatory, supplemented by defined experiments under field and labora-tory conditions, and laboratory DOM leaching experiments on soils of regional variability. A central aspect of the experiments is the link of a 13C-leaf litter labelling experiment to the 14C age of DOM and OM. With that P5 contributes to the grand goal of the research unit and addresses the general hypotheses that subsoil OM largely consists of displaced and old OM from overlying horizons, the sorption capacity of DOM and the pool size of mineral-associated OM are controlled by interaction with minerals, and that preferential flowpaths represent 'hot spots' of high substrate availability.
Verlässliche Vorhersagen von Wetter und Klimawandel erfordern ein gutes Verständnis der Eisbildung in troposphärischen Wolken. Von besonderer Bedeutung ist dabei die sogenannte heterogene Eisnukleation durch atmosphärische Aerosolpartikel. Das hier beantragte Projekt beinhaltet eine umfassende Untersuchung der heterogenen Eisnukleation in Zirruswolken und Mischphasenwolken, gemeinsam mit 8 weiteren Projekten der Forschergruppe INUIT. Eisbildung durch Kontaktgefrieren wird für einzelne Tröpfchen in einem elektrodynamischen Levitator (Paulfalle) untersucht. Experimente zum Einfluss von Aerosolen auf Immersionsgefrieren, Kontaktgefrieren und Depositionsnukleation werden in der AIDA-Wolkenkammer und einer neuen dynamischen Wolkenkammer durchgeführt, falls diese wie geplant bis Anfang 2016 zur Verfügung stehen wird. Hauptziele und Arbeitspakete des Projekts sind (a) Untersuchungen zum Immersionsgefrieren, Kontaktgefrieren und zur Depositionsnukleation von INUIT-2 Referenzaerosolen in enger Zusammenarbeit mit allen anderen lNUlT-2-Partnern, (b) AIDA-Wolkensimulationsexperimente mit redispergierten atmosphärischen Aerosolen die auf Filtern gesammelt wurden (in Zusammenarbeit mit RP8), (c) AIDA-Experimente mit porösen Partikeln zur Untersuchung des Einflusses von Kapillarkondensation und Prä-aktivierung auf Eisnukleationsprozesse, (d) EDB-Experimente zur Kontaktnukleation mit atmosphärisch relevanten und komplexen Aerosolen, (e) Untersuchungen zu den grundlegenden Mechanismen des Kontaktgefrierens, (f) die Entwicklung einer umfassenden und einheitlichen Parametrisierung heterogener Eisnukleation in enger Zusammenarbeit mit RP3 und RP5, (g) erste Experimente zur Kontaktnukleation in einer neuen Wolkenkammer unter Nutzung der Expertise aus langjährigen Experimenten zum Kontaktgefrieren und mit der Wolkensimulationskammer, (h) die Durchführung von zwei AIDA-Messkampagnen, eine nur für die INUIT-2- Partner und eine mit internationaler Beteiligung, bei denen Labormethoden und Feld Instrumente für die Messung von Aerosolen und eisbildenden Partikeln getestet und miteinander verglichen werden um hohe internationale Standards in der Eisnukleationsforschung zu entwickeln und zu erhalten. Die Aktivitäten an der AIDA-Wolkenkammer bieten auch eine gute Verknüpfung der Labor-, Feld und Modellieraktivitäten innerhalb der Forschergruppe INUIT und mit externen Partnern. In Ergänzung der laufenden INUIT-Arbeiten möchten wir in weiteren drei Jahren der Forschergruppe folgende neue Schwerpunkte setzen: die Eisnukleationseigenschaften von porösen Partikeln, Immersionsgefrieren und Depositionsnukleation von größenselektierten Partikeln mit Durchmessern bis zu einigen Mikrometern, die Quantifizierung von Kontaktgefrierraten von atmosphärisch relevanten komplexen Aerosolpartikeln, und erste Wolkenkammerexperimente zum Kontaktgefrieren. Außerdem werden wir die Erstellung und Pflege einer neuen Datenbank für Laborergebnisse zur heterogenen Eisnukleation unterstützen.
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.
In the Bavarian Forest National Park a brief, but intense storm event on 1 August 1983 created large windfall areas. The windfall ecosystems within the protection zone of the park were left develop without interference; outside this zone windfall areas were cleared of dead wood but not afforested. A set of permanent plots (transect design with 10 to 10 m plots) was established in 1988 in spruce forests of wet and cool valley bottoms in order to document vegetation development. Resampling shall take place every five years; up to now it was done in 1993 and 1998. On cleared areas an initial raspberry (Rubus idaeus) shrub community was followed by pioneer birch (Betula pubescens, B. pendula) woodland, a sequence well known from managed forest stands. In contrast to this, these two stages were restricted to root plates of fallen trees in uncleared windfalls; here shade-tolerant tree species of the terminal forest stages established rather quickly from saplings that had already been present in the preceeding forest stand. Soil surface disturbances are identified to be causal to the management pathway of forest development, wereas the untouched pathway is caused by relatively low disturbance levels. The simulation model FORSKA-M is used to analyse different options of further stand development with a simulation time period of one hundred years.
Evidence is compelling for a positive correlation between urbanisation and increment of allergic sensitisation and diseases. The reason for this association is not clear to date. Some data point to a pro-allergic effect of anthropogenic factors on susceptible individuals. Data analysing the impact of environmental - natural and anthropogenic - factors on the allergenicity of allergen carriers such as pollen grains are scarce, and if applicable only taken from in vitro experimental designs. This study will analyse one of the most common allergy inducers in northern Europe - the birch pollen. Under natural exposure conditions, birch pollen will be analysed with respect to their allergenicity. Within an interdisciplinary research team this study will evaluate the effect of natural (e.g. soil, climate, genetic background) and anthropogenic (e.g. traffic pollutants) factors on birch pollen in a holistic approach including analysis of allergen bioavailability, release of pollen associated lipid mediators from birch pollen grains, in vitro immunostimulatory activity and in vivo allergenic potential. These data collected in the time course of three years will significantly add to our understanding how urbanisation and climate change influence the allergenicity of birch pollen and will help us in the future to set up primary prevention studies.
Background and Objectives: The project area is located in the Ashanti Region of Ghana / West Africa in the transition zone of the moist semideciduous forest and tropical savannah zone. Main land use in this region is subsistence agriculture with large fallow areas. As an alternative land-use, forest plantations are under development by the Ghanaian wood processing company DuPaul Wood Treatment Ltd. Labourers from the surrounding villages are employed as permanent or casual plantation workers. Within three forest plantation projects of approximately 6,000 ha, DuPaul offers an area of 164 ha (referred to as Papasi Plantation) - which is mainly planted with Teak (Tectona grandis) - for research purposes. In return, the company expects consultations to improve the management for sustainable timber and pole production with exotic and native tree species. Results: In a first research approach, the Papasi Plantation was assessed in terms of vegetation classification, timber resources (in qualitative and quantitative terms) and soil and site conditions. A permanent sampling plot system was established to enable long-term monitoring of stand dynamics including observation of stand response to silvicultural treatments. Site conditions are ideally suited for Teak and some stands show exceptionally good growth performances. However, poor weed management and a lack of fire control and silvicultural management led to high mortality and poor growth performance of some stands, resulting in relative low overall growth averages. In a second step, a social baseline study was carried out in the surrounding villages and identified landowner conflicts between some villagers and DuPaul, which could be one reason for the fire damages. However, the study also revealed a general interest for collaboration in agroforestry on DuPaul land on both sides. Thirdly, a silvicultural management concept was elaborated and an improved integration of the rural population into DuPaul's forest plantation projects is already initiated. If landowner conflicts can be solved, the development of forest plantations can contribute significantly to the economic income of rural households while environmental benefits provide long-term opportunities for sustainable development of the region. Funding: GTZ supported PPP-Measure, Foundation
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.
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