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.
The majority of the worlds forests has undergone some form of management, such as clear-cut or thinning. This management has direct relevance for global climate: Studies estimate that forest management emissions add a third to those from deforestation, while enhanced productivity in managed forests increases the capacity of the terrestrial biosphere to act as a sink for carbon dioxide emissions. However, uncertainties in the assessment of these fluxes are large. Moreover, forests influence climate also by altering the energy and water balance of the land surface. In many regions of historical deforestation, such biogeophysical effects have substantially counteracted warming due to carbon dioxide emissions. However, the effect of management on biogeophysical effects is largely unknown beyond local case studies. While the effects of climate on forest productivity is well established in forestry models, the effects of forest management on climate is less understood. Closing this feedback cycle is crucial to understand the driving forces behind past climate changes to be able to predict future climate responses and thus the required effort to adapt to it or avert it. To investigate the role of forest management in the climate system I propose to integrate a forest management module into a comprehensive Earth system model. The resulting model will be able to simultaneously address both directions of the interactions between climate and the managed land surface. My proposed work includes model development and implementation for key forest management processes, determining the growth and stock of living biomass, soil carbon cycle, and biophysical land surface properties. With this unique tool I will be able to improve estimates of terrestrial carbon source and sink terms and to assess the susceptibility of past and future climate to combined carbon cycle and biophysical effects of forest management. Furthermore, representing feedbacks between forest management and climate in a global climate model could advance efforts to combat climate change. Changes in forest management are inevitable to adapt to future climate change. In this process, is it possible to identify win-win strategies for which local management changes do not only help adaptation, but at the same time mitigate global warming by presenting favorable effects on climate? The proposed work opens a range of long-term research paths, with the aim of strengthening the climate perspective in the economic considerations of forest management and helping to improve local decisionmaking with respect to adaptation and mitigation.
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.
Wie die HELCOM-Expertengruppe für Meeressäugetiere (EG MAMA; portal.helcom.fi, 2021) feststellt, liegen nur begrenzte Informationen über das Vorkommen, die (Öko-)Toxizität und die potenziellen gesundheitlichen Auswirkungen von Neuen Schadstoffen bei Meeressäugern vor. Neue Schadstoffe werden durch verschiedene anthropogene Aktivitäten in die Umwelt eingebracht, und einige dieser Stoffe haben das Potenzial, in Meeres-, Süßwasser- und/oder terrestrische Nahrungsnetze zu gelangen, wo sie sich anreichern können. Gegenwärtig fehlen häufig Informationen über die Exposition, und es besteht ein dringender Bedarf an ausreichenden Daten zum Vorkommen und die Auswirkungen, um CEC bewerten und gegebenenfalls Maßnahmen zur Risikominderung einleiten zu können. Ziel des Projekts war das Screening auf potenziell gefährliche Neue Schadstoffe in Meeressäugetieren aus der Ostsee unter Verwendung modernster analytischer Methoden für ein weitreichendes Ziel- und Verdachtsscreening. Zu diesem Zweck wurden 11 gepoolte Leber- und eine nicht gepoolte Muskelprobe von 11 Meeressäugern (Schweinswal (Phocoena phocoena), Gewöhnlicher Delphin (Delphinus delphis), Kegelrobbe (Halichoerus grypus), Seehund (Phoca vitulina)) von HELCOM-Vertragsparteien aus Deutschland, Schweden, Dänemark und Polen zur Verfügung gestellt. Die interessierenden Verunreinigungen wurden aus den gefriergetrockneten Matrizes mit Hilfe allgemeiner Extraktionsmethoden extrahiert, und die endgültigen Extrakte wurden sowohl mit Flüssig- als auch mit Gaschromatographie in Verbindung mit hochauflösender Massenspektrometrie (HRMS; LC-ESI-QToF und GC-APCI-QToF) analysiert. Die Proben wurden quantitativ auf das Vorhandensein von mehr als 2,500 organischen Schadstoffen untersucht, darunter Verbindungen verschiedener Klassen wie Arzneimittel, Kosmetika, Biozide, Pflanzenschutzmittel, illegale Drogen, Stimulanzien, Süßstoffe und Industriechemikalien (z. B. Per- und Polyfluoralkylsubstanzen (PFAS), Flammschutzmittel, Korrosionsinhibitoren, Weichmacher, Tenside) sowie deren Umwandlungsprodukte (TPs). Darüber hinaus wurde eine Methode zur Analyse von 23 Verbindungen entwickelt, die in Sprengstoffen enthalten sind, die in der Vergangenheit in die Ostsee verklappt wurden, wobei ein anderes Verfahren zur Probenvorbereitung verwendet wurde. Eine spezifische Ziel-Screeningmethode, die dieselbe Probenvorbereitung verwendet, wurde auch für 13 neue phosphororganische Flammschutzmittel (OPFR) und zwei Dechloran-plus-Verbindungen angewandt.Das Verdachtsscreening von 65.690 umweltrelevanten Substanzen aus der NORMAN-Stoffdatenbank wurde an allen HRMSRohchromatogrammen durchgeführt. Die Chromatogramme wurden auch in die NORMAN Digital Sample Freezing Platform (DSFP) hochgeladen und stehen somit für das retrospektive Screening von noch mehr Verbindungen zur Verfügung, sobald die Informationen für deren Screening verfügbar sind...
The project will use analysis of long-term data, resurrection ecology and modeling to investigate the ecological and evolutionary response of an aquatic key herbivore, Daphnia, to environmental change. In addition, the results obtained will enable to estimate the consequences of the evolutionary response of Daphnia for its population dynamics, persistence and consequently, overall ecosystem dynamics. The project will analyze in detail the response of Daphnia, its food, competitors and predators to oligo-trophication in a model ecosystem, i.e., Lake Constance and additionally variability in Daphnia population dynamics in several of the best studied lakes of the world. Historical field samples from Lake Constance will be re-analyzed to study the phenotypic life history and morphological responses of Daphnia to oligo-trophication. Using resurrection ecology we will analyze the evolutionary response of Daphnia galeata life history parameters to oligo-trophication - with special emphasis on its investment into sexual reproduction/production of resting eggs as well as life history plasticity in response to invertebrate predators and declining food levels. These analyses (in combination with model simulations) will provide key data for understanding the role of Daphnia life cycle strategy (overwintering in the plankton or in resting eggs) for Daphnia persistence in permanent lakes, for the interpretation of Daphnia resting egg banks, and the evolution of the genetic variances and co-variances of life history parameters.
ARROWS proposes to adapt and develop low cost autonomous underwater vehicle technologies to significantly reduce the cost of archaeological operations, covering the full extent of archaeological campaign. Benefiting from the significant investments already made for military security and offshore oil and gas applications, the project aims to demonstrate an illustrative portfolio of mapping, diagnosis and excavation tasks. ARROWS approach is to identify the archaeologists requirements in all phases of the campaign, identify problems and propose technological solutions with the technological readiness levels that predict their maturation for exploitation within 3-5 years. The individual technologies are then developed during the course of the project using agile development method comprising rapid cycles of testing and comparison against the end user requirements. To ensure the wide exploitability of the results the requirements are defined and the solutions are tested in two historically significant but environmentally very different contexts, in The Mediterranean Sea and in The Baltic Sea. Both immediate, low risk and long term, high risk developments will be pursued. In particular: - Fast a low cost horizontal surveys of large areas using customised AUVs with multimodal sensing. - Fast and low cost semi-automated data analysing tools for site and object relocation - High quality maps from better image reconstruction methods and better localization abilities of AUVs. - Shipwreck penetration and internal mapping using small low cost vehicles localising using fixed pingers. - Soft excavation tool for diagnosis and excavation of fragile objects. - Mixed reality environments for virtual exploration of archaeological sites. - Monitoring of changes via back-to-the-site missions. The ARROWS consortium comprises expertise from underwater archaeology, underwater engineering, robotics, image processing and recognition from academia and industry.
The Antarctic irwertebrate fauna appears highiy diverse, but is only localiy and sporadically explored - and already threatened by global climate change. Gastropods are abundant, species rieh, ecologically and economically irnportant, count with a rieh fossil record and are wellestablished äs model organisms for many scientific disciplines. Most of the roughly 600 Antarctic gastropod species are regarded valid at the mornent based on shell features of often just a few or single specimens. Intraspecific morphological variability, soft pari anatomy, biology' and ecology are usually unknown, and many synonyms have been proposed. Wolecular data are limited to CÖI barcode sequences of few individuals of the more common species: Phylogenetic analyses of single genes suggest complexes of cryptic species or deep lineages, which may show distinct geographic distributions and special ecological niches. Rarity of species or samples prohibits general population genetics approaches. The prirnary goal of our herein proposed project is revealing the species diversity of Antarctic gastropods comprehensively and reliably. In addition to mltochondrial CÖI, we will use next generation sequencing (NGS) and newly established methods (double digest Restriction Associated DMA sequencing, ddRADseq) to efficiently generate a multitude of independent nuclear genomic sequence markers. We will include all species and subsamples from rnore than 2000 Southern Öcean gastropod samples available at the ZSM Mollusca collection suitable for genetic studies, plus further material to be collected at expeditions or from other museums. We will perform phylogenetic analyses (ML, Bayes, in subgroups BEST) and combined, up to-date molecular species delimitation approaches (ABGD, GMYCS BP&P), An integrative taxonomic approach reiying on congruence will be applied to revea! conservative and reliable evolutionary species units, which will be used for diversity analyses, We will also explore genomic evolutionary archives of seiected gastropod lineages performing fossil-calibrated BEAST chronograms. The dynamics of diversification will be analyzed via recent Birth-Death-Shift models, and historical biogeography will be reconstructed using recent Software (e.g, RASP). With our massif genomic data from many subtaxa we will test current paradigms on biogeography and evolution, such äs glacial cycles causing an 'Antarctic speciation pump', and evaluate competing hypotheses on glacial refuges and migration scenarios. The herein proposed combination of ddRADseqs with up to date multi-iocus analyses is novel, extremely cost and time effective, and can include thousands instead of few specimens' without any a priori selectron. It is expected to be very powerful to delimitate newty collected, unrecognized, or cryptic species, even jf badly sampled or just represented by singletons...
This thesis presents studies that describe and explain phenotypic differentiation within several alpine plant species. The key elements that are addressed are threefold: (1) effects of neutral genetic drift, natural selection and phenotypic plasticity on phenotypic differentiation; (2) effects of glacial history, geography and climate on phenotypic differentiation and adaptation; (3) genetic structure and gene flow at small spatial scale. Combining all three elements, the aim of this thesis is to understand how a plant species' evolution towards its current state is affected at different spatial scales by neutral genetic drift and historical (i.e. glaciation-related) as well as more recent (i.e. postglacial) environmental influences. To measure phenotypic differentiation in important plant traits, common garden experiments were performed with several alpine plant species (Campanula thyrsoides, C. barbata, Geum reptans) sampled from populations across the European Alps and Jura Mountains. Phenotypic differentiation was generally mirrored by molecular differentiation into distinct phylogeographic groups, which is explained by long-term survival in isolated glacial refugia. The results therefore suggest that glacial history affected not only the species' neutral genetic structure but also its phenotype. For some traits and in some regions, such differentiation could be explained as adaptation to the regional environment. For instance, the distinct phenology in Campanula thyrsoides, showing delayed flowering in the submediterranean southeastern Alps contrasting with early flowering at higher elevation in the other regions to the west, is clearly an adaptation to season length in the respective environments. Differentiation in various other traits could not be explained as adaptations and may therefore be due to drift alone. Postglacial adaptation was detected when correlating trait values with altitude of origin. For instance, the negative correlation of altitude with plant height in Campanula thyrsoides, achieved without compromising flower production, is probably an adaptation to harsher conditions and to increased investment in roots. Adaptation can also occur through phenotypic plasticity. In an experiment in which Campanula thyrsoides was grown in common gardens at three different altitudes, variability in the functional trait of specific leaf area could be dissected into a constitutive genetic part and a phenotypic plastic part.
Mountain regions provide goods and services for much of humanity. Twelve percent of the world's population lives in mountain regions and half of humanity depends on resources arising in mountain regions. Outside of the tropics, mountain regions provide 40Prozent of all the freshwater, and in arid and semi-arid regions, this fraction approaches 70-100Prozent. Mountains contain one quarter of Earth's terrestrial biodiversity and one half of the planet's biodiversity hot spots. Mountain forests and soils are among the major terrestrial carbon pools. Mountain ecosystems are very sensitive to drivers of change, from climate change to the loss of vegetation and soils due to inappropriate management practices and extractive industries. The future ability of mountain regions to provide their many goods and services to highland and lowland residents is seriously threatened by climatic changes, environmental pollution, unsustainable management of natural resources and serious gaps in understanding of mountain systems. Both fundamental research activities and transdisciplinary efforts are required to achieve sustainable use of mountain regions. While a number of regional or disciplinary programs exist, the global mountain research community has historically operated at a sub-optimal level due to insufficient communication across geographic and linguistic barriers, less than desirable coordination of research frameworks, and a lack of funding. The Mountain Research Initiative (MRI) was created to overcome these constraints by (1) framing research approaches within an interdisciplinary integrative framework; (2) improving communication to overcome the isolation of researchers separated by distance, language and discipline; and (3) influencing funding for global change research in mountain regions. The MRI supports the science needed to adapt successfully to global change by building on its successes to frame the research agenda, implement that agenda at a global and regional levels, integrate research results, provide key information services, improve communications and advocate for funding of global change research in mountains. With the support of several Swiss funding agencies, a small MRI Project Office was established in Bern in July 2001. It was funded at a more significant level by SNF in 2004. To conserve its limited resources, the MRI moved its main office to ETH Zürich in 2005 and also opened a small, free office at the University of Lausanne in order to reinforce contacts in French-speaking Switzerland. In 2007 MRI will move its main office to the University of Bern. Products will include articles in peer-reviewed journals, a scientifically focused Newsletter, an enhanced website, an expanded database of researchers and research programs, and innovative use of webcast and internet based communications.
Graffiti is a major, increasing danger to architectural heritage materials, generating also a negative social connotation. Apart from aesthetics aspects, interactions of graffiti with substrate, as well as cleaning procedures, threaten historical substance. Monuments made of stone, bricks and mortars are menaced by this problem because very often, porous natural materials were employed. Two major kind of coatings are currently being used for protecting surfaces against graffiti: permanent and sacrificial. First kind is suited for materials with low porosity, as metals and concrete, but does not fit the requirements for porous ancient materials. Second one is sometimes used in monuments, but it is not an appropriated solution, since removal procedures can damage substrates somewhat. Hence, effective solutions for anti-graffiti systems is an urgent social and technical necessity. The main objective of this project is to develop novel conservation coatings suited for protecting materials of historical monuments, based on a similar structure of ancient protein coatings, avoiding the disadvantages of currently used antigraffiti coatings . This develop is based in a totally new formulation made by complexation of polyampholytes with polymeric amines modified by fluorocarbon residues. These will be a new generation of antigraffiti coatings, specifically suited for the protection of monuments, which after further development, could be commercialised and applied by SME's involved in this market, thus increasing the competitiveness of these companies. Main characteristics of these products are: - Low surface energy - Permanent under out-door conditions - Reversible to specially designed mild cleaning systems - Permeable to water-vapour - Impermeable to liquid water - Transparent The objective will be achieved by means of research activities, such as: definition of requirements and test procedures, design of new anti-graffiti system, characterisation of substrates, comparative assessment of currently used and the new protection and conservation strategies and evaluation of the technical and socio-economic impact of the new anti-graffiti on cultural heritage materials. Prime Contractor: Fundacion Labein; Derio; Spain.
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