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INI 1128575 STP-2: Fate of Plant Residues in Soil Organic Matter Pools under Contrast Land Use as Evaluated by Two Tracer Techniques

Das Projekt "INI 1128575 STP-2: Fate of Plant Residues in Soil Organic Matter Pools under Contrast Land Use as Evaluated by Two Tracer Techniques" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität Bayreuth, Fachgruppe Geowissenschaften, Bayreuther Zentrum für Ökologie und Umweltforschung (BayCEER), Lehrstuhl für Agrarökosystemforschung durchgeführt. Soil C sequestration through changes in land use and management is one of the important strategies to mitigate the global greenhouse effect. Plant residue is the primary source of C formation and sequestration in soil. The relative contribution of residues depends upon composition and decomposability of litter which is a function of lad use and management. The present project is conceived with objective to evaluate the fate of plant residue in soil C influenced by different land-use management practices. Ultimate aim to sketch policy for appropriate management practices, which would facilitate enrichment of C stock in soils for maintaining soil health and fertility as well as mitigation of global warming by C sequestration. Management practices like intensity of tilling and no tillage have a definite effect on SOC stock; it would be considered as pertinent management practice for residue derived C-turnover. To fulfil the objective as stated, representative soil samples will be collected under various land covers/uses and management practices and analysed for important physico chemical properties e.g. pH, CEC, clay content, bulk density, soil water storage, and soil porosity are the important soil physical parameters which influences C load in soil. Different pools of C viz. total SOC (Ctot), Water stable aggregates, labile fractions of oxidisable organic carbon etc. will be studied to know the C stock and its distribution in soil. Impact of added plant residue on C sequestration and C dynamics of plant residues decomposition in contrast land use will be analyzed and quantified by using 14C labelled plant residues as well as 13C natural abundance and allow for differentiation between residues-derived carbon and native SOC. Labeled microbial biomass C and mineralizable C, acetone exactable reside, 14C and d13C in CO2 and in SOM pool will be measured that may provide precise estimates of residues decomposition rates and contribution in soil organic C. Microbial biomass carbon (Cmic) and mineralizable carbon (Cmin) measured as early indicators of future trends in total SOM as it provides a good measure of labile organic matter because it directly reflects recent soil organic matter turnover. Data on biomass productivity will also be collected from those sites. Results would help us to know the relative efficiency of different land use managements for organic C enrichment or depletion in soils.

Grey water treatment in upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor

Das Projekt "Grey water treatment in upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Technische Universität Hamburg-Harburg, Institut für Abwasserwirtschaft und Gewässerschutz B-2 durchgeführt. In ecological sanitation, the wastewater is considered not only as a pollutant, but also as a resource for fertiliser, water and energy and for closing water and nutrients cycles (Otterpohl et. al., 1999; Otterpohl et. al., 2003; Elmitwalli et al. 2005). The ecological sanitation based on separation between grey and black water (and even between faeces and urine), is considered a visible future solution for wastewater collection and treatment. Grey water, which symbolises the wastewater generated in the household excluding toilet wastewater (black water), represents the major volume of the domestic wastewater (60- 75 percent) with low content of nutrients and pathogens (Otterpohl et. al., 1999; Jefferson et al., 1999; Eriksson et al., 2002). Most of grey-water treatment plants include one or two-step septic-tank for pre-treatment (Otterpohl et al., 2003). The grey-water treatment needs both physical and biological processes for removal of particles, dissolved organic-matters and pathogens (Jefferson et al., 1999). Recently, many researchers have studied the grey-water treatment either by application of high-rate aerobic systems, like rotating biological contactor (Nolde, 1999), fluidised bed (Nolde, 1999), aerobic filter (Jefferson et al., 2000), membrane bioreactor (Jefferson et al., 2000), or by application of low-rate systems, like slow sand filter (Jefferson et al., 1999), vertical flow wetlands (Otterpohl et. al., 2003). Although high-rate anaerobic systems, which are low-cost systems, have both physical and biological removal, no research has been done until now on grey water in these systems. The grey water contains a significant amount (41 percent) of chemical oxygen demand (COD) in the domestic wastewater (Otterpohl et al., 2003) and this amount can be removed by the highrate anaerobic systems. Although high-rate anaerobic systems have been successfully operated in tropical regions for domestic wastewater treatment, the process up till now is not applied in lowtemperature regions. The COD removal is limited for domestic wastewater treatment in high-rate anaerobic systems at low temperatures and, therefore, a long HRT is needed for providing sufficient hydrolysis of particulate organic (Zeeman and Lettinga, 1999; Elmitwalli et al. 2002). The grey water has a relatively higher temperature (18-38 degree C), as compared to the domestic wastewater (Eriksson et al. 2002), because the grey water originates from hot water sources, like shower (29 degree C), kitchen (27-38 degree C) and laundry (28-32 degree C). Therefore, high-rate anaerobic systems might run efficiently for on-site grey water treatment, even in low-temperature regions. The upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor is the most applied system for anaerobic domestic waster treatment. Accordingly, the aim of this research is to study the feasibility of application of UASB reactor for the treatment of grey water at low and controlled (30 degree C) temperatures.

Hydrogen for clean urban transport in Europe (HyFleet:CUTE)

Das Projekt "Hydrogen for clean urban transport in Europe (HyFleet:CUTE)" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Mercedes-Benz Group AG durchgeführt. Im Projekt HyFLEET:CUTE wurde 47 Busse in 10 Städten auf drei Kontinenten eingesetzt (Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Hamburg, London, Luxemburg, Madrid, Perth, Peking und Reykjavik). Das Projekt zielte darauf ab, Antriebskonzepte für Stadtbusse zu demonstrieren und weiterzuentwickeln, die Wasserstoff als Kraftstoff nutzen. Ferner wurden die damit einhergehenden Produktions- und Verteilungspfade für nachhaltig erzeugten Wasserstoff erprobt. Durch die Entwicklung verbrauchsoptimierter Wasserstoffbusse hat das Projekt dazu beigetragen, den Energieverbrauch im Transportsektor zu reduzieren und zu diversifizieren. Obendrein konnte es Wege einer sauberen, effizienten und sicheren Wasserstoffversorgung und -verteilung vermitteln. Von den eingesetzten Bussen besaßen 33 einen Elektromotor, der mit Strom aus einer Brennstoffzelle angetrieben wurde. Die anderen 14 Busse hatten einen Verbrennungsmotor, der an den Kraftstoff Wasserstoff angepasst war. Im Laufe des Projekts wurde ferner ein neuer Brennstoffzellen-Hybrid-Bus entwickelt, getestet und im Alltagsbetrieb demonstriert. Weiteres Kernelement des Projektes war die Optimierung der bestehenden Wasserstoff-Infrastrukturen, die aus dem Vorläuferprojekt CUTE stammten, sowie die Entwicklung und Erprobung neuer Anlagen und Versorgungskonzepte. Der Wasserstoff wurde an den einzelnen Standorten auf verschiedene Weise bereitgestellt: in manchen Städten durch Herstellung direkt an der Tankstelle ('on site) mittels Elektrolyse oder Reformierung, in anderen Städten per Lkw aus externer Produktion. So konnten verschiedene Pfade der Produktion und Verteilung bewertet werden. HyFLEET:CUTE umfasste außerdem den Betrieb von zwei stationären Brennstoffzellen, die an der Tankstelle in Berlin elektrischen Strom und Wärme bereitstellten. In HyFLEET:CUTE haben 31 Partner aus Politik, Industrie und Wissenschaft kooperiert, um die Entwicklung der Wasserstofftechnologie voranzubringen. Das Projekt war auch Teil der Initiative 'Wasserstoff für Mobilität (Hydrogen for Transport), die alle verkehrsbezogenen Demonstrationsvorhaben der Europäischen Kommission in diesem Bereich beraten und koordiniert hat. Die Aufgaben von PLANET PLANET war für die Bewertung der Leistungsfähigkeit der Wasserstoff-Tankstellen verantwortlich und konnte so an die erfolgreichen Arbeiten im Vorgängerprojekt CUTE anschließen. Zu den wichtigsten Indikatoren, die aus den täglichen Betriebsdaten der 10 Standorte zu ermitteln waren, gehörten Wirkungsgrade und Verfügbarkeiten. Daraus wurden die 'kritischen Komponenten ermittelt, die z.B. an mehreren Standorten bzw. wiederholt zu Ausfallzeiten führten. In Zusammenarbeit mit den Projektpartnern wurden Maßnahmen zur Optimierung entwickelt und Empfehlungen für zukünftige Systeme abgeleitet. PLANET leitete ferner die weltweiten Aktivitäten für Aus- und Weiterbildung. Ziel war es, die Ergebnisse und Erfahrungen aus HyFLEET:CUTE an potentielle Nutzergruppen weitezugeben. usw.

A European Tracking System für Electricity - Phase II (E-Track II)

Das Projekt "A European Tracking System für Electricity - Phase II (E-Track II)" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Öko-Institut. Institut für angewandte Ökologie e.V. durchgeführt. *Phase II of the project will refine the proposed tracking standard, by integrating the new Guarantees of Origin for cogeneration, the implementation of which was due in 2007. A focus on the specific requirements from new Member States will be made. Furthermore, consumer organisations will be supported in defining their requirements on tracking systems and the related policies, and the views of non-domestic consumer groups will be sought. Finally, the action will develop a strategy for the further development of energy-related certification schemes and their potential integration. With Directives 96/02/EC and 2003/54/EC, the EU has introduced liberalisation of the electricity markets in its Member States and has created the framework for an internal European market for electricity. Directives 2001/77/EC and 2004/8/EC contain regulations on Guarantees of Origin, which serve to enable producers to demonstrate that the electricity they sell is produced from renewable energy sources or high efficiency cogeneration. Directive 2003/54/EC requires suppliers to provide details about their fuel mix and the respective environmental impact (disclosure). Disclosing a fuel mix or a green power product requires a procedure to track electricity generation attributes , such as fuel type, CO2 emissions etc.. from generators to electricity suppliers and their customers. Support systems for RES electricity and high efficiency cogeneration may require similar allocation systems. Such accounting systems can significantly contribute to transparency for the consumers choice and to improved market functioning. Harmonisation of such tracking schemes across Europe is a keystone for the development of a transparent internal European market for electricity. The E-TRACK project, which was terminated in June 2007, has successfully developed a blueprint for a European tracking standard. Principles of the standard have been taken over by several countries. However, tracking systems used in Europe are still far from being coordinated, and double counting and other errors can occur, which compromises the reliability of information provided to consumers and other actors.

Integrating Urban Agriculture in Land Use Planning and Management for Sustainable Urban Land Governance in Tanzania

Das Projekt "Integrating Urban Agriculture in Land Use Planning and Management for Sustainable Urban Land Governance in Tanzania" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität Freiburg, Institut für Umweltsozialwissenschaften und Geographie, Professur für Physische Geographie durchgeführt. Urban agriculture is a common livelihood strategy for residents of cities in developing countries. In Dar es Salaam, urban agriculture comprises the production of crops, livestock and vegetables. This research focuses on understanding how Urban Agriculture (UA) can be integrated in urban land use planning and management proceses for sustainable development taking Dar es Salaam as a case study area. Urban agriculture is defined widely. In this context conceived as farming activities in the built-up areas and peri-urban where open spaces are available, with special emphasis on amaranths production. Poverty is a relative term conceived as income and non-income state in human life. Basically in this respect poverty refers to lack of food, access, use and control of land and information for sustaining urban livelihoods of the urban poor i.e small holder farmers. Sustainable development refers to consideration of legal, institution contexts, stakeholders involvement and financial needs for UA development in view to safeguarding present and future prospects of the city land development including community livelihood strategies. It takes also, into account urban agricultural as an integral component of the citys urban planning and management functions. Urban land use planning and management process refers to a process of guiding, directing and controlling use of land and adopting land use principles for the orderly, efficient, and equitable development and arrangement of land. Important issues include land use regulation, land resource management, and environmental conservation, protecting UA, housing development and investment attraction, which are addressed through tools such as land use plans, zoning, and capital improvements programs. It also deals with land use conflict areas identification, water sources and irrigation options for sustainable urban development.

Calcium cycle for efficient and low cost CO2 capture in fluidized bed systems (C3-CAPTURE)

Das Projekt "Calcium cycle for efficient and low cost CO2 capture in fluidized bed systems (C3-CAPTURE)" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität Stuttgart, Fakultät für Energietechnik, Institut für Verfahrenstechnik und Dampfkesselwesen durchgeführt. Objectives: The project aims on developing a dry CO2 capture system for atmospheric and pressurized fluidized bed boilers. The atmospheric option will be developed towards a pilot plant application. For the pressurized option the project seeks for a proof of principle to determine if the advantages of a pressurized capture system can balance the problems known from existing PFBC systems. The quantifiable objectives are: - Low CO2 capture costs (less than 20 Euro/t for atmospheric, less than 12 Euro/t for pressurized sy stems) - Acceptable efficiency penalty for CO2 capture (less than about equal to 6 percent nel). - greater than 90 percent carbon capture for new power plants and greater than 60 percent for retrofitted existing plants - A purge gas stream containing greater than 95 percent CO2 - A solid purge usable for cement production - Sim ultaneous sulphur and CO2 removal with sulphur recovery option Approach: Limestone is a CO2 carrier. The CO2 can be released easily in a conventional calcination process, well known in the cement and lime industry. By integrating a closed carbonation/calc ination loop in the flue gas of a conventional CFB-boiler, the CO2 in the flue gas can be removed. The heat required for calcination is released during carbonation and can be utilised efficiently (high temperature) in the steam cycle of the boiler. Concent rated CO2 can be generated when using oxygen blown calcination. Because the fuel required for supplying heat for calcination is only a fraction of the total fuel requirements, the required oxygen is only about 1/3 of the oxygen required for oxyfuel process es. The work programme: 1.Definition of the technical and economic boundary conditions 2.Selection and improvement of sorbent materials 3.Lab scale and semi-technical scale process development (experimental work) 4.Technical and economic evaluation 5.Des ign of a 1 MWth Pilot plant.

Improved Methods for the Assessment of the Generic Impact of Noise in the Environment (IMAGINE)

Das Projekt "Improved Methods for the Assessment of the Generic Impact of Noise in the Environment (IMAGINE)" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Müller-BBM Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung durchgeführt. For the production of strategic noise maps as required under the EU Directive 2002/49/EC, improved assessment methods for environmental noise will be required. Noise from any major source, be it major roads, railways, airports or industrial activities in agglomerations, needs to be included in the noise mapping. For road and rail, improved methods will be developed in the 5th frame work Harmonoise project. These methods will be adopted to develop methods for aircraft and industrial noise in the IMAGINE project proposed here. Noise source databases to be developed in IMAGINE for road and rail sources will allow a quick and easy implementation of the methods in all member states. Measured noise levels can add to the quality of noise maps because they tend to have better credibility than computed levels. In the project proposed here, guidelines for monitoring and measuring noise levels will be developed, that can contribute to a combined product (measurement and computation) that has high quality and high credibility. Noise action plans shall be based on strategic noise maps. The IMAGINE project will develop guidelines for noise mapping that will make it easy and straightforward to assess the efficiency of such action plans. Traffic flow management will be a key element of such action plans, both on a national and a regional level. Noise mapping will be developed into a dynamic process rather than a static presentation of the situation. IMAGINE will provide the link between Harmonoise and the practical process of producing noise maps and action plans. It will establish a platform where experts and end users can exchange their experience and views. This platform should continue after the project and provide a basis for exploitation to the IMAGINE results. me Contractor: Detalrail B.V.; Utrecht; Netherlands.

Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) - GSE Forest Monitoring in Russia (Stage II)

Das Projekt "Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) - GSE Forest Monitoring in Russia (Stage II)" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität Jena, Institut für Geographie, Abteilung Geoinformatik und Fernerkundung durchgeführt. The implementation Stage 2 of GSE Forest Monitoring aims to enhance the results from the consolidation Stage 1. GSE Forest Monitoring is a unique element of the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) Joint Initiative. The goal of stage II is to implement a fully operational system for a larger community of end user. It is a strictly user oriented independent information system that provides key environmental information to European, national and local users. The FSU Jena is coordinator for the Service Production of the option Forest Monitoring in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia (Task 3) and Manager of the Research & Development Activities (Task 4). Task 3: This GSE FM service provides a powerful tool for effective forest monitoring and inventory at regional scale. Reliable and up-to-date information on forest extent and changes therein will be generated using high-resolution EO data. A total area of about 200.000 km2 will be monitored within this project. Task 4: The Research & Development activities with scope on identification, testing and implementation of new R&D shall be one of the key inputs for improved service provision. Throughout the entire services of the GSE FM Service Portfolio the interactive involvement within the process of production (in-situ measurements, data pre-processing, data classification, product accuracy assessment etc.) is the most cost and time efficient factor and should therefore be treated with high priority to research activities. (...) The Task 4 Science Board comprises experts in the fields of EO SAR data and methods (UNI Jena), EO optical data and methods (Joanneum Research), EO and in-situ combined methods (SFM Consultants GmbH) and experts from the Kyoto Protocol evolution (Joanneum Institute of Energy Research). The Board is managed by UNI Jena.

Economic and Ecological Restructuring of Land- and Water Use in the Region Khorezm

Das Projekt "Economic and Ecological Restructuring of Land- and Water Use in the Region Khorezm" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität Bonn, Zentrum für Entwicklungsforschung durchgeführt. Project objectives: (1.) Concepts for landscape restructuring in Khorezm, an intensively used agricultural region in the Aral See basin. The concepts are to contribute to a more effective and at the same ecologically sustainable land and water use. (2.) Based on the concepts for sustainable management of natural resources, proposals for both legal-administrative and ecological restructuring measures are to be developed. (3.) At the same time, scientific collaboration based on a close partnership between Germany and Uzbekistan in the field of development research is to be established. Here, special attention is to be given to the training of young scientists. The basic idea of the project is to designate part of the area currently used for agriculture for ecological purposes. Possible losses in agricultural production are to be compensated for through more efficient but sustainable land and water use based on the introduction of modern and profitable agricultural production systems.

Sustaining the long-term efficacy of CpGV-based products agaings codling moth

Das Projekt "Sustaining the long-term efficacy of CpGV-based products agaings codling moth" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Dienstleistungszentrum Ländlicher Raum - Rheinpfalz durchgeführt. The efficient and environmentally friendly control of insect pests is a major challenge of modern crop protection. Cydia pomonella Granulovirus (CpGV) meets these requirements par excellence. CpGV-based products are used to control the codling moth (CM), the most severe pest on apples and pears. CpGV products play a key role for different producing and distributing European SMEs and are applied on more than 100000 ha in Europe. Last year, the first reports became available of CM populations with a dramatically decreased susceptibility to CpGV products. A spread of the observed resistance is a threat to the continued success of CpGV products and to the economic basis of the CpGV producing and distributing SMEs. Sustaining the long-term efficacy of CpGV products is of fundamental importance for these SMEs. It is also to the benefit of the consumers and meets the strategic targets of the Community Agricultural Policy. A multinational consortium including all European CpGV producers and research groups that demonstrated excellence in CpGV research was founded to develop scientific solutions for the SMEs. This consortium aims to achieve the following research and development (R&D) related objectives: 1) Determination of the susceptibilities of different European CM populations as a first step in looking at the possible differences in their response to CpGV; 2) Determination of the mechanisms involved in resistance development of CM against CpGV; 3) Identification and characterization of more virulent CpGV isolates as an alternative to the presently commercialised CpGV isolate; 4) Production, formulation and field efficacy of novel CpGV isolates. By focussing on these research tasks and providing alternatives to the presently used virus isolate, this project will become a pivotal step towards the preservation of CpGV and thus the competitiveness of the SMEs producing and selling them.

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