Das Projekt "Forest functions arrangement with the CBD's Ecosystem Approach - A study on the Bengawan Solo River Basin, Java, Indonesia" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität Göttingen, Burckhardt-Institut, Professur für Naturschutz und Landschaftspflege durchgeführt. The natural capital of forests consists to a great extend of the forests environmental functions for human well-being, which not only include goods and services (source and sink functions) but also include life-support functions that reflect ecosystem performance (ecosystem functioning). Shifting the management approach from a traditional one to one that is more aware of the ecosystem complexity, the idea of 'ecosystem functioning is appearing to tackle gradual declines of ecosystem functions. Within CBDs framework, the Ecosystem Approach has been introduced on account of the necessity for open decision making with strong links between all stakeholders and the latest scientific knowledge due to uncertainty and unpredictability in nature. The Ecosystem Approach is still in need of further elaboration, even though as a concept Ecosystem Approach has been widely accepted. To aim forest enhancement, this approach has been regarded as the most feasible concept for the study area, the Bengawan Solo River Basin - Java, Indonesia. Therefore the principles and operational guidelines will be used to analyse and evaluate the current forest management in those areas of the Bengawan Solo River Basin, in which ecosystem function is the basis for forest development area. This research focuses on ecological functions of forests at various levels of ecosystem management planning, from the forestry sectors point of view.
Das Projekt "SULAMA - Participatory research to support sustainable land management on the Mahaflay Plateau in south-western Madagascar" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität Hamburg, Arbeitsbereich für Weltforstwirtschaft und Institut für Weltforstwirtschaft des Friedrich-Löffler-Institut, Bundesforschungsinstitut für Tiergesundheit durchgeführt. SULAMA is a participatory research project to support sustainable land management on the Mahafaly Plateau in south-western Madagascar. The focus of the first project-phase is set on the investigation of the present land-management to deduce the interdependencies and interactions between the local population and the ecosystematic conditions. Results of the first phase are used for stakeholder-based solutions to replace non-sustainable practices under the scenario of a growing human population, climate change, and prospective land transformation programs. In this project the Institute for World Forestry analyses the composition of the forest, the utilization of timber and non-wood goods and services (NWGS), and carbon stock changes in order to quantify the impact on the forest to provide ecosystem services and functions. In addition the potential of natural regeneration or enrichment planting in degraded or formerly forested sites will be assessed. For this purpose forest ecosystem indicator species are identified and changes in biomass over time are monitored. Thus, options for sustainable timber production and use of NWGS, carbon sequestration taking into account possible benefits from marketable CO2 certificates and the feasibility of enrichment plantings are derived. Together with local stakeholders tree nursieries will be developed and implemented. This is supported by the analyses of the forest and land-use development over time for different future climate change scenarios, facilitating the calculation of opportunity costs for the usage of wood and NWGS and the demonstration of alternative options for sustainable land-use management.
Das Projekt "The Alnus-problem and the exceedance of critical loads for nitrogen in the Alps" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität Basel, Botanisches Institut, Abteilung Pflanzenökologie durchgeführt. Large areas of abandoned pasture land in the Alps are currently encroached by shrub at a breathtaking speed, with green alder (Alnus viridis) playing the most prominent role. Dense Alnus thickets reduce plant diversity in former species-rich upper montane grassland, prevent natural forest succession, change the water relations at the landscape scale by reducing runoff, contribute through symbiotic N2 fixation substantially to eutrophication by leaching nitrate to the river system and exert risks to local drinking water springs. Paradoxically, this conversion into species-poor, nitrogen enriching and releasing Alnus thickets occurs in mountain regions considered particularly rich in biodiversity and essential for the continuing provision of many ecosystem goods and services, particularly for clean and plentiful water. Except from local sources, critical loads for nitrogen by atmospheric deposition are only rarely exceeded in these high elevation regions. The project ALNEX is designed (1) to quantify the water quality impact of Alnus by measuring the nitrogen pools and fluxes from single alder shrub to catchment-wide landscapes, (2) to elaborate land management guidelines towards preserving of open, centuries-old pasture land and (3) to assess the policy implications in a critical load and biodiversity context.
Das Projekt "Water resources vulnerability to climate and anthropogenic landscape changes (WARECALC)" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Politecnico Torino durchgeführt. Climate projections and trend analysis of historical data suggest that precipitation and temperature changes can dramatically alter the supply of and the demand for water in the human- and eco-systems. Moreover, anthropogenic landscape changes are occurring at unprecedented scales and rates given the societal needs for various (and often competing) ecosystem goods and services (food, energy, and water). How stable or resilient are the human- and eco- systems to climatic and anthropogenic perturbations remain a major societal concern. Of these concerns, hydrologic cycle changes, water resources availability and related management rank among the highest because of their importance in regulating human and ecological sustainability and climate feedbacks. A number of recent studies suggest that continental runoff increased throughout the 20th century despite a rapid increase in water consumption by humans and their activities. Scope of the project: The goal of this research program is on the overall impact of such changes on rainfall (the source of water) and concomitant replenishment of usable water supplies (e.g. ground- and stream- water) given their high priority to any future water resource planning. Even within this restricted scope, the barriers to scientific progress are numerous necessitating an inter-disciplinary approach that combines principles from eco-hydrology, hydraulics and fluid mechanics, soil physics, plant physiology, stochastic processes, dynamical systems theory, and water resources management. This project aims to build a network of researchers with complementary talents to begin progress on these fronts. Moreover, this network of researchers will be actively engaged in preparing the next generation of international scientists (via graduate student exchanges) who will be trained to approach such interdisciplinary societal problems and progress on them by adopting trans-disciplinary approaches now emerging from complex systems science.
Das Projekt "Global Change and Mountain Regions: The Mountain Research Initiative Coordination Office" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität Bern, Geographisches Institut durchgeführt. 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.
Das Projekt "MultiBus - Das Nahbussystem für den ländlichen Raum" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Wuppertal Institut für Klima, Umwelt, Energie gGmbH durchgeführt. Mit zunehmend ländlicher Prägung des Raumes und dispersen Siedlungsstrukturen nimmt die Bündelungsfähigkeit der Nachfrage im Personenverkehr ab. Die Folgen sind auf der Nutzerseite ein lückenhaftes Mobilitätsangebot des öffentlichen Personennahverkehrs und eine starke Auto-Orientierung im individuellen Verkehrsverhalten. Für die Betreiberseite bedeutet die niedrige Nachfrage und geringe Bündelungsfähigkeit einen defizitären Betrieb ihrer Verkehre. Die in der Regel liniengebundenen Busangebote konzentrieren sich zumeist auf nachfragestarke, meist längere Distanzen betreffende Relationen und sind auf die Hauptverkehrszeiten und damit insbesondere auf den Arbeitspendler- und Schülerverkehr ausgerichtet. In den Schwachlastzeiten und im Kurzstreckenbereich nehmen die Verkehrsangebote hingegen deutlich ab. Ausgehend von dieser Problemlage wurde vom Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) das Forschungsvorhaben 'Personennahverkehr für die Region' initiiert, welches durch wissenschaftliche und praktische Erkenntnisse dazu beitragen soll, eine Erhöhung der Effizienz und Qualität im Personennahverkehr außerhalb der großen Ballungsräume zu erreichen. Das Vorhaben umfasst insgesamt zehn Projekte. Das Wuppertal Institut ist neben der Bearbeitung des Projektes IMAGO an der Entwicklung und Umsetzung des MultiBus-Konzeptes beteiligt. Das MultiBus-Projekt versucht, ein kunden- und bedarfsorientiertes öffentliches Verkehrssystem zu entwickeln, mit dem der ÖPNV im ländlichen Raum entscheidend gestärkt werden kann. Angestrebt wird die Realisierung eines modernen Rufbussystemes, das die wirksame und bedarfsgerechte Verdichtung von Mobilitätsangeboten im ländlichen Raum am Beispiel der drei Gemeinden Gangelt, Selfkant und Waldfeucht (Kreis Heinsberg) praktisch demonstriert. Mit einer flächendeckenden Bedienung, einem ausgeweiteten Angebotsspektrum, dem Einsatz von komfortablen Kleinbussen und der zielgerichteten Einbettung des MultiBus-Systems in bestehende regionale Verkehrsangebote soll veranschaulicht werden, dass regionale Aufgabenträger und Verkehrsbetriebe mit kundenorientierten Mobilitätsdiensten attraktive sowie wettbewerbsfähige Alternativen zur Verkehrsmittelnutzung bereitstellen können und zur schrittweisen Individualisierung des regionalen Personennahverkehrs befähigt sind. Innerhalb des MultiBus-Projektes werden ferner die Möglichkeiten einer Kopplung von Personenbeförderung und lokalen Kleinguttransporten untersucht. Mit dem MultiBus sollen die bislang von verschiedenen Dienstleistern unkoordiniert betriebenen Kleingutverkehre im Untersuchungsraum gebündelt werden, indem ein auf die Serviceanforderungen der Kurier-, Express-, Paketdienste abgestimmter Verteil- und Sammeldienst für Unternehmen und Haushalte aufgebaut wird.
Das Projekt "FUNSERVE - Selling a Function instead of a Product - Renting White Goods via Functional Service Contracts" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Wuppertal Institut für Klima, Umwelt, Energie gGmbH durchgeführt. The FUNSERVE project aimed to examine and field test a new concept, which offers customers the services that they need (e.g. refrigeration) instead of an appliance that provides this service. With this project, the leading European appliance manufacturer Electrolux and three electric utilities in Germany and Austria have examined the possibilities to offer to customers a package consisting of a very energy-efficient appliance, full maintenance, and perhaps the electricity and water it needs, for a fee collected with the utility bill. This approach will increase the market share of energy-efficient appliances by overcoming the barrier of a higher initial investment. It can be a successful value-added service for the electric utilities in the liberalised market. And it can reduce waste, since used appliances are expected to be refurbished by Electrolux and rented or sold again. The FUNSERVE project has had the aim to develop and field-test the new approach in four EU Member States: Austria, Germany, Sweden, and the UK. The analyses, surveys, and field tests carried out in this project have shown that Functional Services for White goods can be attractive to around 30 to 40 percent of all domestic customers in the medium term, as well as to those who would co-operate to offer such services: manufacturers and retailers of white goods, and energy companies. However, it seems that the electricity and/or white goods markets in many EU countries are not (yet) ready to implement the radical change the Functional Service will imply for the way consumers acquire the services provided by white goods, instead of the white goods themselves. Electrolux, the manufacturer that has been a partner in this project, has held an early field test in Gotland but now does not seem to plan the introduction of any further Functional Service schemes in the EU. Also in Austria, Germany and the UK, no further field tests for the Functional Service were implemented during the course of the project. Other experiences are mixed as well. E.g., Siemens in Austria is carrying on with their 'Extrarent' service in close co-operation with retailers, while Yello Strom and Bauknecht stopped their 2001 field test after complaints by the retail trade. These two examples show that co-operation with retail trade is important for the success of any appliance renting scheme, although it may somewhat reduce the margins available to manufacturers and utilities. On the other hand, the manufacturer Merloni has started a 'pay-per-use' service for his washing machine 'Margherita Dialogic' in Italy, together with the electricity supplier ENEL, in September of 2001.
