In recent decades, with EU and national subsidies for farming in Germany, the conventional cultivation of crops has established itself as the basis of an increasingly intensified agriculture and food production. For many crops, a key requirement for this form of production is the intensive application of chemical plant protection products, on which the system is now practically dependent. This is reflected in the assumption that the amount of chemical plant production products currently used and the frequency of their application represents a “necessary minimum” (in German language: “notwendiges Maß”). However, products that protect crops and benefit farmers may have undesirable impacts on nature and the environment. Even for present-day insecticides, herbicides and fungicides, the general principle remains: No effects (i.e. plant protection) without side-effects (i.e. impacts on nature and the environment). In view of the considerable potential environmental threats they pose and because they are applied in large quantities over ample areas of land, plant protection products may only be used if they have successfully undergone strict testing and approval procedures. In Germany, the German Environment Agency ( UBA ) is responsible for assessing the environmental risks. Veröffentlicht in Position | 01/2016.
Before a plant protection product is approved for placement on the market, an assessment of the overall acceptability of negative effects on non-target species in arable land and adjacent areas has to be performed according to European guidelines. The guideline for the risk assessment of non-target terrestrial plants (NTTP) is currently revised by the European Food Safety authority (EFSA) to integrate the current state of scientific knowledge and the new requirements of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 to protect biodiversity. In the view of this revision, this report has been conducted to evaluate the actual scientific state of knowledge on effect- and risk assessment for non-target terrestrial plants and to recommend amendments of the current practice in testing and subsequent risk assessment of NTTP. The authors conclude that fundamental issues like the representativeness of the species tested (mostly crop species) and the ecotoxicological endpoints currently used (growth effects in juveniles) are associated with a high degree of uncertainty. These uncertainties must be taken into account in the risk assessment to ensure an adequate level of protection. Also, the analysis of data available would indicate, among other things, that the current risk assessment, limited to growth effects, might not be sufficient to ensure protection of non-target terrestrial plants. Therefore, as a simple risk management measure for PPP causing negative effects on NTTP communities, the authors propose to implement an obligatory in-field no-spray buffer zone, notably without herbicide application. Furthermore, the authors stress the importance of wild arable plants as natural life-support system for many other arable species. They highlight the key position of NTTP in the food chain with birds and mammals on the top. Based on their own research, the authors show indirect effects that PPP, such as herbicides, can have on food availability in agricultural landscapes. In the author’s opinion further applied research is needed to implement all this present information into a scheme for risk assessment and risk management which adequately protects biodiversity in agricultural landscapes, as well as ecosystem services based thereupon. Veröffentlicht in Texte | 20/2015.
Das Projekt "Exzellenzcluster 80 (EXC): Ozean der Zukunft" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität Kiel, Leibniz-Labor für Altersbestimmung und Isotopenforschung durchgeführt. New research shows that different phylogenetic groups impart characteristic and unique patterns of 13C variation during synthesis of amino acids (AAs) that potentially can be used to assign unknown sources of AAs in the food web. This work is currently based on terrestrial plants, fungi and bacteria and we propose to expand it to organisms from marine ecosystems because more specific information on food web dynamics and carbon (C) storage is urgently needed for understanding and predicting the impact of climate change.
Das Projekt "Auswaschung phytotoxischer Verbindungen aus den Nadeln der Gemeinen Fichte und den Blaettern der europaeischen Buche im Verhaeltnis zum Fortschreiten der Krankheit des Waldes" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Technische Universität München, Forstwissenschaftliche Fakultät, Lehrstuhl für Forstbotanik durchgeführt. Objective: To check if the leaching of phytotoxic compounds from the canopy of trees affected by air pollution can affect the soil vegetation. General Information: It is not excluded that immissions may lead to production and accumulation of substances, which may affect the soil vegetation and the affected tree itself after their release from leaves of the diseased trees by leaching processes. This possibility is planned to be proved by the following experiments: 1. Isolating and analysing substances leached out of foliage of healthy and diseased trees. 2. Testing these substances in bioassays with several test species (triticum, nasturtium, picea). 3. Testing the activity of these substances on the plants constituting the soil vegetation, in vitro and in situ. 4. Testing the activity of these substances on seedlings of different tree species (in vitro and in situ). 5. Establishing field plots with several test species under and away from canopies of diseased and apparent healthy trees. 6. Testing the influence of ph on leaching intensity (in quantity and quality). 7. Laboratory tests with different soil substrates: Partly from under the crowns of health and of diseased trees.
Das Projekt "Vergleich des OECD-Entwurfs 'Terrestrial Plant Growth Test' mit Ergebnissen aus Freilandversuchen" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Biologische Bundesanstalt für Land- und Forstwirtschaft durchgeführt. Der OECD-Richtlinienentwurf 'Terestrial Plant Growth Test' zur Ermittlung moeglicher phytotoxischer Effekte auf hoehere Planzen ist ein Rahmen zur Beschreibung von Stoffeigenschaften unter spezifischen Testbedingungen. Zur umweltrelevanten Bewertung damit gewonnener Daten ist es erforderlich, die Eignung des Testpflanzensortiments im Sinne einer Uebertragbarkeit der Ergebnisse auf Freilandverhaeltnisse zu pruefen. Zur Abschaetzung der zu erwartenden Repraesentativitaet und ihrer Bedingungen sollen daher vergleichende Labor- und Feldversuche mit einer Reihe von Umweltchemikalien an einem Testpflanzensortiment durchgefuehrt werden.
Das Projekt "Die Rolle von UV-B-Strahlung in aquatischen und terrestrischen Oekosystemen: eine experimentelle und funktionale Analyse der Evolution von Schutzmechanismen bei Pflanzen" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Institut für Botanik und Pharmazeutische Biologie durchgeführt. General Information: It is expected that enhanced solar UV-B radiation on earth will remain however for at least another 50 years. Since increasing short-wavelength solar ultraviolet-B radiation (280-320 nm) is potentially damaging to all living organism UV- B research has focused on human health and on UV-B damage in plant and animals. UV-B radiation may damage DNA and one of the major lesions are thymine dimers, which inactivate DNA, if not repaired. At a sufficiently high PAR-UV-A/UV-B ratio an enzyme, DNA photolyase cleaves the thymine dimers and restores the original DNA strand. In plants, exposed to (enhanced) solar UV-B radiation UV-B absorbing compounds are induced. These UV-B absorbing compounds act as UV-B screens and recuce levels of UV-B in plant tissue and cells, and may thus prevent dimer formation. There is evidence that in previous times UV-B on earth has been much higher than at present. Along with changes in the composition of the atmosphere and stratosphere, evolution of plant and animal life took place. In the early, primeval atmosphere, lacking stratospheric ozone and high fluxes of UV- radiation on the earth surface, life was restricted to aquatic ecosystems, where the filtering of UV-B by the water column prevented UV-damage to living organisms. In the evolution of terrestrial plant life from marine and fresh water plant life, evolution of UV-B absorbing ((poly)phenolic) compounds is assumed, acting among other functions as UV screens. From lower to higher plants there seems to be an increasing degree of complexity of UV-B absorbing (phenolic) compounds. It remains uncertain whether an early, developing stratospheric ozone shield allowed aquatic plants to emerge and evolve to terrestrial habitats, or that the evolution of UV-screens (consisting of UV-B absorbing (phenolic) compounds) in aquatic and land plants made evolution of plant life on earth further possible. The General objective of UVAQTER is: To analyse, characterize and compare the functioning of UV-B screens in plants from marine, fresh water and terrestrial ecosystems, following the evolutionary line of algae, charophycean algae, lichens, mosses and higher plants, including amphibious macrophytes. Specific objectives 1. To compare the growth and physiological responses to reduced and enhanced levels (compared to ambient solar UV-B levels). Enhanced levels of solar UV-B include at least levels which simulate a 15 per cent stratospheric ozone depletion secenario. Do the water and land form of amphibious plant species differ in their adaptation to enhanced UV-B in other words how wide can the range be in adaptation to UV-B within species? 2. To compare the induction of UV-B absorbing compounds in all plants group. 3. To chemically characterize and localize the UV-B absorbing compounds in plant groups from marine, ... Prime Contractor: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Faculteit der Biologie Vakgroep Ecologie en Oecotoxicologie; Amsterdam; Netherlands.
In recent decades, with EU and national subsidies for farming in Germany, the conventional cultivation of crops has established itself as the basis of an increasingly intensified agriculture and food production. For many crops, a key requirement for this form of production is the intensive application of chemical plant protection products, on which the system is now practically dependent. This is reflected in the assumption that the amount of chemical plant production products currently used and the frequency of their application represents a “necessary minimum” (in German language: “notwendiges Maß”).However, products that protect crops and benefit farmers may have undesirable impacts on nature and the environment. Even for present-day insecticides, herbicides and fungicides, the general principle remains: No effects (i.e. plant protection) without side-effects (i.e. impacts on nature and the environment). In view of the considerable potential environmental threats they pose and because they are applied in large quantities over ample areas of land, plant protection products may only be used if they have successfully undergone strict testing and approval procedures. In Germany, the German Environment Agency (UBA) is responsible for assessing the environmental risks.
Das Projekt "Der gewebespezifische Phenylpropan- und Flavonoidstoffwechsel - eine massgebliche Grundlage für den UV-(B)-Schutz bei Blättern (Beispiel Getreide)" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität Köln, Biozentrum, Botanisches Institut durchgeführt. Überblick: Im Laufe der Evolution der Landpflanzen mussten vielfältige Anpassungen an das Strahlenklima erfolgen; wesentlich dabei war der Schutz der DNA, der Proteine, des Photosyntheseapparates, der Wuchsstoffe u.a. Metabolite vor Starklicht und vor kurzwelliger, schädigender UV-Strahlung, insbesondere UV-B (280-315 nm). Dabei wurden drei wesentliche Schutzstrategien verfolgt: 1.) Vermeidung von UV-Schäden durch vermehrte Bildung und Anreicherung von UV-absorbierenden Phenylpropanen, Hydroxyzimtsäurederivaten (HZS) und Flavonoiden (Flav), insbesondere in der Epidermis von Blättern. 2.) Erhöhte Neusynthese und Turnover besonders strahlungsempfindlicher Proteine, Bsp. D1-Protein im Photosystem II der Chloroplasten. 3.) Reparatur entstandener DNA-Schäden durch 'Photorepair', Blaulicht-abhängige Reparatur von DNA (Thymin-Dimere u.a.), mittels spezifischer Photolyase-Enzyme. In vorliegendem Projekt untersuchten wir die potentielle Bedeutung der epidermalen und subepi-dermalen UV-Abschirmung (Schirmpigmente HZS und Flav) während der Entwicklung junger Getreide-Keimpflanzen von Roggen und Gerste, jeweils das erste aus dem Korn entwickelte Blatt (Primärblatt), dessen Überleben von fundamentaler Bedeutung für die ganze Pflanze ist, hinsichtlich des Schutzes a) des Photosyntheseapparates und b) der DNA. Die Anzucht der Pflanzen erfolgte ohne und mit erhöhter UV-B-Belastung (d.h. nur Weisslicht, 400-700 nm, 700 mmol.m-2.s-1 gegenüber Weisslicht plus UV-B/BE, 12 kJ.m-2.d-1) in einem klimatisierten Pflanzenanzuchtschrank (Neu-Etablierung im Projekt). Zur Beurteilung der Bedeutung der Schirmpigmente eignete sich insbesondere die Analyse nahezu flavonoid-defizienter Gersten-Mutanten, die im Vergleich zur Muttervarietät in den Primärblättern nur 20-30 Prozent an UV-Schutzpigmentgehalt (Flav plus HZS) aufwiesen. Detaillierte Fragestellungen und Ergebnisse sind den angegebenen Dissertationen und Publikationen zu entnehmen (s. Publikationen).
Das Projekt "B2: Impact of land use, natural disturbances and climate change on vascular plant diversity" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Institut für Geographie durchgeführt. The aimed project is regarded as logical consequence to combine and integrate the hitherto own project activities and results in a final issue of regional as well as principal relevance for the mountain rainforest ecosystems in southern Ecuador. Three goals build up the framework of the intended project: (i) to continue the climate measurement (including service for other WGs) and to identify important climate change triggers for plant diversity changes by extreme event analyses ; (ii) to close the missing link between natural, nature-near, and anthropogenic vegetation by detecting the elevational distribution of the occurring vascular terrestrial plant species on pastures, abandoned sites, and trails; (iii) to repeat the mapping of the landslides 10 years after a first equivalent procedure by the first applicants WG and to revisit the landslide vegetation investigated in 2002 to redetermine the related succession traits. While the majority of research on climate change impacts on biodiversity regards linear trends non-linear processes are mostly ignored. Hence, the requested project focuses on plant diversity responses on collateral events given by climate induced disturbances or stress such as droughts or sliding and by species invasions from man-made environs.
Das Projekt "Schallschutzpflanzen - Optimierung der Abschirmwirkung von Hecken und Gehölzen" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Fraunhofer-Institut für Bauphysik durchgeführt. Hecken und Gehölze erfüllen in unserer Umwelt viele wichtige Funktionen: sie erzeugen Sauerstoff, filtern die Luft, dienen als Sicht- und Windschutz, bieten Lebensraum für Vögel und Insekten und dienen als strukturierende und abgrenzende Elemente. Für den städtebaulichen Schallschutz werden sie jedoch kaum genutzt, da in den maßgeblichen Planungsrichtlinien die Bewuchsdämpfung für alle Arten von Bewuchsflächen sehr niedrig angesetzt wird. Dabei wird übersehen, das die Angaben in den Richtlinien Mindestangaben darstellen, die in der Praxis häufig deutlich übertroffen werden können. Derzeit bestehen noch fast keine Kenntnisse über eine geeignete Gestaltung von Schallschutzhecken und deren Wirksamkeit. Auch über die akustischen Eigenschaften von Heckenpflanzen ist bislang nur sehr wenig bekannt. In dieser Studie wird untersucht, welche Pflanzen sich für Schallschutzzwecke aus akustischer Sicht besonders eignen, wie sie gepflanzt werden sollten, welche Abmessungen eine Hecke besitzen sollte und wie sich weitere Einflussfaktoren wie Bewuchsdichte, Blattfläche, Form und Dicke der Blätter, etc. auf die akustischen Eigenschaften auswirken. Die Untersuchungen erfolgen sowohl durch Messungen unter idealisierten Bedingungen im Labor als auch an realen Hecken im Freien. Weiterhin werden rechnerische Modelle eingesetzt, wobei das Ziel darin besteht, Dämpfungs- und Absorptionskoeffizienten zu bestimmen, die Schallschutzwirkung zu verbessern und verlässliche Bemessungsgrundlagen für die Städte- und Landschaftsplanung zu erarbeiten.
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