Das Projekt "D 1.2: Reducing alternation and production of off-season fruits in Lychee, Longan and Mango" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität Hohenheim, Institut für Kulturpflanzenwissenschaften (340), Fachgebiet Düngung und Bodenstoffhaushalt (340i) durchgeführt. The aim and vision of sub-project D1.2 was and is to encourage hillside farmers to plant erosion resistant fruit trees instead of erosion susceptible annual plants. For that reason, experiments to overcome the irregular bearing behaviour of the three most common fruit tree species in Northern Thailand (Litchi, Longan and Mango) from the first SFB period will be continued in order to make their planting more attractive to the farmers. Considerable progress has been made in D1 during the past 3 years to induce flowers and fruit in Longan trees by the application of KClO3 . With this technique, it was not only possible to induce year around flowers and fruit (off season fruit) but also to overcome the generally rather irregular fruiting behaviour of these trees. A similar technique is now being developed for Mango by using an inhibitor of the bio-synthesis of the plant hormone gibberellin. Only Litchi still resist this kind of manipulation by an 'off season technique' (OST). Great effort will therefore be devoted establishing a similar system for this species as well. Reliably, this can only be done by gaining a much better knowledge of the - most certainly hormonal - regulatory system that governs flower induction in trees. Investigations into the hormonal changes taking place during natural and induced flower induction is, therefore, one of the central objectives in this sub-project, with the goal to better understand the process of flower induction. Until now most of the progress in this area is entirely empirical in nature and a more specific manipulation therefore difficult. While the ability to produce off season fruit all year around and under various weather conditions has brought about a great number of new possibilities, new challenges will still be faced with regard to these methods. These circumstances will affect the whole production chain from the orchard to the market and consumer. In order to better investigate and understand these new situations, a large model experiment with Mango will be set up and problems like tree pruning, water and nutrient demand, phytopathological problems, demand on work force, fruit processing and drying etc. will be investigated by the interdisciplinary co-operation of 8 sub-projects within the SFB. The results obtained during these investigations will be shared with hillside farmers enabling them to take advantage of these new possibilities, which will provide for more reliable yields and allow them to market fruit year around. In general, these new opportunities should encourage farmers to plant more trees and thus reduce erosion. However, to make this system not only reliable and economic but also ecologically and socially beneficial to the society all potential benefits as well as risks have to be evaluated carefully from all different aspects.
Das Projekt "Bees in Europe and Sustainable Honey Production (BEE SHOP)" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Fachbereich Biologie, Institut für Zoologie, Arbeitsgruppe Molekulare Ökologie durchgeführt. Honey is among the oldest food products of mankind and beekeeping is deeply rooted in every European culture. Numerous European and national regulations control honey quality, which reflects both the high nutritional and societal value of the product. Yet in an environment with increasing chemical pollution and the wide use of agrochemicals, honey runs high risks of becoming chemically polluted. In addition a broad spectrum of chemicals is used to treat honeybee diseases, further contaminating honey with sometimes highly toxic compounds. The BEE SHOP is a network of ten leading European honeybee research groups in honey quality, pathology, genetics and behaviour as well as selected beekeeping industries, which all share a common interest in promoting Europe's high honey quality standards. The prime goal is to reduce potential sources of honey contamination due to both foraging contaminated nectar and chemotherapy of honeybee diseases. The BEE SHOP will therefore deal with the development of biological resistance to pests and pathogens to avoid chemotherapy. Various European honeybee races and populations will be screened for their disease resistance potential to the main pressing pathogens. Differences in foraging patterns among European honeybees and their underlying mechanisms will be studied to identify behavioural traits reducing contamination. Differences in disease susceptibility will be genetically analysed by QTL mapping. Major loci in the genome will be identified with the aid of the published honeybee genome. SNPs will be developed to allow for selection of specific target genes in both drones and queens before insemination. This will greatly accelerate the selection progress in honeybee breeding allowing for the swift establishment of resistant but efficient stock. New tools for testing honey quality and authenticity will be developed to allow inspections of honey according to the current EC directives on honey quality and organic beekeeping.
Das Projekt "Optimised Radar to Find Every buried Utility in the street (ORFEUS)" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Tracto-Technik GmbH & Co. KG durchgeführt. This project addresses the requirement for advanced technologies for locating, maintaining and rehabilitating buried infrastructures (area II.3.3). Specifically it fulfils the requirement for locating buried assets. Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) is the only known non-invasive technique that can detect metallic and non-metallic buried objects, but conventional pulse time-domain technology has reached the limit of its development potential. This project will use innovative techniques to provide a clear advance in the state of the art. The project has three major objectives: - To provide a step change in the depth penetration and spatial resolution of GPR used for surveys carried out from the ground surface. This will be achieved by increasing the frequency and dynamic range of the radar by researching and developing Stepped Frequency Continuous Wave techniques and ultra wide-band antennas whose performance is independent of ground characteristics. - To prototype an innovative GPR-based real-time obstacle detection system for steerable bore- heads of Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) pipe and cable laying systems so that they can operate more safely below ground. This will require new antenna designs to be developed to provide a look-ahead capability and robust systems to be designed to protect against the hostile mechanical environment. - To increase knowledge of the electrical behaviour of the ground, by means of in-situ measurements to enhance understanding of the sub-soil electrical environment, and to provide information for scientifically based antenna design. The project will lead to practical solutions that can be implemented cost-effectively to provide a capability to locate buried infrastructure with accuracy and reliability. This will reduce the need for excavations in the highway, thus minimising direct and indirect costs, reducing the incidence of pollution and enhancing safety. Prime Contractor: Osys Technology Ltd., Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom.
Das Projekt "Main Annulus Gas Path Interactions (MAGPI)" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Rolls-Royce Deutschland Ltd & Co KG durchgeführt. In a modern aero engine, up to 20Prozent of the main annulus flow is bled off to perform cooling and sealing functions. The vicinity of these bleed ports and flow sinks is characterised by complex unsteady swirling flows, which are not fully understood. Even the most up-to-date numerical tools have difficulties predicting the behaviour of the secondary flow system when interacting with the main annulus. The project addresses interactions between main gas path and secondary flow systems in commercial gas turbines in response to Research Activity AERO-2005-1.3.1.2a Concepts and technologies for improving engine thermal efficiency and reducing secondary air losses. Experiments are planned on turbine disc rim and compressor manifold cavity heat transfer, hot gas ingestion, and spoiling effects of cooling air flow and their impact on turbine and compressor performance, as well as a reduction of secondary air losses. The experimental data will be used for better understanding of the complex flow phenomena and improvements of platform and cavity design. Furthermore, the industrial partners will validate their design tools with these test data and improve their prediction capability of secondary flow systems when interacting with the main gas path. The expected results are a reduction of cooling and sealing airflow rates, improvements of the turbine and compressor efficiency and increase of the safety margin of the engine components by better cooling. Expected technical results are: - Knowledge of the interaction phenomena and its effect on cavity heat transfer, spoiling and performance, - Experimental results for validation of improved numerical tools for secondary flow systems, - Optimised design methods and CFD best practice guidelines. The targeted outcome will contribute to the ACARE goal of reduced CO2 emissions via reduced fuel burn of 2Prozent to improve the environment and strengthening the competitiveness of European gas turbine manufacturers.
Das Projekt "Fate of Endocrine Disrupting Compounds in the Aqueous Environment and the Associated Effects on Organisms" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von RWTH Aachen University, Institut für Umweltforschung, Lehr- und Forschungsgebiet Ökosystemanalyse (ESA) durchgeführt. At present, a lot of research has been done concerning the effects of endocrine disrupting compounds after exposure of organisms via the surrounding water. However, there is limited data available on their environmental behaviour and fate. As the most potent xenoestrogens, such as 17a-ethinylestradiol (EE2), nonylphenol (NP) and Bisphenol A (BPA), are hydrophobic organic chemicals, they tend to concentrate in biota and bind to solid phases. Therefore further research should take into account the bioavailability of these substances, the possible exposure of and hazards for benthic biota and the possibility for food web transfer, bioaccumulation and mixture toxicity. This project intends to examine the distribution pattern of two different test substances in a sediment-water system that functions as a habitat for several organisms related to one another in a food chain. The chemicals, selected for this research, are p-NP and EE2, because of their known steroid hormone mimicking potencies, industrial relevance and relatively wide distribution in natural waters. In a first phase, larvae of the midge Chironomus riparius, that are sediment-dwelling organisms, will be exposed to the 14C-labelled isotopes of the test compounds, by different routes: through spiking the different compartments of the sediment-water system in all possible combinations and/or by feeding them spiked algae. The possible toxic effects of EE2 and p-NP on C. riparius, associated with the different exposure conditions, will be compared by means of chronic tests, based on the OECD Guidelines 218 and 219. Different endpoints will be considered: among others emergence, sex ratio and fecundity. Afterwards zebrafish (Danio rerio) will be involved to study among others food web transfer and the effectiveness of different exposure routes to stimulate e.g. vitellogenin induction. The results of the different parts of this research will be coupled and compared to the output of good theoretical models. In this way, a lot of information should be delivered concerning the path of the tested compounds, covered from the external environment, via the water and/or through the food chain, to be metabolised in biota or distributed to the target organ(s) of (an) organism(s) for exhibiting toxic effects or to bind to solid phases like the sediment or organic matter.
Das Projekt "Untersuchung des Stoffverhaltens von polycyclischen Moschusverbindungen in Klaerschlaemmen und in Boeden" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Fraunhofer-Institut für Molekularbiologie und Angewandte Oekologie durchgeführt. Entsprechend des Expositionspfades erscheinen polycyclische Moschusverbindungen im kommunalen Abwasser und damit auch im Klaerschlamm bzw. in Vorflutern und Sedimenten. Wie Untersuchungen von Eschke (1996) zeigen, liegen die Zulaufkonzentrationen in kommunalen Klaeranlagen fuer Moschus-Keton zwischen 0,6-2,4 myg/l, fuer Galaxolide zwischen 4-27 myg/l und Ablauf bei 0,2-1,3 bzw. bei 1,2-9 myg/l. Dies bedeutet, dass 1/3 bis 1/2 der eingetragenen Menge im Klaerschlamm verbleibt und der Rest in die Vorfluter und Fluesse gelangt (Rimkuss und Wolf 1993, Geyer et. al., 1994, Eschke et.al., 1995). In kommunalen Klaeranlagen (Fooken et. al., 1997) wurden die HHCB/AHTN-Konzentration mit 12-21 mg/kg m tief r angegeben. Dies sind sehr hohe Gehalte, die angesichts der hohen Persistenz und der vermuteten starken Sorption an Klaerschlamm zwingend naeher untersucht werden muessten. Folgende Forschungsaufgaben ergeben sich daraus: 1. Untersuchungen von Klaeranlagenzu- und ablaeufen und Klaerschlaemmen auf HHCB/AHTN, - 2. Untersuchungen des Abbauverhaltens dieser Stoffe in verschiedenen Boeden und Klaerschlammanwendung nach Anpassung der analytischen Bestimmungsverfahren fuer Boeden, - Untersuchung des Verbleibs in Pflanzen und Beurteilung des Versickerungsverhaltens. Es sollenca. 20 verschiedene Klaeranlagen untersucht werden, um einen begrenzten Ueberblick ueber die Belastungssituation zu erhalten. Weiterhin sollen von fuenf Klaeranlagen der Zulauf sowie der Ablauf gemessen werden. Anhand von 3 verschiedenen Boeden, einem humusreichen, einem sandigen und einem tonreichen, soll das Stoffverhalten in Boeden nach Klaerschlammausbringung d.h. der Abbau und die Verlagerung, untersucht werden. Mittels eines Lysimeterversuches an einem Grosslysimeter im Rahmen einer Worst-case-Betrachtung, soll das Versickerungsverhalten unter natuerlichen Bedingungen untersucht werden.
Das Projekt "Entscheidungs- und Planungshilfe für den Einsatz von Mikro-Gasturbinen in kmU" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Technische Hochschule Aachen, Fakultät Maschinenwesen, Institut für Thermodynamik, Lehrstuhl für Technische Thermodynamik durchgeführt. Ziel des von der AiF geförderten Projektes ist es, einen Leitfaden zur Entscheidungs- und Planungshilfe für den wirtschaftlichen Einsatz von Mikro-Gasturbinen in kmU zu erstellen. Diese herstellerneutrale Analyse soll den kmU diese neue Technologie nahe bringen und ihnen eine Untersuchung der Einsatz- und Nutzungsmöglichkeiten im eigenen Unternehmen ermöglichen. Im Rahmen des Projektes werden zum einen umfangreiche Messungen an einer Mikro-Gasturbine durchgeführt, um detaillierte Kenntnisse über das Betriebsverhalten zu erhalten. Zu diesem Zweck hat das IUTA eine Mikro-Gasturbine erworben und in ihr eigenes Energieversorgungsnetz integriert. Hier wird die neue Technologie vor allem zur Bereitstellung von Prozesswärme über Thermoöl eingesetzt, womit sie die erste in Deutschland installierte Mikro-Gasturbine zur Prozesswärmeerzeugung ist. Zum anderen wird die Mikro-Gasturbine theoretisch analysiert. Hier werden einerseits Studien durchgeführt, welche möglichen Einsatzbereiche zur Prozesswärmeerzeugung in der Praxis gegeben sind, wobei neben thermodynamischen Untersuchungen insbesondere Wirtschaftlichkeitsanalysen im Vordergrund stehen. Zudem wird bei den theoretischen Untersuchungen die Frage geklärt ob der Einsatz von Mikro-Gastubinen mit variablem Rekuperator-Bypass, zur Anpassung an den Wärmebedarf, gegenüber dem Einsatz mit voller Rekuperation und nachgeschalteter Zufeuerung sinnvoll ist. Vom LTT werden die folgenden Aufgaben bearbeitet: Projektstudien: Im Rahmen des Projektes werden folgende Einsatzbereiche der Mikro-Gasturbine genauer analysiert: Dampf-Erzeugung, Thermo-Öl- und Warmwassererheitzung für Temperaturen größer als 100 Grad C, Direkttrocknung und Kopplungsmöglichkeiten von Mikro-Gasturbinen mit Absorptionskälteanlagen. Hierbei werden Branchen auf den Der Schwerpunkt der Arbeit liegt auf der Analyse konkreter Anwendungsfälle aus der Praxis, wobei die Beispiele sowohl aus energetischer als auch aus wirtschaftlicher Sicht betrachtet werden. Rekuperator-Bypass: Da nur die Anlagen des Herstellers Bowman über einen Rekuperator-Bypass zur Anpassung an den thermischen Bedarf verfügen, wird diese Einsatz-Variante mit der Möglichkeit des voll rekuperierten Betriebes mit nachgeschalteter Zufeuerung untersucht. Hierbei werden sowohl energetische exergetische als auch wirtschaftliche Untersuchungen durchgeführt. Einsatzmöglichkeiten in km U: Ziel dieses Arbeitspunktes ist das Ausarbeiten von Kriterien für den Einsatz von Mikro-Gasturbinen in kmU. Dabei werden die aus den vorherigen Untersuchungen erarbeiteten Erkenntnisse konkret für kmU zusammengefasst. Aus den an beiden Forschungsstellen erhaltenen Erkenntnissen werden anschließend die folgenden Aufgaben gemeinsam bearbeitet: Ermittlung von Entwicklungspotenzialen, Identifikation relevanter kmU für den Einsatz von Mikro-Gasturbinen, Erstellung eines Leitfadens zur Entscheidungs- und Planungshilfe, Verbreitung der Entscheidungs- und Planungshilfe:
Das Projekt "Umwelt im Spannungsverhaeltnis von Bewertung und Verhalten" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität Kassel, Fachbereich 13 Stadtplanung,Landschaftsplanung, Arbeitsgruppe Empirische Planungsforschung durchgeführt. Ausgangspunkt der Untersuchung war die Tatsache, dass eine nicht belastete Umwelt in immer groesseren Teilen der Bevoelkerung an Bedeutung gewinnt. Gleichzeitig wird aber immer wieder deutlich, dass der hohen Bewertung einer sauberen Umwelt ein entsprechendes Verhalten selten entspricht. Am Beispiel der Waeschepflege wollten wir das Auseinanderklaffen von Bewertung und Verhalten herausarbeiten und analysieren. Dazu haben wir in unterschiedlichen Gemeinden Hessens etwa 1000 Telefoninterviews durchgefuehrt und 30 Hausfrauen in Intensivinterviews ausfuehrlicher befragt. Diese Intensivinterviews machten deutlich, dass es bei dem Waschen der Waesche um mehr geht als um die simple Beseitigung von Schmutz. Der Grad der Waeschepflege laesst sich nur interpretieren auf dem Hintergrund der Entwicklung der Hygiene im Zivilisationsprozess. Umweltbewusstes Verhalten laesst sich deshalb in diesem Bereich nur schwerlich realisieren.
Das Projekt "Sub project: Temperature chaos and microbial food web dynamics" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität Köln, Institut für Zoologie, Biozentrum Köln, Arbeitsgruppe Allgemeine Ökologie durchgeführt. Microbial food webs dominate the functioning of marine and freshwater ecosystems. Conclusions on the impact of climatic changes on aquatic ecosystems have generally been based on studies of constant increases in experimental temperatures. However, since the invention of deterministic chaos in the 60ies of the last century, it is known that organisms are confronted with non-linear dynamics of external temperatures. One important forecast for climate changes is the increase of weather (e.g. temperature) variability especially in the middle of Europe. Thus, we would like to contribute to the studies of the current consortia working in the frame of AQUASHIFT with a model study on the dynamic behaviour of experimental food webs. Organisms are not only faced with external irregularities but also with internal (intrinsic) fluctuations of population dynamic parameters. Here we would like to investigate the interaction between non-linear dynamic behaviours of extrinsic and intrinsic factors. We have developed an exceptional model systems consisting of a microbial two-preyone-predator-systems that allows for a detailed analysis of dynamic behaviour under defined chemostat conditions. We will analyze match/mismatches occurring due to the interference of non-linear dynamics of extrinsic (temperature) and intrinsic (population sizes) parameters on different trophic levels and would like to contribute to create a theoretical basis for the understanding of the impact of global changes on aquatic communities.
Das Projekt "Driving Forces of Rural Poverty and Distributional Change in Sub-Saharian Africa: The Cases of Burkina Faso, Ghana and Uganda" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universität Kiel, Institut für Ernährungswirtschaft und Verbrauchslehre, Abteilung Haushalts- und verbraucherorientierte Gesundheitsökonomik durchgeführt. The proposed research project aims at identifying the major driving forces of rural poverty and distributional change in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Specifically, the analysis will involve case studies for Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Uganda, where micro and local as well as macro determinants of household incomes will be considered. While each case study will reveal interesting results in its own right, the objective is to draw general lessons, i.e. together the case studies should form more than the sum of the parts. The existing literature on the determinants of rural poverty and distributional change can broadly be divided into studies which analyse rural household behaviour in response to changes at the household and local level, and studies which try to establish a link between distributional outcomes and specific macroeconomic shocks or policies. Taken together, these two strands of the literature cover most of the factors that may affect rural households, but the literature appears to be incomplete in several respects. Studies belonging to the first strand tend to focus on specific aspects of rural income generation, thereby failing to account for the interactions between the micro determinants of household income and to trace micro changes back to changes at the macro level. The approaches employed in the second strand of the literature either lack a specification of transmission channels or suffer from being too stylised and not well informed by micro data. With the proposed project we intend to contribute to closing these gaps. In doing so, we will first identify the most relevant micro, local and macro determinants of household incomes and review the available evidence on their distributional impact in the three countries under consideration. This descriptive assessment serves to derive testable hypotheses regarding the drivers of distributional change. We will then specify a comprehensive model of rural income generation that accounts for the major constraints at the micro level, and a macro model that captures the transmission of shocks and policies to the household level. Finally, and most importantly, we will link the two models in a macro-micro simulation analysis in order to quantify the impact of the main country-specific external shocks and policy reforms on poverty and income distribution. By revealing the relative strength of the various factors determining household incomes, the simulation analysis will also provide information that can be used to derive priority areas for rural development policy.
| Origin | Count |
|---|---|
| Bund | 125 |
| Type | Count |
|---|---|
| Förderprogramm | 125 |
| License | Count |
|---|---|
| open | 125 |
| Language | Count |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | 125 |
| Englisch | 82 |
| Resource type | Count |
|---|---|
| Keine | 104 |
| Webseite | 21 |
| Topic | Count |
|---|---|
| Boden | 101 |
| Lebewesen & Lebensräume | 107 |
| Luft | 85 |
| Mensch & Umwelt | 125 |
| Wasser | 93 |
| Weitere | 125 |