Die Umsetzung der FFH-Richtlinie in der Agrarlandschaft

The EU Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) does include provisions for setting up the Natura 2000-network of protected areas based on listed species and habitats, and in addition specific regulations on species protection. Three Quarters of all designated sites (SCI’s) do not only include natural habitat types in a strict sense like forests or water-bodies, but also agricultural land. 18?% of the SCI’s even include between 25 and 50?% agricultural land and 24?% above 50?%. 48 species and three habitat types listed under the Habitats Directive have a clear focus in agriculture. Another eleven habitat types are dependant from a nature-friendly low intensity use or management. A large proportion of these habitats and species are actually in an unfavourable conservation status. The paper analyses the impact of EU nature conservation on agriculture based on the species and habitats falling under the Habitats Directive. On the other hand indirect negative influences of agriculture are discussed, that may have considerable impact on the future development of the conservation status of endangered habitats and species.     

Emotionale Aspekte der Umweltbewertung aus Sicht der Philosophie

Environmental assessment is a domain of economic, legal and natural sciences. Emotional aspects of environmental assessment are widely undiscussed. However, the consideration of the emotional relationship with nature is an important prerequisite for the acceptance of nature conservation. In connection with the current discussion on aspects of environmental ethics and aesthetics of nature, philosophy has been considering the emotional relationship with nature. However, the analysis of these philosophical approaches shows that they are not able to reconstruct that relationship appropriately. This paper tries to give a new answer. It interprets the emotional relationship with nature as a relic of mythic thinking.     

Auf der Suche nach den Treibstoffen der Zukunft

The climatically-relevant emission of CO₂ which results from motor vehicle traffic offers a challenge for the automobile industry to produce highly efficient and economical motor vehicles. Furthermore, the production of fuels from regenerative energies may provide a more significant contribution over the long-term to make our mobility more compatible to the climate and to reduce our dependence on crude oil importation. Substantial reductions in emissions can be achieved through the application of regenerative fuels, especially in combination with more energy-efficient hybrid or fuel-cell vehicles, or through the addition of biogenic components to conventional fuels. Coordinated efforts between the automobile industry, the energy industries and the responsible politicians are mandatory in order to achieve ecologically-tolerable motor vehicle traffic.     

Bewertung von Monitoringdaten der Umweltprobenbank des Bundes mit der Hasse-Diagramm-Technik

On behalf of the Federal Environment Ministry the Federal Environmental Agency operates the German Environmental Specimen Bank (ESB), which targets are to record and evaluate pollution data of selected ecological systems. Scope of the present study is to check the possibilities of the Hasse diagram technique (HDT) for the assessment of ESB data, mainly with regard to evaluations and conclusions. Xenobiotic body burden in Bream musculature (Abramis brama), measured in 1997, was exemplary used to answer these questions. Focus was put on ecosystemic assessment. The results clearly show that HDT is a valuable method for the graphical display, interpretation and comparative evaluation of pollution data. HDT visualises data qualitatively and in summary. Additionally, differences between pollution patterns are revealed, which suggest different contamination processes and entries. An ecosystemic approach of assessment is achieved by simultaneous consideration of different xenobiotics.     

Zur physiologie der aminbildung bei der marinen rotalge Polysiphonia urceolata

The ceramiaceaen Polysiphonia urceolata rapidly degrades ¹⁴C(U)-L-leucine, added to sea water at a final concentration of 2.5x10^-5 M/l, to isoamylamine. Under experimental conditions, 22% of the total radioactivity is found in the amine within 160 min. The amino acid decarboxylase responsible for this reaction has been characterized by Hartmann (1972a). No other mechanisms of leucine degradation could be detected, and the rate of ¹⁴C-incorporation into algal proteins is considerably lower than that of decarboxylation. The rate of decarboxylation is optimal at a leucine concentration of about 5x10^-5 M/l. The amine formed is found in almost equal amounts in algal extract and environment. No further degradation of isoamylamine could be detected. The amine is a metabolic end product in P. urceolata. When ¹⁴C-isoamylamine is used as a tracer, relatively high amounts of amine are found in the algal extracts. It is supposed that the amine does not accumulate within the algal cells, but rather is bound to the acid polysaccharides of the cell walls by means of ionic exchange. The results strongly suggest that decarboxylation is the main route by which P. ureolata metabolizes amino acids from the environment which are substrates of the decarboxylase. The endogenous amino acid pool does not seem to be available to the enzyme as a substrate source. A possible ecological significance of amino acid decarboxylations is discussed.     

Anwendung der Hasse-Diagrammtechnik

Using four dynamic criteria, the following environmental changes were evaluated: Global warming; destruction, of the stratospheric ozone layer; eutrophication and acidification of aquatic ecosystems; photochemical smog; reduction of the available area of agricultural soils; loss of species diversity; consumption of resources; reduction of crop yield; forest decline; noise, and smell. These ecosystem changes, or negative effects, were characterized by four dynamic criteria: 1) Regional importance, 2) extent of alteration, 3) resilience and 4) irreversibility. A multi-criteria assessment, accounting simultaneously for all four criteria, requires a generalized concept of order. Here, the concept of partially ordered sets, visualized by Hasse diagrams, was used to derive a priority list of environmental changes. Highest priority was equally assigned to the loss of species diversity, the consumption of resources and the destruction of the ozone layer. However, these ecosystem changes are incomparable to each other concerning the four criteria used and thus require different management strategies.     

Ökologische bedeutung der schleimsekretion bei den planula-larven der hydroidengattung Eudendrium

Colonies of hydroid polyps of the genus Eudendrium Ehrenberg release planula larvae with a high yolk content. Immediately after hatching, they begin to excrete a slime rope. In the presence of water movements, larvae hatching simultaneously tend to join a trail of slime; in stagnant water, the larvae move down the rope separately. The planula larvae are unable to float. On the basis of aquarium observations, we suggest that slime ropes with larvae adhere to substrates in the vicinity of the mother colony; this prevents the larvae from being carried off too far into open waters. In view of the absence of medusae in Eudendrium, this response of the planula is interpreted as an adaptation to a purely sessile life cycle. Structure and distribution of the slime secretions are documented by means of light and electron-microscope photos.

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Ökologische bedeutung der schleimsekretion bei den planula-larven der hydroidengattung Eudendrium