Beurteilung des Ozonrisikos für die Waldregionen Bayerns am Beispiel des Jahres 2002 und des Extremtrockenjahres 2003 auf der Basis der externen Ozonexposition und der internen Ozonaufnahme

Background, aim, and scope Increasing background concentrations of ground-level tropospheric ozone and more frequent and prolonged summer drought incidences due to climate change are supposed to increase the stress on Bavarian forests. For such scenarios growth reduction and yield losses are predicted. Sustainable forest management in Bavaria aims to significantly increase the proportion of beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) because of its broad ecological amplitude. In our regional study different approaches for calculating ozone impact were used to estimate the risks for Bavarian forests in the average climatic, rather moist year 2002 and the extremely dry year 2003.Materials and methods Measurements were conducted for eleven forest ecosystem sites and two forest research sites representing typical Bavarian forest stands under different climatic conditions and situated in different altitudes. For risk assessment currently used approaches were applied either based on the calculation of the cumulative ozone exposure (external dose; MPOC maximal permitted ozone concentration; critical level AOT40_phen? accumulated ozone exposure over a threshold of 40 nl [O₃] l^–1, for the effective phenolgy of beech) or based on the calculation of the phytomedically relevant ozone flux into the stomata (internal dose, critical level AF_st>1,6, accumulated stomatal flux above a flux threshold of 1.6 nmol O₃?m^–2 PLA; PLA = projected leaf area). For calculations continuously recorded ozone concentrations and meteorological and phenological data from nearby rural open field background measuring stations from the national air pollution control and from forested sites were used. Additionally ozone induced leaf symptoms were assessed.Results The exposure-based indices AOT40_phen and MPOC as well as the flux-based index AF_st>1.6suggest that Bavarian forests are at risk from O₃ during a rather moist average year concerning climate conditions (2002) as well as in an extreme dry year (2003). Thus, growth reductions of 5?% are predicted when thresholds are exceeded. Threshold exceedance occurred in both years at all plots, mostly already at the beginning of the growing season and often even many times over. Ozone induced leaf symptoms could be detected only on a few plots in a very slight occurrence.Discussion The results for the applied critical level indices differed depending on climatic conditions during the growing seasons: Regarding exposure-based indices, the highest degree of threshold exceedance occurred in the dry year of 2003 at all plots; the flux-based approach indicated the highest stomatal ozone uptake and thus an increased risk at moist sites or during humid years, whereas the risk was decreasing at dry sites with prolonged water limitation. Hence, soil and accordingly plant water availability was the decisive factor for the flux-modelled internal ozone uptake via stomata. Drought and increased ozone impact can generate synergistic, but also antagonistic effects for forest trees. At water limited rather dry forest sites restricted transpiration and thus production, but concurrently lower ozone uptake and reduced risk for damage can be expected.Conclusions, recommendations, and perspectives For realistic site-specific risk assessment in forest stands the determination of the internal ozone dose via modeling flux based internal stomatal ozone uptake is more appropriate than the calculation of the external ozone dose. The predicted 5?% growth reductions are in discrepancy with the frequently observed increment increase during the last decades in forest stands. Comprehensive and significant statistical verification for ozone induced forest growth reduction as well as the systematic validation of thresholds for ozone in the field is still lacking. However, a multiplicity of different specific new and retrospective growth analysis data should allow closing the gap. Moreover, the determination of canopy transpiration with sap flow measurements is a novel approach to provide cause-effect related, site specific results for the effective internal ozone dose as well as for canopy water supply and consecutively for regional risk estimation. A further future objective is the refinement of O₃ flux modelling by further consideration of soil/water budget characteristics and the above mentioned improved estimations of crown and canopy transpiration. Further, the introduction of threshold ranges for forest trees in view of their specific regional climatic conditions and their validation in real forest stands is necessary for developing meaningful ozone risk predictions for forests.     

Current state of heavy metal contents in Vienna soils

This study presents the current state of heavy metal contents in both urban and forest soils within the city area of Vienna, Austria. Based on a systematic survey of urban soils and on targeted sampling in forest areas, local and regional anomaly thresholds are derived using statistical methods and considering regional distribution patterns. For urban soils, local anomaly thresholds of elements Cu (60?mg/kg), Hg (0.5?mg/kg), Pb (100?mg/kg) and Zn (200?mg/kg) exceed national guideline values for uncontaminated urban soils and according to Austrian legislation fall into the category “anthropogenic contamination present but no damage to plants, animals or humans detectable”. In forest soils within the city, thresholds are very similar to reference values for similar geological settings outside the city, apart from higher concentrations of elements Cr and Ni (threshold values of 107 and 64?mg/kg, respectively). Grouping urban soils according to land use reveals that Cd contents are 25?% higher, Pb contents 36?% higher, in traffic and industrial areas than in parks and like Cu, Hg and Zn, these elements can be shown to be at least partly caused by anthropogenic contamination. A dependency between heavy metal concentrations in soils and underlying geological units is shown within the flysch zone at the western city margin where the contents of elements Co, Cr, Cu, Ni and V are controlled by geology and reveal distinct differences between geological units. In built-up areas, no clear dependency between heavy metal contents in soils and geology is evident as urban soils represent accumulations by anthropogenic activity rather than in situ weathering products of underlying sediments.     

Analytik von Umwandlungsprodukten des Schwefellosts (S-LOST)

The results of investigations of the aquatic ecotoxicity of sternutators and their metabolites (phenyl arsenic compounds) are presented. The standardized luminescence inhibition test (LumisTox, Dr. Lange) with the marine bacteriaVibrio fischeri was applied according to the German norm DIN 38412, part 34. All investigated organic AS(III) compounds exhibit EC₅₀-values (50 % inhibition of the luminescence) of less than 1 mg/l, whereas all investigated organic As(V) compounds and inorganic arsenic show EC₅₀-values exceeding 100 mg/l     

Transhumant pastoralism,sustainable management of natural resources and endemic ruminant livestock in the sub-humid zone of West Africa

Transhumant pastoralism is one of the dominant livestock production systems in West Africa, and it is characterized by seasonal and cyclical movement of varying degrees between complementary ecological areas. The common pattern of transhumance is moving herds from areas with pasture and water scarcity such as the Sahelian zone to areas where the forage and water are found, often in the sub-humid zone. Whereas the transhumant herds from the Sahel are mainly Zebu breeds, endemic ruminant livestock (ERL) are the dominant breeds in sub-humid zone of West Africa because of their tolerance to tsetse-borne trypanosomosis disease. These livestock fulfill different functions in the livelihood of rural communities in the region. To identify potential areas of interventions for sustainable natural resource management to improve ERL productivity, a desk study that included spatial mapping was performed to review and document the existing knowledge on transhumance in West Africa. Additionally, group discussions were held to analyze the (actual or potential) effects of transhumant herds on natural resource management and ERL in the sub-humid zone. This study covered sub-humid zone in The Gambia, Guinea, Mali and Senegal. The key question we addressed in this study was as follows: What are the key trends and changes in transhumant pastoralism and how do these impact sustainable management of natural resources including endemic livestock? The results of the desk study and group discussions showed that there have been more southerly movements by transhumant pastoralists into the sub-humid zone over the past three decades and this has contributed to growing competition for grazing resources. The presence of transhumant herds in the sub-humid zone has a potential impact on management and conservation of ERL through crossbreeding with transhumant Zebu breeds from the Sahel but only study sites in Mali showed a high risk.     

Die ökologische Bewertung von Seeufern in Deutschland

Goal and Scope

Details about the ecological function of lake shores as ecotones between land and lakes are not well-known. These ecotones are also heavily exploited and, in part, considerably changed. Whereas anthropogenic nutrient loading is decreasing, structural changes are increasing. Unfortunately, there is a deficit in methods of evaluation and decision processes.

Main Focus

Even the EU-water framework directive was no remedy for this deficit, as lake shores were included only implicitly. In this article several evaluation methods and their conceptual groundwork are presented. However, these methods were not developed for lake shore research. Therefore, criteria are proposed which could fulfill the specific demands of lake shore assessments. The management of lakes shores should consider structural and biological parameters, and be agreeable to local residents.

Results and Conclusions

In addition to conventional biodiversity methods, the ecology of lake shores could also be represented by a functional food net, for example in benthic invertebrates. But even quantification of biodiversity alone creates many problems. A simple biodiversity index cannot meet all the demands placed on a method of evaluation in complex situations, especially when coupled with additional information on structure, practicability, costs, etc. For these reasons, assessments for future management cannot be based on such an index.

Outlook

A possible approach to include this complexity in assessments is to apply mathematical models and theoretical order concepts.     

Phytoremediation in the tropics--influence of heavy crude oil on root morphological characteristics of graminoids

When studying species for phytoremediation of petroleum-contaminated soils, one of the main traits is the root zone where enhanced petroleum degradation takes place. Root morphological characteristics of three tropical graminoids were studied. Specific root length (SRL), surface area, volume and average root diameter (ARD) of plants grown in crude oil-contaminated and uncontaminated soil were compared. Brachiaria brizantha and Cyperus aggregatus showed coarser roots in polluted soil compared to the control as expressed in an increased ARD. B. brizantha had a significantly larger specific root surface area in contaminated soil. Additionally, a shift of SRL and surface area per diameter class towards higher diameters was found. Oil contamination also caused a significantly smaller SRL and surface area in the finest diameter class of C. aggregatus. The root structure of Eleusine indica was not significantly affected by crude oil. Higher specific root surface area was related to higher degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons found in previous studies.     

'Molecular farming' of antibodies in plants

'Molecular farming' is the production of valuable recombinant proteins in transgenic organisms on an agricultural scale. While plants have long been used as a source of medicinal compounds, molecular farming represents a novel source of molecular medicines, such as plasma proteins, enzymes, growth factors, vaccines and recombinant antibodies, whose medical benefits are understood at a molecular level. Until recently, the broad use of molecular medicines was limited because of the difficulty in producing these proteins outside animals or animal cell culture. The application of molecular biology and plant biotechnology in the 1990s showed that many molecular medicines or vaccines could be synthesised in plants and this technology is termed 'molecular farming'. It results in pharmaceuticals that are safer, easier to produce and less expensive than those produced in animals or microbial culture. An advantage of molecular farming lies in the ability to perform protein production on a massive scale using hectares of cultivated plants. These plants can then be harvested and transported using the agricultural infrastructure. Thus, molecular farming allows rapid progress from genetic engineering to crop production, and new cash crops producing recombinant proteins are already being commercially exploited. We speculate that as functional genomics teaches us more about the nature of disease, molecular farming will produce many of the protein therapeutics that can remedy it.