TY - GEN A1 - Kölbl, Angelika A1 - Steffens, Markus A1 - Wiesmeier, Martin A1 - Hoffmann, Carsten A1 - Funk, Roger A1 - Krümmelbein, Julia A1 - Reszkowska, Agnieszka A1 - Zhao, Ying A1 - Peth, Stephan A1 - Horn, Rainer A1 - Giese, Marcus A1 - Kögel-Knabner, Ingrid T1 - Grazing changes topography-controlled topsoil properties and their interaction on different spatial scales in a semi-arid grassland of Inner Mongolia, P.R. China T2 - Plant and Soil Y1 - 2011 SN - 1573-5036 VL - 340 IS - 1-2 SP - 35 EP - 58 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Wanner, Manfred A1 - Elmer, Michael A1 - Sommer, Michael A1 - Funk, Roger A1 - Puppe, Daniel T1 - Testate amoebae colonizing a newly exposed land surface are of airborne origin T2 - Ecological Indicators N2 - We hypothesized that at the very beginning of terrestrial ecosystem development, airborne testate amoebae play a pivotal role in facilitating organismic colonization and related soil processes. We, therefore, analyzed size and quantity of airborne testate amoebae and immigration and colonization success of airborne testate amoebae on a new land surface (experimental site “Chicken Creek”, artificial post-mining water catchment). Within an altogether 91-day exposure of 70 adhesive traps, 12 species of testate amoebae were identified to be of airborne origin. Phryganella acropodia (51% of all individuals found, diameter about 35–45 μm) and Centropyxis sphagnicola (23% of all individuals found, longest axis about 55–68 μm), occurred most frequently in the adhesive traps. We extrapolated an aerial amoeba deposition of 61 individuals d−1 m−2 (living and dead individuals combined). Although it would be necessary to have a longer sequence (some additional years), our analysis of the “target substrate” of aerial immigration (catchment site) may point to a shift from a stochastic (variable) beginning of community assembly to a more deterministic (stable) course. This shift was assigned to an age of seven years of initial soil development. Although experienced specialists are necessary to conduct these time-consuming studies, the presented data suggest that terrestrial amoebae are suitable indicators for initial ecosystem development and utilization. Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2014.07.037 SN - 1470-160x VL - 48 SP - 55 EP - 62 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Sheppard, Jonathan P. A1 - Bohn Reckziegel, Rafael A1 - Borrass, Lars A1 - Chirwa, Paxie W. A1 - Cuaranhua, Claudio J. A1 - Hassler, Sibylle K A1 - Hoffmeister, Svenja A1 - Kestel, Florian A1 - Maier, Rebekka A1 - Mälicke, Mirko A1 - Morhart, Christopher A1 - Ndlovu, Nicholas P. A1 - Veste, Maik A1 - Funk, Roger A1 - Lang, Friedericke A1 - Seifert, Thomas A1 - du Toit, Ben A1 - Kahle, Hans-Peter T1 - Agroforestry: An Appropriate and Sustainable Response to a Changing Climate in Southern Africa? T2 - Sustainability N2 - Agroforestry is often discussed as a strategy that can be used both for the adaptation to and the mitigation of climate change effects. The climate of southern Africa is predicted to be severely affected by such changes. With agriculture noted as the continent’s largest economic sector, issues such as food security and land degradation are in the forefront. In the light of such concerns we review the current literature to investigate if agroforestry systems (AFS) are a suitable response to the challenges besetting traditional agricultural caused by a changing climate. The benefits bestowed by AFS are multiple, offering ecosystem services, influence over crop production and positive impacts on rural livelihoods through provisioning and income generation. Nevertheless, knowledge gaps remain. We identify outstanding questions requiring further investigation such as the interplay between trees and crops and their combination, with a discussion of potential benefits. Furthermore, we identify deficiencies in the institutional and policy frameworks that underlie the adoption and stimulus of AFS in the southern African region. We uphold the concept that AFS remains an appropriate and sustainable response for an increased resilience against a changing climate in southern Africa for the benefit of livelihoods and multiple environmental values KW - agroforestry KW - Southern Africa Y1 - 2020 UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/17/6796 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/su12176796 VL - 12 IS - 17 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Veste, Maik A1 - Sheppard, Jonathan P. A1 - Abdulai, Issaka A1 - Ayisi, Kwabena K. A1 - Borrass, Lars A1 - Chirwa, Paxie W. A1 - Funk, Roger ED - Maltitz, Graham P. von ED - Midgley, Guy F. ED - Veitch, Jennifer ED - Brümmer, Christian ED - Rötter, Reimund P. ED - Viehberg, Finn A. ED - Veste, Maik T1 - The Need for Sustainable Agricultural Land-Use Systems: Benefits from Integrated Agroforestry Systems T2 - Sustainability of Southern African Ecosystems under Global Change N2 - This chapter introduces the different agroforestry systems (AFSs) as part of the diversification of agricultural landscapes and gives examples of their use in different related crop production systems in southern Africa. The introduction of trees into agriculture has several benefits and can mitigate the effects of climate change. For example nitrogen-fixing trees and shrubs contribute significantly to nutrient recycling and benefit soil conservation, which is particularly important for smallholder farms. In addition, shelterbelts play an important role in reducing wind speeds, and thus, evapotranspiration, and modifying the microclimatic conditions, which is an important factor for the adaptation of cropping systems to climate change. These integrated AFS landscapes provide important ecosystem services for soil protection, food security and for biodiversity. However, deficiencies in the institutional and policy frameworks that underlie the adoption and stimulus of AFS in the southern African region were identified. Furthermore, the following factors must be considered to optimise AFS: (1) selection of tree species that ensure maximum residual soil fertility beyond 3 years, (2) size of land owned by the farmer, (3) integrated nutrition management, where organic resources are combined with synthetic inorganic fertilisers and (4) tree-crop competition in the root zone for water. KW - Tree - crop competition KW - Agroforestry KW - Agriculture KW - Shelterbelt KW - Windbreak KW - SPACES II Y1 - 2024 UR - https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-10948-5_21 SN - 978-3-031-10947-8 SN - 978-3-031-10948-5 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-10948-5_21 SP - 587 EP - 623 PB - Springer CY - Cham ER -