@article{UllahSaqibKaechele2022, author = {Ullah, Ayat and Saqib, Shahab E. and K{\"a}chele, Harald}, title = {Determinants of Farmers' Awareness and Adoption of Extension Recommended Wheat Varieties in the Rainfed Areas of Pakistan}, series = {Sustainability}, volume = {14}, journal = {Sustainability}, number = {6}, publisher = {MDPI}, issn = {2071-1050}, doi = {10.3390/su14063194}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-3496}, pages = {18}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Scientific evidence suggests that there is room for eradicating poverty and hunger by increasing food production through the adoption of modern agricultural practices by farmers. This study aimed, first, to explore the relationship between the farmers' awareness and adoption of improved wheat varieties. Second, it aimed to find the key factors that govern the farmers' awareness and adoption of extension-recommended innovations in the rainfed cropping system of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Data were collected from 395 respondents. A binary logit model was used to analyze the effect of the farmers' socioeconomic and farm-specific characteristics on their awareness and adoption of the extension-suggested wheat varieties. Moreover, qualitative data from 40 key informants were collected for in-depth analysis. The results show a strong association between the farmers' awareness of a technology (improved wheat varieties) and its adoption. The results of the logit model show that their extension contacts, income from agriculture, and access to credit positively affected the farmers' awareness, whereas their education and household sizes negatively affected their awareness. Moreover, the factors that positively influenced the farmers' decision to adopt the technology included the extension contact, the confidence in the extension, the risk-bearing attitude, and the credit access, whereas the household size and education negatively affected it. The results of the key informant interviews reveal that the high incidence of poverty, the low soil fertility, the farmers' inability to make effective decisions, the lack of accurate weather predictability in the rainfed farming system, the lack of government interest, and the asymmetric information in the inputs markets contributed to the farmers' low levels of awareness and to their poor adoption of improved agricultural technologies. These results indicate that any intervention aimed at the awareness and adoption by farmers of improved technologies, such as new wheat varieties, should recognize the heterogeneity in the farmers' socioeconomic and farm-specific characteristics.}, language = {en} } @article{BilandZebUllahetal.2021, author = {Biland, Mazhar and Zeb, Alam and Ullah, Ayat and K{\"a}chele, Harald}, title = {Why Do Households Depend on the Forest for Income? Analysis of Factors Influencing Households' Decision-Making Behaviors}, series = {Sustainability}, volume = {13}, journal = {Sustainability}, number = {16}, publisher = {MDPI}, issn = {2071-1050}, doi = {10.3390/su13169419}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-3441}, pages = {17}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Using survey information of 150 randomly selected households across 21 villages of the forest-rich district of Swat, Pakistan, this study assessed households' decision-making behaviors in depending on income from nearby forested land using socio-economic attributes. The evidence from the study may aid in making the existing policies be better targeted toward families that depend on the forest for income. Descriptive statistics and econometric techniques such as logit and tobit were used to analyze the data. Respondent households obtained the highest share of their income from off-farm activities (37\%) and least from forest activities (16\%). Fuelwood constitutes the biggest share (66\%) of forest income, followed by medical plants (20\%) and fodder (13\%). We found that households with more physical assets, more family members working in off-farm jobs, and households earning more income from off-farm jobs were significantly and negatively associated with households' decision to depend on forest income and total income obtained. We also found that households with less distance to the market and membership to joint forest management committees (JFMCs) were significantly and negatively associated with households' total income obtained. However, household size was significantly and positively related to households' decision of forest dependency. The study recommends the creation of off-farm opportunities and inclusion of local people in the management of forests through establishment of JFMCs, particularly for large and poor families.}, language = {en} } @article{UllahMahmoodZebetal.2020, author = {Ullah, Ayat and Mahmood, Nasir and Zeb, Alam and K{\"a}chele, Harald}, title = {Factors Determining Farmers' Access to and Sources of Credit: Evidence from the Rain-Fed Zone of Pakistan}, series = {Agriculture}, volume = {10}, journal = {Agriculture}, number = {12}, publisher = {MDPI}, issn = {2077-0472}, doi = {10.3390/agriculture10120586}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-3419}, pages = {13}, year = {2020}, abstract = {This study investigates the factors that affect farmers' access to agricultural credit and its role in adopting improved agricultural technologies in the rain-fed zone of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan. Using logistic models, we assess and compare the relative role of farmers' socioeconomic attributes in their access to credit and adoption strategies. The results indicate a moderate positive association between farmers' access to agricultural credit and their adoption of improved agricultural technologies. The binary logit model's results indicate that farmers with a large-sized farm, high farm income, better access to information, and large physical asset ownership showed a positive influence on credit access. However, farming experience showed a negative effect on farmers' access to agricultural credit. Regarding farmers' credit sources, this study found that asset-rich farmers with more farming experience and better access to information relied more on banks than on input providers and informal credit sources. Similarly, older farmers with more education, larger farm sizes and high farm income were more likely to have borrowed from input providers than banks. We conclude that the role of the effective provision of information on credit and agricultural technology is imperative and requires separate policies that are specifically aimed at different groups of farmers with different socioeconomic and farm-related characteristics.}, language = {en} } @article{EriksenVersluijsFuchsetal.2022, author = {Eriksen, Ane and Versluijs, Erik and Fuchs, Boris and Zimmermann, Barbara and Wabakken, Petter and Ordiz, Andr{\´e}s and Sunde, Peter and Wikenros, Camilla and Sand, H{\aa}kan and Gillich, Benjamin and Michler, Frank and Nordli, Kristoffer and Carricondo-Sanchez, David and Gorini, Lucrezia and Rieger, Siegfried}, title = {A Standardized Method for Experimental Human Approach Trials on Wild Wolves}, series = {Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution}, volume = {10}, journal = {Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution}, publisher = {Frontiers Media S.A.}, issn = {2296-701X}, doi = {10.3389/fevo.2022.793307}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-2788}, pages = {17}, year = {2022}, abstract = {As wolves recolonize areas of Europe ranging from moderate to high anthropogenic impact, fear of wolves is a recurring source of conflict. Shared tools for evaluating wolf responses to humans, and comparing such responses across their range, can be valuable. Experiments in which humans approach wild wolves can increase our understanding of how wolves respond to humans, facilitating human-wolf coexistence. We have developed the first standardized protocol for evaluating wolf responses to approaching humans using high-resolution GPS data, and tested it on wild wolves. We present a field protocol for experimentally approaching GPS-collared wolves, a descriptive comparison of two statistical methods for detecting a measurable flight response, a tutorial for identifying wolf flight initiation and resettling positions, and an evaluation of the method when reducing GPS positioning frequency. The field protocol, a data collection form, and the tutorial with R code for extracting flight parameters are provided. This protocol will facilitate studies of wolf responses to approaching humans, applicable at a local, national, and international level. Data compiled in a standardized way from multiple study areas can be used to quantify the variation in wolf responses to humans within and between populations, and in relation to predictors such as social status, landscape factors, or human population density, and to establish a baseline distribution of wolf response patterns given a number of known predictors. The variation in wolf responses can be used to assess the degree to which results can be generalized to areas where GPS studies are not feasible, e.g., for predicting the range of likely wolf behaviors, assessing the likelihood of wolf-human encounters, and complementing existing tools for evaluating reports of bold wolves. Showing how wolves respond to human encounters should help demystify the behavior of wild wolves toward humans in their shared habitat.}, language = {en} } @article{SpiesZuberiMaehlisetal.2022, author = {Spies, Michael and Zuberi, Mehwish and M{\"a}hlis, Madlen and Zakirova, Aksana and Alff, Henryk and Raab, Christoph}, title = {Towards a participatory systems approach to managing complex bioeconomy interventions in the agrarian sector}, series = {Sustainable Production and Consumption}, journal = {Sustainable Production and Consumption}, number = {31}, publisher = {Elsevier}, issn = {2352-5509}, doi = {10.1016/j.spc.2022.03.020}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-4205}, pages = {557 -- 568}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Calls for a "sustainable bioeconomy" have recently begun to proliferate in academic and political circles as an answer to global challenges such as the rapidly increasing world population and changing environmental conditions due to climate change. To build economies that rely on various sources of biomass rather than on fossil-based resources, bioeconomy policies highlight a need to explore ways in which productivity in agriculture can be increased. While the focus on productivity growth has largely been inspired by technology optimism and modernisation thinking, the local knowledge of farmers and other rural stakeholders - as a means of contributing to socially and ecologically more sustainable bioeconomy pathways - has frequently been sidelined. This perspective article proposes and discusses a participatory approach to strategy formulation and evaluation in agricultural transformation and bioeconomy development that is based on the methodological toolbox MARISCO (Adaptive MAnagement of vulnerability and RISk at COnservation sites). By offering a means of developing a comprehensive knowledge map, bringing together both insights and perspectives from diverse local stakeholders, this approach enables a systemic evaluation of the social and ecological effects of intervention strategies on the ground. The article outlines the benefits - and challenges - of such a systemic and participatory approach and briefly sketches how the results can be utilised in more sustainable governance processes in the development of bioeconomy strategies. We conclude that our adapted MARISCO methodology offers a viable tool to make more visible the perspectives and knowledge of biomass producers for policymakers and to contribute to a much-needed discursive shift in bioeconomy debates towards more holistic and inclusive perspectives.}, language = {en} } @article{AmponsemBensahAhiekporetal.2022, author = {Amponsem, Bright and Bensah, Edem Cudjoe and Ahiekpor, Julius Cudjoe and Cremer, Tobias and Herold, Nadine and Antwi, Edward and Mensah, Isaac and Narra, Satyanarayana and Boahen, Benjamin}, title = {Cleaner energy potential analysis for composite biomass residues from decentralized sawmills in Ghana- A case study for Oforikrom Municipality}, series = {Cleaner Engineering and Technology}, journal = {Cleaner Engineering and Technology}, number = {11}, publisher = {Elsevier}, issn = {2666-7908}, doi = {10.1016/j.clet.2022.100563}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-6154}, pages = {11}, year = {2022}, abstract = {The variation of wood species processed in sawmills in developing countries generates composite waste which presents treatment challenges due to a lack of understanding of their physicochemical characteristics for proper planning for clean energy generation. Most of the waste is discarded or burnt openly which releases harmful gases into the environment. This study investigated the physicochemical characteristics of mixed sawdust generated from five wood species generated at a Ghanaian sawmill in Oforikrom Municipality for improving waste treatment. The particle size distribution (PSD), bulk density, proximate and ultimate values, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and structural analysis were used to characterize the composite sawdust for briquetting and gasification purposes. It was found that the net heating value (17.46 MJ/kg), some proximate and ultimate values meet briquette standard but high percentages of ash (2.95\%), moisture (41.48\%) and the possibility of nitrogen oxides emissions were notable challenges. PSD resulted in different high fine fractions which are unsuitable for densification. The increase of sieving amplitudes at 30, 50 and 80 rpm generated an average increase in sieve efficiency of fines by 4.22\%. Mixing of fines (42.38-46.6\%) and optimum particle size (53.40-57.62\%) fractions was suggested as the best approach to enhance briquette density and durability. The FTIR spectra showed a range of peaks such as 1734.46 cm-1, 1620.48 cm-1, 1506.50 cm-1, 1462.02 cm-1, 1420.32 cm-1 etc. for functional groups identification. Composite sawdust spectra showed high absorbance with no shift of wavenumbers compared with temperate woods, however, it deviated massively when compared with industrial cellulose and organosolv lignin. TGA indicated that exact mixed wood pyrolysis temperatures, volatile and biochar fractions will always depend on sample compositions. The increase in heating rates yielded little significance to volatiles and char increments. Collection of clean sawdust and rooftop drying were recommended as a way of enhancing sawdust properties. Composite sawdust has a promising potential to support Ghana's activities for meeting the renewable energy generation targets. The understanding of these potential assessments is significant to boost the local municipality energy supply.}, language = {en} } @article{BirdmanBarthLang2022, author = {Birdman, Jodie and Barth, Matthias and Lang, Daniel J.}, title = {Connecting curricula and competence through student learning journeys}, series = {Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy}, journal = {Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy}, number = {18/1}, publisher = {Taylor \& Francis}, issn = {1548-7733}, doi = {10.1080/15487733.2022.2097773}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-4240}, pages = {560 -- 575}, year = {2022}, abstract = {This research examines the connection between higher education curricula for sustainable development and student development of key competencies for sustainability. The authors conducted a comparative case study that followed ten students from three graduate sustainability programs. Through a combination of student-generated and contextual data, we created a set of learning journeys. These journeys showed that activities which foster reflection, interaction, and real-world connections are especially critical for competence development as part of the whole curriculum. What and how students found most useful depended on individual disposition and we identified four general categories based on prior experience, attitude to learning, and individual goals. Barriers to competency development were frustration, feelings of helplessness, and being unable to link competence to concrete activities or concepts. These barriers could be mitigated through peer interaction and mentorship, environmental support such as spaces for collaboration, and instructor scaffolding. Because no single course can fit the needs of each student, we recommend that beneficial components in the form of courses that support the above-mentioned activities be part of purposeful curriculum design.}, language = {en} } @article{BashutskaCremer2020, author = {Bashutska, U. B. and Cremer, Tobias}, title = {Екологічне оцінювання деревини робінії звичайної та рекультивованих відвалів шахт як резервної території для її вирощування}, series = {Scientific Bulletin of UNFU}, volume = {30}, journal = {Scientific Bulletin of UNFU}, number = {3}, issn = {1994-7836}, doi = {10.36930/40300309}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-4433}, pages = {51 -- 59}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Раціональне користування природними ресурсами є необхідним для сталого розвитку. Потребою сьогодення є використання екологічної сировини, яка спричиняє мінімальний вплив на довкілля та здоров'я людини під час її виробництва, використання й утилізації. Проаналізовано екологічну цінність деревини робінії звичайної на підставі вивчення її застосування та ринків збуту у Німеччині. Відзначено подібність її деревини за хімічним складом і властивостями із деревиною тропічних видів дерев, а також можливість заготівлі екологічно сприйнятливими способами. Вивчено можливість вирощування цього інтродукованого виду рослин на рекультивованих породних відвалах за умови екологічного моніторингу. Опрацьовано інформацію про насадження робінії звичайної у північно-східній низовині Німеччини. Проаналізовано будову, властивості деревини робінії та її можливе використання. Розглянуто принципи сортування та відповідні критерії якості деревини робінії. Здійснено порівняння ринків робінії у Бранденбурзі (Німеччина) та Угорщині. Запропоновано заходи щодо збільшення використання робінії. Розглянуто порушені землі Малого Полісся, як резервні території отримання екологічної деревини робінії звичайної. Екологічно обґрунтованим є відведення для цього порушених добуванням вугілля територій у сприятливих лісорослинних районах. Фітомеліоративні властивості робінії звичайної роблять її перспективним видом для залісення новоутворених екотопів із широкою екологічною амплітудою в умовах Малого Полісся. Наявність насипних рекультиваційних ґрунтів є необхідною умовою для приживання та рівномірного росту і розвитку робінієвих культур в умовах породних відвалів шахт. Якість та продуктивність робінієвих насаджень залежать від фізико-хімічних властивостей шарів насипних ґрунтів та мікрокліматичних особливостей екотопів відвалів. Це зумовлює відмінності в рості й розвитку робінієвих насаджень, впливає на показники якості деревини робінії і зумовлює шляхи її можливого використання. Меліоративна функція робінієвих насаджень на післягірничих ландшафтах є особливо важливою у час зміни клімату. Продуктивна функція робінієвих насаджень на післягірничих ландшафтах дає підставу розглядати їх як додаткове джерело біологічно стійкої деревини.}, language = {mul} } @article{MartensOeztuerkRindtetal.2022, author = {Martens, D{\"o}rte and {\"O}zt{\"u}rk, {\"O}yk{\"u}m and Rindt, Lara and Twarok, Jana and Steinhardt, Uta and Molitor, Heike}, title = {Supporting biodiversity: Structures of participatory actions in urban green spaces}, series = {Frontiers in Sustainable Cities}, volume = {4}, journal = {Frontiers in Sustainable Cities}, publisher = {Frontiers Media S.A.}, issn = {2624-9634}, doi = {10.3389/frsc.2022.952790}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-3636}, pages = {13}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Biodiversity loss is an important topic considering climate change, global warming, and even the reasoning of current and future animal-related diseases, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Urban biodiversity is also important because of the ecosystem services they provide, restorative benefits for well-being, and physical health of the people who live in urban areas. Each city has its own strategies to cope with this issue, and these strategies do not function without the contribution of habitants of the cities. We developed an index (BBS) of the existing possibilities to support urban biodiversity in Berlin to measure the awareness and willingness of the Berliners to participate and support urban biodiversity. A survey was conducted in a face-to-face situation in four districts of Berlin with 431 urban residents, measuring preference for three different levels of biodiversity, connectedness to residential greenspace, neighborhood and city, nature relatedness, and willingness in participatory actions around greenspace. The results show that the high biodiversity condition in a photo scenario was preferred by most residents, indicating the appreciation for urban biodiversity. The connectedness to the residential greenspace was high (and higher than the connectedness to neighborhood and city), showing large potential for quality of life. While the overall willingness to participate in actions to support urban greenspace was rather high, our index shows substantial differences in activities, which are perceived more or less. This is a key result for urban park management to increase urban biodiversity participation processes.}, language = {en} } @misc{LenzWolffBeyeretal.2023, author = {Lenz, Claudia and Wolff, Ian and Beyer, Mario and Koch, Gerald and Pfriem, Alexander}, title = {DMP: Predictability of color changes of wood used indoor - A new approach to evaluate the colour change as a function of the radiation dose. Research Data Management Questionnaire}, doi = {10.5281/zenodo.8084673}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-8237}, pages = {47}, year = {2023}, abstract = {This is a data management plan for the DFG research project "Predictability of color changes of wood used indoor - A new approach to evaluate the color change as a function of the radiation dose". DFG Funding code / Project number: 442135169 Project website: https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/442135169?language=en This data management plan (DMP) applies to the Research Data Management Organizer (RDMO) questionnaire and was operated with the RDMO software: https://rdmorganiser.github.io/en/}, language = {en} }