@article{StaviThevsWelpetal.2022, author = {Stavi, Ilan and Thevs, Niels and Welp, Martin and Zdruli, Pandi}, title = {Provisioning ecosystem services related with oak (Quercus) systems: a review of challenges and opportunities}, series = {Agroforestry Systems}, volume = {96}, journal = {Agroforestry Systems}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, issn = {0167-4366}, doi = {10.1007/s10457-021-00718-3}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-5478}, pages = {293 -- 313}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Natural, semi-natural, and extensively managed oak woodlands and forests are prevalent across the world. These lands fulfil a range of ecosystem services, goods, and functions. Increasing natural and anthropogenic pressures impose threats to these lands. This paper first describes the Quercus genus and discusses management and mismanagement practices of oak systems. Then, the provisioning ecosystem services related with oak systems are reviewed, including: (1) oak's agroforestry and silvopasture systems for the production of food, pasture, and additional products; (2) browsing of oak leaves and acorns by livestock; (3) harvesting of oak wood for timber; (4) cork oak stripping, and the uses of cork; (5) acorn-based foods and beverages; and (6) others uses, such as the production of medicines and extraction of tannins for the leather industry. We discuss the multi-purpose and multi-functional nature of oak systems, and demonstrate how they diversify sources of income for local communities, resulting in improved economic and food security. Further, we show the important role of woodlands certification, aimed at protecting oak systems while ensuring environmental equity. Also, we demonstrate how providing of financial support for reforestation and afforestation schemes of degraded oak woodlands, could restore ecosystem functioning and reverse land degradation. Then, we stress the need to involve traditional knowledge in restoration schemes of degraded oak systems. Lastly, we demonstrate how policymaking and legislation regarding the oak's commercial plantations and farming systems could alleviate stresses imposed on the world's oak woodlands and forests by producing alternative sources of wood for the timber industry.}, language = {en} } @article{WeiHalikAishanetal.2022, author = {Wei, Zhicheng and Halik, {\"U}m{\"u}t and Aishan, Tayierjiang and Abliz, Abdulla and Welp, Martin}, title = {Spatial distribution patterns of trunk internal decay of Euphrates poplar riparian forest along the Tarim River, northwest China}, series = {Forest Ecology and Management}, journal = {Forest Ecology and Management}, number = {522}, publisher = {Elsevier}, issn = {0378-1127}, doi = {10.1016/j.foreco.2022.120434}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-5488}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Trunk internal decay is a common phenomenon in forest ecosystems, causing the loss of forest resources. Euphrates poplar (Populus euphratica Oliv.) is the only constructive tree species of the desert riparian forests along the Tarim River in northwestern China. The ecosystem stability of these forests has been damaged due to widespread internal decay or hollow rot in many tree trunks. However, forest resource conservation is difficult due to the unclear spatial patterns of P. euphratica trunk decay under different water conditions and tree morphology in the middle (MTR) and lower reaches (LTR) of the Tarim River. We conducted a field experiment and lab analysis to assess the reliability of the ARBOTOM® 2D stress wave Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) technique on P. euphratica populations. We explored the quantitative characterization method and the spatial distribution patterns of P. euphratica trunk internal decay in the MTR and LTR. Our study found that (1) the accuracy of the stress wave NDT technique in detecting trunk decay of P. euphratica in the arid desert area was more than 80\%; The severity of internal trunk decays can be quantitatively characterized by the combination of the Matlab Image Processing Toolbox, (2) the trunk decay proportion of P. euphratica showed an increasing trend with the tree height in the MTR. The LTR first increased, then decreased. The degree of decay was highest when the tree height was 6-7 m. The trunk decay proportion of individual trees positively correlated with the diameter at breast height and crown loss (p < 0.001) and negatively correlated with the crown diameter (p < 0.001). The higher the decay occurrence, the worse the individual size was, and vice versa, and (3) the decay proportion of the P. euphratica showed an overall increasing trend with an increase in groundwater depth. The trunk decay was significantly higher in the LTR compared to the MTR at the same distance of 300-1050 m from the river channel. Our findings suggested that the trunk decay in P. euphratica had a higher difference among different tree morphology, and the occurrence of decay in the LTR was much higher than in the MTR. The water stress at the site is one of the leading factors in internal defects in the riparian forests along the Tarim River. The results provide a theoretical basis and scientific support for desert riparian forest ecosystems' conservation and sustainable management.}, language = {en} } @article{BoseGesslerBolteetal.2020, author = {Bose, Arun K. and Gessler, Arthur and Bolte, Andreas and Bottero, Alessandra and Buras, Allan and Cailleret, Maxime and Camarero, J. Julio and Haeni, Matthias and Here{\c{s}}, Ana-Maria and Hevia, Andrea and L{\´e}vesque, Mathieu and Linares, Juan C. and Martinez-Vilalta, Jordi and Mat{\´i}as, Luis and Menzel, Annette and S{\´a}nchez-Salguero, Ra{\´u}l and Saurer, Matthias and Vennetier, Michel and Ziche, Daniel and Rigling, Andreas}, title = {Growth and resilience responses of Scots pine to extreme droughts across Europe depend on predrought growth conditions}, series = {Global Change Biology}, volume = {26}, journal = {Global Change Biology}, number = {8}, publisher = {Wiley}, issn = {1365-2486}, doi = {10.1111/gcb.15153}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-5496}, pages = {4521 -- 4537}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Global climate change is expected to further raise the frequency and severity of extreme events, such as droughts. The effects of extreme droughts on trees are difficult to disentangle given the inherent complexity of drought events (frequency, severity, duration, and timing during the growing season). Besides, drought effects might be modulated by trees' phenotypic variability, which is, in turn, affected by long-term local selective pressures and management legacies. Here we investigated the magnitude and the temporal changes of tree-level resilience (i.e., resistance, recovery, and resilience) to extreme droughts. Moreover, we assessed the tree-, site-, and drought-related factors and their interactions driving the tree-level resilience to extreme droughts. We used a tree-ring network of the widely distributed Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) along a 2,800 km latitudinal gradient from southern Spain to northern Germany. We found that the resilience to extreme drought decreased in mid-elevation and low productivity sites from 1980-1999 to 2000-2011 likely due to more frequent and severe droughts in the later period. Our study showed that the impact of drought on tree-level resilience was not dependent on its latitudinal location, but rather on the type of sites trees were growing at and on their growth performances (i.e., magnitude and variability of growth) during the predrought period. We found significant interactive effects between drought duration and tree growth prior to drought, suggesting that Scots pine trees with higher magnitude and variability of growth in the long term are more vulnerable to long and severe droughts. Moreover, our results indicate that Scots pine trees that experienced more frequent droughts over the long-term were less resistant to extreme droughts. We, therefore, conclude that the physiological resilience to extreme droughts might be constrained by their growth prior to drought, and that more frequent and longer drought periods may overstrain their potential for acclimation.}, language = {en} } @article{Alff2020, author = {Alff, Henryk}, title = {Belts and roads every- and nowhere: Conceptualizing infrastructural corridorization in the Indian Ocean}, series = {Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space}, volume = {38}, journal = {Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space}, number = {5}, publisher = {Sage}, doi = {10.1177/2399654420911410c}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-5508}, pages = {815 -- 819}, year = {2020}, abstract = {This article scrutinizes the Maritime Silk Road Initiative by framing it not as a static, state-centric device to channel Chinese developmental ambitions, but by emphasizing the flexible character of its production and the provisional configuration of its materialization. It draws on assemblage theory as a conceptual angle to, on the one hand, focus on the agentive character of human and non-human 'actors' such as 'traveling' discourses of development or infrastructures to explore Maritime Silk Road Initiative's materialization 'on the ground' in its emergent rather than resultant way, on the other.}, language = {en} } @article{WaibelBloebaumMatthiesetal.2020, author = {Waibel, Michael and Bl{\"o}baum, Anke and Matthies, Ellen and Schwede, Dirk and Messerschmidt, Rolf and Mund, Jan-Peter and Katzschner, Lutz and Jayaweera, Ravi and Becker, Annalena and Karagianni, Christina and McKenna, Amelie and Lambrecht, Oliver and Rivera, Marcelo and Kupski, Sebastian}, title = {Enhancing Quality of Life through Sustainable Urban Transformation in Cambodia: Introduction to the Build4People Project}, series = {Insight: Cambodia Journal of Basic and Applied Research}, volume = {2}, journal = {Insight: Cambodia Journal of Basic and Applied Research}, number = {2}, issn = {2790-3508}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-5140}, pages = {199 -- 233}, year = {2020}, abstract = {This policy brief introduces preliminary research results of the Build4People project, funded by the German government as part of the multi-phase focus programme "Sustainable Development of Urban Regions". Furthermore, the research agenda of the upcoming main four-year Research and Development phase (RD phase) will be introduced based on insights gained in previous shorter funding periods. The Build4People research consortium consists of representatives from four German universities and two German companies with their respective research, implementation and dissemination partners in the Kingdom of Cambodia. Build4People's rationale is based on Phnom Penh's dynamic economic growth, which is coupled with a local urbanisation and construction boom. However, new buildings and neighbourhoods are rarely constructed in a sustainable way with direct and indirect negative environmental impacts. Issues of sustainability are hardly addressed by decision-makers in the construction sector, related ministries, city administrations or building users. The overall aim of the multi- and trans-disciplinary Build4People project during the RD phase is to support and analyse the transformative shift in Phnom Penh's current business-as-usual urban development pathway towards a pathway with higher sustainability and liveability levels. The entry points for the research are the building and neighbourhood planning sectors. Methods, tools and key instruments to achieve the objectives of the RD phase are collaborative planning workshops, strategic niche management approaches, transition management approaches and subsequent experimental implementation. All of these measures will generate applied knowledge for local stakeholders and a basis for evidence-based decision-making. Urban quality of life as a people-driven approach serves as the integrating link for all of our scientific, conceptional, analytical and normative dimensions. During our research, we will jointly conceptualize, measure and model urban quality of life and consider its political dimension and its often-ambiguous relationship to sustainability.}, language = {en} } @article{MohiuddinMund2021, author = {Mohiuddin, Gulam and Mund, Jan-Peter}, title = {Application of Land Surface Temperature Analysis in Urban Green Spaces: Case Studies from South Asia}, series = {GI_Forum}, volume = {9}, journal = {GI_Forum}, number = {2}, publisher = {Verlag der {\"O}sterreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften}, issn = {2308-1708}, doi = {10.1553/giscience2021_02_s202}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-5168}, pages = {202 -- 214}, year = {2021}, abstract = {This paper demonstrates the use of remote sensing in planning urban green spaces (UGSs). UGSs emerged as a popular solution to combat the effects of Urban Heat Island, especially in tropical cities. UGS projects often need to identify priority implementation areas due to limited funding for UGSs. This study includes two Asian cities, namely Phnom Penh (Cambodia) and Chittagong (Bangladesh). It is not comparative, but it has identified priority administrative areas for future UGSs in both cities. We used Landsat 8 data and the remote sensing technique Land Surface Temperature (LST) analysis using radiance, temperature brightness and emissivity. LST data were then intersected with the administrative boundaries of the study areas. The identification of priority administrative areas for UGS considered both the area coverage and the percentage of coverage in terms of maximum LST within the administrative units' boundaries. The result found 8 and 10 administrative units to be hotspots for UGSs, for Phnom Penh and Chittagong respectively. The proposed method will be useful to both government and non-government organizations alike, especially in tropical countries.}, language = {en} } @article{FoehrderMundSpathelf2021, author = {Foehrder, Torben and Mund, Jan-Peter and Spathelf, Peter}, title = {Advantages of 360° Virtual Forest Tours to Supplement Academic Forestry Education}, series = {GI_Forum}, volume = {9}, journal = {GI_Forum}, number = {2}, publisher = {Verlag der {\"O}sterreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften}, issn = {2308-1708}, doi = {10.1553/giscience2021_02_s34}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-5179}, pages = {34 -- 44}, year = {2021}, abstract = {360° virtual forest tours (VFTs), created by state-of-the-art virtual reality technology, contribute to the progression of academic e-learning and forest management. The article proposes a conceptual framework for 360° VFT production and use to supplement field courses. Reflective insights into the authors' own learning process in the production of 360° VFTs, and a consideration of the general challenges of the medium are also presented. To conclude, the article summarizes the advantages of 360° VFTs for forestry education in an academic context.}, language = {en} } @article{EstevesdeCarvalhoMelodeMatosUmbelinoetal.2022, author = {Esteves de Carvalho, Luiza Marina and Melo, Alessandra and de Matos Umbelino, Glauco Jos{\´e} and Mund, Jan-Peter and Gomes dos Santos, Jhonathan and Rosette, Jacqueline and Silveira, Daniel and Gorgens, Eric Bastos}, title = {Charcoal heaps volume estimation based on unmanned aerial vehicles}, series = {Southern Forests: a Journal of Forest Science}, volume = {83}, journal = {Southern Forests: a Journal of Forest Science}, number = {4}, publisher = {Taylor \& Francis}, issn = {2070-2620}, doi = {10.2989/20702620.2021.1997067}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-5181}, pages = {303 -- 309}, year = {2022}, abstract = {The charcoal stock in a forestry business is controlled based on the theoretical capacity of the masonry ovens (input) and shipped trucks (output). During the year, the company must monitor the stock for accountability reports and internal governance. This paper proposes a more efficient and precise survey method that overcomes the challenges of the common monitoring system in Brazil. In this study, a monitoring method based on digital stereoscopy from UAV images was implemented and evaluated. The results were compared with those of the traditional topographic survey based on RTK equipment. A multi-engine UAV, with an integrated global navigation satellite system (GNSS) and real-time kinematic positioning (RTK) equipment was used to fly over and survey a masonry oven complex containing eight charcoal heaps. Two stereoscopic processing methods were applied: (1) very low quality and (2) high quality to image alignment, reconstruction of a dense cloud, facet count and a three-dimensional mesh creation. Low-quality products showed geometric deformities when compared to high quality, but resulted in estimations similar to the topographic survey. Results indicated that the volume estimation of the charcoal heaps using UAV derived orthomosaics can replace the conventional method of GNSS RTK surveys with considerable gains in stockpile volume accuracy, inventory frequency and labour safety. The high quality processing method registered improvements in geometric precision and accuracy.}, language = {en} } @article{ZakirovaAlffSchmidt2023, author = {Zakirova, Aksana and Alff, Henryk and Schmidt, Matthias}, title = {Cash crop or food crop? socioeconomic and geopolitical factors affecting smallholder farmer crop selection in times of crisis in southwestern Tajikistan}, series = {Frontiers in Agronomy}, journal = {Frontiers in Agronomy}, number = {5}, publisher = {Frontiers}, issn = {2673-3218}, doi = {10.3389/fagro.2023.1228165}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-7972}, pages = {14}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Tajikistan's agricultural sector, primarily dominated by cotton cultivation, has experienced significant changes since the Soviet era. Although farmers introduced food crops into agricultural production to ensure food security after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the government still mandates that cotton cultivation occupy a considerable portion of Tajikistan's limited irrigated land. However, following the recent Covid-19 pandemic crisis, farmers have encountered the need to reassess their agricultural practices, given constrained governmental assistance and a range of socioeconomic considerations. This research adopts resilience as a conceptual framework to examine the coping strategies of smallholder farmers in the Khatlon region of Tajikistan, with a specific emphasis on the period spanning from 2019 to 2022. At the outset, our research employed the snowballing technique to increase respondent participation, later transitioning to a representative sample size that facilitated the collection of qualitative data from around 100 semi-structured interviews, 10 focus groups, and personal visits to agricultural fields over the course of four years. The paper not only demonstrates the overall creativity of Tajikistani farmers in growing and selecting non-cotton crops in this most recent period of crisis, but also points to wealthier farmers' generally greater willingness to adopt technological innovations and gain new knowledge to apply to them. Although these strategies have been taken in order to address farmers' immediate needs in troubled times against the backdrop of the existing state cotton policy, their sustainability remains uncertain. While the qualitative focus of this study bears certain inherent limitations, the data collected nevertheless show that this period of crisis has been generative for many farmers as they seek out new methods of subsistence.}, language = {en} } @article{LauterbachBrunsHaering2023, author = {Lauterbach, Josephine and Bruns, Antonia Johanna and H{\"a}ring, Anna Maria}, title = {Exploring Consumer Preference towards the On-Farm Slaughtering of Beef in Germany: A Discrete Choice Experiment}, series = {Foods}, journal = {Foods}, number = {12}, publisher = {MDPI}, issn = {2304-8158}, doi = {10.3390/foods12183473}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-7753}, pages = {15}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Current production standards and communication campaigns about animal welfare in relation to beef strongly emphasise the "humane" rearing of cattle. Aspects such as transport and slaughtering conditions are often overlooked in both production standards and communications with consumers. Long transport routes and conventional slaughtering can cause significant stress to animals and have negative impacts on their welfare and on meat quality. On-farm slaughter can address these criticisms. Communicating the value of low-stress slaughtering conditions like on-farm slaughtering may offer significant sales potential for a premium market segment. In this study, we explore consumers' preferences and willingness to pay for beef that is slaughtered on-farm rather than in conventional abattoirs. We conducted an online survey (n = 400) in 2022, with a sample that is representative of the German population with respect to gender, age, income and education. Our survey included a discrete choice experiment for the purchase of minced beef, incorporating product attributes that influence purchase decisions. These included: price, information on the social, economic and environmental benefits of regional production, different production standards (conventional/organic) and information on on-farm slaughtering. Our findings indicate that consumers derive the highest utility from a low price, followed by information about on-farm slaughtering. Participants indicated a preference for information on high animal welfare over high beef quality. We conclude that highlighting on-farm slaughtering could be a significant benefit in marketing premium beef products.}, language = {en} }