TY - JOUR A1 - Zou, Jie A1 - Ding, Jianli A1 - Welp, Martin A1 - Huang, Shuai A1 - Liu, Bohua T1 - Assessing the Response of Ecosystem Water Use Efficiency to Drought During and after Drought Events across Central Asia JF - Sensors N2 - The frequency and intensity of drought are expected to increase worldwide in the future. However, it is still unclear how ecosystems respond to drought. Ecosystem water use efficiency (WUE) is an essential ecological index used to measure the global carbon–water cycles, and is defined as the carbon absorbed per unit of water lost by the ecosystem. In this study, we applied gross primary productivity (GPP), evapotranspiration (ET), land surface temperature (LST), and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data to calculate the WUE and drought index (temperature vegetation dryness index (TVDI)), all of which were retrieved from moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) data. We compared the mean WUE across different vegetation types, drought classifications, and countries. The temporal and spatial changes in WUE and drought were analyzed. The correlation between drought and WUE was calculated and compared across different vegetation types, and the differences in WUE between drought and post-drought periods were compared. The results showed that (1) ecosystems with a low (high) productivity had a high (low) WUE, and the mean ecosystem WUE of Central Asia showed vast differences across various drought levels, countries, and vegetation types. (2) The WUE in Central Asia exhibited an increasing trend from 2000 to 2014, and Central Asia experienced both drought (from 2000 to 2010) and post-drought (from 2011 to 2014) periods. (3) The WUE showed a negative correlation with drought during the drought period, and an obvious drought legacy effect was found, in which severe drought affected the ecosystem WUE over the following two years, while a positive correlation between WUE and drought was found in the post-drought period. (4) A significant increase in ecosystem WUE was found after drought, which revealed that arid ecosystems exhibit high resilience to drought stress. Our results can provide a specific reference for understanding how ecosystems will respond to climate change. KW - water use efficiency KW - drought KW - arid land KW - legacy effect KW - resilience Y1 - 2020 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-2361 VL - 20 IS - 3 PB - MDPI ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Shi, Lei A1 - Halik, Ümüt A1 - Abliz, Abdulla A1 - Mamat, Zulpiya A1 - Welp, Martin T1 - Urban Green Space Accessibility and Distribution Equity in an Arid Oasis City: Urumqi, China JF - Forests N2 - Urban green space (UGS) is crucial to the healthy development of urban residents. However, UGS that is accessible can benefit residents to an even greater degree. Based on the two-step floating catchment area model (2SFCA) and the location quotient (LQ), we analyzed the changes from 1999 to 2019 in UGS walking accessibility and equity in built-up areas of Urumqi at different administrative levels, and how UGS policy affects the improvement of accessibility. The results showed that UGS accessibility and equity are not evenly distributed at different administrative levels and UGS categories. Although the overall UGS accessibility and equity has improved with policy implementation, these changes are caused by metro-level UGS construction in urban fringe areas. The improvement in UGS accessibility at the neighborhood level in densely populated areas is neglected, which leads to a mismatch between UGS construction and population distribution. In addition, the accessibility of UGS is also limited by geographical location, population density, road distribution, and water shortage in arid metropolitan Urumqi. Our research results provide a theoretical basis for Urumqi and other cities in the optimization of UGS structure and the realization of social equity. KW - oasis city KW - urban green space (UGS) KW - two-step gloating catchment area method (2SFCA) KW - accessibility KW - inequality KW - UGS policy Y1 - 2020 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-2385 SN - 1999-4907 VL - 11 IS - 6 PB - MDPI ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Missall, Siegmund A1 - Welp, Martin A1 - Mehta, Kedar A1 - Degembaeva, Nadira A1 - Akmatov, Kuban A1 - Zörner, Wilfried T1 - In Search for the Optimal Forest Use Behaviour: Riparian Forest Use in Central Asia, Using the Example of Ak-Tal, Naryn, Kyrgyzstan JF - Forests N2 - Riparian forests are rare and valuable ecosystems in Central Asia, both due to their significance for biodiversity and to their provision of vital ecosystem services to local residents. However, the actual forest use behaviour is under-researched, official figures may not be trustworthy, and the question of over-use is up in the air. This paper sets out to shed light on riparian forest use behaviour by local residents using the example of Ak-Tal Village upon the Naryn River in Kyrgyzstan: Which economic use patterns do they practice (focusing on fuel wood and pasture)? Which other ecosystem services do they recognise? Is there forest over-exploitation? To answer these questions, this study builds on local knowledge, by applying the methods of focus group discussions and a household survey. Results show an extreme discrepancy between official wood consumption figures (50–60 m3 p.a.) and figures based on household wood consumption (310–404 m3 p.a.). The forest also serves as an important winter pasture over the seven months between October and April (stocking density 0.61 livestock units/ha), but payments for these ecosystem services are low, with annually 40 KGS/ha. Local residents are aware of additional material and nonmaterial ecosystem services of the riparian forest. Opinions diverge upon the question if there is forest over-exploitation, potentially because different stakeholders have different concepts of an optimal forest status. Consequently, optimal forest use behaviour can only be defined by the local users themselves, e.g., in a future stakeholder dialogue. KW - riparian forest KW - fuel wood KW - wood pasture KW - agroforestry KW - ecosystem services KW - Naryn KW - Kyrgyzstan KW - Central Asia Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-3508 SN - 1999-4907 VL - 13 IS - 8 PB - MDPI ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ruppert, Daniel A1 - Welp, Martin A1 - Spies, Michael A1 - Thevs, Niels T1 - Farmers’ Perceptions of Tree Shelterbelts on Agricultural Land in Rural Kyrgyzstan JF - Sustainabilty N2 - The reestablishment of agroforestry systems in Central Asia, combining crop production with protective tree shelterbelts, provides significant potential to improve farming systems. This includes increasing crop yields, additional income from timber, as well as reducing soil degradation and wind erosion. Thus, adopting shelterbelts as a form of pro-environmental behavior provides a number of socio-economic benefits, although some trade-offs need to be considered as well. This paper investigates factors that shape the perception of—and attitude towards—the establishment of tree shelterbelts by farmers in two case study regions in Kyrgyzstan. Applying a conceptual framework distinguishing between extrinsic and intrinsic factors, research methods included semi-structured interviews with farmers and local policy makers. The results show spatial differences in the perception of shelterbelts, both on the regional and on the village scale. In general, shelterbelts were negatively perceived by more than half of the farmers. The main concern raised by farmers was the shading of crops by shelterbelts, resulting in a decrease of yield. In addition, small field sizes and potential conflicts with neighbors were key concerns. Furthermore, rules set by local self-government bodies were inconsistent with the legislative framework, posing significant restrictions to the adoption of sustainable land use practices. KW - agroforestry KW - agriculture KW - Central Asia KW - adoption KW - perception KW - pro-environmental behavior Y1 - 2020 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-2323 SN - 2071-1050 VL - 2020 IS - 12 PB - MDPI ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Gan, Lu A1 - Halik, Ümüt A1 - Shi, Lei A1 - Welp, Martin T1 - Multi-scenario dynamic prediction of ecological risk assessment in an arid area of northwest China JF - Ecological Indicators N2 - Ecological security is essential for the development of environmental health and human society. However, the driving mechanisms and spatial non-stationarity of ecological risks are still unknown, particularly in arid areas. Thus, this study constructed an ecological risk index (ERI) research framework in arid areas based on land use and socio-economic data from 1980 to 2020 to investigate the spatiotemporal evolution trend, driving mechanisms, and spatial non-stationarity of ecological risk and predict the ecological risk under business-as-usual, economic development, and ecological protection scenarios using a patch-generating land use simulation (PLUS) model. The results show that: (1) cropland and build-up land were expanding, whereas forestland and grassland water bodies were shrinking. Compared with the two development stages from 1980 to 2000 and from 2000 to 2020, cropland increased by 4.73% and 51.52%, respectively, whereas build-up land increased by 12.64% and 106.52%, respectively, indicating rapid development and drastic changes in the past 20 years. (2) With the change in landscape diversity, the regional ecological risks showed an increasing trend, whereas the future ecological risks showed an increasing trend because of the cumulative effect of landscape pattern changes caused by human activities. (3) Moreover, dramatic changes in ecological risk, particularly in areas of intense human activity in build-up land, agricultural land, artificial oases, and mountainous areas. Corresponding to the analysis of driving mechanisms, population, GDP, distance to government, water, and primary roads; have a significant effect on ecological risk, whereas DEM has direct and indirect effect paths. Ultimately, the proposed analysis framework can present the spatiotemporal changes of ecological risks and their influencing mechanisms, which can help develop sustainable development policies. KW - Ecological risk assessment; Driving factors; Scenario simulations; Arid areas Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-8274 VL - 154 PB - Elsevier ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Litschel, Johannes A1 - Berendt, Ferréol A1 - Welp, Martin A1 - Cremer, Tobias T1 - Perspektiven von Schlüsselakteuren auf das Potenzial der Agroforstwirtschaft in Nordostdeutschland T2 - Tagungsband 9. Forum Agroforstsysteme, 27. & 28. September 2023 Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-8040 SP - 16 EP - 17 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Spies, Michael A1 - Welp, Martin ED - Schmidt, Matthias ED - Steenberg, Rune ED - Spies, Michael ED - Alff, Henryk T1 - Stakeholder-based knowledge mapping for re-establishing agroforestry systems in Central Asia T2 - Beyond post-Soviet: layered legacies and transformations in Central Asia N2 - The existing land use policies in Central Asia are not well prepared to tackle current and future risks related to climate change, soil degradation, and increasing global and domestic demand for food, fiber, and biomass. In post-socialist countries with rather short traditions of state-led democracy, it is particularly relevant to strengthen the role of civil society and to test and experiment with participatory methods to increase the fairness, acceptance and effectiveness of policies for sustainable land use. As part of a collaborative project on agroforestry for livelihood improvement in Central Asia, we have developed a participatory method to formalize local and external expert knowledge as a means to inform strategy development for the wider adoption and re-establishment of agroforestry systems. In a sequence of collecting, visualizing, processing and feeding results back to local experts, our approach aimed at cocreating a semi-quantitative systemic knowledge map. Inspired by the MARISCO-methodology, this map included different agroforestry practices, related ecosystem services, as well as factors contributing to or hindering the adoption of agroforestry practices. This paper outlines our systemic approach of formalizing knowledge from diverse stakeholders, provides a brief stepwise description of our developed methodology, and discusses its wider applicability. T3 - Geographica Augustana - 33 Y1 - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-6205 UR - https://opus.bibliothek.uni-augsburg.de/opus4/89035 SN - 978-3-948283-05-6 SN - 1862-8680 SP - 38 EP - 48 PB - Institut für Geographie, Universität Augsburg CY - Augsburg ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Sun, Lingxiao A1 - Yu, Xiang A1 - Li, Boshan A1 - Zhang, Haiyan A1 - Sha, Dong A1 - Wang, Yao A1 - Lei, Jiaqiang A1 - Yu, Yang A1 - Welp, Martin A1 - Yu, Ruide T1 - Coupling analysis of the major impact on sustainable development of the typical arid region of Turpan in Northwest China JF - Regional Sustainability N2 - Analyzing the sustainable development of a given region can provide an important reference and guide for future orientation. The study selects Turpan (including Gaochang District, Shanshan County, and Toksun County) in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of Northwest China as the study area and first investigates the essence of regional sustainable development. Based on the relevant data of the population, economy, and environment of Turpan from 2002 to 2018, we constructed an evaluation index system for three dimensions, namely, the population, economy, and environment, and analyzed them systematically. Specifically, we quantitatively calculated the comprehensive evaluation index, coupling degree, and coupling coordination degree of the sustainable development system of the study area. The study finds that Turpan has on some dimensions become increasingly sustainable, especially the economic development level has improved. The results show that the coupling coordination degree has increased from 0.3692 to 0.8894 during the period 2002–2018, which reflects the actual situation of Turpan and indicates that the proposed analysis method can effectively measure and evaluate the level of sustainable development in this region. Moreover, the study also puts forward main functional zoning of Turpan (i.e., Gaochang District as an optimized development zone, Shanshan County as a major agricultural production zone, and Toksun County as a key ecological function zone) and regional planning principles based on the population, economic, and environmental coupling analysis for the three jurisdictions in Turpan. KW - Sustainable development KW - Coupling analysis KW - Coupling coordination degree KW - Comprehensive evaluation index KW - Turpan Y1 - 2020 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-5420 SN - 2666-660X VL - 1 IS - 1 SP - 48 EP - 58 PB - Elsevier ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zou, Jie A1 - Ding, Jianli A1 - Welp, Martin A1 - Huang, Shuai A1 - Liu, Bohua T1 - Using MODIS data to analyse the ecosystem water use efficiency spatial-temporal variations across Central Asia from 2000 to 2014 JF - Environmental Research N2 - It is important to understand the carbon-water cycle, which accurately reflects the temporal and spatial variabilities in ecosystem water use efficiency (WUE). In this study, the Mann-Kendall (MK) test was used to study the variabilities in the spatial patterns of the gross primary production (GPP), evapotranspiration and WUE across Central Asia [the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XJ) in China (CHN), Kazakhstan (KAZ), Turkmenistan (TKM), Uzbekistan (UZB), Kyrgyzstan (KGZ), and Tajikistan (TJK)] from 2000 to 2014. We compared the change results by country, land cover type, population density, and human influence. In addition, the results of GPP, evapotranspiration (ET), and WUE parameter tests were combined and classified to analyse the causes of the changes in WUE. The results showed that (1) the time series of GPP, ET and WUE exhibited no significant changes. The spatial distribution of the WUE exhibited significant increases in the northern part of KAZ, the Ili Valley and the alpine region in KGZ and exhibited decreases in south Xinjiang and the irrigated area of UZB. (2) The main land cover types that exhibited changes in WUE were farmlands and grasslands, and areas with a medium population density exhibited large WUE changes. (3) The increased WUE resulted from an increased GPP and decreased ET. The increased GPP was because of increased precipitation and the Green for Grain Project, and the decreased ET was due to the response of vegetation to drought stress; the decreased WUE was mainly caused by changes in the crops planted and unreasonable water use practices in the irrigated agricultural areas in Central Asia. This study, which is based on the variabilities in WUE spatial patterns, should provide a theoretical basis for ecosystems in arid land areas. KW - Ecosystem water use efficiency KW - Central Asia KW - Land cover type KW - Population density Y1 - 2020 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-5435 SN - 0013-9351 IS - 182 PB - Elsevier ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Yu, Yang A1 - Chen, Xi A1 - Disse, Markus A1 - Cyffka, Bernd A1 - Lei, Jiaqiang A1 - Zhang, Haiyan A1 - Brieden, Andreas A1 - Welp, Martin A1 - Abuduwaili, Jilili A1 - Li, Yaoming A1 - Zeng, Fanjiang A1 - Gui, Dongwei A1 - Thevs, Niels A1 - Ta, Zhijie A1 - Gao, Xin A1 - Pi, Yuanyue A1 - Yu, Xiang A1 - Sun, Lingxiao A1 - Yu, Ruide T1 - Climate change in Central Asia: Sino-German cooperative research findings JF - Science Bulletin Y1 - 2020 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-5419 SN - 2095-9273 VL - 65 IS - 9 SP - 689 EP - 692 PB - Elsevier ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Rouzi, Aihemaitijiang A1 - Halik, Ümüt A1 - Cyffka, Bernd A1 - Welp, Martin A1 - Thevs, Niels A1 - Aishan, Tayierjiang ED - Cyffka, Bernd ED - Disse, Markus ED - Betz, Florian T1 - Sustainable land-use alternatives for the Tarim Basin T2 - Sustainable Management of River Oases along the Tarim River/China (SuMaRiO) Y1 - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-5382 SN - 978-3-510-65432-1 SP - 146 EP - 160 PB - Schweizerbart ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Welp, Martin A1 - Yiliminuer, ED - Cyffka, Bernd ED - Disse, Markus ED - Betz, Florian T1 - Stakeholder management T2 - Sustainable Management of River Oases along the Tarim River/China (SuMaRiO) Y1 - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-5407 SN - 978-3-510-65432-1 SP - 27 EP - 32 PB - Schweizerbart ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Missall, Siegmund A1 - Abliz, Abdulla A1 - Halik, Ümüt A1 - Thevs, Niels A1 - Welp, Martin T1 - Trading Natural Riparian Forests for Urban Shelterbelt Plantations—A Sustainability Assessment of the Kökyar Protection Forest in NW China JF - Water N2 - Cities at the fringe of the Taklimakan desert in NW China are prone to dust and sand storms with serious consequences for human well-being. The Kökyar Protection Forest was established in the 1980s as an ecological engineering project with the intent of protecting the city of Aksu, NW China, from these impacts. It is designed as a combination of poplar shelterbelts and orchards, irrigated by river water from the Aksu River, the main tributary of the Tarim River. Prevalent literature describes it as an afforestation project for combatting desertification with manifold positive effects for the economic, social, and environmental dimension of sustainable development. This paper sets out to challenge these claims by a sustainability assessment in which the plantation is examined from a broader perspective, embedding it to the wider context of social and environmental problems in South Xinjiang. Methods comprise evapotranspiration calculations, interviews, a socioeconomic household survey, stakeholder dialogues, and literature research. Results affirm its economic sustainability, but see a mixed record for the social sphere. From the nature conservation point of view, it has to be classified as unsustainable because its high irrigation water consumption results in the downstream desiccation and desertification of natural riparian forests along the Tarim River, causing a forest loss in the downstream area twice the size of the forest gain in the upstream area. There is a trade-off between artificial shelterbelt plantations for urban ecosystem services on the one hand side, and natural riparian forests and their biodiversity on the other hand side. The paper recommends restricting agricultural extension, and using locally adapted less water consuming agroforestry schemes to protect urban dwellers from dust stress. KW - Central Asia; Tarim River; shelterbelt; Tugai; desertification; sustainability; afforestation; ecosystem services; ecological engineering Y1 - 2018 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-5022 SN - 2073-4441 IS - 10(3) ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Litschel, Johannes A1 - Berendt, Ferréol A1 - Cremer, Tobias A1 - Welp, Martin T1 - Mit regenerativen Materialien zur Brandenburger Bauwende? JF - Holz-Zentralblatt N2 - Gemeinsam mit zahlreichen Akteuren aus Berlin und Brandenburg untersucht die Hochschule für nachhaltige Entwicklung Eberswalde (HNEE) in einem breit angelegten Modellvorhaben die Potenziale regenerativer Materialien für die Baubranche. Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-6213 SN - 0018-3792 VL - 148 IS - 36 SP - 608 EP - 608 PB - DRW-Verlag Weinbrenner GmbH & Co. KG ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Shi, Lei A1 - Halik, Ümüt A1 - Mamat, Zulpiya A1 - Aishan, Tayierjiang A1 - Welp, Martin T1 - Identifying mismatches of ecosystem services supply and demand under semi-arid conditions: The case of the Oasis City Urumqi, China JF - Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management N2 - Understanding the balance between supply and demand of ecosystem services (ESs) is helpful for sustainable urban management. However, the interactions among multiple ESs supplies and demands remain under-researched, and ESs supply and demand spatial heterogeneity and correlation characteristics at the city level are rarely studied, especially in arid areas. To fill this gap, we established a comprehensive assessment framework of ESs supply and demand through integrating multi-source remote sensing data, social economy, and policy objectives, for the oasis city of Urumqi, China. The ESs supply–demand mismatches were revealed at the city level, and the spatial relationship between the ESs supply and demand was analyzed using spatial statistics. The results demonstrated that: (1) The total quantity of supply and demand of food provision, carbon sequestration, PM10 removal, and recreation services in Urumqi revealed that the demand was greater than the supply, the deficits being 16.10 × 107 kcal/ha, 6.88 × 104 t/ha, 155.86 kg/ha, and 697.26, respectively. (2) The supply and demand assessment of ESs revealed spatial differences from the city center to the suburbs, which further indicated that there are neighborhood similarities between the supply and demand of ESs. (3) The matching types of ESs supply and demand present obvious spatial heterogeneity, which can be divided into four types: High–high, high–low, low–high, and low–low. Owing to rapid urban development in the inner city, the city center is dominated by low–high, whereas the urban–rural ecotone is characterized by high–low, owing to the higher elevation and water resource advantages in the suburbs. Based on the analysis of the supply, demand, and matching of ESs, economic development and sustainable management policies are proposed for different ecological spaces. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2021;17:1293–1304. © 2021 SETAC KW - ecosystem services; Oasis cities; Supply and demand mismatch; Sustainable urban management; Trade-offs and synergies Y1 - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-5469 SN - 1551-3777 SN - 1551-3793 VL - 17 IS - 6 SP - 1293 EP - 1304 PB - Wiley ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wei, Zhicheng A1 - Halik, Ümüt A1 - Aishan, Tayierjiang A1 - Abliz, Abdulla A1 - Welp, Martin T1 - Spatial distribution patterns of trunk internal decay of Euphrates poplar riparian forest along the Tarim River, northwest China JF - Forest Ecology and Management N2 - 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. Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-5488 SN - 0378-1127 SN - 1872-7042 IS - 522 PB - Elsevier ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Stavi, Ilan A1 - Thevs, Niels A1 - Welp, Martin A1 - Zdruli, Pandi T1 - Provisioning ecosystem services related with oak (Quercus) systems: a review of challenges and opportunities JF - Agroforestry Systems N2 - 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. KW - Agro-silvopastoral systems; Climate change; Ecosystem health; Livestock raising; Mixed land-use; Multiple land-use Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-5478 SN - 0167-4366 VL - 96 SP - 293 EP - 313 PB - Springer Nature ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Shi, Lei A1 - Halik, Ümüt A1 - Mamat, Zulpiya A1 - Aishan, Tayierjiang A1 - Abliz, Abdulla A1 - Welp, Martin T1 - Spatiotemporal investigation of the interactive coercing relationship between urbanization and ecosystem services in arid northwestern China JF - Land Degradation & Development N2 - Rapid urbanization has negative effects on ecosystem structure, function, and balance, leading to the loss of ecosystem services (ES) and posing a threat to regional sustainable development. However, the complex interactive coercing relationship between urbanization and ES is not yet fully understood, especially in arid Northwestern China. In this study, we constructed an evaluative framework for urbanization and ES using land cover/land use data and socioeconomic data from 1990 to 2018. We used global and local autocorrelation models to reveal the spatiotemporal interaction between urbanization and ES. The results revealed that the urbanization index increased from 0.06 in 1990 to 0.16 in 2018 in Xinjiang, and urbanization was significantly negatively correlated with ES. With the acceleration of urbanization, the ecosystem services value (ESV) has decreased 2,698.74 × 109 Yuan from 1990 to 2018 (6.62 Yuan = 1 .00 US$). Due to geographical advantages, resource conditions, and land use changes, the spatial relationship of urbanization and ES has obvious heterogeneity. High–low correlation areas are mainly concentrated in the Northern Tianshan Mountain Economic Zone, whereas low–high correlation areas are concentrated in the Kashgar and Hotan Oases in southern Xinjiang. Based on regional geographical conditions and the spatial heterogeneity of resources, diversified ecological, social, and economic balance models should be considered to promote future sustainable urban planning and development. KW - ecosystem services; interactive coercing relationship; urbanization; Xinjiang Y1 - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-5451 SN - 1099-145X SN - 1085-3278 VL - 32 IS - 14 SP - 4105 EP - 4120 PB - Wiley ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Döll, Petra A1 - Bolch, Tobias A1 - Cyffka, Bernd A1 - Disse, Markus A1 - Doluschnitz, Rainer A1 - Halik, Ümüt A1 - Huang, Shaochun A1 - Yiliminuer, A1 - Kügel, Benno A1 - Krysanova, Valentina A1 - Stahr, Karl A1 - Thomas, Frank M. A1 - Welp, Martin ED - Cyffka, Bernd ED - Disse, Markus ED - Betz, Florian T1 - Policy recommendations T2 - Sustainable Management of River Oases along the Tarim River/China (SuMaRiO) Y1 - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-5441 SN - 978-3-510-65432-1 SP - 176 EP - 179 PB - Schweizerbart ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Litschel, Johannes A1 - Berendt, Ferréol A1 - Wagner, Hanna A1 - Heidenreich, Simon A1 - Bauer, David A1 - Welp, Martin A1 - Cremer, Tobias T1 - Key Actors’ Perspectives on Agroforestry’s Potential in North Eastern Germany JF - Land N2 - As a land use management system, agroforestry has environmental, economic and societal benefits over conventional agriculture or forestry. Important benefits of combining tree growth with agricultural crops and/or forage production systems include higher biodiversity through more diverse habitats, the control of runoff and soil erosion, the augmentation of soil water availability, the creation of microclimates, carbon sequestration and provision of a more diverse farm economy. As the climate changes, north eastern Germany is likely to be particularly prone to severe effects from droughts and wind erosion in the future. However, the area of land under agroforestry makes up less than 2% of the total agricultural area in Germany. Through qualitative interviews with key actors, this study analyzed the benefits of, potentials for and barriers to implementing agroforestry systems in the federal state of Brandenburg. Results showed that agroforestry systems have significant potential in relation to several benefits, particularly the mitigation of soil erosion and stabilization of microclimate regimes. Additionally, agroforestry has the potential to provide wood for energy production or material uses. Although a small but highly innovative and interlinked community exists, administrative barriers and high start-up costs currently hamper the transition from conventional agriculture to agroforestry systems. KW - agroforestry KW - timber products KW - semi-structured interviews KW - barrier KW - opportunity Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-4003 SN - 2073-445X VL - 12 IS - 2 SP - 1 EP - 19 PB - MDPI ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Thevs, Niels A1 - Aliev, Kumar A1 - Emileva, Begayim A1 - Yuldasheva, Dilfuza A1 - Eshchanova, Guzal A1 - Welp, Martin T1 - Potential of Agroforestry to Provide Wood Resources to Central Asia JF - Forests N2 - Background: Agroforestry systems have the potential to provide timber and wood as a domestic raw material, as well as an additional source of income for rural populations. In Central Asia, tree windbreaks from mainly poplar trees have a long tradition, but were largely cut down as source for fuel wood after the disintegration of the Soviet Union. As Central Asia is a forest-poor region, restoration of tree windbreaks has the potential to provide timber and wood resources to that region. This study aimed to assess the potential of tree windbreaks to contribute to domestic timber and wood production. Methods: This study rests on a GIS-based analysis, in which tree lines (simulated by line shape files) were intersected with cropland area. The tree data to calculate timber and wood volumes stem from a dataset with 728 single trees from a relevant range of climatic conditions. Results: The potential annually available timber volumes from tree windbreaks with 500 m spacing are 2.9 million m3 for Central Asia as a whole and 1.5 million m3 for Uzbekistan alone, which is 5 times the current domestic roundwood production and imports of the country. Conclusions: tree windbreaks offer untapped potential to deliver wood resources domestically as a raw material for wood-based value chains. KW - fast growing trees KW - tree windbreak KW - poplar KW - irrigated agriculture KW - remote sensing KW - GIS KW - timber volume KW - fuel wood Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-3104 SN - 1999-4907 VL - 13 IS - 8 PB - MDPI ER -