TY - CHAP A1 - Clauder, Lothar A1 - Munk, Christoph A1 - Pfriem, Alexander T1 - The influence of thermal modification on the initial material-brightness (L*), documented by in-situ measurements T2 - European Conference on Wood Modification 2022 N2 - In this study, the influence of the thermal modification on the characteristic brightness of the raw material Alder (Alnus rubra) and Maple (Acer pseudoplatanus) was investigated by spectral photometric in-situ analysis. KW - thermally modified wood KW - brightness (L*) (CIELab*) KW - process control Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-2801 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Göttert, Thomas A1 - Starik, Nicole T1 - Human–Wildlife Conflicts across Landscapes—General Applicability vs. Case Specificity JF - Diversity N2 - Here, we address the question of if/to what extent human–wildlife conflict (HWC) can be reduced or mitigated by supra-regional or even global approaches, or whether case- and region-specific strategies are necessary. First, we try to shift the perspective from humans towards wildlife and regard modern era (near) extinctions of selected wildlife species as an ultimate expression of HWC. We then reflect on the legitimacy of ecosystem comparisons beyond the borders of biogeographical regions—an important prerequisite for global approaches. In the following, we present two case scenarios that exemplarily illustrate the topic from different perspectives: carnivore–livestock conflicts (classical view, human perspective) and wind turbine-induced mortality of bats (wildlife perspective, rarely regarded as a form of HWC). On this basis, we try to develop a framework that enables a global approach, while adequately considering case- and region-specificity. We think that a globally valid and generally approachable dimension can be defined, as long as there is a natural link: in the present case the established monophyly of the orders Carnivora and Chiroptera, i.e., representatives descending from common ancestors, thus sharing common ecological features. This natural relationship among all representatives of a systematic group (specification of the “wildlife” concept) is key for the development of an overarching strategy that can be adjusted to a specific case. KW - bats KW - carnivores KW - human–wildlife conflict KW - monophylum KW - supra regional approach Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-2828 SN - 1424-2818 VL - 14 IS - 5 PB - MDPI ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Munk, Christoph A1 - Clauder, Lothar A1 - Pfriem, Alexander T1 - Acoustical comparison of two different guitars, made of untreated tropical wood and thermally modified wood, using a frequency response analysis T2 - Northern European Network for Wood Science & Engineering (WSE) N2 - To this day, many guitar makers around the world use primarily tropical woods such as rosewood (Dalbergia spp.) for their production. Due to the current CITES regulation of January 2017 regarding the trade of tropical woods, it becomes inevitable to generate alternative materials with similar material properties to be generated and established. Part of this study is an acoustic comparison of two guitars. One made of untreated tropical wood [Dalbergia nigra Benth.)] and one made of European thermally modified wood (TMT) species. [Pyrus (L.) and Alnus (Mill.)]. The method used allows a significant statement about the acoustic radiation performance of stringed and plucked instruments. The experimental setup consists of an impulse hammer for excitation of a force in the center of the bridge and a microphone for recording the signal radiated by the guitar body at a distance of one meter from the sound hole. A front-end was used to record the data, and further processing was done using analysis software to determine frequency response functions (FRFs) of the two instruments. The FRFs determined can be subdivided into several ranges which contain the different acoustic information about bass range, loudness, clarity, brightness and sharpness of the instruments. Examination of the frequency ranges reveals an acoustic similarity between the two guitars. Slight differences can be seen in the bass and loudness areas, where the guitar from TMT has a higher average level. Clearer differences are offered by the areas of clarity, where the guitar made of tropical wood shows a higher average level. In summary, the method gives an efficient acoustic impression as a function of the natural frequencies of the two guitars. The measured data show similarities and thus comparable acoustic properties of the instruments. However, additional effects such as psychoacoustic sensations or musical taste for the complete acoustic impression of an instrument are also of importance. Therefore, further empirical and fundamental research is needed to obtain a more detailed acoustic impression of the instruments. KW - TMT KW - FRF KW - guitar Y1 - 2018 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-2850 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Munk, Christoph A1 - Clauder, Lothar A1 - Pfriem, Alexander T1 - Sound absorption coefficient of thermally modified and unmodified wood species measured in an impedance tube T2 - Northern European Network for Wood Science and Engineering (WSE) - 15th Annual Meeting 2019 N2 - Different parts of the guitar body are made of certain wood species, selected by their specific properties. The sound board, which is mainly made of spruce or cedar, transfers the vibration of the strings to the resonance body by means of the bridge. The sides and the back of the guitar rather reflect the sound of the acoustic vibrations and are predominantly made of tropical hardwoods like palisander, mahogany or ebony species. These species have limited availability and are listed on the CITES Annex I and II. To substitute tropical wood species, thermally modified European wood species with improved acoustic properties and dimensional stability may be used. Although the acoustic reflection of the sides and the back parts of a guitar body is an important property, there is not much knowledge about this reflection behaviour of wood. A few studies like the work of Hong (1989), Kang (2010) or Smardzewski et al. (2013) investigated the sound absorption properties of unmodified wood. Subsequently this study considers the sound absorption coefficients of unmodified and thermally modified European wood species in comparison to an unmodified tropical wood species. KW - TMT KW - sound absorption coefficient KW - impedance tube Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-2890 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Munk, Christoph A1 - Wohlert, Hauke A1 - Pfriem, Alexander T1 - Investigation of the influence of two different thermal treatment processes on the change of various material properties of spruce resonance wood (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) T2 - Northern European Network for Wood Science and Engineering - 17th Annual Meeting 2021 N2 - In recent years, a large number of different studies have shown that a variety of positive property changes can be achieved by thermally treating spruce resonance wood. Various methods have been established, which differ mainly in the choice of treatment atmosphere, but also in the associated treatment duration and temperature. Part of the present investigation was to compare a thermal-vacuum process with a process which takes place in an oxygen-reduced atmosphere, with regard to various property changes. The results show that both processes achieved similar results in terms of dynamic acoustic property changes. Larger differences were found with regard to moisture behavior and color change. KW - TMT KW - spruce resonance wood KW - acoustic properties KW - CIELab Y1 - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-2909 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Munk, Christoph A1 - Pfriem, Alexander T1 - Influence of thermal modification and subsequent linseed oil impregnation on the sound propagation velocity and related acoustic properties of various wood species T2 - Tenth European Conference on Wood Modification N2 - In the field of instrument making, the use of indigenous wood species is becoming more and more important due to the increasing environmental awareness of instrument makers and their customers. As the properties of some of these wood species cannot meet the high demands of this field of application, processes are being sought that can achieve improvements. In recent years, many studies have shown that different modification methods, such as furfurylation, thermal treatment, densification or impregnation methods, can partly improve wood properties such as elasticity, strength values, damping behaviour, but also moisture behaviour and wood moisture content significantly. The extent to which different modification processes and their positive changes in properties can be combined with each other and thus achieve further improvements will become increasingly important in the future, not only in instrument making but also in other areas of application. Therefore, this study investigated the influence of thermal treatment followed by linseed oil impregnation of wood on its sound propagation velocity and the associated acoustic properties of characteristic impedance and acoustic radiation. KW - TMT KW - linseed oil impregnation KW - sound propagation velocity KW - acoustic properties Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-2916 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lauterbach, Josephine A1 - Bantle, Christina T1 - “For More Diversity, Better Taste and My Own Health” Exploring Organic Consumers’ Purchasing Motives for Heirloom Vegetable Varieties JF - Sustainability N2 - Agrobiodiversity is the foundation of our ecosystems and food supply. However, agrobiodiversity is declining rapidly. A prominent strategy to safeguard endangered varieties, an important component of agrobiodiversity, is their cultivation and preservation in their natural environments. In order to make the cultivation of these varieties attractive to farmers, a functioning value chain and communication concepts for these goods have to be developed. Using heirloom vegetable varieties as an example, we examine existing communication approaches for endangered varieties and evaluate their suitability to transport their added value to organic consumers. We furthermore examine organic consumers’ purchasing motives to buy heirloom vegetable varieties. We collected data in three focus group discussions in Berlin (Germany) in 2018. This exploratory study shows that existing communication approaches for heirloom vegetable varieties strongly appeal to altruistic and biospheric purchasing motives. However, our results suggest that egoistic and hedonic purchasing motives are just as important to organic consumers. Hence, existing communication approaches for heirloom vegetable varieties, including the “Red List of Endangered Local Crops”, are not entirely suitable to communicate the added value of biodiversity-enhancing products to consumers. Based on these results, we will develop a holistic communication scheme for heirloom vegetable varieties for organic supermarkets and further distribution channels in Germany. KW - communication KW - agrobiodiversity KW - heirloom vegetable varieties KW - red list KW - focus groups Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-2992 SN - 2071-1050 IS - 14(7) PB - MDPI ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Mann, Deepika A1 - Gohr, Charlotte A1 - Blumröder, Jeanette Silvin A1 - Ibisch, Pierre L. T1 - Does fragmentation contribute to the forest crisis in Germany? JF - Frontiers in Forests and Global Change N2 - Intact forests contribute to the ecosystem functionality of landscapes by storing and sequestering carbon, buffering and cooling the microclimate, and providing a range of related ecosystem functions. Forest fragmentation not only poses a threat to many organisms but also reduces the resistance and resilience of the ecosystem, which is especially relevant to the ongoing climate crisis. The effects of recent extreme heat years on forests in Germany have not been studied in detail for the influence of fragmentation. We investigate the relation of forest fragmentation with temperature and vitality in Germany per ecoregion at the canopy level using satellite imagery at 1-km and 30-m resolution. We compiled and correlated forest maps for connectivity based on Thiessen polygons, canopy temperatures on the hottest days based on land surface temperature, and forest vitality based on the maximum normalized difference vegetation index per growing season. We differentiated between ecoregions and main forest types. In 2022, larger intact tree-covered areas that are less fragmented have relatively low temperatures on hot days and higher overall vitality. Nearly 98% of the almost 1.95 million forest fragments at 30-m resolution in Germany are smaller than 1 km2, which cover nearly 30% of the total forest area. To counteract the forest crisis, forest and landscape management should aim to reduce fragmentation and maintain tree biomass and forest cover in the landscape. Increasing the size of continuous forest fragments contributes to ecosystem-based adaptation to climate change. KW - land surface temperature (LST) KW - normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) KW - Thiessen connectivity KW - forest fragmentation KW - forest cover Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-3909 SN - 2624-893X VL - 6 PB - Frontiers Media S.A. ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Göttert, Thomas A1 - Perry, Gad ED - Bakaloudis, Dimitrios T1 - Going Wild in the City—Animal Feralization and Its Impacts on Biodiversity in Urban Environments JF - Animals N2 - Simple Summary Understanding the impact of urbanization on biodiversity is a crucial task of our time. Here, we reflect on the importance of feralization in the relationship between ongoing urbanization and the worsening biodiversity crisis. Feralization is often viewed as the exact opposite of a domestication process—a perception that we argue is too simplistic. The interrelations between domestication, feralization, and the adaptation of taxa to novel, human-made environments such as cities are complex. Given their unique traits, feral(izing) taxa can play key roles in sustainability, sometimes problematic (i.e., invasive species) but at other times, improving human well-being in urban settings. Abstract Domestication describes a range of changes to wild species as they are increasingly brought under human selection and husbandry. Feralization is the process whereby a species leaves the human sphere and undergoes increasing natural selection in a wild context, which may or may not be geographically adjacent to where the originator wild species evolved prior to domestication. Distinguishing between domestic, feral, and wild species can be difficult, since some populations of so-called “wild species” are at least partly descended from domesticated “populations” (e.g., junglefowl, European wild sheep) and because transitions in both directions are gradual rather than abrupt. In urban settings, prior selection for coexistence with humans provides particular benefit for a domestic organism that undergoes feralization. One risk is that such taxa can become invasive not just at the site of release/escape but far away. As humanity becomes increasingly urban and pristine environments rapidly diminish, we believe that feralized populations also hold conservation value. KW - Anthropocene KW - domestication KW - feralization KW - urbanization KW - invasive species KW - biodiversity in novel ecosystems Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-3992 SN - 2076-2615 VL - 13 IS - 4 PB - MDPI 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 - GEN A1 - Cieslewicz, Kira A1 - Lang, Daniel A1 - Barth, Matthias T1 - Der europäische Weg T2 - Ökologisches Wirtschaften N2 - Für eine nachhaltige Zukunftsgestaltung spielt es eine zentrale Rolle, Digitalisierung in den Dienst einer nachhaltigen Entwicklung zu stellen. Neben dem chinesischen und dem US‑amerikanischen Modell bleibt die Frage offen, ob sich hierfür ein alternativer, spezifisch europäischer Weg der Digitalisierung herausbilden kann. KW - Nachhaltigkeit KW - Digitalisierung KW - nachhaltige Entwicklung Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-4040 IS - 37(1) SP - 8 EP - 9 PB - oekom Verlag CY - München ER - TY - GEN A1 - Barth, Matthias A1 - Gossen, Maike A1 - Lang, Daniel J. A1 - Santarius, Tilman T1 - Sustainable digitalization ‐ fostering the twin transformation in a transdisciplinary way T2 - GAIA - Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society N2 - Can digitalization be designed in such a way that it does not harm the environment or promote unsustainable lifestyles? Can it even promote a green transformation? The authors of this GAIA special issue discuss how stakeholder engagement and transdisciplinary approaches can help address digitalization and sustainability in an integrated way. The special issue deepens insights into the state of knowledge on sustainable digitalization in both scientific and political discourses. KW - digitalization; environmental sustainability; transdisciplinarity; transformation Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-4058 SN - 2625-5413 VL - Volume 32 IS - Supplement 1 SP - 6 EP - 9 PB - oekom verlag ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ullah, Ayat A1 - Saqib, Shahab E. A1 - Kächele, Harald T1 - Determinants of Farmers’ Awareness and Adoption of Extension Recommended Wheat Varieties in the Rainfed Areas of Pakistan JF - Sustainability N2 - 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. KW - farmers’ awareness KW - technology adoption KW - improved wheat varieties KW - socioeconomic and farm-specific characteristics Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-3496 SN - 2071-1050 VL - 14 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 - CHAP A1 - Munk, Christoph A1 - Pfriem, Alexander T1 - Influence of residual oxygen content during thermal modification process on mass loss, brightness colour and dynamic Young´s modulus of Fagus sylvatica (L.) T2 - 18th Annual Meeting of the Northern European Network for Wood Science and Engineering, 21-22 September 2022, Göttingen, Germany N2 - The thermal modification of wood is considered to be an environmentally friendly and cost-effective treatment process, which has been able to establish itself in many areas of application due to its positive effect on a whole range of different material properties through a wide variety of process designs. In addition to heat transfer and pressure, closed and open systems differ primarily in the choice of treatment atmosphere mainly used to prevent combustion (Sandberg et al. 2021). Although many studies in recent years have investigated influencing process parameters such as temperature, pressure or treatment duration, there exists a knowledge gap regarding the influence of the treatment atmosphere or its behaviour during the treatment process (Candelier et al. 2016). Therefore, this study aims to analyse different oxygen-nitrogen concentrations in the treatment atmosphere at different residual oxygen levels during the process duration and their influence on different property parameters of Fagus sylvatica (L.). KW - beech wood, thermal modification, nitrogen, oxygen, mass loss, MOE, CIELab Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-3582 SP - 1 EP - 3 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Bender, Tobias A1 - Munk, Christoph A1 - Damay, Jérémie A1 - Jousserand, Michael A1 - Gérardin, Philippe A1 - Pfriem, Alexander T1 - The Effect of Thermal Treatment of Sycamore Maple (Acer Pseudoplatanus L.) prior to Impregnation with Furfuryl Alcohol, regarding Homogeneity and Swelling Behaviour T2 - 18th Annual Meeting of the Northern European Network for Wood Science and Engineering, 21-22 September 2022, Göttingen, Germany N2 - Impregnation of wood with certain chemical compounds is a well established method to improve its physical and mechanical properties. However, the result is often not quite homogeneous. This study examines the effect of two varying thermal treatments on the impregnability of sycamore maple (Acer Pseudoplatanus L.) with furfuryl alcohol (FA), and on the resulting Anti-Swelling-Efficiency (ASE). KW - TMT, Furfuryl Alcohol, ASE, Maple, impregnability Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-3597 SP - 1 EP - 1 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hamidov, Ahmad A1 - Helming, Katharina T1 - Sustainability Considerations in Water–Energy–Food Nexus Research in Irrigated Agriculture JF - Sustainability N2 - Irrigated agriculture is essential to satisfying the globally increasing demand for food and bio-based products. Yet, in water scarce regions, water-use for irrigation aggravates the competition for the use of water for other purposes, such as energy production, drinking water and sanitation. Solutions for sustainable food production through irrigated agriculture require a systemic approach to assess benefits and trade-offs across sectors. Here, the water–energy–food (WEF) nexus has become an important concept in natural resource management. It has been conceptualized to analyze linkages and trade-offs between the three sectors, across temporal and spatial scales. However, the concept has so far mainly been conceptual, with little empirical evidence or proof of concept in real world cases. The objective of this paper was to take stock of the rapidly advancing literature on the WEF nexus in irrigated agriculture, and to analyze how the concept was actually implemented in research studies, and how the nexus between water, food and energy was actually dealt with. The study period ranges from 2011 to 2019, and includes 194 articles. Results showed that the WEF nexus is indeed very relevant in irrigated agriculture, and the respective literature makes up one third of all WEF nexus papers. Modeling and empirical research have caught up with conceptual synthesis studies during the last four years, thereby indicating that the WEF nexus concept is indeed increasingly operationalized. However, most studies addressed the WEF nexus from a perspective of either socioeconomic, technological or environmental categories, and they place one of the dimensions of water, food or energy into the foreground. To address sustainable development, there is a need to fully integrate across research disciplines and thematic dimensions. Such studies are only starting to emerge. These findings are an important evidence-base for future WEF nexus research on irrigated agriculture, in support of sustainable solutions for water scarce regions, especially in settings undergoing transformations. KW - sustainability KW - water resources KW - food security KW - energy production KW - soil services KW - transformation KW - governance KW - sustainable development goals Y1 - 2020 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-3381 SN - 2071-1050 VL - 12 IS - 15 PB - MDPI ER - TY - JOUR A1 - MacPherson, Joseph A1 - Paul, Carsten A1 - Helming, Katharina T1 - Linking Ecosystem Services and the SDGs to Farm-Level Assessment Tools and Models JF - Sustainability N2 - A number of tools and models have been developed to assess farm-level sustainability. However, it is unclear how well they potentially incorporate ecosystem services (ES), or how they may contribute to attaining the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Understanding how farm-level assessment tools and models converge on these new paradigms of sustainability is important for drawing comparison on sustainability performances of farming systems, conducting meta-analyses and upscaling local responses to global driving forces. In this study, a coverage analysis was performed for several farm-level sustainability assessment (SA) tools (SAFA, RISE, KSNL, DLG) and models (MODAM, MONICA, APSIM), in regard to their potential for incorporating ES and contribution to attaining the SDGs. Lists of agricultural-relevant CICES classes and SDG targets were compiled and matched against the indicators of the tools and models. The results showed that SAFA possessed the most comprehensive coverage of ES and SDGs, followed by RISE and KSNL. In comparison to models, SA tools were observed to have a higher degree of potential for covering ES and SDGs, which was attributed to larger and broader indicators sets. However, this study also suggested that, overall, current tools and models do not sufficiently articulate the concept of ecosystem services. KW - agriculture KW - SA KW - ecosystem services KW - SDGs CICES KW - tools KW - models KW - coverage analysis Y1 - 2020 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-3395 SN - 2071-1050 VL - 12 IS - 16 PB - MDPI ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Vasić, Filip A1 - Paul, Carsten A1 - Strauss, Veronika A1 - Helming, Katharina T1 - Ecosystem Services of Kettle Holes in Agricultural Landscapes JF - Agronomy N2 - Kettle holes are small water bodies of glacial origin which mostly occur in agricultural landscapes. They provide numerous ecosystem services (ES), but their supply may be negatively affected by agricultural management. We conducted a literature review to identify which ES are supplied by kettle holes and to analyze feedbacks with agricultural management. Taking Germany as a test case, we also analyzed how kettle holes are addressed in policy documents and for which ES they are regulated. This was done to identify the societal value officially associated with kettle holes. The literature review found eight ES attributed to kettle holes, of which hydrological cycle and flood control, chemical condition of freshwaters, nursery populations and habitats and biotic remediation of wastes were addressed most often. In contrast, only the provision of habitat service was addressed in German policy documents related to kettle holes. We identified types of agricultural management that negatively affected the supply of ES by kettle holes, in particular artificial drainage, high levels of pesticide and fertilizer application, and management where tillage and erosion result in elevated sediment inputs. Additionally, climate change may lead to an increased drying up of kettle holes. Based on our finding, we conclude that the intensity of agricultural management around kettle holes threatens the supply of all ES while only the service of providing habitats for biodiversity is addressed in German policy regulations. Further regulation is required to induce agricultural management change towards a conservation of all ES supplied by kettle holes. KW - kettle hole KW - small water bodies KW - wetland KW - ecosystem service KW - CICES KW - agricultural management KW - sustainability KW - policy KW - climate change Y1 - 2020 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-3407 SN - 2073-4395 VL - 10 IS - 9 PB - MDPI ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ullah, Ayat A1 - Mahmood, Nasir A1 - Zeb, Alam A1 - Kächele, Harald T1 - Factors Determining Farmers’ Access to and Sources of Credit: Evidence from the Rain-Fed Zone of Pakistan JF - Agriculture N2 - 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. KW - agricultural credit KW - adoption of agricultural technologies KW - rain-fed zone KW - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa KW - socioeconomic attributes Y1 - 2020 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-3419 SN - 2077-0472 VL - 10 IS - 12 PB - MDPI ER -