Alley cropping - a promising multifunctional form of land use for reclaimed lignite mine sites in Germany

PresentationSince the 1920s more than 80.000 ha land were affected by lignite open cast mining activities in the Lusatia region (Eastern Germany). Subsequently, large post-mining landscapes with substrates poor in humus and nutrients evolved in this region. As a result the conventional crop production on those post-mine areas is comparably restricted. Against this background, the increasing demand for woody biomass for bioenergy and thus the cultivation of fast growing trees for woody biomass production could represent a promising option to enhance the productivity of reclaimed mine land. Thus, considerable research were carried out on reclaiming technologies and improving soil quality with different fast growing tree species in the Lusatia lignite region over the past two decades. It has been shown that a sustainable supply of bioenergy wood is possible with black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) trees even under the unfavorable growth conditions in the marginal post mining area. Since this knowledge is mainly based on studies of monocultural plantations (SRC) in 2007 a short rotation alley cropping system (SRACS) was established in the reclaimed lignite mine site “Welzow-Süd” (25 km south of Cottbus). The present study examines the results of seven years of field measurements carried out within this SRACS in terms of three major environmental and economic benefits of agroforestry: 1) biomass production, 2) soil nutrition and 3) wind velocity reduction, which all can significantly contribute to a successful rehabilitation of degraded landscapes

Yield prediction of young black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) plantations for woody biomass production using allometric relations

Abstract. Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) is an increasingly popular tree species for the production of woody biomass for bioenergy generation with short rotation coppices. Due to its potential to produce large amounts of biomass yields even under unfavourable growth conditions, this tree species is especially suitable for marginal sites, such as can be found in the post mining area of NE-Germany. Current research aims to reliably predict the yield potential of black locust short rotation coppices, but suffers from a lack of sufficient exact allometric functions until recently. This is especially true for the early growth years, which are of special importance for short rotation coppices. The objective of this study was to develop allometric equations based on tree height and shoot basal diameter (SBD) for estimating yields of young black locust plantations. Therefore, dendrometric data were collected in a two, three, four and fourteen years old black locust short rotation forest located in the reclamation area of an opencast-lignite mining area in the Lower Lusatian region (Germany) and used for equation developing. Until measurement, none of the plantations had been harvested. Closed correlations between SBD and tree height were observed, as well as between these parameters and single tree mass. The scattering of single tree masses could be explained slightly better by the SBD than by the tree height. In the year before a harvest an even better prediction probability of woody biomass was obtainable when both parameters were simultaneously interrelated with the single tree mass. The results illustrate that the woody above ground biomass of young black locust plantations can be estimated sufficiently precisely based on the easy determinable parameters tree height and particularly SBD

Legal framework for short rotation coppice and agroforestry systems for the production of woody biomass in Germany

Niejasne ramy prawne w Niemczech w zakresie produkcji drewna energetycznego wywoływały jeszcze niedawno dezorientację rolników, co było spowodowane opieszałym przygotowaniem regulacji prawnych – w porównaniu do innych odnawialnych źródeł energii – w zakresie rolnych upraw drewna na plantacjach roślin drzewiastych o krótkiej rotacji (Kurzumtriebsplantagen – KUP) i systemach agroleśnych (Agroforstsystemen – AF). Dopiero reforma z 2010 r. federalnej niemieckiej Ustawy o lasach zasadniczo zmieniła sytuację. Aktualne kryteria przyznawania pomocy w ramach KUP i AF zawierają regulacje, które m.in. stanowią że czas rotacji topoli, wierzby, brzozy, olchy, jesiona lub robini wynosi maksymalnie 20 lat. Chociaż nowe regulacje prawne, które uwzględniono w analizie, przyczyniły się do podniesienia dla rolników atrakcyjności rolniczej produkcji drewna, nie oznacza to że nie powstaje potrzeba dalszego ich ulepszania. Uwidacznia się ona w prawnych aspektach dotyczących Alley-Cropping-System – ACS (systemy agroleśne zawierające naprzemiennie pasy pola oraz pasy roślin drzewiastych o krótkiej rotacji położone wobec siebie równolegle), które nie są ukształtowane w sposób zadawalający. Ponadto, wskazane wyżej ograniczenie do jedynie sześciu gatunków drzew jest niezasadne, mając na względzie typowe, bogate w różne gatunki systemy agroleśne.Until recently, an ill-defined legal framework for the agricultural production of woody biomass led to a feeling of uncertainty among farmers what caused only a modest development of biomass production with short rotation coppices or agroforestry systems compared to other renewable energies in Germany. A reform of the Federal Forest Act in 2010 changed this situation. Currently, in consideration of various acts, the eligibility for EU aid is given under the precondition that poplar, willow, birch, ash and/or black locust is cultivated with a maximum rotation interval of 20 years. Even though, the changed legal framework, which is described in the following text in more detail, has increased the attractiveness of the production of woody biomass in the eyes of the farmers, there is still a need to improve the legislation. For example, the legal treatment of alley cropping systems (agroforestry systems in which agricultural stripes alternate with short rotation coppice stripes) is still unsatisfactory. Also the restriction to only six allowed tree species seems to be an unnecessary limitation. This affects especially agroforestry systems which are usually comparably species-rich

Udział systemów rolnoleśnych w rekultywacji gruntów

Agroforestry systems are traditional land management systems that are recently under development in the temperate zone. These systems are defined as sustainable ways of land use which integrate both agricultural and forestry practices on the same land and at the same time. They are of particular significance to marginal regions and degraded lands where the land use system represents an alternative to land abandonment and afforestation, leads to diversification of land use and offers new socio-economic benefits. Agroforestry systems improve the efficiency of utilisation of natural resources, improve microclimatic conditions within the system, can help mitigate severe soil erosion problems and nutrient losses, enhance landscape biodiversity, lead to an overall high biomass production for material or energetical conversion (fuelwood), and thus matching the increasing demand for a self-supply with bioenergy in rural decentralized areas. For this reason, in the temperate zone, agroforestry systems attract more and more public attention as they offer a promising and comprising way to produce biomass and food, the evaluation of the carbon and nutrient budgets, the assessment of the potential impact of agroforestry on biodiversity at landscape scale and finally the exploration of the sustainability functions and socio-economic cross-cutting issues.Systemy rolnoleśne są to tradycyjne systemy zarządzania gruntami, od niedawna rozwijające się w klimacie strefy umiarkowanej. Systemy te określane są jako trwałe metody użytkowania gruntów, które w tym samym czasie i na tym samym gruncie łączą zarówno praktyki rolne jak i leśne. Mają one szczególne znaczenie dla marginalnych i zdegradowanych regionów, ponadto stanowią alternatywę dla opuszczonych terenów i zalesianych gruntów, prowadzą do zróżnicowania przestrzennego terenu i oferują nowe korzyści społeczno-ekonomiczne. Systemy rolnoleśne poprawiają efektywność wykorzystania zasobów naturalnych, poprawiają warunki mikroklimatyczne w ramach systemu, mogą być pomocne w łagodzeniu poważnych problemów erozji gleby oraz strat składników mineralnych, zwiększają różnorodność biologiczną, prowadzą do wysokiej produkcji biomasy lub konwersji materiału energetycznego (drewna opałowego) przyczyniając się w ten sposób do wzrostu popytu na własne dostawy bioenergii w obszarach wiejskich, szczególnie zdecentralizowanych. Dlatego też, w strefie klimatu umiarkowanego, systemy rolnoleśne przyciągają uwagę opinii publicznej, oferując obiecujący sposób wytwarzania biomasy, żywności, oszacowania zasobów węgla i składników mineralnych, oferując ocenę potencjalnego wpływu systemów rolnoleśnych na różnorodność biologiczną w skali krajobrazu i wreszcie proponują oszacowanie funkcji zrównoważonego rozwoju i zależności społeczno-gospodarczych

Alley cropping - a promising multifunctional form of land use for reclaimed lignite mine sites in Germany

PresentationSince the 1920s more than 80.000 ha land were affected by lignite open cast mining activities in the Lusatia region (Eastern Germany). Subsequently, large post-mining landscapes with substrates poor in humus and nutrients evolved in this region. As a result the conventional crop production on those post-mine areas is comparably restricted. Against this background, the increasing demand for woody biomass for bioenergy and thus the cultivation of fast growing trees for woody biomass production could represent a promising option to enhance the productivity of reclaimed mine land. Thus, considerable research were carried out on reclaiming technologies and improving soil quality with different fast growing tree species in the Lusatia lignite region over the past two decades. It has been shown that a sustainable supply of bioenergy wood is possible with black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) trees even under the unfavorable growth conditions in the marginal post mining area. Since this knowledge is mainly based on studies of monocultural plantations (SRC) in 2007 a short rotation alley cropping system (SRACS) was established in the reclaimed lignite mine site “Welzow-Süd” (25 km south of Cottbus). The present study examines the results of seven years of field measurements carried out within this SRACS in terms of three major environmental and economic benefits of agroforestry: 1) biomass production, 2) soil nutrition and 3) wind velocity reduction, which all can significantly contribute to a successful rehabilitation of degraded landscapes

Komplicationen bei Pseudoainhum

A 39 year old man presented with recurrent episodes of leukocytoclastic vasculitis and a large ulcer at the distal part of the stump of his right leg. Since birth the patient showed a clinical picture of pseudoainhum as part of the amniotic band syndrome (Simonart syndrome). Radiologic examination of the right foot showed only an hypoplastic talus and calcaneus which had been designated as a "stump":, which have been detected by x-ray. On both upper limbs there were missing phalanges, syndactyly and some constrictive fibrotic bands. Since the ulcer worsened with therapy, the patient underwent the amputation of the stump just below under the knee. Since then no further vasculitic lesions have been observed. We consider this case remarkable both because pseudoainhum is so rare and because of these equally unusual complications

Malignant melanoma in a tattoo

5reservedmixedStinco G; De Francesco V; Frattasio A; Quinkenstein E; Patrone PStinco, Giuseppe; De Francesco, V; Frattasio, A; Quinkenstein, E; Patrone, Pasqual