Combating the effects of climatic change on forests by mitigation strategies

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Forests occur across diverse biomes, each of which shows a specific composition of plant communities associated with the particular climate regimes. Predicted future climate change will have impacts on the vulnerability and productivity of forests; in some regions higher temperatures will extend the growing season and thus improve forest productivity, while changed annual precipitation patterns may show disadvantageous effects in areas, where water availability is restricted. While adaptation of forests to predicted future climate scenarios has been intensively studied, less attention was paid to mitigation strategies such as the introduction of tree species well adapted to changing environmental conditions.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We simulated the development of managed forest ecosystems in Germany for the time period between 2000 and 2100 under different forest management regimes and climate change scenarios. The management regimes reflect different rotation periods, harvesting intensities and species selection for reforestations. The climate change scenarios were taken from the IPCC's Special Report on Emission Scenarios (SRES). We used the scenarios A1B (rapid and successful economic development) and B1 (high level of environmental and social consciousness combined with a globally coherent approach to a more sustainable development). Our results indicate that the effects of different climate change scenarios on the future productivity and species composition of German forests are minor compared to the effects of forest management.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The inherent natural adaptive capacity of forest ecosystems to changing environmental conditions is limited by the long life time of trees. Planting of adapted species and forest management will reduce the impact of predicted future climate change on forests.</p

Bericht ueber biologisch schnell abbaubare Schmierstoffe und Hydraulikfluessigkeiten

Biologisch schnell abbaubare Schmierstoffe und Hydraulikfluessigkeiten verursachen dagegen keine oder nur relativ geringe Umweltbelastungen, wenn sie als Verlustschmierstoffe oder bei Leckagen in die Umwelt gelangen. Der jaehrliche Verbrauch an biologisch schnell abbaubaren Schmierstoffen und Hydraulikfluessigkeiten betraegt nach Schaetzungen des Mineraloelwirtschaftsverbandes ca. 40.000 t und macht somit nur ca. 3,4% des Gesamtverbrauchs aus. Genaue Statistiken liegen hierzu nicht vor. Erstmals im Sommer 1996 veroeffentlichte das BML, heute BMVEL, einen Bericht und informierte damit ueber den Einsatz von biologisch schnell abbaubaren Fluiden und das Engagement der Bundesregierung auf diesem Gebiet. Ziel des vorliegenden und zum zweiten Mal ueberarbeiteten Berichtes ist es, einen umfassenden Ueberblick ueber den Sachstand, Gesetzesgrundlagen und die Probleme des Einsatzes biologisch schnell abbaubarer Schmierstoffe und Hydraulikfluessigkeiten zu geben. (orig.)According to an estimate of the Association of the Mineral Oil Industry, the annual consumption of biodegradable lubricants and hydraulic fluids is in the range of 40,000 t, i.e. only about 3.4 percent of the total consumption. Accurate statistics are not available. The first report of the then BML (today: BMVEL) was published in 1996 to inform on the uses of biodegradable fluids and the Federal government's activities in this field. The second, revised report outlines the state of the art, legal fundamentals and problems relating to the use of biodegradable lubricants and hydraulic fluids. (orig.)SIGLEAvailable from TIB Hannover: F04B36 / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekDEGerman

Strategie der Bundesregierung zur Windenergienutzung auf See

The purpose of the part-project ''Offshore wind farms'' is to provide the necessary framework conditions for exploiting the considerable potential of offshore wind farms as rapidly as possible. In committing itself to this project the Federal Government is banking on the assumption that renewable energy resources will be competitive without subsidisation in the long term. Given the present conditions and the available surface area as foreseen today a total of at least 500 megawatts could be installed at sea in the initial phase (first stage of wind farm construction) up to 2006, and some 2,000 to 3,000 megawatts in the medium term up to 2010. If the technology proves to be profitable, it should be possible to install some 20,000 to 25,000 megawatts (coastal sea and exclusively economic zone) in the long term, i.e. by 2025 to 2030. This presupposes that investors in offshore wind farms and the electricity industry make it possible to create the facilities required for conveying electricity loads of this magnitude (sufficient sea cable capacity, connection to onshore grids, possibly additional onshore grid capacities). This degree of wind power utilisation would cover 15% of total electricity demand as per reference year 1998.Ziel des Teilprojekts ''Offshore-Windparks'' ist es, die Rahmenbedingungen dafuer zu schaffen, dass die erheblichen Potenziale von Offshore-Windparks moeglichst schnell erschlossen werden koennen. Dabei geht die Bundesregierung davon aus, dass die erneuerbaren Energien laengerfristig ohne Subventionen wettbewerbsfaehig sind. Unter den gegenwaertigen Bedingungen koennten auf den aus heutiger Sicht voraussichtlich verfuegbaren Flaechen in der Startphase (erste Baustufen von Windparks) bis 2006 insgesamt mindestens 500 Megawatt und mittelfristig, bis 2010, 2000 bis 3000 Megawatt Leistung zur Windenergienutzung auf See erreicht werden. Langfristig, d.h. bis 2025 bzw. 2030, sind bei Erreichen der Wirtschaftlichkeit etwa 20 000 bis 25 000 Megawatt installierter Leistung moeglich (Kuestenmeer und AWZ). Dazu ist erforderlich, dass Investoren von Offshore-Windparks und die Stromwirtschaft die Voraussetzungen fuer den Transport von offshore erzeugtem Strom in dieser Groessenordnung schaffen (ausreichende Seekabel-Kapazitaeten, Anbindung an das Festlandnetz, ggf. zusaetzliche Netzkapazitaeten an Land). Eine solche Nutzung der Windenergie auf dem Meer entspraeche 15 Prozent des Stromverbrauchs - gemessen am Bezugsjahr 1998.Available from: http://www.offshore-wind.de/media/article000271/windenergie-strategie-br-020100. pdf / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEDEGerman

Organic farming as a rational choice: Empirical investigations in environmental decision making

Based on a postal survey of farmers conducted in 2004 in Western Germany (n = 657), a rational choice model of the adoption of organic farming is tested. Using methods of direct utility measurement, rational choice (RC) theory is applied directly in the empirical study. By that, questionable assumptions on the variability of preferences and the type of preferences to use in RC explanations can be avoided. The results indicate that the subjectively expected utility model is well suited to explain the adoption of organic farming. Expectations on the development of operational characteristics of the farm and farmers’ daily work are at the core of the decision. Farmers especially consider aspects like pest and weed control, the development of yields or the use of chemical substances. While solely economic factors like prices and marketing are also important, these are subordinate to operational aspects. In addition, a moderate impact of environmental concern regarding the adoption of organic farming is observed. (author's abstract

Turning Up the Heat: Partisanship in Deliberative Innovation

Two forum types have featured prominently in deliberative practice: (1) forums involving partisans (such as key 'stakeholders') and (2) forums involving non-partisans (such as 'lay citizens'). Drawing on deliberative theory and cases from Germany, we explore the relative merits of these forum types in terms of deliberative capacity, legitimacy and political impact. The two types offer deliberative governance something different. Non-partisan forums such as citizens' juries or consensus conferences rate favorably in deliberative capacity, but can fall short when it comes to external legitimacy and policy impact. Contrary to expectations, partisan forums can also encounter substantial legitimation and impact problems. How can designed forums contribute to deliberative democratization, given that partisanship is an inevitable fact of politics? We offer some suggestions about how deliberative theory and practice might better accommodate the reality of partisanship, while securing benefits revealed in non-partisan forums