Modelling shadow in agroforestry systems based on 3D data

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Social and economical evaluation of innovative alley coppice systems mixing timber trees with bioenergy wood crops in agroforestry systems

PosterAlley coppice (AC) is an innovative agroforestry system where high value timber trees in lines are intercropped with bioenergy short rotation coppice (SRC). AC potentially provides several production and environmental benefits, although so far these are poorly investigated. Thus, research on farmer interest in AC systems, and preliminary economic evaluations, have been made on the AgroCop European project (www.agrocop.com). A questionnaire was conducted with farmers in Italy to identify and assess their interests and concerns regarding AC systems. Farmers appeared to be familiar with managing forest plantations as species mixtures and the value of fuelwood. However, the value of the timber and biomass produced during the rotation appeared to be farmers’ main source of uncertainty, with no clear idea of what demand there would be for both wood products, and they assigned a higher rank to the importance of environmental benefits (biodiversity, landscape, soil fertility improvement). This indicated that there was a need to study the economic performance of the AC system developing two tools: a simplified economic calculator for stakeholders, that can estimate and compare net present value (NPV) of different AC systems, and a more complex model, adapting FarmSAFE. Biophysical data was generated using LERSAFE. Wood chips from the SRC component were found to have a low market value, and AC profitability depends mostly on the timber trees, with the essential need to optimize revenue from the valuable timber, especially by maximizing its quality. Therefore, the SRC component has an important role to play in increasing the quality of the valuable timber by improving timber tree form, reducing the costs of management operations and for giving a revenue during the growth of standard trees. AC could be an innovative option for timber and bioenergy production, integrating some of the advantages that are characteristic of agroforestry systems into mixed tree plantations

Alley coppice: an innovative land use system - options of system design with experimental evidence

Agroforestry and Short Rotation Coppice (SRC), for timber and bioenergy wood production, are recognized as economically viable and sustainable as separate cropping systems under ideal growing conditions. Little is known about agricultural and ecological interactions which might occur combining them in a tree-based intercropping system. This mixed approach, called alley coppice, is currently investigated in an European research Project (www.agrocop.com), and has important advantages: (i) a regular income guaranteed from the SRC component; (ii) light competition between species can often improve the stem form of timber trees; (iii) timber trees can be planted at the final spacing, avoiding expensive thinning; (iv) SRC component protects young timber trees from wind/storm damage; (v) alley coppice is expected to have positive impacts on biodiversity, and reducing soil erosion. Three system designs are currently investigated: Simultaneous planting (SP); Lagged planting (LP) and Border planting (BP). In SP, timber and SRC components are planted in the same year; the key investigated factor is the distance between timber trees and the first SRC row, comparing 1, 2, 3 m in plantations in Ireland, Germany and Italy. A tree row width of three meters guaranteed satisfying growth rates of Sorbus and Pyrus timber trees in a mixture with 2-yr SRC poplar (Populus spp) in Italy, improving timber wood quality. LP, with planting SRC under adult timber trees, is studied in France and Ireland, according to timber tree age, species and inter-row spacings. In France, light and water competition had significant effects on poplar SRC growth and yield according to the distance from the walnut trees. BP involves planting timber trees along the borders of SRC blocks. Experimental plantations were established in Ireland and Germany, with the aim of avoiding asymmetric light competition that might hamper stem form of timber trees. Guidelines for practitioners on alley coppice optimization will be provided at the end of the project

Alley coppice—a new system with ancient roots

International audience& Context Current production from natural forests will not satisfy future world demand for timber and fuel wood, and new land management options are required. & Aims We explore an innovative production system that combines the production of short rotation coppice in wide alleys with the production of high-value trees on narrow strips of land; it is an alternative form of alley cropping which we propose to call 'alley coppice'. The aim is to describe this alley coppice system and to illustrate its potential for produc-ing two diverse products, namely high-value timber and ener-gy wood on the same land unit. & Methods Based on a comprehensive literature review, we compare the advantages and disadvantages of the alley cop-pice system and contrast the features with well-known existing or past systems of biomass and wood production. & Results We describe and discuss the basic aspects of alley coppice, its design and dynamics, the processes of competi-tion and facilitation, issues of ecology, and areas that are open for future research. & Conclusion Based on existing knowledge, a solid founda-tion for the implementation of alley coppice on suitable land is presented, and the high potential of this system could be shown

Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva: what have we achieved and where are we now? follow-up to the 2015 Lorentz Workshop

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is an ultra-rare progressive genetic disease effecting one in a million individuals. During their life, patients with FOP progressively develop bone in the soft tissues resulting in increasing immobility and early death. A mutation in the ACVR1 gene was identified as the causative mutation of FOP in 2006. After this, the pathophysiology of FOP has been further elucidated through the efforts of research groups worldwide. In 2015, a workshop was held to gather these groups and discuss the new challenges in FOP research. Here we present an overview and update on these topics

Making SENS: exploring the antecedents and impact of store environmental stewardship climate

Retailers increasingly recognize that environmental responsibility is a strategic imperative. However, little research has investigated or identified the factors that facilitate the successful implementation of environmentally responsible strategies across a network of customer-facing sales units (stores). We propose that a store manager’s ability to lead by example facilitates this process by fostering a supportive climate for store environmental stewardship (SENS-climate). By examining the influence of store managers’ actions on sales associates’ perceptions of the SENS-climate, as well as the subsequent impact on their performance—measured by margins, as well as sales of green and regular products—this study demonstrates that store managers can foster a SENS-climate by articulating their prioritization of environmental responsibility in their operational decisions. These positive effects are sustained by relational factors, such as the moderating effect of the store manager–sales associate dyadic tenure. In contrast, when store managers display high variability in their environmental orientation, it hinders the development of SENS-climate perceptions among sales associates. If sales associates perceive an enabling SENS-climate, they achieve higher margins and more green but fewer regular sales

Supporting new product commercialization through managerial social ties and market knowledge development in an emerging economy

University of Tasmania, Australi

Can Charisma Be Taught? Tests of Two Interventions

We tested whether we could teach individuals to behave more charismatically, andwhether changes in charisma affected leader outcomes. In Study 1, a mixed-design fieldexperiment, we randomly assigned 34 middle-level managers to a control or anexperimental group. Three months later, we reassessed the managers using theircoworker ratings (Time 1 raters = 343; Time 2 raters = 321). In Study 2, a within-subjectslaboratory experiment, we videotaped 41 MBA participants giving a speech. We thentaught them how to behave more charismatically, and they redelivered the speech6 weeks later. Independent assessors (n = 135) rated the speeches. Results from thestudies indicated that the training had significant effects on ratings of leader charisma(mean D = .62) and that charisma had significant effects on ratings of leaderprototypicality and emergence...............................................................................................................................

Special considerations for clinical trials in fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP).

Clinical trials for orphan diseases are critical for developing effective therapies. One such condition, fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP; MIM#135100), is characterized by progressive heterotopic ossification (HO) that leads to severe disability. Individuals with FOP are extremely sensitive to even minor traumatic events. There has been substantial recent interest in clinical trials for novel and urgently-needed treatments for FOP. The International Clinical Council on FOP (ICC) was established in 2016 to provide consolidated and coordinated advice on the best practices for clinical care and clinical research for individuals who suffer from FOP. The Clinical Trials Committee of the ICC developed a focused list of key considerations that encompass the specific and unique needs of the FOP community - considerations that are endorsed by the entire ICC. These considerations complement established protocols for developing and executing robust clinical trials by providing a foundation for helping to ensure the safety of subjects with FOP in clinical research trials