Case Study: Assessing The COVID-19 Pandemic’s Potential for A More Climate-Friendly Work-Related Mobility

The switch from working in-office to working from home in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on people’s mobility behavior. In view of the need for action arising from the ongoing challenge of climate change, these changes should be seen as an opportunity to reduce emissions in the traffic sector. The aim of this study was to analyze changes in work-related mobility that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic using the case of a multinational medium-sized retail chain situated in semi-rural Germany. The case study allowed us to examine those changes in connection with individual attitudes and perspectives of the company and its employees. Thus, we quantitatively recorded the mobility behavior of the company’s employees, followed by an expert interview to ascertain the company’s perspective. We found a reduction in the frequency of commuting and business trips made by employees, which seemed to continue beyond the COVID-19 crisis. However, according to our findings these changes were not based on individual motivation to act in a climate-aware manner but are subject to the framework conditions created by employers for the adoption of climate-friendly behavior. The results of this work could be used by companies and policymakers to create such favorable framework conditions

Holocene sediment dynamics in the vicinity of a roman battle field near Osnabrueck (NW-Germany)

The interpretation of the Holocene sediment dynamics at Mount Kalkriese in the Wiehengebirge mountains (northwestern Germany) shows that the onset and the extent of human land use corresponds well with most colluvial archives in Central European loess regions: The onset of soil erosion in the Wiehengebirge mountains started during the Early Neolithic period. For the Bronze Age, erosion and colluviation are documented as well. A considerable increase of soil erosion with correlated reworking of colluvial sediments was found since Roman times, indicated by the burial of Germanic artifacts of Roman Age at the toe-slopes. Unfortunately, no absolute ages exist for the post roman period. However, in analogy to other sites it can be assumed that highest erosion rates occurred during the Middle Ages. This study also shows typical problems when using the soilscape model for calculating the sediment budget: since truncated soil profifi les are used to model eroded volumes, only minimum soil erosion is mapped. This can lead to a considerable discrepancy between eroded and accumulated volumes. Therefore, we have to assume that soil erosion at the plateau and in upslope areas at Mount Kalkriese was much higher than predicted by the soilscape model. In addition, extensive anthropogenic accumulation soils (Plaggen soils) were deposited in the downslope areas, thereby increasing the discrepancy between erosion and accumulation volumes. The combination of mapping erosion and accumulation with augerings and trenches, calculation of the mass balance by GIS, relative and absolute dating and geophysical evidence provides a powerful tool in landscape interpretation. Due to the small number of numerical ages, the landscape model at Mount Kalkriese has to be considered preliminary

Soil versus foliar iodine fertilization as a biofortification strategy for field-grown vegetables

Iodine (I) biofortification of vegetables by means of soil and foliar applications was investigated in field experiments on a sandy loam soil. Supply of iodine to the soil in trial plots fertilized with potassium iodide (KI) and potassium iodate (KIO3) directly before planting (0, 1.0, 2.5, 7.5 and 15 kg I ha-1) increased the iodine concentration in the edible plant parts. The highest iodine accumulation levels were observed in the first growing season: In butterhead lettuce and kohlrabi the desired iodine content [50 - 100 µg I (100 g FM)-1] was obtained or exceeded at a fertilizer rate of 7.5 kg IO3--I ha-1 without a significant yield reduction or impairment of the marketable quality. In contrast, supplying KI at the same rate resulted in a much lower iodine enrichment and clearly visible yield reduction. Soil applied iodine was phytoavailable for a short period of time as indicated by a rapid decline of CaCl2-extractable iodine in the top soil. Consequently, long-term effects of a one-time iodine soil fertilization could not be observed. A comparison between the soil and the foliar fertilization revealed a better performance of iodine applied aerially to butterhead lettuce, which reached the desired iodine accumulation in edible plant parts at a fertilizer rate of 0.5 kg I--I ha-1. In contrast, the iodine content in the tuber of sprayed kohlrabi remained far below the targeted range. The results indicate that a sufficient spreading of iodine applied on the edible plant parts is crucial for the efficiency of the foliar approach and leafy vegetables are the more suitable target crops. The low iodine doses needed as well as the easy and inexpensive application may favor the implementation of foliar sprays as the preferred iodine biofortification strategy in practice

Archives alluviales holocènes et occupation humaine en Basse Moulouya (Maroc nord-oriental)

Le bassin de la Basse Moulouya se situe dans le nord-est du Maroc, dans un environnement méditerranéen aride à semi-aride typique des marges des déserts nord-africains. Les recherches géomorphologiques sur les marges des déserts attestent un grand potentiel pour les études paléoenvironnementales car ces marges réagissent de manière très sensible aux changements climatiques  passés et futurs. Les dépôts de la plaine d’inondation sont constitués par trois séries de dépôts sédimentaires : la série I datée entre 9,9 et 6,5 ka cal. BP, à faciès sablo-limoneux et hydromorphique avec intercalation de quelques paléosols alluviaux peu développés ; la série II, datée entre 4,4 et 3,2 ka cal. BP, caractérisée par un faciès limono-argileux très finement laminé et hydromorphique, avec l’apparition de quelques couches noirâtres riches en charbon de bois. La série III, datée entre 3,2 et 1,4 ka cal. BP, formée par l’alternance de couches centimétriques à litage horizontal de couleurs grisâtre et rougeâtre, de faciès à dominance limono-argileuse. Les couches argileuses rouges de la série III renferment du gypse et contiennent plusieurs couches riches en particules charbonneuses. La datation de certains foyers anthropiques dans les alluvions étudiées, riches en matériel archéologique (silex, céramique, ossements), révèle l’occupation temporaire du fond de vallée par l’Homme pendant l’Épipaléolithique, le Néolithique, la Protohistoire et le Moyen Age. Ces périodes d’occupation sont également visibles dans les grottes, dans les sites de plein air et dans les tumuli de l’arrière-pays de la Moulouya. Le maximum d’occupation est observé pendant le Néolithique ancien, période qui correspond à l’optimum climatique holocène.     The Lower Moulouya Basin in northeast Morocco is characterised by Mediterranean arid to semiarid environmental conditions of a North African desert margin. In geomorphological research, desert margins reveal a high potential for palaeoenvironmental studies, as they react very sensitive to past and future climatic changes. The alluvial deposits of the Lower Moulouya can be divided in three sedimentation series: the Series I is dated between 9.9 and 6.5 ka cal. BP and shows silty to sandy layers with hydromorphic features and intercalated initial alluvial soils. The Series II is dated between 4.2 and 3.2 ka cal. BP and indicates clayey to silty fine laminae with hydromorphic features and an onset of charcoal-rich layers. The Series III is dated between 3.2 and 1.4 ka cal. BP and features clayey to silty fine laminae with greyish to reddish colouring. Series III reveals charcoal-rich layers and gypsum crystals in clay-rich reddish sediments. The dating of the archaeological findings (silex, ceramics, bones) of the buried open air sites indicate an human occupation at the Lower Moulouya during the Epipalaeolithics, Neolithics, Protohistoric and Middle Ages. The phases correspond chronologically with already known archaeological archives from eastern Rif rock-shelters and caves. The maximum of archaeological findings at the Lower Moulouya corresponds to the Early Neolithics, a period which comes along with the Mid-Holocene climatic optimum