Comparison of three modelling approaches of potential natural forest habitats in Bavaria, Germany

In the context of the EU Habitats Directive, which contains the obligation of environmental monitoring, nature conservation authorities face a growing demand for effective and competitive methods to survey protected habitats. Therefore the presented research study compared three modelling approaches (rule-based method with applied Bavarian woodland types, multivariate technique of cluster analysis, and a fuzzy logic approach) for the purpose of detecting potential habitat types. The results can be combined with earth observation data of different geometric resolution (ASTER, SPOT5, aerial photographs or very high resolution satellite data) in order to determine actual forest habitat types. This was carried out at two test sites, situated in the pre-alpine area in Bavaria (southern Germany). The results were subsequently compared to the terrestrial mapped habitat areas of the NATURA 2000 management plans. First results show that these techniques are a valuable support in mapping and monitoring NATURA 2000 forest habitats

Economic Criteria for Settling Federalism Disputes with an Application to Food Safety Regulation

Federal ism disputes arising from state regulations, particularly those pursuing health, safety, and environmental goals, are a common feature of the U.S . political system. Discussion of bases for settling such disputes often focuses on the in- and out-state incidence of benefits and costs but incidence is a complex concept that has not been systematically analyzed. We discuss five factors important to evaluating incidence and present spillover criteria for judging disputes based on them. When applied to a Massachusetts regulation of daminozide residues in heat-processed apple products, the criteria reach different conclusions on its appropriateness, although the main criteria suggest it should be invalidated by the courts or preempted by federal law. The application illustrates how the spillover criteria can clarify analysis of federalism disputes.Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Biofueling Rural Development: Making the Case for Linking Biofuel Production to Rural Revitalization

Biofuels have emerged as one of the most promising new sectors for rural America. Primarily a Midwestern phenomenon until now, the expected shift to biomass -- as opposed to the current grain and oilseed feedstocks -- for producing biofuels will expand the biofuel sector's impact and influence nationwide. Politicians and proponents tout the potential for biofuels to stimulate rural job creation and economic growth and increase energy independence as key reasons for providing public support for the industry. But in the rush to grow the sector, the benefits to rural communities may be muted or lost if federal, state and local policies and programs that help determine the sector's ownership, scale and structure do not sufficiently support rural development priorities

A DISCOURSE ANALYSIS APPROACH TO EXPLAIN THE PATH DEPENDENCY OF SEASONAL FARM LABOUR REGULATIONS IN GERMANY

This article introduces discourse analysis as a theoretical concept and an empirical methodology that may enable the endogenization of path creation and path breaking changes in conventional models of political path dependencies. Economic criteria such as rents created by a policy do not always provide a comprehensive explanation for path dependent political decisions. Discourse theory implies that specific interpretative schemata and narratives, such as storylines in the mass media, heavily influence the political discourse. Discourses themselves exercise a constitutive power that constrains decision-making processes and, thus, influence the ensuing policy creation path. Hence, discourses must be taken into account when political path creation is analysed. In this paper we trace over time individual storylines that represent important elements of the discourse underlying the restriction of seasonal farm workers from central and eastern European countries in Germany. We illustrate how dominant speakers and their storylines have been and currently are interacting to shape this policy.Agricultural Policy, Path Dependencies, Discourse Analysis, Seasonal Farm Labour, Institutional and Behavioral Economics,

GIS and Remote Sensing for Natura 2000 Monitoring in Mediterranean Biogeographic Region

NATURA 2000 areas monitoring is a key research topic on European countries since Habi-tat Directive specifies the obligation to implement monitoring systems for conservation status in Natura 2000 spaces. This can be achieved by combining GIS-based models of the Potential Natural Vegetation (PNV) with remote sensing classification or interpretation results. The presented study focuses on the implementation of a methodology to locate and detect changes in forest spaces of Natura 2000 Network. Location of different habitats types were carried out based on geo-factors and remote sensing interpretation, terrestrial mapping and analysis of natural habitat distribution for a test site. In order to derive the actual forest habitats, potential natural vegetation was derived from a defined rule-set, in which the habitat types with the highest possibility of occurrence could be ranked accordingly. The result of the modelling for pontential natural vegetation was verified using available satellite data (LANDSAT TM). This task was carried with a maxi-mum likelihood classification using the software PCI Geomatica. The results of the classi-fication and the GIS analysis are combined to obtain preliminary habitat types. These types were verified with existing Forest Management Plans, and compared with results of local terrestrial mapping and natural distribution of habitat types

An object-based classification approach for mapping "migrant housing" in the mega-urban area of the Pearl River Delta (China)

Urban areas develop on formal and informal levels. Informal development is often highly dynamic, leading to a lag of spatial information about urban structure types. In this work, an object-based remote sensing approach will be presented to map the migrant housing urban structure type in the Pearl River Delta, China. SPOT5 data were utilized for the classification (auxiliary data, particularly up-to-date cadastral data, were not available). A hierarchically structured classification process was used to create (spectral) independence from single satellite scenes and to arrive at a transferrable classification process. Using the presented classification approach, an overall classification accuracy of migrant housing of 68.0% is attained

Automated spatiotemporal landslide mapping over large areas using RapidEye time series data

In the past, different approaches for automated landslide identification based on multispectral satellite remote sensing were developed to focus on the analysis of the spatial distribution of landslide occurrences related to distinct triggering events. However, many regions, including southern Kyrgyzstan, experience ongoing process activity requiring continual multi-temporal analysis. For this purpose, an automated object-oriented landslide mapping approach has been developed based on RapidEye time series data complemented by relief information. The approach builds on analyzing temporal NDVI-trajectories for the separation between landslide-related surface changes and other land cover changes. To accommodate the variety of landslide phenomena occurring in the 7500 km2 study area, a combination of pixel-based multiple thresholds and object-oriented analysis has been implemented including the discrimination of uncertainty-related landslide likelihood classes. Applying the approach to the whole study area for the time period between 2009 and 2013 has resulted in the multi-temporal identification of 471 landslide objects. A quantitative accuracy assessment for two independent validation sites has revealed overall high mapping accuracy (Quality Percentage: 80%), proving the suitability of the developed approach for efficient spatiotemporal landslide mapping over large areas, representing an important prerequisite for objective landslide hazard and risk assessment at the regional scale

Challenges in UAS-Based TIR Imagery Processing: Image Alignment and Uncertainty Quantification

DFG, 357874777, FOR 2694: Large-Scale and High-Resolution Mapping of Soil Moisture on Field and Catchment Scales - Boosted by Cosmic-Ray NeutronsDFG, 414044773, Open Access Publizieren 2019 - 2020 / Technische Universität Berli

Social dimensions of a forest-based bioeconomy : A summary and synthesis

How perceptions of the forest-based bioeconomy differ across country contexts and social groups is important as it opens possibilities for the development of more inclusive, locally and socially relevant bioeconomy policies and strategies. Therefore, this special section explores the social dimensions of the forest-based bioeconomy by focusing on discourses and perceptions of different actor groups in Europe. We introduce six articles that range from review and discursive approaches to consumer studies. The section adds to the existing literature by focusing not only on political decision makers, stakeholders, and experts but also on the public, media and students. Patterns in the presented discourses and perceptions can be identified but more is needed to validate these and respond to the question of representativeness.Peer reviewe