European spatial reference frameworks for landscape structure analysis and their use for assessing ecological sustainability

In den letzten Jahren ist die Erfassung von Landnutzungstrends und damit verbundenen Gefährdungen in europäischen Landschaften immer dringlicher geworden. Um jedoch statistisch relevante Aussagen zu treffen, ist es unumgänglich, eine Regionalisierung auf statistischen Methoden aufzubauen, welche stark von der jeweiligen Fragestellung abhängt. In dieser Arbeit werden zwei Regionalisierungen und darauf basierende Landschaftsstrukturanalysen präsentiert: (1) Das Spatial Regional Reference Framework (SRRF), welche die Grundlage für europäische Nachhaltigkeitsanalysen bildet und (2) Regionen entlang des Europäischen Grünen Bandes. Die Methodik der Landschaftsstrukturanalyse wurde gewählt, um ökologische Nachhaltigkeit zu bewerten und Prozesse beiderseits des ehemaligen Eisernen Vorhangs zu vergleichen. Basierend auf einem begrenzten Datensatz biophysikalischer und sozioökonomischer Parameter wurden durch eine Cluster Analyse 27 SRRF-Regionen und neun Regionen am Grünen Band identifiziert. In zehn ausgewählten SRRF-Regionen wurden insgesamt 30 Landschaftsstichproben zufällig ausgewählt, Satellitenbilder segmentiert und mit deren Landbedeckung verschnitten. Für diese Stichprobe und für das gesamte Europäische Grüne Band wurden Landschaftsindizes der Landbedeckung berechnet. Die ökologische Nachhaltigkeit wurde aufgrund der Abweichung vom durchschnittlichen Landschaftsmuster bewertet, welche eine klare Simplifizierung und Geometrisierung zeigte. Entlang des Grünen Bandes sind die Unterschiede in Komposition und Konfiguration in der Landschaft östlich und westlich der Grenze immer noch erkennbar, obwohl sich die sozioökonomische Entwicklung in Osteuropa während der letzten 20 Jahre stark westlichen Mustern angenähert hat. Jedoch würde eine bessere räumliche Auflösung der Landbedeckungsdaten erheblich zur Verbesserung der Strukturanalyse und der darauf basierenden Bewertung von Prozessen beitragen. Die Kombination von Information auf verschiedenen Maßstabsebenen für die Formulierung und Umsetzung von Nachhaltigkeits- und Naturschutzpolitik wird daher empfohlen.The need to assess trends and impacts on European landscapes has extremely increased during the last years. In order to draw statistically relevant conclusions, a regionalisation based on statistical procedures is indispensable and dependent on the underlying objectives. In this thesis, two regionalisations and subsequent landscape structure analysis are presented: (1) the Spatial Regional Reference Framework (SRRF) which serves as a basis for a European-wide sustainability impact assessment, and (2) the European Green Belt (EGB) regions. Landscape structure analysis is chosen as the main tool for assessing ecological sustainability in selected SRRF regions and comparing processes on both sides of the former Iron Curtain along the European Green Belt. Cluster analysis on a restricted set of bio-physical and socio-economic variables identified 27 SRRF regions and nine Green Belt regions. 30 sample sites in ten selected SRRF regions were randomly chosen, where segmentation of satellite images and intersection with land cover information was performed. For these 30 sites and the whole EGB, landscape metrics were calculated on land cover data. Ecological sustainability for the SRRF was assessed by the relative deviation from the average pattern as a result of simplification and geometrisation in the landscapes. Along the EGB, the differences in composition and configuration of the landscape east and west of the border were still visible in the regions, although socio-economic processes in Eastern Europe approximated Western patterns during the last 20 years. However, a better spatial resolution of land cover data would add to the refinement of pattern analysis in the regions and therefore improve the assessment of related processes. The combination of information of different scales for the formulation and implementation of sustainability and nature conservation policies is recommended

Contamination of imported kernels by unapproved genome-edited varieties poses a major challenge for monitoring and traceability during transport and handling on a global scale: inferences from a study on feral oilseed rape in Austria

Novel techniques such as CRISPR/Cas are increasingly being applied for the development of modern crops. However, the regulatory framework for production, labelling and handling of genome-edited organisms varies worldwide. Currently, the European Commission is raising the question whether genome-edited organisms should still be regulated as genetically modified organisms in the future or whether a deregulation should be implemented. In our paper, based on the outcome of a 2-year case study on oilseed rape in Austria, we show that seed spillage during import and subsequent transport and handling activities is a key factor for the unintended dispersal of seeds into the environment, the subsequent emergence of feral oilseed rape populations and their establishment and long-term persistence in natural habitats. These facts must likewise be considered in case of genome-edited oilseed rape contaminants that might be accidentally introduced with conventional kernels. We provide evidence that in Austria a high diversity of oilseed rape genotypes, including some with alleles not known from cultivated oilseed rape in Austria, exists at sites with high seed spillage and low weed management, rendering these sites of primary concern with respect to possible escape of genome-edited oilseed rape varieties into the environment. Since appropriate detection methods for single genome-edited oilseed rape events have only recently started to be successfully developed and the adverse effects of these artificial punctate DNA exchanges remain largely unknown, tracing the transmission and spread of these genetic modifications places high requirements on their monitoring, identification, and traceability

Floodplain management in temperate regions : is multifunctionality enhancing biodiversity?

Background: Floodplains are among the most diverse, dynamic, productive and populated but also the most threatened ecosystems on Earth. Threats are mainly related to human activities that alter the landscape and disrupt fluvial processes to obtain benefits related to multiple ecosystem services (ESS). Floodplain management therefore requires close coordination among interest groups with competing claims and poses multi-dimensional challenges to policy-makers and project managers. The European Commission proposed in its recent Biodiversity Strategy to maintain and enhance European ecosystems and their services by establishing green infrastructure (GI). GI is assumed to provide multiple ecosystem functions and services including the conservation of biodiversity in the same spatial area. However, evidence for biodiversity benefits of multifunctional floodplain management is scattered and has not been synthesised. Methods/design: This protocol specifies the methods for conducting a systematic review to answer the following policy-relevant questions: a) what is the impact of floodplain management measures on biodiversity; b) how does the impact vary according to the level of multifunctionality of the measures; c) is there a difference in the biodiversity impact of floodplain management across taxa; d) what is the effect of the time since implementation on the impact of the most important measures; and e) are there any other factors that significantly modify the biodiversity impact of floodplain management measures? Within this systematic review we will assess multifunctionality in terms of ESS that are affected by an implemented intervention. Biodiversity indicators included in this systematic review will be related to the diversity, richness and abundance of species, other taxa or functional groups. We will consider if organisms are typical for and native to natural floodplain ecosystems. Specific inclusion criteria have been developed and the wide range of quality of primary literature will be evaluated with a tailor-made system for assessing susceptibility to bias and the reliability of the studies. The review is intended to bridge the science-policy interface and will provide a useful synthesis of knowledge for decision-makers at all governance levels

Changes in the geographical distribution of plant species and climatic variables on the West Cornwall peninsula (South West UK)

Recent climate change has had a major impact on biodiversity and has altered the geographical distribution of vascular plant species. This trend is visible globally; however, more local and regional scale research is needed to improve understanding of the patterns of change and to develop appropriate conservation strategies that can minimise cultural, health, and economic losses at finer scales. Here we describe a method to manually geo-reference botanical records from a historical herbarium to track changes in the geographical distributions of plant species in West Cornwall (South West England) using both historical (pre-1900) and contemporary (post-1900) distribution records. We also assess the use of Ellenberg and climate indicator values as markers of responses to climate and environmental change. Using these techniques we detect a loss in 19 plant species, with 6 species losing more than 50% of their previous range. Statistical analysis showed that Ellenberg (light, moisture, nitrogen) and climate indicator values (mean January temperature, mean July temperature and mean precipitation) could be used as environmental change indicators. Significantly higher percentages of area lost were detected in species with lower January temperatures, July temperatures, light, and nitrogen values, as well as higher annual precipitation and moisture values. This study highlights the importance of historical records in examining the changes in plant species’ geographical distributions. We present a method for manual geo-referencing of such records, and demonstrate how using Ellenberg and climate indicator values as environmental and climate change indicators can contribute towards directing appropriate conservation strategies

Die Anwendung von Gamification und dessen Auswirkung auf die Motivation und Leistung von Schülerinnen und Schülern in der Oberstufe

Gamification ist die Anwendung von spielerischen Elementen in einem spielfremden Kontext, dabei werden Spiel-Design-Elemente verwendet, um Gamification umzusetzen. Die Spiel-Design-Elemente, nachfolgend auch Gamification Elemente genannt, in dieser Arbeit sind Punkte, Levels und Belohnungen. In meiner Arbeit untersuche ich die Fragen, ob mit Gamification Elementen im Schulunterricht die Motivation der Schülerinnen und Schüler höher ist als ohne Gamification Elemente und ob mit Gamification Elementen im Schulunterricht die Leistung der Schülerinnen und Schüler höher ist als ohne Gamification Elemente. Für die Durchführung der Erhebung wurden vier Drittsekundarklassen ausgewählt. In zwei Klassen wurde die Erhebung mit Gamification Elementen durchgeführt. Die anderen zwei Klassen dienten als Kontrollgruppen. Die Schülerinnen und Schüler schrieben, zum Zwecke der Leistungsmessung, sieben Wortartentests, wobei die Anfangs- und Schlusstests zum Vergleich der Leistungsmessung genommen wurden. Zur Messung der Motivation füllten alle Teilnehmer am Ende der Testreihe einen Fragebogen aus. Die Resultate der Wortartentests ergaben, dass die Interventionsgruppe keine signifikant bessere Leistung als die Kontrollklasse zeigte. Die Kontrollklasse hatte sich stärker verbessert. Dafür war die Motivation der Interventionsgruppe signifikant höher als in der Kontrollgruppe

Die Anwendung von Gamification und dessen Auswirkung auf die Motivation und Leistung von Schülerinnen und Schülern in der Oberstufe

Gamification ist die Anwendung von spielerischen Elementen in einem spielfremden Kontext, dabei werden Spiel-Design-Elemente verwendet, um Gamification umzusetzen. Die Spiel-Design-Elemente, nachfolgend auch Gamification Elemente genannt, in dieser Arbeit sind Punkte, Levels und Belohnungen. In meiner Arbeit untersuche ich die Fragen, ob mit Gamification Elementen im Schulunterricht die Motivation der Schülerinnen und Schüler höher ist als ohne Gamification Elemente und ob mit Gamification Elementen im Schulunterricht die Leistung der Schülerinnen und Schüler höher ist als ohne Gamification Elemente. Für die Durchführung der Erhebung wurden vier Drittsekundarklassen ausgewählt. In zwei Klassen wurde die Erhebung mit Gamification Elementen durchgeführt. Die anderen zwei Klassen dienten als Kontrollgruppen. Die Schülerinnen und Schüler schrieben, zum Zwecke der Leistungsmessung, sieben Wortartentests, wobei die Anfangs- und Schlusstests zum Vergleich der Leistungsmessung genommen wurden. Zur Messung der Motivation füllten alle Teilnehmer am Ende der Testreihe einen Fragebogen aus. Die Resultate der Wortartentests ergaben, dass die Interventionsgruppe keine signifikant bessere Leistung als die Kontrollklasse zeigte. Die Kontrollklasse hatte sich stärker verbessert. Dafür war die Motivation der Interventionsgruppe signifikant höher als in der Kontrollgruppe

Spillage of Viable Seeds of Oilseed Rape along Transportation Routes: Ecological Risk Assessment and Perspectives on Management Efforts

Seed spillage during handling and transportation promotes establishment and invasion of feral crops into adjacent semi-natural habitats. This is also the case for oilseed rape (OSR, Brassica napus), where seed spillage may lead to establishment of herbicide resistant OSR populations in countries without cultivation of genetically modified OSR. Using data from Austria—where cultivation and import of genetically modified OSR are banned—as a prime example, we demonstrate that ports, oil mills, switchyards, and border railway stations to countries with different electric current systems—where trains have to stop—are the sites of primary concern with respect to seed spillage. Based on the results of the Austrian case study we discuss common measures to limit crop seed spillage which include intensified controls at border railway stations and the mode of seed packing during transportation. We further recommend sufficient cleaning both of goods wagons and of loading areas of trucks and ships as well as an appropriate weed management

A new karren feature: hummocky karren

Karren are small-scale landforms on karst surfaces and many types have been described so far. Here we present an apparently new feature which was found on the Hochschwab karst massive in the Northern Calcareous Alps of Austria. So far only few outcrops each having less than 1 m² within a very restricted area have been found. Morphometric analysis reveals that the karren consist of a randomly distributed, dispersed assemblage of small hummocks and depressions in between. The mean distance between neighbouring hummocks is 4 to 5 cm and the mean height is 0.85 cm. Longitudinal sections are gently sinuous. The occurrences are delimited by thin soil cover with grassy vegetation. The karst features continue below that vegetation cover. Therefore, it is clear that the karren have formed subcutaneously. Corroded fissures where water could infiltrate into the epikarst are absent. The bedrock lithology is Middle Triassic limestone of the Wetterstein Formation in lagoonal facies. Geological structures do not govern the feature. The surface is not a bedding plane and small joints and fractures do not govern the arrangement of the hummocks. Thin section analysis regarding rock texture and dolomite components show that there is no compositional difference between hummocks and depressions. Geochemical analyses show that the limestone is very pure with a very low content of Magnesia. Slightly higher Magnesia contents at the hummock surfaces are significant. The data obtained so far only indicate that some dissolution mechanism but not any rock property governs the irregular array. As there exist no descriptions of comparable features in literature, the name “hummocky karren” is suggested for that type of karren landform