Assessment of the relationships between agroecosystem condition and the ecosystem service soil erosion regulation in Northern Germany

Ecosystems provide multiple services that are necessary to maintain human life. Agroecosystems are very productive suppliers of biomass-related provisioning ecosystem services, e.g. food, fibre, and energy. At the same time, they are highly dependent on good ecosystem condition and regulating ecosystem services such as soil fertility, water supply or soil erosion regulation. Assessments of this interplay of ecosystem condition and services are needed to understand the relationships in highly managed systems. Therefore, the aim of this study is twofold: First, to test the concept and indicators proposed by the European Union Working Group on Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services (MAES) for assessing agroecosystem condition at a regional level. Second, to identify the relationships between ecosystem condition and the delivery of ecosystem services. For this purpose, we applied an operational framework for integrated mapping and assessment of ecosystems and their services. We used the proposed indicators to assess the condition of agroecosystems in Northern Germany and regulating ecosystem service control of erosion rates. We used existing data from official databases to calculate the different indicators and created maps of environmental pressures, ecosystem condition and ecosystem service indicators for the Federal State of Lower Saxony. Furthermore, we identified areas within the state where pressures are high, conditions are unfavourable, and more sustainable management practices are needed. Despite the limitations of the indicators and data availability, our results show positive, negative, and no significant correlations between the different pressures and condition indicators, and the control of erosion rates. The idea behind the MAES framework is to indicate the general condition of an ecosystem. However, we observed that not all proposed indicators can explain to what extent ecosystems can provide specific ecosystem services. Further research on other ecosystem services provided by agroecosystems would help to identify synergies and trade-offs. Moreover, the definition of a reference condition, although complicated for anthropogenically highly modified agroecosystems, would provide a benchmark to compare information on the condition of the ecosystems, leading to better land use policy and management decisions

Holocene soil erosion in Eastern Europe-land use and/or climate controlled? The example of a catchment at the Giant Chalcolithic settlement at Maidanetske, central Ukraine

The Younger Quaternary erosion history was reconstructed in a catchment close to the Chalcolithic giant settlement Maidanetske, central Ukraine based on dated sediment sequences. Four trenches and a long percussion drill-core were analyzed in a valley grading from a Loess covered plateau towards the Talianky River. The sediments were dated by a combination of radiocarbon dating, optical stimulated luminescence (OSL) and embedded artifacts. Although there is some weakness of numerical dating so far, a non-coincidence between phases of soil erosion and the local and regional settlement history over long periods of the Holocene is indicated. This, viewed in the light of the geographical setting of the site in the climate sensitive forest-steppe borderland, suggests climatically driven erosion processes. The detected phases of erosion coincide with global (cal 27.6 ± 1.3 kyrs BP, 12.0 ± 0.4 kyrs BP), northern hemispheric (cal 8.5 ± 0.3 kyrs BP), Mediterranean (cal 3.93 ± 0.1 kyrs BP) as well as western to central European (2700 to 2000 cal BP) climate anomalies. Increased occurrences of heavy precipitation events, probably during phases of a weakened vegetation cover, could explain the observed record. Investigations at additional sites in Eastern Europe are needed to verify the representativeness of the presented record from central Ukraine at a regional level.The composition of the sediments indicates changes of the slope-channel connectivity during the deposition history. Whereas the glacial to early Holocene and modern times sediments were derived from the whole catchment area, during the mid- to late-Holocene a tendency to lower slope storage of colluvial material and valley incision is indicated

Modelling landscape transformation at the Chalcolithic Tripolye mega-site of Maidanetske (Ukraine): Wood demand and availability

Wood was a crucial resource for prehistoric societies, for instance, as timber for house construction and as fuel. In the case of the exceptionally large Chalcolithic Tripolye ‘mega-sites’ in central Ukraine, thousands of burnt buildings, indicating huge population agglomerations, hint at such a massive use of wood that it raises questions about the carrying capacity of the sensitive forest-steppe environment. In this contribution, we investigate the wood demand for the mega-site of Maidanetske (3990–3640 BCE), as reconstructed based on wood charcoal data, wood imprints on daub and the archaeomagnetometry-based settlement plan. We developed a regional-scale model with a fuzzy approach and applied it in order to simulate the potential distribution and extent of woodlands before and after Chalcolithic occupation. The model is based upon the reconstructed ancient land surface, soil information derived from cores and the potential natural woodland cover reconstructed based on the requirements of the prevailing ancient tree species. Landscape scenarios derived from the model are contrasted and cross-checked with the archaeological empirical data. We aim to understand whether the demand for wood triggered the site development. Did deforestation and consequent soil degradation and lack of resources initiate the site’s abandonment? Or, alternatively, did the inhabitants develop sustainable woodland management strategies? Starting from the case study of Maidanetske, this study provides estimates of the extent of human impact on both carrying capacity and landscape transformations in the sensitive transitional foreststeppe environment. Overall, the results indicate that the inhabitants of the Chalcolithic site did not suffer from a significant shortage in the wood resource at any time of inhabitation in the contexts of the different scenarios provided by the model. An exception is given by the phase of maximum house construction and population within a scenario of dry climatic conditions

Integration von Bodenverdichtungseffekten in die prozess-basierte Wassererosionsmodellierung: Der Einfluss von Fahrgassen auf den Wasser- und Stofftransport innerhalb von Agrarlandschaften

Bodenerosion durch Wasser ist weltweit eine der größten Ursachen für die Degradation von ackerbaulich genutzten Böden. Trotz der großen Anzahl an wissenschaftlichen Artikeln, die die Bedeutung von stark verdichteten Fahrspuren für die Bodenerosion, wurden diese bislang in keiner modell-basierten Bodenerosionsabschätzung berücksichtigt. Die Ziele dieser Dissertation umfassen daher (i) die Entwicklung eines Ansatzes, um Fahrspuren in ein prozess-basiertes Bodenerosionsmodell zu integrieren, (ii) die Effekte von Fahrspuren auf Bodenerosions- und Abflussprozesse innerhalb eines Wassereinzugsgebietes zu quantifizieren und (iii) die Wirkung von Schutzmaßnahmen auf das Bodenerosionsrisiko in Fahrspuren zu bewerten. Im Rahmen der vorliegenden Arbeit, wurde dafür das prozess-basierte Bodenerosionsmodell Erosion 3D auf Basis eines erosiven Starkregenereignisses angewendet und Fahrspureigenschaften für verschiedene räumliche Rasterauflösungen (0.5x0.5, 1x1 and 5x5 m) in das Modell integriert. Die Ergebisse wurden die Modellergebnisse mit kartierten Bodenerosionsdaten verglichen und auf Grundlage gemessener Abflussdaten kalibriert. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Berücksichtigung von Fahrspuren auf Feld- und Einzugsgebietsebene die räumliche Vorhersagegenauigkeit für die Rasterauflösung von 1x1 m stark verbessert. Fahrspuren haben einen signifikanten Anteil am Gesamtbodenverlust sowie am Abfluss- und Sedimenteintrag in Oberflächengewässer. Die erhöhte Lagerungsdichte hat den größten Einfluss auf den Bodenabtrag innerhalb der Fahrspur und reduzierte Bodenbearbeitung und eine Erhöhung der Kontureffizienz von Fahrspuren kann das Bodenerosionsrisiko signifikant reduzieren. Die vorliegende Arbeit zeigt somit dass Fahrspuren eine Schlüsselrolle im Abfluss- und Abtragsgeschehen einnehmen können.Soil erosion by water is one of the main soil degradation processes worldwide, which deteriorates the functionality of soil systems. Despite a large number of scientific articles that emphasise the importance of compacted tramlines as predefined flow pathways for soil erosion, no study exists that involves compacted tramline structures into model-based soil erosion assessments. Therefore, this thesis aims (i) to develop an approach to integrate the effect of compacted tramlines into a process-based soil erosion model, (ii) to quantify the effect of tramlines on soil erosion processes at the watershed scale and (iii) to evaluate the impact of mitigation measures on soil erosion n tramlines. In this thesis, the process-based soil erosion model Erosion 3D was applied on the basis of an erosive rainfall event at the field and watershed scale, including tramline properties at different spatial resolutions (0.5x0.5, 1x1 and 5x5 m). The model results were compared with measured soil loss data. Finally, the impact of different tillage systems and contour farming on modelled soil erosion within tramlines was statistically assessed. The results reveal that integrating tramlines on a 1x1 m resolution improves the spatial prediction accuracy in Erosion 3D at field and watershed level. Tramlines contribute significantly to the total soil loss and sediment entrance into the watercourse network. Bulk density along the tramlines is the driving parameter increasing runoff and soil erosion rates. Additionnaly, modelling results indicate that reduced tillage and high contouring efficiencies can significantly reduce soil erosion in tramlines. The results show that tramlines are likely to play a key role for soil erosion risk as well as for water and sediment connectivity within a watershed. This reveals that tramlines are yet underestimated features in current soil erosion risk assessments

Are compacted tramlines underestimated features in soil erosion modeling? A catchment‐scale analysis using a process‐based soil erosion model

Process‐based model ling has long been used as a well‐suited tool to simulate soil erosion. Despite a large number of scientific articles that emphasize the role of compacted tramlines for soil erosion and surficial nutrient transport, no study exists that integrates these artificial structures into process‐based modelling at catchment scales. Thus, this study aims to quantify the effects of tramline compaction on soil erosion dynamics within a catchment. For this reason, high‐resolution spatial data (1 × 1 m) have been incorporated into the model EROSION 3D, which was used, calibrated, and tested for a soil erosion event with measured discharge and soil loss data. To quantify the contribution of tramlines to soil erosion, two different model parameterizations have been used: the tramline parameterization (TLP) and the common model parameterization (CP) that disregards the tramlines. The results reveal that: (i) the parameterization of tramlines improved model outcomes; (ii) tramlines significantly contribute to overall soil loss and sediment entrance into the channel network; (iii) the bulk density of tramlines is the most important driver of increases in soil erosion and runoff. Moreover, our investigation suggests that the impact of compacted tramlines have long been underestimated in soil erosion modelling and can assist in the assessment of surficial flow path connectivity. Thus, the integration of tramlines into soil erosion modeling is important for the implementation of adequate soil conservation and water protection measures.Federal Ministry of Education and Research (within the BonaRes Framework) http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100002347https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.515342

Differences and Similarities in TRAIL- and Tumor Necrosis Factor-Mediated Necroptotic Signaling in Cancer Cells.

Recently, a type of regulated necrosis (RN) called necroptosis was identified to be involved in many pathophysiological processes and emerged as an alternative method to eliminate cancer cells. However, only a few studies have elucidated components of TRAIL-mediated necroptosis useful for anticancer therapy. Therefore, we have compared this type of cell death to tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-mediated necroptosis and found similar signaling through acid and neutral sphingomyelinases, the mitochondrial serine protease HtrA2/Omi, Atg5, and vacuolar H(+)-ATPase. Notably, executive mechanisms of both TRAIL- and TNF-mediated necroptosis are independent of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP-1), and depletion of p38α increases the levels of both types of cell death. Moreover, we found differences in signaling between TNF- and TRAIL-mediated necroptosis, e.g., a lack of involvement of ubiquitin carboxyl hydrolase L1 (UCH-L1) and Atg16L1 in executive mechanisms of TRAIL-mediated necroptosis. Furthermore, we discovered indications of an altered involvement of mitochondrial components, since overexpression of the mitochondrial protein Bcl-2 protected Jurkat cells from TRAIL- and TNF-mediated necroptosis, and overexpression of Bcl-XL diminished only TRAIL-induced necroptosis in Colo357 cells. Furthermore, TRAIL does not require receptor internalization and endosome-lysosome acidification to mediate necroptosis. Taken together, pathways described for TRAIL-mediated necroptosis and differences from those for TNF-mediated necroptosis might be unique targets to increase or modify necroptotic signaling and eliminate tumor cells more specifically in future anticancer approaches

Earthworms, Darwin and prehistoric agriculture-Chernozem genesis reconsidered

Chernozems are among the most fertile agricultural soils on Earth and are important terrestrial carbon reservoirs. Since the Miocene-advent of grassland-ecosystems, they develop on fine-grained calcareous parent materials, generally in continental climates. So far, no theory explains all Chernozem occurrences. This limits modeling of their long-term soil carbon dynamics. Insights gained on Chernozems that buried prehistoric archaeological features in central Ukraine provide a key. Prehistoric agriculture favored anecic earthworm abundance and anecic earthworm surface casting delivers the best explanation for coeval Chernozem genesis, its properties, and distribution, an idea originally put forward by Darwin. Anecic earthworms transfer soil material upwards due to the necessity to clear their vertical burrow permanently from material fallen in. While Chernozems in the climatic steppe form under climate conditions that limit epigeic and endogeic earthworms naturally, the patchy and time-transgressive Chernozem occurrences in temperate humid Europe would reflect sites where the proliferation of anecic earthworms at the expense of the former ecological groups resulted from early Anthropocene landscape transformations. We will have to add anecic earthworms to the Neolithic Package that identifies the socioeconomical transformations related to sedentarism and evolving agrarian production modes of cereal cultivation and animal husbandry

Low-Avidity CD4(+) T Cell Responses to SARS-CoV-2 in Unexposed Individuals and Humans with Severe COVID-19

CD4 (+) T cells reactive against SARS-CoV-2 can be found in unexposed individuals, and these are suggested to arise in response to common cold coronavirus (CCCoV) infection. Here, we utilized SARS-CoV-2-reactive CD4(+) T cell enrichment to examine the antigen avidity and clonality of these cells, as well as the relative contribution of CCCoV cross-reactivity. SARS-CoV-2-reactive CD4(+) memory T cells were present in virtually all unexposed individuals examined, displaying low functional avidity and multiple, highly variable cross-reactivities that were not restricted to CCCoVs. SARS-CoV-2-reactive CD4 (+) T cells from COVID-1 9 patients lacked cross-reactivity to CCCoVs, irrespective of strong memory T cell responses against CCCoV in all donors analyzed. In severe but not mild COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells displayed low functional avidity and clonality, despite increased frequencies. Our findings identify low-avidity CD4(+) T cell responses as a hallmark of severe COVID-19 and argue against a protective role for CCCoV-reactive T cells in SARS-CoV-2 infection

The pre-exposure SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell repertoire determines the quality of the immune response to vaccination

SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination generates enormous host-response heterogeneity and an age -dependent loss of immune-response quality. How the pre-exposure T cell repertoire contributes to this heterogeneity is poorly understood. We combined analysis of SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4+ T cells pre-and post-vaccination with longitudinal T cell receptor tracking. We identified strong pre-exposure T cell variability that correlated with subsequent immune-response quality and age. High-quality responses, defined by strong expansion of high-avidity spike-specific T cells, high interleukin-21 production, and specific immuno-globulin G, depended on an intact naive repertoire and exclusion of pre-existing memory T cells. In the elderly, T cell expansion from both compartments was severely compromised. Our results reveal that an intrinsic defect of the CD4+ T cell repertoire causes the age-dependent decline of immune-response quality against SARS-CoV-2 and highlight the need for alternative strategies to induce high-quality T cell responses against newly arising pathogens in the elderly

Palmitoylation is required for TNF-R1 signaling

Background Binding of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) to TNF-receptor 1 (TNF-R1) can induce either cell survival or cell death. The selection between these diametrically opposed effects depends on the subcellular location of TNF-R1: plasma membrane retention leads to survival, while endocytosis leads to cell death. How the respective TNF-R1 associated signaling complexes are recruited to the distinct subcellular location is not known. Here, we identify palmitoylation of TNF-R1 as a molecular mechanism to achieve signal diversification. Methods Human monocytic U937 cells were analyzed. Palmitoylated proteins were enriched by acyl resin assisted capture (AcylRAC) and analyzed by western blot and mass spectrometry. Palmitoylation of TNF-R1 was validated by metabolic labeling. TNF induced depalmitoylation and involvement of APT2 was analyzed by enzyme activity assays, pharmacological inhibition and shRNA mediated knock-down. TNF-R1 palmitoylation site analysis was done by mutated TNF-R1 expression in TNF-R1 knock-out cells. Apoptosis (nuclear DNA fragmentation, caspase 3 assays), NF-kappa B activation and TNF-R1 internalization were used as biological readouts. Results We identify dynamic S-palmitoylation as a new mechanism that controls selective TNF signaling. TNF-R1 itself is constitutively palmitoylated and depalmitoylated upon ligand binding. We identified the palmitoyl thioesterase APT2 to be involved in TNF-R1 depalmitoylation and TNF induced NF-kappa B activation. Mutation of the putative palmitoylation site C248 interferes with TNF-R1 localization to the plasma membrane and thus, proper signal transduction. Conclusions Our results introduce palmitoylation as a new layer of dynamic regulation of TNF-R1 induced signal transduction at a very early step of the TNF induced signaling cascade. Understanding the underlying mechanism may allow novel therapeutic options for disease treatment in future