Institutional change and collective action: The case of reclamation systems in Northwest Poland

This paper examines two drastic changes in the performance of local water associations in providing local public goods - appropriate levels of water table - in the reclamation system in the Powiat Pyrzyce in the Voivodship Zachodniopomorski in northwest Poland. Employing an institutional economics approach shows the results of processes of revalorisation of the interrelated property objects land and reclamation infrastructure that have been triggered and shaped not only by the drastic political, economic and administrative changes after the breakdown of the socialist regime in Poland in 1990, but also by the prospect of joining the European Union and the proactive leadership of the director of the Powiat Department of Environmental Protection, Forestry and Agriculture. More precisely, both processes - the discontinuation (from 1990 onwards) and revival (from 2002 onwards) of the local water associations - were mainly determined by changing market conditions together with variances in the ability of state authorities to effectively control and facilitate these associations. Further, the delay in overcoming the period of collective inaction was fostered by the time-delayed and cumulative effects of neglecting the cleaning and the maintenance of secondary ditches. --Collective action,institutional change,reclamation systems

Institutional Change in East German Water Management Systems

Like in many fen land regions in East Germany, long-standing intensive arable farming -enabled by reclamation - has caused soil deterioration and high water runoff in the Schraden region. More than ten years of economic and political transformation that followed the breakdown of the socialist regime has worsened the situation and even added new problems. The visible consequences are droughts in the summer, waterlogged plots in the spring, and worn-down water management facilities that operate in an uncoo rdinated or unautho rized way. Given the local public good character of so me features of the fen land, the common-pool character of the intermittently scarce resource water within the ecosystem, and the conflicting interests of regional stakeholders, it is argued that the reallocation of property rights over reclamation systems, together with ineffective coordination mechanisms, have caused the physical and institutional failure of the water management system and thus impeded app ropriate land use. More precisely, the combination of legal insecurities accompanied by enforcement problems, fragmented land ownership structure, and a high number of short-term lease contracts have reduced the incentives for the majority of farmers to maintain the reclamation works. Due to limited statutory rights in conjunction with limited financials, the present water association appears to be an inadequate local coordination mechanism. Furthermore, the complete and timeintensive restructuring process at all levels of water administration has resulted in cumbersome or even nonexistent interrelations between various governmental layers as well as in rare transboundary contacts.Institutional and Behavioral Economics, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, H41, P14, P32, Q15, Q25,

Transport of proteins into mitochondria

Translocational intermediates of precursor proteins of ATPase F1β subunit and cytochrome c1 across mitochondrial membranes were analyzed using two different approaches, transport at low temperature and transport after binding of precursor proteins to antibodies. Under both conditions precursors were partially transported into mitochondria in an energy-dependent manner. They were processed by the metalloprotease in the matrix but a major proportion of the polypeptide chains was still present at the outer face of the outer mitochondrial membrane. We conclude that transfer of precursors into the inner membrane or matrix space occurs through “translocation contact sites”; precursor polypeptides to F1β and cytochrome c1 enter the matrix space with the amino terminus first; and a membrane potential is required for the transmembrane movement on an amino-terminal “domain-like” structure but not for completing translocation of the major part of the polypeptides

Transport of ADP/ATP carrier into mitochondria

Precursor to ADP/ATP carrier synthesized in vitro is transferred into isolated mitochondria to a protease-resistant location. This process requires an electrical potential across the inner membrane. We show now that precursor imported in a cell-free system exhibits the same resistance to protease as the mature endogenous carrier. Furthermore, transferred protein, but not receptor-associated precursor, binds carboxy-atractyloside, a specific inhibitor of the mature carrier and can be isolated by the purification procedure for the mature carrier. At least 70% of the precursor associated with mitochondria in the presence of a membrane potential acquires this functional characteristic. Finally, the binding of carboxyatractyloside can be modulated by treatment of the imported protein with sulfhydryl reagents in a manner indistinguishable from the authentic carrier protein. We conclude that import in vitro leads to correct assembly and orientation of the ADP/ATP carrier in the mitochondria

Identifying obstacles to the design and implementation of payment schemes for ecosystem services provided through farm trees

An important determinant of ecosystem services provision from European farmland is the amount and spatial arrangement of trees, shrubs, and woodlands that are integrated into the respective land use systems. Farm trees are considered ‘keystone structures’ of agroecosystems because of their disproportionally large ecological value (relative to their low abundance), but are threatened by agricultural intensification, land abandonment, and urbanization. While the preservation of farm trees is a component of several command-and control approaches and while numerous payment schemes for ecosystem services (PES schemes) provided through agricultural practices do in general exist, there are few incentive-based policies that specifically target the conservation of farm trees. This paper uses an institutional economics framework for the analysis of PES schemes that enhance the establishment, protection, and management of farm trees. Using the German state of Saxony as a case, it elaborates on the reasons for the very reluctant participation of farmers in these schemes. The obstacles identified include high production and opportunity costs, contractual uncertainties, and land tenure implications. Further, since scheme adoption has been low compared with the total area covered by the respective farm tree types, the PES schemes alone cannot explain the substantial increase in number and size of some farm-tree types. Options to improve participation comprise regionalised premiums, result-oriented remuneration, and cooperative approaches. The example of PES schemes for farm trees highlights one of the major challenges for the protection and preservation of cultural landscapes: they are man-made and thus need to be preserved, managed, and maintained continuously.Payments for ecosystem services (PES), agroecosystems, trees outside forests, institutional economics, East Germany, Saxony, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Proteinaceous receptors for the import of mitochondrial precursor proteins

Mild trypsin treatment of isolated Neurospora mitochondria strongly inhibits their ability to bind and import the precursors of several mitochondrial proteins. Evidence is presented for two proteins, the ADP/ATP carrier and the mitochondrial porin, that specific binding of the precursors to the outer surface of the mitochondria is affected by the protease treatment. We suggest that the receptors that mediate the import of these two precursors are proteinaceous. Treatment of mitochondria with elastase also inhibits the binding and import of the ADP/ATP carrier and the porin. In contrast the import of the precursors of subunits 2 and 9 of the mitochondrial proton-translocating ATPase was unaffected by elastase treatment at the concentrations used. We suggest that the import pathways of the latter two proteins are distinct from those of the ADP/ATP carrier and the porin

Transfer of proteins into mitochondria

The precursor form of Neurospora crassa mitochondrial ADP/ATP carrier synthesized in a cell-free protein-synthesizing system can be imported into isolated mitochondria. If the mitochondrial transmembrane potential is abolished, import does not occur but the precursor binds to the mitochondrial surface. Upon reestablishment of the membrane potential, the bound precursor is imported. This occurs without dissociation of the bound precursor from the mitochondrial surface. We conclude that the binding observed represents an interaction with receptor sites and thus is an early step in the import pathway

Two-step Liquid Drop Model for Binary, Metal-rich Clusters

It is shown that differences observed between the ionization potentials of the molecular-doped metallic clusters and those corresponding to the bare metallic ones can be explained by a two-step approach of the classical Liquid Drop Model. This approach takes into account the distinct physical properties of the interface between the molecular core and the metallic shell. Also, it is shown that the presence of the molecular core may act in the determination of the predominant channel of the coulombic fission.Comment: 8 page

The Role of Coordination and Cooperation for Bt-maize cultivation in Brandenburg, Germany

Since 2006, several varieties of transgenic Bt-maize are approved for commercial cultivation in Germany. The German regulatory framework for growing these crops comprises ex-ante regulations as well as ex-post liability rules to protect conventional and organic farming from possible negative side effects of transgenic plants and to ensure co-existence. Public regulation is also suspected to impose additional costs to those farmers who intend to plant Bt-maize. We address the question how Bt-maize growing farmers perceive the additional costs of regulation and whether coordination or cooperation takes place in order to diminish these costs. In 2006, we carried out a case study in the Oderbruch region (Brandenburg, Germany) comprising eight Bt-maize growing farmers and six adjacent neighbours. The predominantly large farms chose intrafarm coordination to manage the construction of buffer zones within their own fields and to avoid the planting of Bt-maize close to their neighbours. Inter-farm coordination or cooperation with adjacent farmers was not regarded necessary to achieve co-existence.Coordination, Cooperation, Bt-maize, Crop Production/Industries,

Agri-Environmental Policy: Understanding the Role of Regional Administration

With regard to agri-environmental schemes (AES) under Regulation (EC) 1257/99, we suggest that their ineffectiveness, inefficiency, and divers uptake is inherent to the way they are institutionalised in the European CAP framework. Based on experiences of the GRANO research project that initiated two Agri-Environmental Forums in Brandenburg (Germany) to integrate local actors directly into designing and implementing local AES we argue that the process of designing AES can be conceptualised as a complex negotiation process at Laender level. The related institutional settings shape possible outcomes and scheme designs. With only "passive support" for decentralised and participatory approaches yet compulsory complex bureaucratic procedures on part of the EU, there are no incentives for Laender administrations to actively support those approaches.agri-environmental policy, subsidiarity principle, Germany, Environmental Economics and Policy, H11, H77, Q18,