Search
Now showing items 71-80 of 98
Aufsatz
Soil microbial properties of subalpine steppe soils at different grazing intensities in the Chinese Altai Mountains
(2021-01-18)
Long-term provision of ecosystem services by grasslands is threatened by increasing stocking densities. The functions of grassland ecosystems depend on a mutual relationship between aboveground and belowground biota. While the effects of increasing stocking density on plant biomass are well studied, little is known about its impact on soil microbial properties. To fill this knowledge gap a grazing experiment was conducted on a summer pasture in the Chinese Altai Mountains during the summers of 2014 and 2015 using a ...
Aufsatz
Excessive Nitrate Limits the Sustainability of Deep Compost Mulch in Organic Market Gardening
(2023-05-18)
Market gardening is a widespread practice of bio-intensive vegetable production characterized by direct marketing, small-scale farming structures, high crop densities, and innovative cultivation approaches. Currently, deep compost mulch (DCM) is a popular trend among related growing techniques. The combination of no-till and a permanent mulch of compost aims to improve soil fertility, regulate soil temperature, retain soil moisture, and control weeds. To address the problem of perennial weeds in organic no-till, deep ...
Aufsatz
Green in grey: ecosystem services and disservices perceptions from small-scale green infrastructure along a rural-urban gradient in Bengaluru, India
(2023-06-25)
Ecosystem services provided by green infrastructure are often discussed for their potential to address the societal challenges of urbanization. However, green infrastructure, particularly small-scale types (e.g. trees), is vulnerable to loss through urbanization and is often passed over during scientific investigations. Studies on the perceptions of ecosystem services and disservices (hereafter called ecosystem (dis)services) dynamics along the ruralurban gradient are particularly rare in the literature. Therefore, ...
Aufsatz
The Internal Structure of the Velvet Worm Projectile Slime: A Small-Angle Scattering Study
(2023-02-24)
For prey capture and defense, velvet worms eject an adhesive slime which has been established as a model system for recyclable complex liquids. Triggered by mechanical agitation, the liquid bio-adhesive rapidly transitions into solid fibers. In order to understand this mechanoresponsive behavior, here, the nanostructural organization of slime components are studied using small-angle scattering with neutrons and X-rays. The scattering intensities are successfully described with a three-component model accounting for ...
Aufsatz
Extreme droughts in oligotrophic mountain grasslands cause substantial species abundance changes and amplify community filtering
(2021-10-08)
Questions
Mountain grasslands can be strongly affected by extreme droughts such as those related to climate change. What are the impacts of extreme droughts on community composition, diversity, Ellenberg indicator scores and species groups in oligotrophic montane Nardus grasslands, and what are the associated mechanisms of vegetation change?
Location
Rhön Mountains, Germany.
Methods
Over three consecutive years, we investigated the effects of yearly droughts (April–August) in an experimental setup with rainout ...
Aufsatz
Human‑elephant conflict in the Sri Lankan dry zone: investigating social and geographical drivers through field‑based methods
(2023-07-02)
Human-elephant conflict (HEC) in Sri Lanka has escalated over the recent years, with, on average, 300 elephant deaths annually and human casualties of around 90 per year. Employing field-based qualitative methods, this contribution identifies causes and contexts of human-elephant conflict in those parts of the Sri Lankan dry zone most severely affected. We have used field observations as well as semi-structured interviews with experts and affected villagers as primary data collection techniques. The findings show ...
Aufsatz
Relevance of organic vs. inorganic nitrogen in intra- and interspecific competition of seven central European tree species
(2023-06-23)
Key message: When competing for nitrogen with other tree species, organic N is more important than inorganic N for most species. //
Abstract: Competition for nitrogen (N) in the rhizosphere is a key process regulating a seedling´s chances for growth and survival. However, only few studies have investigated this at the individual species´ level when using a community approach. In this study, ¹⁵N incubation experiments were conducted to quantify inorganic (i.e. ammonium and nitrate) and organic (i.e. glutamine-N and ...
Aufsatz
Prioritizing strategies for wheat biofortification: Inspiration from underutilized species
(2023-10-05)
The relationship between malnutrition and climate change is still poorly understood but a comprehensive knowledge of their interactions is needed to address the global public health agenda. Limited studies have been conducted to propose robust and economic-friendly strategies to augment the food basket with underutilized species and biofortify the staples for nutritional security. Sea-buckthorn is a known “superfood” rich in vitamin C and iron content. It is found naturally in northern hemispherical temperate Eurasia ...
Aufsatz
Biodistricts as a tool to revitalize rural territories and communities: insights from the biodistrict Cilento
(2023-11-03)
The necessity and urgency of the food systems transformation is no longer questionable, and the transformation pathways are inevitably reappearing as a subject of academic and public debate. In search of sustainable food production strategies as part of a broader transformation, organic food systems are called for as one of the solutions to achieve environmentally friendly and just food systems. In this context, the role of biodistricts has been recently emphasized at the EU level. The authors of the manuscript argue ...
Aufsatz
A multiscale approach reveals elaborate circulatory system and intermittent heartbeat in velvet worms (Onychophora)
(2023-04-28)
An antagonistic hemolymph-muscular system is essential for soft-bodied invertebrates. Many ecdysozoans (molting animals) possess neither a heart nor a vascular or circulatory system, whereas most arthropods exhibit a well-developed circulatory system. How did this system evolve and how was it subsequently modified in panarthropod lineages? As the closest relatives of arthropods and tardigrades, onychophorans (velvet worms) represent a key group for addressing this question. We therefore analyzed the entire circulatory ...