ReportWire

Tag: University of Göttingen

  • Sustainable futures beyond mining

    Sustainable futures beyond mining

    [ad_1]

    Newswise — Mining brings huge social and environmental change to communities: landscapes, livelihoods and the social fabric evolve alongside the industry. But what happens when the mines close? What problems face communities that lose their main employer and the very core of their identity and social networks? A research fellow at the University of Göttingen provides recommendations for governments to successfully navigate mining communities through their transition toward non-mining economies. Based on past experiences with industrial transitions, she suggests that a three-step approach centred around stakeholder collaboration could be the most effective way forward. This approach combines early planning, local-based solutions, and targeted investments aimed at fostering economic and workforce transformation. This comment article was published in Nature Energy.

    Dr Kamila Svobodova, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research Fellow at the University of Göttingen, argues that, in practice, governments struggle to truly engage mining communities in both legislation and action. Even the more successful, often deemed exemplary, transitions failed to follow the principles of open and just participation or invest enough time in the process. Early discussions about how the future will look following closure help to build trust and relationships with communities. A combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches engages people at all levels. This ensures that the local context is understood and targeted specifically. It also establishes networks for collaboration during the transition. Effective coordination of investments toward mining communities, including funding to implement measures to support workers, seed new industries, support innovations, and enhance essential services in urban centres, proved to be successful in the past.

    “To ensure energy security, it’s essential for governments to recognize the profound transformation that residents of mining communities experience when they shift away from mining,” Svobodova explains. “Neglecting these communities, their inherent strength of mining identity and unity, could lead to social and economic instability, potentially affecting the overall national energy infrastructure.”

    Moving toward closure and consequently away from mining is not an easy or short journey. “It is essential that governments recognize that the transition takes time, and persistence is essential for success,” says Svoboda. “They should openly communicate their strategies, ensuring communities and other stakeholders are well-informed and engaged. Building trust and providing guidance helps residents navigate the uncertainties associated with transitions. By embracing the three-step approach that centers around stakeholder engagement, governments can prioritize equitable and just outcomes when navigating mining transitions as part of their energy security strategies.”

    [ad_2]

    University of Gottingen

    Source link

  • Palm oil: Beyond deforestation

    Palm oil: Beyond deforestation

    [ad_1]

    Newswise — Palm oil is the world’s most produced and consumed vegetable oil and everyone knows that its production can damage the environment. But do consumers have the full picture? In fact, replacing palm oil with rapeseed oil would require a four to five-fold increase in the amount of land needed. Research led by the University of Göttingen investigated the attitudes, beliefs and understanding about palm oil of the general public in Germany, and how this links to land use. The researchers show that people find it hard to know the consequences of their buying choices, even when extra information is supplied. The results were published in Sustainable Production and Consumption.

    For this study, researchers first conducted an in-depth literature review on the effects of “indirect land use change” to assess the effects of switching from palm oil production. “Indirect land use change” refers to the effects on the environment due to land use change resulting from the increased demand for certain agricultural crops or biofuels. They then conducted an online survey on a sample of 1,247 people in the German population. Among other issues, questions covered the overall importance of palm oil in the food industry and explored how people felt about the “free from palm oil” claim compared to a certification label, the consequences of land use change and comparisons with using other vegetable oils. They then measured the effect of providing consumers with extra information in the form of two separate infographics: one on palm oil generally and the other on indirect land use change specifically.

    The results showed that product information and labelling can produce a confusing and misleading picture for consumers. The provision of extra information influenced responses but the effect was small. Customers were attracted to the “free from palm oil” label. They showed more trust towards it and perceived it as superior from both health and environmental perspectives, even if for the latter sustainably produced palm oil might be a more environmentally-friendly option. After receiving the additional information, many consumers were still skeptical about the potential benefits of sustainably produced palm oil in comparison with other vegetable oils such as soybean, sunflower and rapeseed oil.

    Findings from this study are important as they provide insights into how consumers can be encouraged to grapple with complex and often controversial food choices. “Consumers have limited time to weigh up the social, environmental or health attributes of products,” says Sophie-Dorothe Lieke from Göttingen University’s Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development. Lieke adds: “Our research shows that many find the information overwhelming and want clear, reliable guidance. This could be in the form of introducing an “eco-label” which would not only pick up differences in production systems but also help guide shoppers in making more informed decisions about the environmental impact their purchases have.”

    This research was made possible thanks to funding from the German Research Foundation (DFG).

    [ad_2]

    University of Gottingen

    Source link

  • Versatile Tropical Mosaics: Endless Applications

    Versatile Tropical Mosaics: Endless Applications

    [ad_1]

    Newswise — Many landscapes in the tropics consist of a mosaic of different types of land use. How people make use of these different ecosystems, with their particular plant communities, was unclear until now. Researchers, many of them from Madagascar, have now investigated this in an interdisciplinary Malagasy research project at the University of Göttingen. When considering biodiversity, forests often get the most attention. But this research shows that rural households use a wide range of plant species and services provided by many nearby ecosystem types. 285 plant species, almost half of which are found only in Madagascar, are used for food, fodder for livestock, medicine, construction and weaving. Of all the diverse types of land, surprisingly, fallow land is especially important for people. The researchers conclude that there must be a balance between the needs of society and the conservation of species-rich landscapes. The results were published in the journal Ambio.

    The research team interviewed 320 households about their use and the benefits of the main types of land. These include virgin forests, fragments of forest, vanilla agroforestry systems, woody fallow land, herbaceous fallow land and rice fields. The interviews show that virgin forests and forest fragments are important for water regulation, for example. Fallow land and vanilla agroforestry systems provide food, medicine and fodder. People collect the most plants from woody fallow areas, which are then used for firewood and charcoal, for instance. In contrast, they use plants from forest fragments for building and weaving. Fallow land – contrary to the widespread belief that it is of little value – makes a major contribution to rural households in Madagascar in terms of health, food and energy supply, as well as animal feed and as a source of building materials.

    The results have important findings for nature conservation: “It is important not just to consider the conservation of the impressive diversity of species on Madagascar, but also the benefits of this species richness for the local population,” says first author Dr Estelle Raveloaritiana, whose PhD research was part of this project. Dr Annemarie Wurz, now a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Marburg, and Professor Teja Tscharntke, at Göttingen University’s Agroecology Group, add: “Nature conservation should take into account the interests of the local population, at the same time as biodiversity-friendly, diverse land management, when designing conservation and development strategies.”

     

    Original publication: Estelle Raveloaritiana et al. Complementary ecosystem services from multiple land uses highlight the importance of tropical mosaic landscapes. Ambio (2023). DOI: s13280-023-01888-3

    [ad_2]

    University of Gottingen

    Source link

  • Exotic Remote Flora

    Exotic Remote Flora

    [ad_1]

    Newswise — Oceanic islands provide useful models for ecology, biogeography and evolutionary research. Many ground-breaking findings – including Darwin’s theory of evolution – have emerged from the study of species on islands and their interplay with their living and non-living environment. Now, an international research team led by the University of Göttingen has investigated the flora of the Canary Island of Tenerife. The results were surprising: the island’s plant-life exhibits a remarkable diversity of forms. But the plants differ little from mainland plants in functional terms. However, unlike the flora of the mainland, the flora of Tenerife is dominated by slow-growing, woody shrubs with a “low-risk” life strategy. The results were published in Nature.

    The researchers investigated how the plants of Tenerife differ in functional terms from plants from other parts of the world. They conducted extensive field research and measurements at over 500 sites using the most up-to-date methods of functional ecology. The sites were scattered all over the island at altitudes ranging from sea level to mountainous regions above 3,300 metres. The scientists recorded about 80% of Tenerife’s native seed plants, and surveyed eight plant characteristics: plant size, specific wood density, leaf thickness, absolute and specific leaf area, leaf dry matter, nitrogen concentration in leaf tissue, and seed weight. They compared their data with data on more than 2,000 plant species found on the mainland.

    “Our study shows, for the first time and contrary to all expectations, that species groups that evolved on the Canary Islands do not contribute to the expansion of the breadth of different traits. This means they do not lead to more functional diversity,” explains the lead of the study, Professor Holger Kreft, and Göttingen University’s Biodiversity, Macroecology and Biogeography research group. Previous comparisons show that species occurring on islands can differ significantly from their relatives on the mainland. A well-known example is provided by the Galapagos giant tortoise: the species is only found on the Galapagos Islands and, as a result of adaptation to its environmental conditions, is much larger than tortoises from the mainland. The research team expected similar differences between island and mainland plants, but this was not the case. “Rather, we see that most species follow the constraints of the island climate. Thus, medium-sized, woody species develop. These tend to live with the limited resources and high risks of extinction on the island. That is, they grow slowly. The high functional diversity is mainly due to the species that are widespread on the island and the nearby mainland,” explains Kreft.

    “At the beginning of our research, we assumed that island plants would show fundamental differences and would be characterised by rather limited diversity in terms of function due to their geographical isolation,” explains first author Dr Paola Barajas Barbosa. The results are part of her doctoral thesis, which she did at the University of Göttingen. She now does research at the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research in Leipzig (iDiv). “We were all the more surprised to find that the plants of Tenerife have a comparatively high functional diversity.”

     

    Original publication: Martha Paola Barajas Barbosa et al. Assembly of functional diversity in an oceanic island flora. Nature (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06305-z

    [ad_2]

    University of Gottingen

    Source link

  • Strengthening ecology and conservation in the Global South

    Strengthening ecology and conservation in the Global South

    [ad_1]

    Newswise — The tropics hold most of the planet’s biodiversity. In order to preserve this fragile and valuable asset, many individuals and communities need to get involved and be well informed. However, tropical ecology and conservation sciences are still often affected by colonialistic and discriminatory practices, which can hamper nature conservation success. An international research team from leading universities in tropical research, including the University of Göttingen, has now proposed how researchers from the Global South, which consists of nations historically damaged by colonialism, could better promote solutions for a sustainable development. Their opinion paper was published in the journal Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation.

    The team of researchers from over 12 countries – across South America, Africa, Asia, Europe and North America – gathered their experiences working in international collaborations in the field of terrestrial and marine tropical ecology and conservation, and participating in committees promoting the diversification of scientific societies. They suggest ten actions for researchers living in the Global South to promote improvements in diversity, equity and inclusion. These include actions at institutional, national and international levels to guarantee that research teams in the Global South become more inclusive and diverse and are well prepared for equitable international research collaborations that have an impact on nature conservation practices.

    The authors believe that current teams in tropical research often do not fully consider the vast diversity of people and perspectives in tropical regions, which hinders the implementation of scientific practices. However, they recognize the high initial costs associated with establishing schemes for equitable participation: “These actions require hard work and self-reflection from all of us about our actions and attitudes, but we are confident that the benefits are considerable, both for the quality of the science that we do, and the protection of tropical ecosystems,” says lead author Carolina Ocampo-Ariza, Agroecology Group, University of Göttingen.

    Successful conservation actions rely on the participation of local stakeholders, including local governments and communities in rural areas. “We hope to encourage more leadership from those that live surrounded by tropical biodiversity,” says Professor Teja Tscharntke, University of Göttingen. This includes researchers in the Global South increasing outreach and dissemination in research projects, co-developing research goals with local stakeholders such as indigenous communities and local farmers, and taking a leading role in international research teams.

    “The ongoing international discussions about diversity, equity and inclusion will hopefully help us establish more sustainable and fair collaborations in research,” adds Isabelle Arimond, Functional Agrobiodiversity, University of Göttingen.

     

    Original publication: Ocampo-Ariza C et al, “Global South leadership towards inclusive tropical ecology and conservation”, Perspectives in Ecology and conservation: DOI: 10.1016/j.pecon.2023.01.002

    The abstract of the manuscript is available via PDF in 18 languages spoken in the Global South: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2530064423000020#sec0090

    [ad_2]

    University of Gottingen

    Source link