Thünen Climate Researcher Addresses EU Parliament
Dr. Annette Freibauer, climate researcher at the German Thünen Institute, was invited to address the EU Parliament at a joint EU Commission/Parliament conference on “CAP reform through analytical lenses” on reform recommendations after 2014. The conference, with members of parliament, commission members and scientists, was held on December 19, 2011 in the EU Parliament in Brussels. The Thünen Insitute has already provided an extensive assessment of the recommendations.
to the working report of the vTI with an assessment of the Commission recommendations
30 years of Greenland surveys
The current “Walther Herwig III” cruise in the waters of Greenland marked the 30th fishery biology Greenland Survey. This programme with spatial defined investigation sites was launched in the summer of 1981. However, starting in 1963, German fisheries research in this area of the northwest Atlantic is even older.
Forest soils serve as sinks for organic carbon
Forest ecosystems store large amounts of carbon in soils and biomass, hence they are an essential part in the cycle of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide. In the evaluation of the second national soil inventory in forests (BZE II) the Thünen Institute describes the contribution of forest ecosystems to the soil carbon sequestration. Particularly forests with sandy soils seem to act as an efficient sink for organic carbon.
Forestry Day
On November 18, 2011 the vTI Institute of Wood Technology and Wood Biology in Hamburg held its Forestry Day. This traditional event included a scientific symposium to honour the acting institute director Dr. Jürgen Puls, the celebratory awarding of degrees to University of Hamburg graduates in forest science, and achievement awards for the best final theses.
Do non-agricultural investors gain importance on farmland markets?
The heavily rising prices of farmland in the past few years are often – especially in East Germany – associated with non-agricultural investors. A study of the Thünen-Institute (vTI) shows that the group of non-agricultural investors is very heterogeneous and comprises big investors with supra-regionally organized farming as well as small investors buying land in order to lease it. The effects of all these investors on land prices have therefore to be evaluated in a differentiated way.
Steps to save the tropical forests
The vast destruction of tropical forests considerably contributes to global climate change. How can locally adapted incentives be developed, aiming at the reduction of deforestation and forest degradation? One possible way is the REDD-mechanism. The vTI accomplished a pilot study on this aforementioned question in Madagascar from 2007 to 2009. An article in the present issue of the magazine “ForschungsReport” informs about the results of the pilot study and the entire idea behind REDD, as well as the perspectives and problems within the implementation of this mechanism.
Naming ceremony for the new research vessel CLUPEA
On September 15th 2011, Federal Minister Ilse Aigner has launched the new fisheries research vessel CLUPEA. The ceremony took place at the Fassmer wharft in Berne near Bremen. The vessel with a length of nearly 29 meters replaces the previous, 60 years old CLUPEA. The new vessel will work in the areas of coastal fishing in the southwestern Baltic Sea and the North Sea.
Max Eyth Medal for vTI scientist
The German Agriculture Society (DLG) has awarded Dr. Heinrich Becker, senior scientist at the vTI Institute of Rural Studies, the Max Eyth Medal. With this great honour the DLG recognizes both his efforts to mobilize potentials in rural areas and his engagement within the DLG.
Logo – Science made in Braunschweig
"Climate change threatens our food supply: Will we need a green revolution?" Experts of the vTI and the JKI (Julius Kühn Institute) discussed this topic on September 14th, in the "Haus der Wissenschaft" in Braunschweig. The discussion is broadcasted by the radio station NDR Info (Norddeutscher Rundfunk) in the science magazine "Logo" on September 16th, at 9:05 p.m, and on Sunday 18th, at 3:05 p.m..
Federal Minister Ilse Aigner visits the vTI in Hamburg
Federal minister Ilse Aigner has visited the vTI in Hamburg on August 30th to get informed on the state of scientific research regarding determination of tropical wood species and localization of traded timber. Other topics were imported wood-destroying insects and technical aspects concerning the use of tropical wood.
Healthy cows in organic dairy farming: management is crucial
Do high yielding breeds fit into organic dairy farming? A study coordinated by the vTI-Institute of Organic Farming revealed that breeds with a higher genetic merit for milk yield are not more prone to illness per se. The management is crucial for the animals’ health. More on that in the magazine "Wissenschaft erleben".
BERBION-Symposium "City of the future"
The BERBION Symposium "The city of the future" was held on August 24th - 25th 2011 at the vTI-Institute of Wood Technology and Wood Biology in Hamburg-Bergedorf. Lectures were concerning strategies for the efficient material and energetic use of municipal bioresources (in German language). The variety of cross-cutting topics was addressed to experts from the fields of scientific research, practice and public administration.
Mid Term Evaluations of Rural Development Programmes
The Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute in collaboration with entera-Consulting has conducted a mid term evaluation of the rural development programmes (2007 to 2013) of the German federal states Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony/Bremen, Hamburg, North Rhine-Westphalia and Hesse. Summaries of the results and suggestions as well as detailed assessments of the measures can be downloaded now.
OECD Workshop on Evaluation of Agri-Environmental Policies
From june 20th to 22nd 2011, 60 experts met at the vTI in Braunschweig for an international OECD workshop on evaluation of agri-environmental policies. This workshop assisted policy makers in their efforts to improve understanding of the environmental effectiveness and economic efficiency of policies.
vTI trainees are the best young gardeners of North Germany
The gardener trainees of the vTI Institute of Forest Genetics Stephanie Block and Katharina Deilen have won the profession competition for young gardeners together with their colleague Nils Eckmann (Garten- und Landschaftsbau Wulff, Norderstedt). The competition was carried out among the gardener trainees of the North German States Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg and Mecklenburg-West Pommerania.
Scientific Council of NAFO met in Braunschweig
The 33rd annual meeting of the NAFO Scientific Council took place at the vTI in Braunschweig from June 3th to June 16th. NAFO (Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization) is an intergovernmental fisheries science and management body. Its overall objective is to contribute through consultation and cooperation to the optimum utilization, rational management and conservation of the fishery resources of the Northwest Atlantic.
University Student at the vTI wins „Rostock’s 11“ Competition
The third “Rostock’s 11” scientific competition for young scientists was won by Robert Bauer, a diplomate at the vTI Institute of Baltic Sea Fisheries. He presented his work on the “Drifting of Herring Larvae from the Greifswalder Bodden” on May 27th. The jury, comprised of 11 scientific journalists, particularly praised the clearness of his lecture and the public relevance of his topic. The prize was awarded by the president of the University of Rostock, Prof. Wolfgang Scharek.
World Outlook Conference
On 16th and 17th of May, the "World Outlook Conference" was carried out by the vTI in Braunschweig. The conference was a discussion platform for agricultural economists of world leading research institutions. The objectives of this conference are to compare various agricultural commodity market projections, and to share recent model developments and research results.
The 'blue gold' of the forests
Scientists of the vTI Institute of Forest Ecology and Forest Inventory are working on the water balance of forests. For instance on sandy soils they have compared beech forests with pine forests in respect of water efficacy. In an article in the magazine ForschungsReport they present some of their results.
Back from the Sargasso Sea
The research vessel Walther Herwig III has returned to Bremerhaven after an eight weeks expedition to the Sargasso Sea. On this cruise an international research team under leadership of the vTI Institute of Fisheries Ecology investigated the reproduction biology of the European Eel, which is an endangered species in Europe. You can follow up the impressions of this cruise and the research efforts in a sea diary.
Researcher of the vTI advises Prince of Wales
The Prince of Wales is supporting activities for sustainable development. Recently, a paper concerning theses on sustainable fisheries was presented and discussed by a group of international experts in the St. James’s Palace, London. The only German representative in this advisory group, which comprised 66 members, was Dr. Christopher Zimmermann, deputy director of the vTI Institute of Baltic Sea Fisheries.
News from the Antarctic krill
Scientists of the vTI Institute of Sea Fischeries have returned home from a 10 weeks cruise in the Antarctic waters with the “Polarstern”, the research vessel of the Alfred Wegener Institute. The main objective was the monitoring of the krill, a key element for the entire Antarctic food web including penguins, seals and whales. The preliminary results indicate that the average krill density in the 2011 season was well below the long-term average. However, the data show that the spawning season was very successful.
Japan: the possible contamination of fish and water plants
Due to the nuclear accident in Japan radioactive substances are released into the ocean and the food chain of marine organisms. Please find an estimation of the situation in the following press release.
More security for the trade with tropical timber
Trade with illegal logged timber causes severe ecological and economic problems. The vTI Institute of Forest Genetics has developed innovative methods to identify precisely the tree species as well as the timber origin of timber imports. In preparation of a large project at the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO) the institute has organised two workshops in Hamburg and in Yaoundé (Cameroon) recently. The project aims to implement the new detection methods in seven African countries.
Agriculture, Soils and Climate
Agricultural soils are storing relevant amounts of organic carbon. They show a strong and complex interaction with the climate. How much carbon is stored in agricultural soils? The German Agricultural Soil Inventory is working on this pivotal question. The field survey has already started in the last weeks. The project also contributes to the question, which role soils might play in future climate protection strategies.
Forests!
Diverse biotope, recreation area, source of the renewable material timber, climate regulator: forests have many functions. On March 21st, the International Year of Forests 2011 started in Germany with an opening session in Berlin. Let us invite you to inform you about the various research activities of the vTI in the fields of forestry and timber.
Start of the third National Forest Inventory
In Germany, the third National Forest Inventory will start this spring. 60 Inventory groups will measure about 400.000 trees at 60.000 localities throughout Germany. The inventory is coordinated by representatives of the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture und Consumer Protection and the vTI Institute of Forest Ecology and Forest Inventory.
Clean cleaning agents
The essential ingredients of cleaning agents are detergents. These substances consist of both a hydrophilic and a hydrophobic part. The industrial production of the hydrophilic parts is frequently carried out by ecologically questionable and less efficient processes using chlorine. New gold based catalysts developed in the vTI Institute of Agricultural Technology and Biosystems Engineering promise cheaper, more efficient and environmentally sound production pathways.
Fishing day and night in the North Sea
On its 341st cruise, the fisheries research vessel "Walther Herwig III" has investigated the stocks of juvenile fish species such as herring, makerel and sprat in the North Sea. The cruise was part of the “International Bottom Trawl Survey”, coordinated by the ICES.
Feeding fishes without fish meal?
Aquaculture is increasing worldwide. Today, almost 50 % of the human fish demand is supplied by aquaculture. In the future, fish meal in fish diets shall be replaced by plant based protein. A team of the vTI Institute of Fisheries Ecology investigates physiological aspects of the feed digestion in order to improve the quality of diets with an enhanced fraction of plant based protein.
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Ageing and depopulation in rural regions
Many lagging rural areas are affected by demographic changes: Particularly young and mobile people migrate to urban and other rural areas which provide better living conditions; an ageing population remains. Population decline intensifies problems to maintain public services and infrastructures. What should be done? Trying to counteract outmigration or to adopt structures sustaining the quality of live for the remaining population as high as possible? The research group “Living conditions in rural areas” of the vTI-Institute for Rural Studies deals with different options for action and published selected findings in the current issue of „Wissenschaft erleben“ .
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vTI Research Prize awarded
On December 6th 2010, the vTI Research Prize was awarded to Dr. Janine Pelikan, Dr. Frank Offermann, Dr. Jürn Sanders und Dr. Yelto Zimmer for their study „Effects of a trade liberalisation on the German and European Agriculture“. The Research Prize is donated by the Gesellschaft der Freunde des von Thünen-Instituts (GdF).
10th anniversary Institute of Organic Farming
On Dezember 5th 2000, the Institute of Organic Farming in Trenthorst was founded. Since that time 10 exciting years have passed. The institute has grown dynamically and is now one of the leading institutes for organic farming research.