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Sustainable development of the resource ‘land’ is increasingly being discussed with a focus on rural areas. Understanding is key to solving land use conflicts. It can lead to joint solutions and can thus enable sustainable development at a practical level. It goes beyond environmental consciousness, which is related to general issues, and instead aims to address concrete challenges in the context of sustainable development at an applicable level. ‘Understanding’ with regard to land use conflicts has not yet been defined in the literature. Based on this motivation, it is the aim of this study to create the construct of ‘understanding’ conceptually, to validate it empirically with structural equation modelling, and to demonstrate that understanding might be an important prerequisite for sustainable development. In this case, the focus is not on a general kind of understanding, but rather on specific aspects of understanding in relation to the agriculturally shaped environment in rural areas. The empirical data for the paper were collected by means of a large-scale population survey in Western Pomerania, Germany, a rural peripheral region characterized by typical land-use conflicts in predominantly rural areas. A tripartite division of the construct into cognitive, emotional, and opinion levels was derived theoretically. The construct is supported empirically and that it can be applied as an SDG indicator. Thus, the refined construct of understanding the agriculturally shaped environment can make a substantial contribution towards closing the knowledge/attitude-behavior gap.
Autecology of non-marine ostracods: spatio-tempotal distribution and morphological variability
(2025)
Ostracods are benthic microcrustaceans, with bodies enclosed by two calcified valves. These valves are common constituents of lake sediments. Most ostracod species are sensitive to specific environmental parameters. Therefore, ostracod species assemblages and their morphological variability have proven useful in reconstructing past environmental conditions. Yet, several discrepancies between ostracods and other environmental proxies (like pollen or diatoms) persist, as environmental effects on ostracod assemblages or single taxa are not sufficiently understood. It is the aim of this study to understand if and how specific environmental parameters affect the distribution and occurrence of ostracod species, their life-cycles but also their body size and shape (i.e., their morphological variability). The knowledge gained should improve our understanding of ostracods autecology and thus also contribute to their application in palaeoenvironmental studies.
To achieve this, environmental parameters (temperature, salinity, pH and oxygen) are measured at sites where living and dead ostracods are sampled. Sampling is carried out on a three-monthly basis, covering half a year during the summer months at 12 different waterbodies in Mansfeld Lake area, Central Germany. Repeated sampling enables collection of environmental data together with species abundance, thereby, providing information about environmental tolerances of species, their life-cycles and taphonomic processes. While species distribution is not controlled by the measured parameters, species show waterbody-specific life-cycles, as well as locally variable taphonomic processes.
The inland occurrence of the morphological variable, mostly brackish water species Cyprideis torosa in the Mansfeld Lakes, allows a more detailed investigation of the (eco-) phenotypic variability of the species and is related to populations with the geographical range of the species. The size variability of Recent to Holocene C. torosa in the Eurasian realm reveals two large-scale patterns. The first is an increase in size with latitude, the second is the separation of two morphotypes at around 42°N. The co-occurrence of the morphotypes within one of the habitats excludes an environmental control of its development.
Compared to the large-scale size variability of C. torosa, local and seasonal size differences in Mansfeld Lake populations are rather small. The size-environmental relationship of C. torosa is examined in different regions (Baltic Sea, Camargue and Mansfeld Lakes) and on local scales. Thereby, no general (i.e., regional) pattern is found, but a locally limited correlation between size and salinity in Mansfeld Lakes.
On all spatial and temporal scales investigated, male and female C. torosa show sex-specific morphological patterns. Investigation of size and shape dimorphism in this species reveals sex-specific, regional and temporal similarities and dissimilarities in the relationship between size and shape. Therefore, it is suggested that morphological variability in C. torosa results from a combination of sex-specific and scale-dependent geographic phenotypic plasticity and regional sexual and fecundity selection pressures on the sexes rather than ecological causes.
The Fennoscandian Ice Sheet (FIS) was one of the largest inland ice bodies in the northern hemisphere during the Quaternary. At the end of the Quaternary, during the Weichselian, large ice masses strongly shaped the landscape of Northern Europe. Repeating advances of the FIS led to the development of various glacial landforms in NE Germany. Especially in the federal state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (MWP) the landforms related to the Late Weichselian ice advances are abundant in a large diversity. Although Quaternary research in NE Germany is ongoing since more than a century, many questions on the number and chronology of the different ice advances are still unanswered.
In the last decades numerical dating provided an approach to answer these questions. But with the amount of datings, an uncertainty about the progression of the FIS arouse. In the last years, a partly strong asynchrony of the ice margin is controversially discussed. In MWP, where the remnants of the latest glaciation are strongly distinctive, the number of numerical age data was low so far. This thesis aims to strengthen the data base for numerical age data in accordance to estimate the chronology and the development of Late Weichselian ice margins. By means of Optical Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating, key sites for ice sheet development were investigated and the results are integrated into regional ice-dynamic models of the FIS during Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 3 to 2, which are partly been challenged.
As there is age data which contradicts with the ongoing estimation of the LGM in NE Germany, the here presented data confirms the LGM in the study area to ~24-22 ka. For a post-LGM ice advance this thesis confirms to reach its maximum extent at ~20-18 ka. The evolution of the Jasmund Glacitectonic Complex (JGC), which is in focus to reflect small-dimensioned ice sheet dynamics, was directly determined for the first time by dating of syn-kinematic deposits. Although the assumed two-step (main) evolution could not been differentiated by OSL age data, the development of the two main sub-complexes of the JGC was dated to 22-20 ka. The here presented age data provides robust ages for the development of the FIS and contributes to a better understanding of ice dynamics in the SW Baltic Sea area during MIS 2.
Several indices for measuring the degree of chemical weathering in soils, sediments and sedimentary rocks based on selective clay minerals have been proposed but quantitative links to climatic parameters, such as mean annual temperature or rainfall are generally lacking. This contribution provides some first constraints from published case studies on a more comprehensive Clay Mineral Alteration Index (CMAI) to establish relationships between silicate weathering, clay mineral formation and climate by using the complete clay mineral assemblage. On a global scale, lithological controls on clay mineral assemblages introduce a large degree of heterogeneity to the system, which makes direct interpretations based on numerical indices difficult to implement. Some general correlations of the CMAI and climate occur for selective soil types (i.e. alfisols), but correlations improve further when the host rocks are compositionally similar and only climatic factors vary. Soils located on Silurian and Oligoclase shale bedrock from different climatic zones also show good correlations when mean annual temperatures and rainfall are plotted separately or combined and appropriately weighted. Based on these relationships, the CMAI values for young clastic sediments of the Qionghai Lake (China) were successfully used to evaluate mean annual temperature and rainfall patterns from the sediment record over the last 21,000 cal BP. Although further refinement and validation of the methodology is required, a similar pattern in palaeotemperature variation was produced as established indicators for the last 10,000 years as well as detecting a strong monsoonal activity between 15,500 and 8300 cal BP. The CMAI was also applied to the Ediacaran mudstones and felsic palaeosols of the East European Craton that were deposited on the Baltic palaeocontinent. Together with consideration of the degrees of chemical alteration, a pattern of Late Neoproterozoic- Early Palaeozoic climatic change was revealed that is consistent with available palaeomagnetic studies. This supports the concept of the northerly migration of Baltica between 615 and 565 Ma followed by a southerly migration between 550 and 480 Ma. The CMAI is therefore suggested to represent a useful additional tool for tracking climate change through geological time.
Monitoring the Earth by annually mapping land cover (LC) fractions helps to better understand the ongoing processes and changes of land use and land management. At 10 to 30 m spatial resolution, the combination of time-series data aggregation, specifically spectral-temporal metrics (STM), and regression-based unmixing models has been shown to be highly effective in quantifying LC fractions over large areas. However, STM are subject to variations in data densities within and between years, which may lead to variations in prediction accuracies and limit the transferability of models through time. To better understand the influence of annual data density on multi-year monitoring, we systematically tested the accuracy and spatial-temporal transferability of regression models for LC fraction mapping. Additionally, we introduced a novel strategy, Random Observation Selection, in the STM generation to enhance model transferability and compared its results to those obtained from regular STM. We used STM from multi-spectral Sentinel-2 satellite data to estimate Impervious surface, Woody and Low vegetation at a regional scale in northern Germany and Poland for the years 2017 to 2022. The study period is characterized by substantial inter-annual variation in data density and well suited to test temporal transfer: in the extremely hot and dry years of 2018 and 2019 data density is above average and considered relatively high, while in the wetter years of 2017 and 2021 it is low. The mapping quality of models trained in single years varied considerably between years with high and low data density. Specifically, models trained in years with high data density performed well in that same year but poorly when transferred to years with lower density. Conversely, models trained in years with low data density demonstrated less of a decrease in accuracy when transferred. A multi-year model trained in all six years performs the best for each individual year. The use of Random Observation Selection improved the transferability of all models, particularly for those trained with data from a high data density year when transferred to years with lower data density. Here, the mean absolute error showed the highest relative improvement of 16%. In conclusion, STM proved useful for multi-year regression-based monitoring, but care must be taken when annual data density varies. Incorporating Random Observation Selection reduced this influence and improved the spatial-temporal transferability of quantitative LC fraction monitoring.
There is an increasingly urgent need for societal change towards sustainability as it is vital to maintain an environmental situation that supports human life. A highly impact-relevant field is agriculture and therefore this need also entails a sustainable transformation of this field. However, there has been insufficient progress towards the SDG targets and it seems unrealistic that they will be reached in 2030. Some barriers lie in the attitude-behavior gap, and some in the hindering characteristics of land use conflicts as well as assumed urban-rural conflicts.
Understanding the points of view of others substantially contributes to the finding of joint solutions. This is especially necessary in the context of complex challenges such as sustainable development, where diverse knowledge, experience, and opinions can either hinder or constructively facilitate appropriate solutions. Thus, understanding might be a key construct for constructive handling of land-use conflicts and therefore essential for sustainable development.
In the literature, there is as yet no clearly defined core construct of understanding, especially related to sustainable agriculture change. This will be addressed here as the main research gap.
Therefore, this thesis aims to theoretically derive and empirically test the construct of the understanding of the agriculturally shaped environment as a key to sustainable land use change at the societal level. In addition, socio-demographic and spatial aspects related to the distribution of understanding in society will be examined.
The aim is for this key construct of the understanding of the agriculturally shaped environment to be applicable in research and practice to be able to capture and evaluate the status quo and then lead to appropriate interventions to facilitate and grow a breeding ground for sustainable agriculture.
In order to be able to capture the complexity of this research object, the approach applied is interdisciplinary, integrating in particular (rural) geography and (environmental) psychology, not only theories but also methods. Thus, another central research gap is addressed; the need for interdisciplinary cooperation and approaches as (potential) complex answers for complex challenges in the context of sustainable development.
Therefore, in Study I, as a result of the literature review, the multidimensional construct of the understanding of the agriculturally shaped environment has been theoretically derived. It makes a substantial contribution towards closing the attitude-behavior gap by including not only a cognitive and attitudinal component but also an emotional one. Additionally, understanding is an important prerequisite for solving (land-use) conflicts. For this construct, empirical evidence was found by using structural equation modeling for four understanding dimensions: one cognitive, two emotional, and an attitudinal dimension.
Furthermore, in Study II, cluster analysis was performed as it had been suspected that there are different groups in society with respect to the expressions of the understanding dimensions. The analysis revealed three groups: 1. The alienated from the agriculturally shaped environment cluster, 2. the knowledge about sustainable agriculture cluster, and 3. the conventional agriculture cluster.
Testing with multinomial logistic regressions was also performed; these understanding profiles are significantly influenced by socio-demographic, spatial, and regional characteristics (Studies II and III). Thus, it appears that there is spatial heterogeneity in the distribution of understanding profiles rather than the often assumed urban-rural gradient (Study III).
In this way, specific insights into society and spatial and regional patterns have been gained and an applicable indicator for practitioners has been derived to evaluate the status quo. Thus, there is now a basis for practitioners to derive appropriate measures to foster the breeding ground in society for sustainable agriculture.
More specifically, the understanding level of people who tend to be in Cluster One, in particular, is a challenge because of their general indifference and lack of access to the agriculturally shaped environment. An appropriate measure can be farm visits to provide contact with this kind of environment and related issues. There is a great need to implement measures to overcome the alienation from nature in general and more specifically alienation from agriculture. In order to overcome (potential) social polarization resulting from a focus on urban versus rural characteristics or such labels, it makes a lot of sense to foster contact between different social and spatial groups to bring about an exchange, as well as taking different experiences and knowledge and opinions into account and then utilizing them to find complex solutions regarding climate change.
A central takeaway is that understanding is an important prerequisite for constructive handling of land-use conflicts and therefore for sustainable development. Additionally, in order to find complex solutions for complex contemporary challenges (e.g. climate change) and thus overcome disciplinary shortcomings it is extremely useful to apply interdisciplinary approaches (in specific the combination of rural geography and environmental psychology). To meet the complex, global challenges of climate change subsequent studies should focus on high-impact behavior: e.g. agriculture, which can take advantage of latent construct development in the context of sustainable development, furthermore, in order to counteract social polarization, studies should also consider the effect on different groups (e.g. the rural population) of scientists reproducing destructive one-sided narratives.
In future research, the construct of understanding developed here can be improved by using psychometric items and it can also be extended through adaptation for other issues e.g. Dust Bowl syndrome.
The empirical data were collected through a large-scale population survey in Western Pomerania, Germany, which serves as an example of a predominantly rural and comparatively structurally weak region with manifold land-use conflicts.
Konturite, also Sedimente die durch persistente Bodenströmungen abgelagert oder maßgeblich beeinflusst wurden, sind Archive für paläozeanografische und damit einhergehende paläoklimatische Veränderungen. Sie stehen im Fokus intensiver multidisziplinärer Forschung und können in den heutigen Ozeanen, vor allem dank schiffbasierter geophysikalischer Methoden, weiträumig nachgewiesen werden. Die Identifikation fossiler Konturite an Land bleibt jedoch eine Herausforderung, und neue Fallstudien zur Dokumentation der Sedimentfazies sind selten. Dies ist auf noch immer unvollständige Kriterien zur Identifikation von Konturiten im kleinen Maßstab zurückzuführen. Nur die Kombination klein-, mittel- und großskaliger Kriterien ermöglicht die eindeutige Identifikation fossiler Konturite. Unzureichende Aufschlussqualität und -größe schränken diesen Ansatz jedoch häufig ein und damit die Möglichkeit, Konturite eindeutig als solche zu erkennen und als paläoozeanographische Archive auswerten zu können. Insbesondere die Dokumentation der Variabilität einzelner Konturit-Sequenzen im kleinen Maßstab, beispielsweise mittels Mikrofazies-Analyse, ist grundlegend für die Erarbeitung zuverlässigerer diagnostischer Kriterien und besitzt demzufolge hohe Priorität.
Die vorliegende Arbeit adressiert dieses Ziel mit der Untersuchung des Einflusses von Bodenströmungen auf Karbonatabfolgen des Devons, die im tiefmarinen Ablagerungsraum zwischen den konvergierenden Großkontinenten Laurussia und Gondwana akkumuliert wurden. Solche Abfolgen sind heute im Süden und Südosten Marokkos weiträumig aufgeschlossen. Die Arbeit fasst die Ergebnisse dreier Studien zusammen, welche die Variabilität von Karbonat-Konturiten und die mit deren Ablagerung assoziierten Bedingungen – wie Hydrodynamik und Sedimentverfügbarkeit – dokumentieren. Darauf aufbauend werden Rückschlüsse auf steuernde paläoozeanographische Prozesse gezogen.
Auf der Grundlage detaillierter Geländearbeiten werden zwei unterschiedliche Archive vom nordwestlichen Rand Gondwanas ausgewertet: (1) eine Unterdevon-Abfolge, aufgeschlossen in der Skoura-Region des südlichen Hohen Atlas, und (2) die Mittel- bis Oberdevon-Abfolge der Tafilalt-Plattform im östlichen Anti-Atlas.
Die Unterdevon-Abfolge, im Fokus der ersten Studie dieser Arbeit, wurde auf dem distalen, durch Dehnungsprozesse mäßig ausgedünnten nordwestlichen Kontinentalrand Gondwanas (Meseta-Domain) abgelagert. Sie umfasst eine Konturit-Drift (im Folgenden bezeichnet als Tiliwine-Drift), die hauptsächlich aus bioklastischen Partikeln und Karbonat-Schlamm besteht. Während des Pragiums bis ins frühe Emsium kommt es zu einer sukzessiven Zunahme der durchschnittlichen Korngröße (coarsening-upward) und der Bankmächtigkeiten (thickening-upward), gefolgt von einer plötzlichen Verfeinerung (fining-upward) unterhalb der Grenze Unter-/Ober-Emsium. Die Untersuchung der Abfolge in vier Aufschlüssen, die ein etwa 75 km langes, west-ost-streichendes Transekt aufspannen, basiert unter anderem auf detaillierter Mikrofazies-Analyse, graphischer Dokumentation der Schichtenfolge im Gelände und drift-skaliger lithostratigraphischer Korrelation zwischen den Aufschlüssen. Dokumentiert wurden (1) vier Fazies-Assoziationen, mit bis zu 80 cm mächtigen vollständigen und unvollständigen bi-gradationalen Konturit-Sequenzen sowie (2) gut erhaltene Traktionsstrukturen von Strömungsrippeln und subaquatischen Dünen, die eine westwärts gerichtete Paläozirkulation anzeigen. Zudem (3) spiegelt der aus der Abfolge rekonstruierte zunehmende Einfluss der Bodenströmung vom Pragium bis ins Unter-Emsium, gefolgt von einer plötzlichen Reduktion der Strömung an der Grenze Unter-/Ober-Emsium, die plattentektonisch kontrollierte sukzessive Einengung der ozeanischen Passage zwischen den konvergierenden Landmassen von Laurussia und Gondwana wider, welche schließlich zur vorübergehenden Schließung der Meerenge (Amerikanische Pforte) und einer Unterbrechung der Paläozirkulation zwischen dem Rheischen Ozean und der Panthalassa vor etwa 400 Ma führte.
Die Mittel- bis Oberdevon-Abfolge der Tafilalt-Plattform, im Fokus der zweiten Studie, repräsentiert den nördlichen Rand des ausgedehnten Epikontinentalmeeres im Nordwesten Gondwanas. Die Tafilalt-Plattform, zuvor als eine flache pelagische Plattform beschrieben, ist weltweit bekannt für ihre fossilreichen Cephalopoden-Kalke. Die Neubewertung des Ablagerungsmilieus dieser und assoziierter Sedimente führte zu einer Neuinterpretation der Plattform als Karbonat-Konturit-Terrasse (Tafilalt-Konturit-Terrasse), gelegen am Übergang vom Schelf zum Kontinentalhang, unterhalb der Sturmwellenbasis. Die untersuchte Abfolge (Eifelium bis Frasnium) ist kondensiert und reich an Schichtlücken. Die Sedimentakkumulation wurde kontrolliert und teils unterdrückt durch Bodenströmungen variierender Intensität. Fünf Fazies-Assoziationen spiegeln die Ablagerungsbedingungen wider, u.a. geprägt durch oxische Bodenströmungen geringer Strömungsgeschwindigkeit im Wechsel mit periodisch auftretenden, teils erosiven, anoxischen Bodenströmungen. Die dokumentierten Fazies indizieren eine komplexe Interaktion aus (1) Ablagerung aus der Suspension, (2) Transport und Ablagerung von Bodenfracht, (3) temporärem dynamischem Sediment-Bypass, ursächlich verbunden mit einer frühdiagenetischen Zementation des Meeresbodens und (4) strömungsindizierter Erosion und Umlagerung. Diese Prozesse wurden durch die vertikale Verlagerung einer Wassermassengrenze gesteuert. Die Studie demonstriert mit der Dokumentation eines breiten Spektrums karbonatischer Konturit-Sequenzen und der Sedimentarchitektur der Tafilalt-Konturit-Terrasse die beträchtliche Variabilität klein- bis großmaßstäblicher Konturit-Merkmale. Darüber hinaus bietet sie Einblicke in die vielfältigen hydrodynamischen Prozesse, die den Ablagerungsraum prägten.
Die dritte Studie dieser Arbeit stützt sich auf die sedimentologische Analyse der vorangegangenen Studie und untersucht die Mittel- bis Oberdevon-Abfolge einer kleineren Drift im oberen Teil der Tafilalt-Konturit-Terrasse. Der Fokus dieser Studie liegt in der Rekonstruktion paläozeanografischer Prozesse, die das synchrone Auftreten Organik-reicher bioklastischer Konturite (organic-rich coquinas - ORCs) und globaler evolutionärer Ereignisse verknüpfen. Paläoströmungsdaten, abgeleitet aus primären Sedimentstrukturen innerhalb der Corg-reichen bioklastischen Konturite, liefern zusammen mit dreidimensionalen Rekonstruktionen, mittelskaliger morphosedimentärer Konturit-Merkmale und biostratigraphischen Daten Hinweise auf starke, nordwestwärts gerichtete, hangparallele Bodenströmungen. Diese Bodenströmungen hatten einen zweiphasigen Impact auf den Sedimentationsraum der Tafilalt-Konturit-Terrasse. Sie führten zunächst, bedingt durch Erosion und Sediment-Bypass, zu (1) weitreichenden biostratigraphischen Lücken, und anschließend (2) zur Ablagerung der ORCs aus der Schichtfracht. Zurückgeführt werden sie auf wiederholte Schelfwasserkaskaden (overflows), durch die dichtes, anoxisches Schelfwasser die Tafilalt-Konturit-Terrasse überströmte. Diese Resultate bestätigen die Bildung euxinischer Wassermassen durch starke Verdunstung und wiederkehrende anoxische Verhältnisse in der photischen Zone (top-down Mechanismus) des Epikontinentalmeers südlich und südöstlich der Tafilalt-Konturit-Terrasse, innerhalb der dortigen Intra-Schelfbecken (Reggane, Ahnet, Berkine und Ghadames). Meeresspiegelschwankungen infolge kurzzeitiger, klimatischer Wärmphasen (hot-house conditions) lösten wahrscheinlich den periodischen Überlauf und das Kaskadieren dieser anoxischen Wässer von den epikontinentalen Becken, über die TCT, in Richtung Ozean aus. Erstmals wird in dieser Studie ein Konturite-Archiv genutzt, um die paläozoischen Zirkulationsmuster zu entschlüsseln, welche die anoxischen Events des Devons maßgeblich beeinflusst, wenn nicht sogar verursacht haben, und letztlich in der Kellwasser-Krise an der Frasnium/Famennium-Grenze gipfelten.
Diese Doktorarbeit unterstreicht die Bedeutung von Konturiten als Archive paläozeanografischer Prozesse und plattentektonischer Ereignisse. Basierend auf multiskaligen Analysen liefert sie Einblicke in die komplexe Dynamik von Bodenströmungen und deren Rolle bei der Erosion, dem Transport und der Ablagerung von Sedimenten. Sie unterstreicht die Bedeutung von Mikrofazies- und Paläoströmungsanalysen sowie die Relevanz großräumiger Kartierungen der Faziesvariabilität von Sedimenten, um eine Rekonstruktion paläozeanografischer Zirkulationsmuster und assoziierter Umweltveränderungen zu ermöglichen.
Detailed maps on the spatial and temporal distribution of crops are key for a better understanding of agricultural practices and for food security management. Multi-temporal remote sensing data and deep learning (DL) have been extensively studied for deriving accurate crop maps. However, strategies to solve the problem of transferring crop classification models over time, e.g., training the model with data for a recent year and mapping back to the past, have not been fully explored. This is due to the lack of a generalized method for aggregating optical data with regard to the irregularity in annual clear sky observations and the scarcity of multi-annual crop reference data to support a more generalized DL model. In this study, we tackled these challenges by introducing a method namely Temporal Encoding (TE) to capture the irregular phenological information. Subsequently, we adapted and integrated two methods, i.e., Random Observations Selection (ROS) and Random Day Shifting (RDS) to simulate the variability of temporal sparsity as well as the shifts of crop phenology over different years. We tested this approach with a 1-dimensional Convolutional Neural Network (1D-CNN) and a Transformer Network models. Our results for both classifiers showed that models trained with crop reference data from 2018 and a dense time series of Landsat 7/8 and Sentinel-2 A/B data can be transferred with little decreases in accuracy to map 12 consecutive years from 2010 to 2021. The Transformer Network was slightly more accurate, while the 1D-CNN was much three times faster. Furthermore, the proposed models could achieve similar performances in the same years with and without fully available satellite information. The TE with ROS and RDS appears well suited for improving temporal transferability to support long term historic crop mapping.
Using nuclear power for civil energy generation was a promising idea in the second half of the 20th century. Compared to fossil fuels, nuclear power results in almost no CO2 bearing emissions, which are known to have triggered and enhanced the global climate change. However, nuclear power bears other risks, e.g. environmental and health damage caused by radiation, unwanted release of nuclides being transported by water, accidents of nuclear power plants, and not to mention the possibility of non-intended military use. In any case, generating power from nuclear fission will always produce radiating waste, albeit in small amounts. Due to its longevity, this waste is a significant challenge for scientists, politicians and for the international social community to find a repository, which can be considered safe for millions of years and is accepted by the public. As the general consensus is that the rocks of earth crust’s are the best option for a controlled storage, scientists including geologists, geophysicists and hydrogeologists are looking worldwide for safe underground repository sites. Given different political preconditions, the nations, especially in the European Union, have developed different strategies. The following article intends to describe the current strategy in Germany, which is based on a specific “Act on the search for and selection of a site for a final repository for highly radioactive waste” (in short: Site Selection Act) and attempts to learn from mistakes in the seventies. It is our strong conviction that fundamental geological aspects are as important as essential societal principles in order to gain maximum public acceptance.
The promotion of R&D carries the risk that economically strong regions will benefit to a greater extent and that regional disparities will increase by focusing the economy on high technology. However, this is expected to depend on the specific sectoral and technological composition of R&D funding. R&D funding for a bio-based economy in Germany is particularly illustrative for a shift in funding focus from a narrow concept of biotechnology to a broader concept of bioeconomy. Along with this shift, an impact on the spatial distribution of R&D funding is assumed. Against the background of inclusive innovation policy, this study examines the potential of the bioeconomy for a reduction of regional disparities in public R&D funding. Based on a database containing publicly-funded R&D projects in Germany and further regional data, comparative regressions are conducted in order to identify spatial patterns. The results demonstrate distinct funding mechanisms in the different areas of the bioeconomy. The broadening of R&D funding for bio-based activities from the biotechnology vision towards bioresources and bioecology leads to a greater participation of rural and lagging regions which is expected to be the result of the inclusion of more traditional industries as recipients of R&D funding.