Biodiversity monitoring is important as it allows to prioritize research into the causes of declines and assessing the efficacy of conservation measures. Regional assessments are valuable, because ...conservation policies and management are often implemented on national and sub-national level. We analyzed data from the German Common Bird Monitoring for 1990–2018. We derived indices of population size using standard log-linear models, based on point counts and route territory mapping at up to 1200 plots annually. We summarized species trends by ecological trait groups. Among the 93 common breeding birds, farmland birds declined strongly, birds of settlements declined. Forest birds initially declined, but recovered after ca. 2010. Wetland birds increased strongly, albeit the number of species with data was low. Consistent declines were found in ground-nesting birds, granivorous and invertebrate (other than insect)-feeding birds. Trends of insectivorous birds were stable on average, but farmland insectivores declined strongly since the year 2000. Long-distance migrants showed more negative trends compared to short-distance migrants and resident species. Species with narrow habitat niche declined disproportionally. Trends over the entire period were more negative in common species in the dataset (with a German breeding population of > 50 K and < 1 M pairs). On the opposite, short-term trends were more negative in less common species (< 50 K pairs). Cold-adapted species showed largely negative, warm-adapted largely positive trends. Multi-species indicators showed no directional change (i.e., a change from decline to increase or vice versa) conditional on the inclusion or omission of single species, but the magnitude of change was affected in groups with low sample size. This suggests that efforts should be made to develop robust monitoring schemes for rarer species that are not covered by the analyses here. We conclude that conservation policies in Germany should aim at halting the worrying declines in ground-nesting, often insectivorous, farmland birds. The recovery of forest and wetland birds is encouraging, but future trends need to be monitored. Ongoing climate change will affect species directly (via their thermal niche) and indirectly (e.g., through more forest disturbance). Conservation strategies will, therefore, need to consider species adaptation to environmental and climate change, e.g., in better protected area connectivity and management.
Abstract
Accurate assessment of the overall impacts of anthropogenic activities on mobile, migratory species requires cumulative year-round impact assessments covering their entire annual cycle. This ...study considers the type of information needed and the assessment tools required to implement such assessments. The developed concept is demonstrated by modelling year-round collisions of Black-legged Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) breeding on the German North Sea island of Helgoland with constructed and planned offshore wind farms across the species distributional range, in order to assess the endangerment status of the local population.
Assessment of the displacement impacts of offshore wind farms on seabirds is impeded by a lack of evidence regarding species-specific reactions to developed sites and the potential ecological ...consequences faced by displaced individuals. In this study, we present a method that makes best use of the currently limited understanding of displacement impacts. The combination of a matrix table displaying the full range of potential displacement and mortality levels together with seasonal potential biological removal (PBR) assessments provides a tool that increases confidence in the conclusions of impact assessments. If unrealistic displacement levels and/or mortality rates are required to equal or approach seasonal PBRs, this gives an indication of the likeliness of adverse impacts on the assessed population. This approach is demonstrated by assessing the displacement impacts of an offshore wind farm cluster in the German North Sea on the local common guillemot (Uria aalge) population.
•A novel approach for assessing displacement impacts of offshore wind farms on seabirds is presented making best use of limited data•A displacement matrix approach is linked with PBR analysis to increased confidence in assessment conclusions drawn•A case example demonstrates the applicability of the methods described in practice
Quantitative and qualitative approaches to assessing and valuing ecosystem services have been compared using case studies from Italy and Germany. This paper describes and analyzes two different ...methods of applying an ecosystem service approach and discusses their relative strengths, shortcomings and peculiarities. This allows the conditions to be identified that best support the application of one or other of these methods. Suggestions are offered on how to integrate both methodologies in order to improve the implementation of an ecosystem service approach in decision-making processes.
Legal requirements in context of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive require increased trans-national cooperation on environmental effects induced by marine uses to achieve Good Environmental ...Status by 2020. Interactions between offshore wind farms and seabirds represent a valuable example of how a changed spatial perspective might influence the assessment of environmental impacts. This paper addresses the potential consequences of offshore wind farm development at the North Sea scale on selected seabird species with high relevance in context of national approval procedures. It provides a new methodology to estimate the cumulative habitat loss due to ongoing and planned offshore wind farm construction activities within the North Sea's exclusive economic zones of Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and the United Kingdom. In addition to providing information on the seasonal distribution of important species and initial estimates of potential seabird habitat exclusion due to offshore wind farming, this study highlights the need for increased trans-national cooperation among riparian states and harmonization of conservation approaches to successfully implement the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.
► Estimates of habitat conversion due to offshore wind farms at transnational scale. ► Multi-seasonal seabird abundance maps indicating vulnerable marine areas. ► Planning cultural differences support an unconscious emergence of priority species.
The purpose of this thesis is to investigate and understand the direct and indirect influence of German non-governmental organisations (NGOs) on the corporate social responsibility (CSR) approach of ...the Volkswagen Group (VWG) within the German institutional framework in the context of a crisis. It builds on previous studies that identified gaps in the understanding of NGO influence and the role of contextual factors. This research applied a qualitative methodology with semi-structured interviews as the main method of data collection. The case-study approach has been chosen as a methodological strategy to analyse the direct and indirect influence of six NGOs on the German multinational corporation (MNC) VWG within the context of the emissions crisis. For this study, 34 semi-structured interviews were conducted with NGOs, one of VWG's CSR representatives, employees, suppliers, CSR and automotive experts, and representatives of German political institutions. The findings of this study not only explain the trajectory of an unfolding scandal but also the effects those events may have in reconfiguring the role and influence of key stakeholders. It shows that current stakeholder conceptions must be reassessed regarding the role of NGOs and political actors. The results reveal that the strong intertwining between German policy makers and VWG is a determinant that limits NGO influence, which leads to conditional direct and conditional indirect influence on VWG via policy makers. The findings indicate that the coercive stakeholder pressure instrument 'lawsuit' is a means of unconditional indirect influence with which NGOs successfully operate to exert influence. It also illustrates that the simultaneous and successive use of the multiplicity of direct and indirect influence instruments can lead to effective influence on an MNC's CSR approach. This work builds on stakeholder theories and CSR concepts and contributes to the stakeholder literature by expanding our collective understanding of the direct and indirect influence of a particular stakeholder group (NGOs) on the CSR approach of an MNC. Moreover, this thesis contributes to the NGO influence debate by putting an emphasis on the perspective of NGOs. This thesis also intends to contribute to management practices by providing a better understanding of how MNCs may use existing stakeholder models more effectively to engage in effective dialogues with NGOs.
Although the concept of ecosystem services has drawn a prolific amount of recent research, little work has been done on the links between marine ecosystem services and coastal human well-being at a ...regional scale. Key questions in this context are that of appropriate categories for assessing human well-being and how to link different determinants of human well-being to specific ecosystem services supplied in adjacent marine areas. This paper presents the results of a case study that links tangible and intangible ecosystem benefits to a range of material and immaterial factors constituting human well-being. Determinants of human well-being were defined and indicators selected to make these linkages traceable. Ecosystem services were assessed for the offshore environment along the west coast of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, based on the assumption of strong future development of offshore wind farming and considering the environmental and socio-economic impacts of such developments on the coastal region. This paper illustrates some conceptual problems in linking ecosystem benefits to human well-being. Based on an economic analysis and a questionnaire survey, two examples are presented where an evidence-based link could be demonstrated between an ecosystem service impacted by offshore wind farming and change in human well-being. The results presented should be understood as an analytic framework and precondition for gathering empirical data.
Diabetic nephropathy is the main cause of end-stage renal disease. MicroRNAs are powerful regulators of the genome, and global expression profiling revealed miR-21 to be among the most highly ...regulated microRNAs in kidneys of mice with diabetic nephropathy. In kidney biopsies of diabetic patients, miR-21 correlated with tubulointerstitial injury. In situ PCR analysis showed a specific enrichment of miR-21 in glomerular cells. We identified cell division cycle 25a (Cdc25a) and cyclin-dependent kinase 6 (Cdk6) as novel miR-21 targets in mesangial cells. miR-21-mediated repression of Cdc25a and Cdk6 resulted in impaired cell cycle progression and subsequent mesangial cell hypertrophy. miR-21 increased podocyte motility by regulating phosphatase and tensin homolog (Pten). miR-21 antagonism in vitro and in vivo in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice decreased mesangial expansion, interstitial fibrosis, macrophage infiltration, podocyte loss, albuminuria, and fibrotic- and inflammatory gene expression. In conclusion, miR-21 antagonism rescued various functional and structural parameters in mice with diabetic nephropathy and, thus, might be a viable option in the treatment of patients with diabetic kidney disease.
Kölling et al. identify miR-21 silencing in mice with diabetic nephropathy to prevent pathological changes, including mesangial expansion, fibrosis, and albuminuria. These phenomena are mediated by mesangial cell cycle regulation through Cdc25a and Cdk6 and regulation of podocyte motility by Pten. Thus, miR-21 silencing might be evaluated in future clinical trials.
Abstract Background and purpose When treated by radiotherapy, patients with squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (HNSCC) positive for HPV and p16INK4a possess a clearly favorable prognosis ...as compared to those with HPV-negative HNSCC. The aim of this work was to study whether the better outcomes might be caused by an enhanced cellular radiosensitivity. Materials and methods The radiation response of five HPV/p16INK4a -positive and five HPV-negative cell lines was characterized with regard to cellular radiosensitivity by colony formation assay. Furthermore G1- and G2-arrest, apoptosis and residual DNA double-strand breaks (DSB) were analyzed by the colcemid-based G1-efflux assay, propidium iodide staining, the detection of PARP cleavage, the fluorescence-based detection of caspase activity and the immunofluorescence staining of γH2AX and 53BP1 foci. Results On average, the cellular radiosensitivity of the HNSCC cell lines positive for HPV and p16INK4a was higher as compared to the sensitivity of a panel of five HPV-negative HNSCC cell lines (SF3 = 0.2827 vs. 0.4455). The higher sensitivity does not result from increased apoptosis or the execution of a permanent G1-arrest, but is rather associated with both, elevated levels of residual DSBs and extensive G2-arrest. Conclusions Increased cellular radiosensitivity due to compromised DNA repair capacity is likely to contribute to the improved outcome of patients with HPV/p16INK4a -positive tumors when treated by radiotherapy.
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