Eastern Austria Research Articles

Combining graph-cut clustering with object-based stem detection for tree segmentation in highly dense airborne lidar point clouds

Single tree detection has been a major research topic when it comes to support of collecting automatic field inventory using lidar. All previous methods show under- and over-segmentation effects because the associated control parameters have a limited scope. This paper describes a novel integrated single tree segmentation using a graph-cut clustering method that is supported by automatic stem detection. The key idea is to replace the static stopping criterion, which is usually defined by trial and error or by a sensitivity analysis, here with a query for whether a stem position has been provided by the stem detection in the remaining cluster to be partitioned. The stem detection automatically detects tree stems by identifying vertical lines based on a hierarchical classification procedure. We evaluate both stem detection and integrated single tree segmentation on mixed temperate forest plots captured in a leaf-on situation. The highly dense airborne lidar data was acquired with an average point density of more than 200 points/m2. The forest areas, which are located in Eastern Austria, are characterized by a stem density of around 1000 stems/ha and a tree age between 15 and 63 years. We test our algorithms with reference data measured both by visual interpretation of the laser point clouds using a conventional field campaign. In our experiments, we confirm that the automatic stem detection technique successfully locates stems if the lidar point density of the stems is at least five points/m. The experimental results show that stem detection alone can detect more than 80% of the stems, with a precision of better than 70%. Moreover, we prove that the integration of the stem detection renders the graph-cut segmentation effectively independent of the stopping criterion and improves the overall accuracy of the tree segmentation as well. In terms of F-scores, the overall improvement is up to 15% and 6% for reference data from visual inspection and field measurements, respectively. Compared with the results of two existing tree segmentation methods that were applied to the same datasets, the accuracy improvement is also demonstrated by F-scores increased up to 22% and 5%, respectively. Very interestingly, the integrated tree segmentation considerably enhances the detection accuracy, especially in mixed and deciduous forest areas by more than 10% in the case of reference data provided by visual inspection.

The Osli Formation – a Holocene lithostratigraphic unit in the Danube/Kisalföld Basin, eastern Austria and northwestern Hungary

Abstract In the course of field investigations and formalisation of Quaternary deposits in the Lake Neusiedl/Seewinkel and Hanság area the Osli Formation is designated as new formal lithostratigraphic unit. It covers an area of ~200 square kilometres and, in historic times, wetlands such as swamps and peat bogs extended from Waasen in the south-eastern Seewinkel Plain to the Hanság (Kisalföld). Due to missing stratigraphic data this formation cannot be formally divided into two members but into a lower and upper section instead. The lower section of the Osli Formation was cored in the Seewinkel Plain and consists of lacustrine deposits of up to 10 metres in thickness that were presumably deposited during Preboreal. Despite the draining of the Hanság over centuries and decades of peat mining, the upper section of the Osli Formation nowadays still consists of an at least one-meter-thick succession of peat intercalated with fluvio-lacustrine deposits. The investigated peat layers at Tétényi-Hany (~5 km north of Osli) were 14C-dated, ranging in age from ~2,400 BC to 1,500 AD. 14C ages of peat profiles at Osli-Tőzegbánya (Fövenyes-tó), located ~2,5 km northeast of Osli, even date back to ~4,000 BC. Hence the 10 to 12 m thick Osli Formation can be dated as Holocene. It is underlain by Quaternary deposits of the Illmitz Formation.

Climate Variables Outstrip Deadwood Amount: Desiccation as the Main Trigger for Buxbaumia viridis Occurrence.

Deadwood is a biodiversity hotspot and habitat for numerous highly endangered species. Buxbaumia viridis has been assessed as a flagship species for deadwood-rich forests and is subject to monitoring under the Habitats Directive, yet we lack a solid understanding of the factors controlling its distribution. The study aimed to specify the climate and habitat preferences of Buxbaumia viridis and identify the best predictor variables. We collected presence-absence data of the species at 201 sites between 2016 and 2020. Study sites cover three biogeographic regions (Pannonian, Continental, and Alpine). They also represent a deadwood gradient ranging from managed forests to natural forest reserves and virgin forests. Our results suggest that desiccation and deadwood amount are the best predictor variables. The amount of deadwood at the colonized sites ranged from 1 m3/ha to 288 m3/ha, with a median of 70 m3/ha. The maximum desiccation, i.e., consecutive days without rain and at least 20 °C was 9.6 days at colonized sites. The results of logistic regression models suggest that desiccation limits Buxbaumia viridis occurrence on deadwood in the drier continental parts of eastern Austria. Derived details on climate and habitat requirements of Buxbaumia viridis can specify management and conservation. They clearly show how strongly the species is dependent on climate, which can counteract deadwood measures.

NATIONALIZATION OF BANKS AND INDUSTRY IN AUSTRIA IN 1945–1946

The article gives the analysis of post-war nationalization in Austria. Nationalization was carried out in the interests of the big capital. This was applied both to the methods and forms of economic management in the nationalized sector, and to the methods and forms of management that were directly carried out by large monopolists and their protégés. Austria’s monopolies exercised full power in the country and used the public sector to the maximum extent possible to strengthen their financial, political and economic dominance, to increase their own profits by redistributing the national income and violating the labor legislation. The experience of the nationalization in Austria, although it is a small country, has made it possible to draw some conclusions about the significance and the role of nationalization in the workers’ struggle to build a socially just state. In Austria, nationalization was caused by the special historical conditions that developed in the country after the defeat of the fascist Germany. The Austrian oligarchy, which was a Germany’s ally, had no direct way to get the industry located in Austria, which belonged to German monopolies. In this period Austrian financial experts considered nationalization as a lesser evil. It was advantageous for the Austrian oligarchy to shuffle off the burden of the entire financial and economic burden on to the state, i.e., ultimately, to the taxpayers. With the help of nationalization, it hoped to prevent the transfer of enterprises located in Eastern Austria and owned by Germany, as reparations, under the ownership of the USSR. The author comes to the conclusion that the economic basis of Austrian neutrality was nationalization, which was also a powerful weapon of the workers in the conditions of a radical change in the balance of power in the country.

Материалы к краниологии германоязычного населения Среднего Поволжья, юго-западной Германии и восточной Австрии

Материалы к краниологии германоязычного населения Среднего Поволжья, юго-западной Германии и восточной Австрии

Detection of physical hazards in soil profiles using quantitative soil physical quality assessment in the Pannonian basin, Eastern Austria

1. Abdollahi L., Munkholm L.J., and Garbout A., 2013. Tillage system and cover crop effects on soil quality: II. Pore characteristics. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 78(1), 271-279. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2.... CrossRef Google Scholar

Efficiency of Mineral Nitrogen Fertilization in Winter Wheat under Pannonian Climate Conditions

Improvements in nitrogen (N) use efficiency in crop production are important for addressing the triple challenges of food security, environmental degradation and climate change. The three fertilizers, calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN), urea (Urea) and stabilized urea (Ureastab), were applied at a rate of 160 kg N ha−1 with two or three splits to winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in the Pannonian climate region of eastern Austria. On average, over all fertilization treatments, the grain yield (GY) increased by about a quarter and the grain N concentration (GNC) doubled compared to the control without fertilization. Consequently, the grain N yield (NYGRAIN) was increased with N fertilization by 154%. The GY increased due to a higher grain density with no differences between N fertilizers but with a tendency of a higher grain yield with three compared to two splits. Three splits also slightly increased the GNC and consequently the NYGRAIN of CAN and Ureastab in one year. The removal of N fertilizer with the NYGRAIN (N surplus) was higher than the amount of applied fertilizer. Fertilization decreased the N use efficiency (NUE), the N uptake efficiency (NUpE) and the N utilization efficiency (NUtE) but increased the soil mineral nitrate (NO3-N) at harvest and the apparent N loss (ANL). Three compared to two applications resulted in a higher NO3-N at harvest but also a lower N surplus due to partly higher NYGRAIN. Consequently, the ANL was lower with three compared to two splits. Also, the NUpE and the apparent N recovery efficiency (ANRE) were higher with three splits. The best N treatment regarding highest above-ground biomass yield with lowest N surplus, N balance and ANL was the three-split treatment (50 CAN, 50 CAN, 60 liquid urea ammonium nitrate). Three splits can, under semi-arid conditions, be beneficial when aiming high-quality wheat for bread-making and also for reducing the N loss. Whereas, two splits are recommended when aiming only at high GY, e.g., for ethanol-wheat production.

Long-term monitoring of rodent and shrew communities in a biodiversity hot-spot in Austria using barn owl (Tyto alba) pellets

Rodent and shrew populations are key components of many animal communities around the world. However, their population dynamics and the factors influencing their abundance are still not well understood. We analyzed rodent and shrew community composition and abundance at a UNESCO world heritage site, the Neusiedler See in Eastern Austria, using barn owl pellets. We identified temperature (mean and minimal monthly temperature) as well as maximum precipitation per day as significant drivers of the rodent and shrew presence. Our analyses showed that increased temperatures and dry summers will challenge most of the analyzed species and most likely lead to decreased abundances, which will also affect the already threatened Pannonic root vole (Microtus oeconomus mehelyi). Increased drainage efforts in this area would also lead to less ground water and dryer soil and therefore damage the local rodent and shrew populations. We show that barn owl pellets are a highly efficient way of monitoring rodent and shrew populations over a large area and enable researchers to decipher the factors influencing population and community dynamics. The use of pellet data, therefore, may still be one of the most efficient methods of assessing small mammal populations and their change over time.

First report of Erysiphe corylacearum on Corylus avellana and C. colurna in Austria

In September 2020, prominent powdery mildew disease symptoms were seen on leaves of Corylus avellana (hazelnut) and C. colurna (Turkish hazelnut) at several localities in eastern and southern Austria (Burgenland, Carinthia, Lower Austria, Styria, Vienna). The symptoms differed from those previously observed (caused by Phyllactinia guttata) by mycelia on the upper leaf surface and by smaller chasmothecia with branched appendices. The disease was observed on Corylus spp. growing in mixed deciduous forests, hedges as well as city gardens and parks. Disease symptoms started as small spots of white, amphigenous surface mycelium, that radially enlarged to form effuse patches reaching up to 2 cm in diameter, eventually becoming confluent and then covering the entire leaf surface (Figs. 1, 2). Infections on the lower leaf surface caused chlorotic spots on the upside (Fig. 1). Upon severe infection, leaves were distorted (Figs. 1, 2). On surface mycelium, ellipsoid to doliiform conidia (27-36 × 18-23 μm) were produced singly on conidiophores (Fig. 3). In addition, dark brown chasmothecia, 70-120 μm in diameter were abundantly produced (Fig. 4), which had up to 15, 60-90 μm long, stiff, hyaline appendages with repeatedly dichotomously branched tips. They contained 2-6 broadly ellipsoid, mostly (3-)7-8 spored asci of 51-70 × 38-57 μm, with hyaline ascospores 19-28 × 13-18 μm (Fig. 5). Based on these characters, the powdery mildew was identified as Erysiphe corylacearum (Braun & Cook, 3). To confirm the morphological identification, the ITS-LSU of sample WU 43287 (Lower Austria, Gießhübl, host: Corylus avellana) was sequenced. DNA was extracted from chasmothecia using the innuPREP DNA Micro Kit (Analytik Jena, Germany) according to the manufacturer's instructions, with a lysis time of 16 hours. The ITS-partial LSU was amplified as a single stretch with primers V9G and LR5 and sequenced according to Voglmayr et al. (6). The obtained sequence was deposited in GenBank (Accession No. MW031866), and representative voucher specimens were deposited in the fungarium of the University of Vienna (WU 43287, WU 43421, WU 43423, WU 43424, WU 43514, WU 43515, WU 43520, WU 43525). A nBLAST analysis revealed 99-100% identity to sequences of E. corylacearum, with 100% identity to sequences from Azerbaijan (LC270863), Iran (MF668615, MH047243), Japan (MT095104), Switzerland (MN822721-MN822723) and Turkey (KY082910), confirming the species identification. Native to East Asia and probably North America, E. corylacearum was first observed in Turkey in 2013 and has since rapidly extended its distribution range to West Asia as well as Eastern and Central Europe (Beenken et al., 2; Heluta & Fokshei, 4). Erysiphe corylacearum has been reported as a severe invasive alien pathogen, causing significant yield losses in hazelnut orchards in Turkey, Iran and Georgia (Arzanlou et al., 1; Meparishvili et al., 5). The authors thank Christian Scheuer for information on a record from Styria.

Long-term data from field erosion plot studies in eastern Austria.

Soil erosion and runoff data are collected at three sites in eastern Austria using field erosion plots. Observed treatments include 1) conventional tillage with plough (CT), 2) mulch tillage with winter cover crop (MT), and 3) no-till with winter cover crop (NT). Data cover a time span from 1994 to 2018. They include data about surface runoff, soil loss, nitrogen, phosphorus and soil organic carbon losses as well as cop yields associated with the erosion processes. Interpretation of the data will be found in “Long-term experience with conservation tillage practices in Austria: impacts on soil erosion processes” [1].

Long-term experience with conservation tillage practices in Austria: Impacts on soil erosion processes

In 1994 a field study started at three sites in eastern Austria to investigate the impacts of mulch till and no-till on soil erosion, surface runoff, nutrient and pesticide losses. The aim of this paper is to show long-term impacts of reduced tillage on runoff, erosion and related processes.The experiments were carried out on fields of agricultural schools in Lower Austria about 100 km north and west of Vienna. Soil textures range from silt loam to silty clay loam. Average annual rainfall at the sites ranges from 621 to 916 mm with average annual air temperatures between 9.4 and 10.4 °C. The following soil tillage treatments were investigated: (1) conventional tillage system with ploughing in fall (CT), (2) mulch tillage with cover crops during winter (MT) and (3) no-till with cover crops during winter (NT).Throughout growing season event based measurements of soil erosion, surface runoff, and nutrient and carbon losses were conducted for all sites and tillage systems. Data on losses of pesticide residues are only available for a few years. The crop rotation at the sites was mainly small grains-root crop but included also other field crops.On a long-term basis reduced tillage practices decreased surface runoff from silt loam by 25–55 % (MT) and 49–60 % (NT). For the not well drained silty clay loam soil an increase by 12–21 % was observed which is related to significantly higher soil bulk densities of MT and NT in the 0−20 cm depth. Mean long-term annual erosion rates for CT ranged between 8.6 and 33.2 t ha−1, for MT between 3.6 and 5.3 t ha−1and for NT between 1.9 and 3.0 t ha−1. Compared to conventional tillage MT and NT reduced soil loss from a silty clay loam by 38 and 65 %, and from silt loam by 70–88 % and 84–93 %, respectively. 10−30% fewer erosion events occurred from MT plots and about 20 % fewer events from NT plots. Higher aggregate stabilities of MT and NT due to higher soil organic carbon contents in the 0−10 cm soil depth, higher soil cover as well as lower flow velocities are responsible for this reduction in soil loss from reduced tillage treatments.Low erosion rates from the reduced tilled plots correlated with low runoff losses of nitrogen and phosphorus. Total nitrogen losses ranged from 13.3–48.1 kg ha−1 for CT, from 4.5–18.7 kg ha−1 for MT and from 1.6–9.4 for NT. Total nitrogen losses ranged from 13.3–48.1 kg ha−1 for CT, from 4.5–18.7 kg ha−1 for MT and from 1.6–9.4 for NT. Corresponding total P losses ranged from 6.7–29.4 kg ha−1 for CT, 2.1 to 3.7 kg ha−1 for MT and from 0.7 to 2.4 kg ha−1 for NT. Low erosion rates from the reduced tilled plots correlated with low runoff losses of nitrogen and phosphorus even though N and P concentrations in runoff were greater than from CT and sediments were enriched severalfold in N and P. Conservation tillage methods reduced the SOC losses by 34–86 % for MT and by 58–89 % for NT. Other studies show that these results are not only obtained in central Europe but also in other regions worldwide.The long-term results of this study show that the use of mulch and no tillage in well-drained soils is beneficial for the farmers under central European conditions by improving soil´s aggregate stability and soil water contents and for the environment by reducing soil and nutrient losses.

Urban Rivers as Dispersal Corridors: Which Factors Are Important for the Spread of Alien Woody Species along the Danube?

Cities are hotspots of invasions, and this is particularly the case for urban rivers, which are known to serve as corridors for the spread of alien plant species to floodplain forests. Here, we present a case study on woody (shrubs, trees) species invasions across a gradient from a metropolis (Vienna) to rural regions along the Danube River in eastern Austria. In total, we identified 44 native and 25 alien woody species in 75 plots. Five alien woody species occur in at least 10 plots. The most wide-spread ones were species of floodplain forests (Acer negundo, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, and Populus x canadensis), while Ailanthus altissima and Robinia pseudoacacia—which prefer dry sites—were recorded substantially less often. The average level of invasion—i.e., the relative proportion of alien to native woody species in plots—was high across all three study regions. Still, there was a moderate decline of alien woody species richness along the urban—peri-urban—rural gradient. Generalized Linear Mixed Models showed that population density and the proportion of urban habitats in the environs of the plots is significantly positively correlated with the presence of Acer negundo and Ailanthus altissima. Conversely, the occurrence of Robinia pseudoacacia is negatively correlated with surrounding population density and urban habitats. Occurrence of Acer negundo is positively correlated with urban habitats. For Fraxinus pennsylvanica, we found no significant relationships. Our results confirm that gallery forests at river banks are highly susceptible to invasions. We argue that managing alien woody species in urban and peri-urban sites is not appropriate and useful, given that re-invasion is likely in most cases (from adjacent urban green spaces). We acknowledge that this recommendation entails the implicit recognition that gallery forests along urban sections of the Danube will contain a substantial—and likely further increasing—proportion of alien woody species.

Norway spruce at the trailing edge: the effect of landscape configuration and composition on climate resilience

ContextNorway spruce (Picea abies) is one of the most widespread tree species in Europe’s forests. Due to its high economic value it has been strongly favored by management, especially at the trailing edge of its natural distribution. However, disturbances from wind and bark beetles are increasingly impacting these forests, and their resilience under climate change has been called into question recently.ObjectivesWe quantified the effects of landscape configuration and composition on (1) the risk from natural disturbances, and (2) on the overall resilience of Norway spruce to changing climate at the trailing edge.MethodsWe simulated the dynamics of a 9183 ha forest landscape in Eastern Austria over 190 years. We used the simulation model iLand to experimentally study a wide range of landscape compositions and configurations under five different climate scenarios.ResultsNatural disturbances increased considerably under all future climate scenarios. Dispersing Norway spruce throughout the landscape in mixed stands resulted in the highest levels of climate resilience. Reducing the percentage of Norway spruce on the landscape increased the resilience of the remaining Norway spruce trees, yet landscape configuration generally had a stronger effect on resilience than composition.ConclusionsThe resilience of Norway spruce at the trailing edge of its distribution is challenged by climate change, and considerable efforts are needed to sustain these ecosystems. While currently discussed adaptation measures focus largely on the stand level, we show that modifying landscape composition and configuration can be used to foster Norway spruce resilience while maintaining socio-economically relevant proportions of Norway spruce.

The Alland earthquake sequence in Eastern Austria: Shedding light on tectonic stress geometry in a key area of seismic hazard

Abstract We present our results on the fault geometry of the Alland earthquake sequence in eastern Austria (Eastern Alps) and discuss its implications for the regional stress regime and active tectonics. The series contains 71 known events with local magnitudes 0.1 ≤ M L ≤ 4.2 that occurred in between 2016 and 2017. We locate the earthquakes in a regional 3D velocity model to find absolute locations. These locations are then refined by relocating all events relative to each other using a double-difference approach, based on relative travel times measured from waveform cross-correlation and catalogue data. We also invert for the moment tensor of the M L = 4.2 mainshock by fitting synthetic waveforms to the recorded seismo-grams using a combination of the L1- and L2-norms of the waveform differences. Direct comparison of waveforms of the largest events in the sequence suggests that all of them ruptured with very similar mechanisms. We find that the sequence ruptured a reverse fault, that is dipping with ~30° towards ~north-northeast (NNE) at 6–7 km depth. This is supported by both the hypocentres and the mainshock source mechanism. The fault is most likely located in the buried basement of the Bohemian massif, the “Bohemian Spur”. This (reverse) fault has a nearly perpendicular orientation to the normal-fault structures of the Vienna Basin Transfer Fault System further east at a shallower depth, indicating a lateral stress decoupling that can also act as a vertical stress decoupling in some places. In the west, earthquakes (at a larger depth within the upper crust) show compressive stresses, whereas the Vienna Basin to the east shows extensional (normal-faulting) stress. This provides insight into the regional stress field and its spatial variation, and it helps to better understand earthquakes in the area, including the “1590 Ried am Riederberg” earthquake.

Phylogeographical structure and genetic diversity of Adonis vernalis L. (Ranunculaceae) across and beyond the Pannonian region

Hypotheses of peripherality have characterised peripheral populations by increasing population differentiation and by declining genetic diversity towards the absolute range edge. However, such biogeographical patterns are not generally confirmed. Moreover, it was recently argued that lower levels of genetic diversity at the western and eastern periphery of the Eurasian steppe belt are only detectable by full-range longitudinal sampling. To uncover common genetic patterns of Central European steppe plants we here investigated Adonis vernalis populations across a transect towards their (north)westernmost range edge. Our study species shows a disjunct peripheral distribution with common Pannonian (Central Hungary) and more eastern occurrences (Romanian Dobruja) compared to the western edge of their continuous Pannonian range (Eastern Austria) and (north)westernmost isolated exclaves (Western Germany).We analysed 3–5 populations from each of these four study regions by cpDNA sequence (atpI-atpH, rpL16 intron) and AFLP fragment variation. Our AFLP results, based on 323 individuals, showed strong population differentiation, most pronounced within the Hungarian Pannonicum. Moreover, AFLP variation indicated high genetic diversity in the German exclave and at the Pannonian range edge in Eastern Austria compared to less peripheral, more eastern populations. While AFLP results are opposed to theoretical expectations, cpDNA data (i.e. 12 haplotypes) demonstrated lower haplotype diversity towards the (north)westernmost exclave and no monomorphic population within the Romanian Dobruja. Therefore, the latter marker complies with the peri-pheral transect predictions, although no material from Asia was included. Hence, not only the geographical scale is of importance when analysing phylogeographical patterns, but also possible differences of genetic marker systems. Showing strong signals of recent bottlenecks based on cpDNA in the German exclave, the biogeographical history of A. vernalis somehow differs from other steppe plants investigated to date across the same peripheral transect.

No Evidence of Mosquito Involvement in the Transmission of Equine Hepacivirus (Flaviviridae) in an Epidemiological Survey of Austrian Horses.

Prevalence studies have demonstrated a global distribution of equine hepacivirus (EqHV), a member of the family Flaviviridae. However, apart from a single case of vertical transmission, natural routes of EqHV transmission remain elusive. Many known flaviviruses are horizontally transmitted between hematophagous arthropods and vertebrate hosts. This study represents the first investigation of potential EqHV transmission by mosquitoes. More than 5000 mosquitoes were collected across Austria and analyzed for EqHV ribonucleic acid (RNA) by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Concurrently, 386 serum samples from horses in eastern Austria were analyzed for EqHV-specific antibodies by luciferase immunoprecipitation system (LIPS) and for EqHV RNA by RT-qPCR. Additionally, liver-specific biochemistry parameters were compared between EqHV RNA-positive horses and EqHV RNA-negative horses. Phylogenetic analysis was conducted in comparison to previously published sequences from various origins. No EqHV RNA was detected in mosquito pools. Serum samples yielded an EqHV antibody prevalence of 45.9% (177/386) and RNA prevalence of 4.15% (16/386). EqHV RNA-positive horses had significantly higher glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH) levels (p = 0.013) than control horses. Phylogenetic analysis showed high similarity between nucleotide sequences of EqHV in Austrian horses and EqHV circulating in other regions. Despite frequently detected evidence of EqHV infection in Austrian horses, no viral RNA was found in mosquitoes. It is therefore unlikely that mosquitoes are vectors of this flavivirus.

Effect of seed size on soil cover, yield, yield components and nitrogen uptake of two-row malting barley

Summary Seed size can influence germination, growth and yield formation of crops. A two-year field experiment was conducted in eastern Austria in 2012 and 2013 with two cultivars (Paula and Tatum) and four seeds size (< 2.5, 2.5–2.75, 2.75–3.25 and > 3.25 mm) to assess the effect of seed size on soil coverage, yield, yield components, nitrogen concentrations and nitrogen yield of spring malting barley. Soil coverage during the vegetation period was higher with a larger seed size in one year. Above-ground biomass and grain yield were not affected by seed size but differed between varieties and years. Seed size, however, affected the yield components. Both varieties had a higher ear density with the largest seed size compared to the smallest seed size. Higher ear density resulted in a lower thousand kernel weight. Grains ear-1 did not differ between seed sizes. Harvested grain fractions, nitrogen concentrations and nitrogen yields were also not affected by seed size.

Environmental constraint of intraguild predation: Inorganic turbidity modulates omnivory in fairy shrimps

Abstract Omnivory is widespread in food webs, with an important stabilising effect. The strength of omnivorous trophic interactions may change considerably with changes in the local environment. Shallow temporary waters are often characterised by high levels of inorganic turbidity that may directly limit the food uptake of filter‐feeding organisms, but there is little evidence on how it might affect omnivorous species. Anostracans are key species of temporary waters and recent evidence suggests that these organisms are omnivorous consumers of both phyto‐ and zooplankton. Using Branchinecta orientalis as a model species, our aim was to test how turbidity affects the feeding of an omnivorous anostracan. To do this, we used short‐term feeding experiments and stable isotope analyses, with animals collected from soda pans in eastern Austria. In the feeding experiments, algae and zooplankton were offered as food either separately or in combination. The prey type treatments were crossed with turbidity levels in a factorial design. There was a pronounced decrease in the ingested algal biomass with increasing turbidity. Conversely, ingestion rates on zooplankton were less affected by turbidity. Stable isotope analyses from field material supported our experimental results by showing a positive relationship of the trophic position of anostracans and the trophic niche of the communities with turbidity. Our results show that turbidity modulates the intraguild trophic relationship between anostracans and their prey by shifting the diet of anostracans from more herbivorous in transparent to more carnivorous in turbid waters. Thus, inorganic turbidity might also have a community‐shaping role in plankton communities of temporary waters through altering trophic relationships.

A fuzzy cognitive mapping approach for the assessment of public-goods governance in agricultural landscapes

In Europe, growing concerns about the environmental impacts of agriculture have stimulated the development of more efficient governance options to be included in, or to complement, current agri-environmental policies. However, a significant hurdle for the implementation of enhanced policy tools is the difficult adaptation of promising approaches, such as collective contracts and private-based payments for environmental services, to the locally specific, socio-economic and institutional contexts of different European regions. In this study, we apply a participatory approach based on the Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping technique, in assessing different policy mechanisms, including improved monetary incentives and the potential for an enhanced design of agricultural landscape governance. Our analysis specifically assesses the interactions between rural society, public goods and policies under different, locally relevant economic and social scenarios. The study is carried out in the Marchfeld, an intensive agriculture case-study area in Eastern Austria, which features a number of environmental problems. The work is based on a two-year-long process including focus groups, mind mapping and scenario co-development, as well as individual interviews with local stakeholders.The results show that integrating private or public, collective or performance-orientated monetary incentives with other non-monetary mechanisms like farmers’ partnerships or enhanced awareness building are evaluated as central to an effective agri-environmental governance system. Moreover, the results highlight that different futures have major effects on the effectiveness of mechanisms: in a purely market-driven context, tools based on collaborations among farmers are likely to be ineffective and monetary incentives are less efficient. On the other hand, positive social pressures and the influence of non-monetary governance initiatives expected in a sustainability-driven scenario are able to catalyse an efficient adoption of environmental-friendly practices, also at lower monetary rates. Based on the results, we discuss the problem of public goods in agricultural landscapes, and the relevance of such ancillary factors as social infrastructure, awareness and marketing, in supporting the effectiveness and feasibility of public-goods ‘governance’.

Regional and Social Disparities for Obesity among Austrian Adults: Representative Long-term Trends from 1973-2014.

To present regional long-term trends for the prevalence of obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²) among Austrian adults in Western, Central and Eastern Austria. Furthermore, the educational inequality regarding obesity was analysed in these regions in Austria for the investigation period. Self-reported data from six nationally representative, cross-sectional surveys (n=194,030) conducted between 1973 and 2014 were analysed. Absolute changes (AC) and Etiologic fractions (EF) were calculated to measure trends. The extent of social inequality was presented by the relative index of inequality (RII) based on the educational level. Since 1973, a clear east to west gradient for obesity among adults in Austria has been observed. In 2014, the age-standardized prevalence was highest among Eastern Austrian adults (women: 16.9%; men: 18.2%). A constant increase in obesity among men has been visible since 1983. Since 2007, the values for women have stabilized, while the prevalence of obesity among female Austrians in Western and Central Austria decreased. Considering the AC for the prevalence of obesity from 1983 on, the highest increase was found among women (+2.60%) and men (+1.56%) in Eastern Austria. The outcomes regarding social inequality are instable on a regional level, with the highest RII observed in 2014 for Central Austria. These study findings reveal significant regional differences in the prevalence of obesity in Austria and confirm the existence of an current east-west gradient in Austria for obesity. Considering the latest trends, especially men represent a risk group for obesity in the 3 regions.