Publications

For the quantification of GHG emissions models play a crucial role. They can extrapolate and interpolate measurements spatially and temporally. The application of models requires data sets to parameterize the models and validate the results. Climate, soil, management (for cropland, forest and grassland) and land use/land cover are the main driving data that are required for modelling of the carbon and nitrogen dynamics. Therefore, the aim of this WP is to collect these data and provide them to the relevant work packages (WP3 and WP4). Additionally, the collection includes data to improve the simulations (N2 deposition) and to validate (Flux data sets) the result. Additionally, coastal ocean and fresh water fluxes are essential to complete the budget for the top down approaches in WP3 and WP4. This deliverable provides details about the actual status of the database. Data for spatial simulation are collected and summarized in table 1. For almost all tasks at least preliminary data are provided. Some tasks are still working on improvements and extensions of the actual data sets and subsequent updates of this deliverable will be provided during the course of the project.

Sandalwood is an important international commodity recognised for its aromatic oil, which is a key ingredient in many fragrances and cosmetics. Western Australian (WA) sandal-wood (Santalum spicatum) isidentified as a cheaper, lower-quality alternative to the superior Indian sandalwood (Santalum album). Natural stocks of both S. albumand S.spicatum have declined due to historical mismanagement. Subsequently, WA sandalwood has been established in plantations in Western Australia to attempt to meet the demands of the sandalwood industry. Plantation WA sandalwood is promoted as agroforestry, promising economic and environmental benefits. While these benefits are attractive, WA sandalwood has an estimated 25-year rotation.

Resistance to the anticoagulant poison warfarin in the brown rat is commonly thought to incur a cost: resistant rats are prone to vitamin K deficiency, show reduced growth rates and reduced viability resulting in a lower fitness for resistant rats in a warfarin-free environment. We investigated the costs of warfarin resistance in terms of body weight, an indicator of resistance costs and a component of fitness, in two populations of wild rats containing resistant individuals from Southern England. In a warfarin-free environment, resistance remained high and contrary to predictions, the vast majority of resistant individuals were significantly heavier than susceptible animals in both populations

Abstract When compared to virgin land (forest and grassland), croplands store significantly lower amounts of organic carbon (OC), mainly as a result of soil tillage, and decreased plant inputs to the soil over the whole year. Doubts have been expressed over how much reduced and zero tillage agriculture can increase OC in soils when the whole soil profile is considered. Consequently, cover‐crops that are grown in‐between crops instead of leaving soils bare appear as the “last man standing” in our quest to enhance cropland OC stocks. Despite the claim by numerous meta‐analyses of a mean carbon sequestration rate by cover crops to be as high as 0.32 ± 0.08 ton C ha −1 year −1 , the present analysis showed that all of the 37 existing field studies worldwide only sampled to a depth of 30 cm or less and did not compare treatments on the basis of equivalent soil mass. Thirteen studies presented information on OC content only and not on OC stocks, had inappropriate controls ( n = 14), had durations of 3 years or lower ( n = 5), considered only one to two data points per treatment ( n = 4), or used cover crops as cash crops (i.e., grown longer that in‐between two crops) instead of catch crops ( n = 2), which in all cases constitutes shortcomings. Of the remaining six trials, four showed non‐significant trends, one study displayed a negative impact of cover crops, and one study displayed a positive impact, resulting in a mean OC storage of 0.03 ton ha −1 year −1 . Models and policies should urgently adapt to such new figure. Finally, more is to be done not only to improve the design of cover‐crop studies for reaching sound conclusions but also to understand the underlying reasons of the low efficiency of cover crops for improved carbon sequestration into soils, with possible strategies being suggested.