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As the global greenhouse effect intensifies, carbon emissions are gradually becoming a hot topic of discussion. Accurate carbon emissions prediction is an important foundation to realize carbon neutrality and peak carbon dioxide emissions. To accurately predict carbon emissions, a multi-factor combination prediction model based on improved complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise (ICEEMDAN), bidirectional long short-term memory optimized by lemurs optimizer (LOBiLSTM) and least squares support vector machine optimized by lemurs optimizer (LOLSSVM), named ICEEMDAN-LOBiLSTM-LOLSSVM, is proposed. Firstly, the influencing factors of carbon emissions are selected by Spearman correlation coefficient, and carbon emissions are decomposed into intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) by ICEEMDAN. Secondly, the influencing factors and IMFs are input into LOBiLSTM and LOLSSVM respectively for prediction. Then, the point prediction results are obtained by weighting the prediction results of LOBiLSTM and LOLSSVM. Finally, probability density function of point prediction error is calculated by kernel density estimation, and the interval prediction results are calculated according to different confidence intervals. Carbon emissions of China and Germany are selected to verify the superiority of ICEEMDAN-LOBiLSTM-LOLSSVM. The experiment shows that RMSE, MAE, MAPE, and R2 of the proposed model are 0.4468, 0.3612, 0.0120, and 0.9839 respectively for China, which is the best among the nine models, as well as for Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Germany, the systematics of humus forms has been developed, which is mainly based on morphological characteristics and has been proven via detailed long-term observation. The humus form systematics presented here is an update based on a new approach, clarifying the hierarchical structure into divisions, classes, types, and subtypes. New diagnostic horizons and transition horizons are introduced, uniquely characterising types and subtypes. This paper holds that the humus form is not only a product of decomposition, humification, and bioturbation but also serves as habitat for soil organisms. The processes and the habitat are shaped by soil-forming factors with the main factor being soil water conditions. Thus, on the first level of systematics, aeromorphic and aerohydromorphic as well as hydromorphic humus forms are differentiated. Many different features of the organic layers and the mineral topsoil can be observed in forests, open grasslands, the mountain zone above the tree line, and natural fens and bogs, as well as degraded peatlands. Features shaping the humus form, such as the proportion of organic fine material and packing of the organic matter as well as the structure of the mineral soil, have now been unambiguously described. However, site-specific soil-forming factors result in typical organic matter characteristics of individual horizons and typical combinations of different horizons. This relationship is illustrated using descriptions of distinct humus forms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The patterns of successional change of decomposer communities is unique in that resource availability predictably decreases as decomposition proceeds. Saproxylic (i.e. deadwood‐dependent) beetles are a highly diverse and functionally important decomposer group, and their community composition is affected by both deadwood characteristics and other environmental factors. Understanding how communities change with faunal succession through the decomposition process is important as this process influences terrestrial carbon dynamics.Here, we evaluate how beta‐diversity of saproxylic beetle communities change with succession, as well as the effects of different major drivers of beta‐diversity, such as deadwood tree species, spatial distance between locations, climate and forest structure.We studied spatial beta‐diversity (i.e. dissimilarity of species composition between deadwood logs in the same year) of saproxylic beetle communities over 8 years of wood decomposition. Our study included 379 experimental deadwood logs comprising 13 different tree species in 30 forest stands in Germany. We hypothesized that the effects of tree species dissimilarity, measured by phylogenetic distance, and climate on beta‐diversity decrease over time, while the effects of spatial distance between logs and forest structure increase.Observed beta‐diversity of saproxylic beetle communities increased over time, whereas standardized effects sizes (SES; based on null models) of beta‐diversity decreased indicating higher beta‐diversity than expected during early years. Beta‐diversity increased with increasing phylogenetic distance between tree species and spatial distance among regions, and to a lesser extent with spatial distance within regions and differences in climate and forest structure. Whereas effects of space, climate and forest structure were constant over time, the effect of phylogenetic distance decreased.Our results show that the strength of the different drivers of saproxylic beetle community beta‐diversity changes along deadwood succession. Beta‐diversity of early decay communities was strongly associated with differences among tree species. Although this effect decreased over time, beta‐diversity remained high throughout succession. Possible explanations for this pattern include differences in decomposition rates and fungal communities between logs or the priority effect of early successional communities. Our results suggest that saproxylic beetle diversity can be enhanced by promoting forests with diverse tree communities and structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy system integration enables raising operational synergies by coupling the energy infrastructures for electricity, methane, and hydrogen. However, this coupling reinforces the infrastructure interdependencies, increasing the need for integrated modeling of these infrastructures. To analyze the cost-efficient, sustainable, and secure dispatch of applied, large-scale energy infrastructures, an extensive and non-linear optimization problem needs to be solved. This paper introduces a nested decomposition approach with three stages. The method enables an integrated and full-year consideration of large-scale multi-energy systems in hourly resolution, taking into account physical laws of power flows in electricity and gas transmission systems as boundary conditions. For this purpose, a zooming technique successively reduces the temporal scope while first increasing the spatial and last the technical resolution. A use case proves the applicability of the presented approach to large-scale energy systems. To this end, the model is applied to an integrated European energy system model with a detailed focus on Germany in a challenging transport situation. The use case demonstrates the temporal, regional, and cross-sectoral interdependencies in the dispatch of integrated energy infrastructures and thus the benefits of the introduced approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides new evidence on the magnitude and determinants of regional differences in the gender pay gap. On the basis of a comprehensive data set of all full‐time employees in Germany, we explain the profound variation of the gender pay gap at a small‐scale level with theory‐based individual and job‐related characteristics. Using the Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition, we find pronounced spatial differences in the impact of the considered determinants. Whereas gender differences in job‐related characteristics are important drivers in regions with a high gender pay gap, individual characteristics come into effect in regions with a low and negative gap. The results underscore the role played by the establishment composition in a region and the kind of jobs provided for gendered earnings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The circumstances during the COVID-19 pandemic severely disrupted research activities, but did not affect all academics equally. Understanding which academics were susceptible to disruptions is essential for gauging and addressing the pandemic’s systemic consequences and can yield insights into influences on research productivity more generally. Based on the survey responses of 1891 university professors in Germany, we estimate multivariate models to investigate the relevance of a comprehensive set of factors that may have shaped the pandemic’s impact. We furthermore use sample splits and an econometric decomposition technique to analyze disciplinary and gender differences. Our findings show that some factors, including additional time demands for care responsibilities and negative spillovers from disruptions of teaching activities, are of general relevance, whereas the relevance of other factors varies between groups of academics. In the natural and engineering sciences, the dependence on access to research facilities seems to have led to a more uniform negative impact of the pandemic. This apparently rendered the work environment an important influence on academics’ susceptibility to disruptions. In the humanities and social sciences, where the pandemic’s impact was more heterogeneous, individual conditions such as seniority played a notable role. Most of these factors identified as relevant were furthermore more influential among female academics, who seem to experience greater challenges with shielding their research activities from disruptions. Overall, our investigation highlights the complexity of mechanisms worth taking into account for policy and management efforts concerned with academics’ research productivity, within and outside of the context of the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A quarter of a century after Germany's reunification, Eastern Germans still earn substantially less than Western Germans. This paper revisits the German wage differential and isolates the effect of differing returns to human capital endowments, the possibility of a location effect, and human capital depreciation on the regional wage gap. While the endowment effect, location effect, and human capital depreciation jointly account for the wage differential between Easterners and Westerners living in the West, the same does not hold true for individuals settled in the East, where part of the wage gap remains unexplained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The level of exposure or concealment of a cadaver is known to have an important impact on insect colonisation and decomposition but has been the subject of few investigations. In the present study, 30 pig carcasses were stored in three different types of containers (suitcases, trashcans and drums) with different levels of access for necrophagous insects at two different geographic locations for 100 days. The decomposition proceeded in a similar way in both geographic locations in all three types of container. Both in trashcans and suitcases, the decomposition process was characterised by bones and greasy, brown decomposition fluids left in the containers and an overall moist decomposition. In contrast, decomposition in the drums was characterised by a long bloating phase followed by a slow transition from bloated to deflation. Tissue and the carcasses as a whole were still present till the end of the experiment. Insect occurrence patterns and species composition on suitcases and trashcans were similar for both countries. Mainly flies and some beetles were present in suitcases and trashcans until day 45, with blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) dominating the fauna. There was no insect colonisation in the drums. Our study contributes to the knowledge about insect accessibility of concealed cadavers and the impact of concealment on the speed and type of decomposition. It clearly shows that the degree of exposure of a cadaver is a key factor in decomposition and insect colonisation, which had a larger effect here than the biogeographical location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a method to decompose changes in income inequality into the contributions of policy changes, wage rate changes, and population changes while considering labor supply reactions. Using data from the Socio‐Economic Panel (SOEP), this method is applied to decompose the increase in income inequality in Germany from 2002 to 2011, a period that saw tax reductions and a controversial overhaul of the transfer system. The simulations show that tax and transfer reforms have had an inequality‐reducing effect as measured by the mean log deviation and the Gini coefficient. For the Gini, these effects are offset by labor supply reactions. In contrast, policy changes explain part of the increase in the ratio between the 90th and the 50th income percentiles. Changes in wage rates have led to a decrease in income inequality. Thus, the increase in inequality was due to changes in the population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Der Beitrag vergleicht den Effekt der Geschlechterzusammensetzung im Beruf auf die Verdienstunterschiede von Frauen und Männern zwischen Führungspositionen und Nicht-Führungspositionen in der Privatwirtschaft auf der Basis von Daten des Sozio-oekonomischen Panels (SOEP). Anhand gängiger theoretischer Ansätze wird die Hypothese entwickelt, dass in Führungspositionen die Qualifikationsanforderungen und Arbeitsinhalte der (wenigen) Frauenberufe jenen in Männerberufen ähnlicher sind als unter den sonstigen Angestellten. Entsprechend niedriger ist die Wahrscheinlichkeit von Verdienstabschlägen typischer Frauenberufe in Führungspositionen. Die Verdienstschätzungen unter Anwendung linearer Fixed-Effects-Modelle mit Heckman-Korrektur verdeutlichen, dass nur bei weiblichen Nicht-Führungskräften ein Verdienstabschlag für Frauenberufe besteht. Eine Komponentenzerlegung der Verdienstlücke zwischen Frauen und Männern („gender pay gap") mit verschiedenen Dekompositionsverfahren zeigt darüber hinaus, dass die Geschlechtstypik des ausgeübten Berufes für Nicht-Führungskräfte eine bedeutsame Erklärungsgröße für den „gender pay gap" darstellt. Für Führungskräfte sind solche Effekte nicht nachweisbar. This article uses German Socio-Economic Panel (GSOEP) data to compare the effects of occupational sex composition on the gender pay gap for persons in leadership positions and those not in leadership positions in the private sector. Drawing on established theoretical approaches, the hypothesis is advanced that leadership positions in (the relatively small number of) women's occupations and men's occupations are more similar in terms of qualification requirements and job content than other non-leadership white-collar positions. Accordingly, it is hypothesized that the probability of wage penalties in typical women's occupations is lower in leadership positions. Using linear fixed-effects models with Heckman's correction, wage estimates show that pay is lower in women's occupations only for people in non-leadership positions. Furthermore, a decomposition of the gender wage differential reveals that the gender typicality of a given occupation partly explains the gender pay gap in non-leadership positions. For people in leadership positions, no such effect is detected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Measuring socioeconomic inequalities in health and health care, and understanding determinants of such inequalities, are critical for achieving higher equity in health. Equity in health is a prerequisite for public health and welfare. The aim of the paper is (1) to quantify inequality in diabetes morbidity patterns over patients’ entire life span, and (2) to compare levels of inequality measured through income and educational level, respectively, as proxies for socioeconomic status (SES). Method: Historic individual register data on the entire Danish diabetes population alive in 2011 were gathered. Cox survival analysis and a concentration index decomposition approach were applied to analyse relevant morbidity indicators reflecting patients’ health state at diagnosis and throughout their lives with diabetes. Results: Patients with high education have approximately 26% lower mortality hazard when diagnosed with diabetes and 10–15% lower hazard of developing complications as compared with patients with short education. The outcome variables: ‘severe complications at diagnosis’ and ‘years with severe complications’ inhibit the highest negative concentration index value, indicating that morbidity is concentrated among the lower SES groups, whereas the outcome variables ‘years without complications’ and ‘duration of diabetes’ concentrate among the socioeconomically better-off patients. Conclusions: Significant differences in diabetes patients’ morbidity patterns and survival indicate that diabetes impacts harder on patients of lower SES; these patients experience more severe complications and die earlier. Hence to reduce inequality in health, it is important to invest in efforts targeted towards socially vulnerable groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking as its point of departure the rapid expansion in the proportion of students graduating with a university entrance diploma (Abitur) in Germany, this paper adds to research on the mechanisms and effects of academic educational expansion, a worldwide phenomenon in the 20th and 21st century. Drawing on Boudon's theory of primary and secondary effects of social origin, we seek to understand if the educational expansion went along with a decreasing or persisting role of social background. Therefore, we analyze educational inequalities in two respects: first, in the transition from primary school to the academic track (Gymnasium) leading to the Abitur and, second, in the transition to tertiary education after academic upper secondary education. The study is based on two student cohorts (initial N = 13,026 and N = 13,873) who obtained university entrance diplomas in 2005 (cohort 1) and 2011/2012 (cohort 2) in the school system of the federal state of Hamburg (Germany). These cohorts were assessed during secondary education between 1996 (start of cohort 1) and 2012 (end of cohort 2). Employing the KHB decomposition method, we break the total effect of social background down into the relative importance of achievement differentials (primary effects) and educational decisions (secondary effects). Our findings indicate no changes in the total effects of social background and thus suggest that educational inequalities related to social origin persisted in both of the transitions we studied. However, when comparing both cohorts, we noted a clear decrease in secondary effects regarding transitions to the academic secondary track, meaning that achievement-related social differences gained in importance compared to the period before the educational expansion. At the same time, we observed a slight increase in the relative importance of secondary effects for transitions to tertiary education during the expansion. As a further result, our study shows that the rapid expansion of academic upper secondary graduation is mainly the consequence of an increase in the number of Abitur graduates via alternative paths besides the Gymnasium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The release of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from decomposing coarse woody debris (CWD) may result in large DOC inputs to the forest soil. Here we investigated the influence of tree species on the amounts and quality of DOC from CWD in the early phase of decomposition. Logs from 13 tree species were exposed in winter 2008/2009 on the soil in a temperate Fagus sylvatica L. forest in Germany. Runoff solutions were periodically collected for 17 months from June 2011-November 2012 underneath logs and the net release of DOC was calculated for each log on an annual scale. The quality of DOC was assessed by its contents of soluble phenols, hydrolysable carbohydrates and by spectroscopic properties. Prior to field exposure of CWD, bark and sapwood were analyzed for their initial element content and water extractable DOC. Concentrations of DOC in log runoff were much (3-10 times) higher than in throughfall for all tree species. Average concentrations in runoff were largest under Quercus and Prunus and lowest under Tilia and Fraxinus. Accordingly, the net release of DOC from the logs was largest under Quercus and Prunus amounting to 60 and 56 g C m-2 projected log area yr-1, respectively. The DOC net release for the tree species was positively related to the initial phenol content of sapwood, but not to C/N ratios in bark and sapwood. On a monthly to annual scale, the amount of precipitation had only a small influence on the net release of DOC, but the DOC net release was larger in the growing than in the dormant season. The concentrations of hydrolysable carbohydrates in log runoff were largest for Prunus and Quercus and lowest for Fraxinus and Tilia. Average concentrations of total phenols in runoff ranged from about 2 to 7 mg L-1 with Quercus, Fraxinus, Betula, Picea and Larix representing the upper range. Spectroscopic properties indicate that the DOC leached from logs is microbially modified and oxidized in comparison to DOC in initial bark and wood extracts. Our results suggest that the DOC release from CWD is tree species specific in terms of quantity and quality and causes huge DOC fluxes to the soil underneath CWD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The linkage between tree diversity and the soil food web in temperate deciduous forest ecosystems remains uncertain. Using microbial phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs), we analyzed the effect of tree species composition on microbial communities from topsoil collected in Hainich National Park, Germany. Previous results had shown minimal direct effects of tree species on the microbial community in autumn, most likely due to low plant activity and high nutrient and energy input from litterfall. However, microbial composition was affected indirectly through an influence of tree species on soil pH. In this study, we analyzed PLFA profiles in early summer and compared them with the results from autumn sampling. We hypothesized that plant-based traits would have stronger direct effects on the abundance and structure of the microbial community during the photosynthetically active period. The results showed that the soil microbial community differed more markedly between the tree diversity levels in early summer than in autumn. The acidifying character of the decaying beech litter strongly influenced the soil pH values and structured the soil microbial community indirectly in early summer as it had in autumn. However, the measured differences in the microbial composition in early summer could be attributed primarily to litter quality. This direct influence of plant traits appeared to be eclipsed in autumn because of the high nutrient supply from fresh litter input. Following litter decomposition in the topsoil, however, litter-based plant traits emerged as a factor structuring the soil microbial community in early summer. Our results suggest that the PLFAs i14:0 and i15:0, indicative of Gram-positive bacteria, are strongly involved in decomposition processes and may be promoted by readily available nutrients. Furthermore, our results indicate that a dense root network in association with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi strongly supported microbial growth in the more diverse forest stands. High proportions of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (PLFA 16:1ω5), root-associated microorganisms (PLFAs 16:1ω9, 16:1ω7, 17:1ω8 and 18:1ω7) and bacterial grazers (PLFA 20:5) characterized the microbial community in early summer on these study plots. We conclude that microbial communities are strongly influenced by abiotic controls. However, seasonal differences in litter decomposition rates and root activity should be considered in the analysis of the effects of tree diversity or species on soil microbial communities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Our main objective was to trace and to quantify the stabilization of nitrogen released from litter decomposition in different functional soil organic matter fractions. To identify the fate of nitrogen in a free-range experiment, 15N-labeled beech litter was deposited on the bare soil surface of three 2 m × 2 m plots on a Rendzic Leptosol under beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) with mull humus form near Tuttlingen (Swabian Jura, Germany). The 15N composition of bulk soil and soil fractions was monitored for three years by sampling the litter layer and the Ah horizon (0–5, 5–10 cm) after 140, 507, and 876 d. A combined density and particle size fractionation procedure allowed the isolation of different functional soil organic matter fractions: free light fraction, occluded organic matter, and organo-mineral associations. The first flush in the 15N enrichment was observed in the bulk soil within 140 d, due to plant debris transferred to the free light fraction by probably bioturbation and soluble compounds being leached from the litter directly to the clay fractions. The observed rates within the first 140 d indicated a quick transfer of 15N-enriched compounds from litter into the free light fraction, with a rate of 0.07 μg kg−1 d−1, and to the clay fractions, with a rate of 0.31 μg kg−1 d−1. In contrast, transfer to the occluded light fractions was delayed, with rates of 0.01 μg kg−1 d−1 (> 20 μm) and 0.001 μg kg−1 d−1 (< 20 μm), respectively. After 876 d, we recovered 9% of the added label in the 0–10 cm soil horizon, of which more than 4% was found in the organo-mineral fraction (0–5 cm), nearly 3% in the light fractions (0–5 cm), and another 2% unspecified in the bulk soil of 5–10 cm depth. We therefore conclude that the clay fractions act as the main sink for the recovered 15N. The rapid incorporation and the high preservation of 15N in the clay fractions revealed the dominant role of organo-mineral associations in the stabilization of nitrogen in the investigated soil. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

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Purpose: Peatland soils play an important role in the global carbon (C) cycle due to their high organic carbon content. Lowering of the water table e.g. for agricultural use accelerates aerobic secondary peat decomposition and processes of earthification. Peatlands change from C sinks to C sources. We characterized soil organic matter (SOM) with special attention to human impact through drainage. Our aim was to gain knowledge of SOM quality and soil-forming processes in drained fen soils in northeastern Germany. Materials and methods: Through techniques of representative landscape analysis, we identified two typical and representative sampling sites in different stages of land use, representing the most important hydrogenetic mire types in northeastern Germany. We adapted chemical fractionation procedures which include hot water extraction (C and N) for determination of the labile fraction. Furthermore, a stepwise acid hydrolysis procedure was performed to measure the chemical recalcitrant part of SOM as it is more resistant to biodegradability. Results and discussion: Total organic C decreased with increasing human impact and intensity of drainage. Conversely, C and N concentrations increased with increasing drainage and human impact. In contrast, the more recalcitrant fractions increased with soil depth. Conclusions: Generally, there is a lack of existing data about SOM quality and the factors controlling its stability and decomposition in fen soils. For northeastern German fen soils, the data are even more inadequate. Influence of drainage seems to overlap natural influences of site on SOM quality. The used extraction scheme was suitable for the chemical fractionation of SOM into labile and more recalcitrant parts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Zeitschrift für Sozialreform is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We present a new model unifying state-of-the-art descriptions of microbial processes for denitrification, nitrification and decomposition of soil organic matter. The model is of medium complexity, filling a gap between simplistic model approaches with low predictive power and complex models, which are difficult to verify experimentally. The model Microbial Carbon and Nitrogen Turnover in soils (MiCNiT) is written in Ansi C++ and embedded into a modelling framework (MoBiLE) that provides initial conditions and accompanying ecosystem processes such as N uptake by plants, litterfall, soil water and soil temperature with established model approaches. The MiCNiT model explicitly calculates decomposition, dynamics of microbial biomass, denitrification, autotrophic and heterotrophic nitrification, applying the microbial activity concept, as well as transport of gases and solutes between anaerobic and aerobic soil fractions and through the soil profile. The model was tested against NO and CO emission as well as C and N pool data from the Höglwald Forest, Germany. Due to a detailed description of the soil biochemistry and gaseous transfers, MiCNiT is capable of simulating soil air NO, NO and N concentrations and the net exchange of these gases at the soil-atmosphere interface, including a possible net uptake of NO by soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The changes in the amounts and composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) following long-term peat restoration are unknown, although this fraction of soil organic matter affects many processes in such ecosystems. We addressed this lack of knowledge by investigating a peatland in south-west Germany that was partly rewetted 20years ago. A successfully restored site and a moderately drained site were compared, where the mean groundwater levels were close to the soil surface and around 30cm below surface, respectively. The concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) at 4 depths were measured over one year. The specific absorbance was measured at 280nm and the fluorescence spectra were used to describe the aromaticity and complexity of DOM. The investigations showed that 20years of peatland restoration was able to create typical peatland conditions. The rewetted site had significantly lower DOC concentrations at different depths compared to the drained site. The specific UV absorbance showed that the rewetted site had a lower level of aromatic DOM structures. The decreasing specific UV absorbance might indicate an increasing contribution of small organic molecules to DOM. It was hypothesized that the decreasing DOC concentrations and the relative enrichment of small, readily degradable organic molecules, reflect the slower decomposition of organic matter after the re-establishment of the water table. Seasonal trends provided substantial evidence for our hypothesis that reduced DOC concentrations were caused by reduced peat decomposition. During summer, the elevated DOC values were accompanied by an increase in DOM aromaticity and complexity. Our results demonstrated a close link between C mineralization and DOC production. We concluded that long-term peatland restoration in the form of the successful re-establishment of the water table might result in reduced peat decomposition and lower DOC concentrations. The restoration of peatlands seems to have a positive impact on C sequestration. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Contrary to streams, decomposition processes of terrestrial leaf litter are still poorly understood in lakes. Here, we examined the decomposition of two leaf species, beech ( Fagus sylvatica) and poplar ( Populus nigra ‘ italica’) in the littoral zone of a large pre-alpine lake at a wave exposed site. We focussed on the shredding impact of benthic invertebrates in a field experiment and on the effects of wave-induced disturbances under field and mesocosm conditions. In contrast to our expectations, benthic shredders did not reveal an important role in leaf processing under the conditions of the field experiment (early spring time, wave impact zone). Strong wave turbulence during storm events significantly reduced leaf mass, FPOM and invertebrate densities at field conditions. Several reasons can explain the low importance of shredders in our field study: (a) phenology of the shredder species, (b) feeding preferences and alternative food sources for gammarids, (c) generally low abundance of the native gammarid species due to the recent occurrence of an invasive predator, (d) disturbance of shredder activity due to high wave impact and (e) relatively low food value of the offered leaves. We suggest that leaf litter decomposition in lakes occurs in specific process domains, which largely depend on the hydraulic characteristics and on water-level fluctuations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Eastern Germany, wage differentiation between firms has clearly grown, parallel to individual wage differentials. Nevertheless, the wage spread between firms is still much less than in Western Germany. In this paper, a non-parametric decomposition is used to analyze the difference between the wages spread in the two parts of Germany. Only part of the difference can be explained by different economic structures in Eastern Germany. By far, the greater part of the difference in the wage spread between firms in the two parts of the country is due to the fact that differences in wages paid by firms of the same type in Eastern Germany are much less than those of their counterparts in Western Germany. A striking result of the analysis is that the gap in the wage variance between Eastern and Western Germany is increasing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Archiv für Kriminologie is the property of Schmidt-Roemhild Verlag and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The large difference in the level and variance of student performance in the 2000 PISA study between Finland and Germany motivates this paper. It analyses why Finnish students showed a significantly higher performance by estimating educational production functions for both countries, using a unique micro-level dataset with imputed data and added school type information. The difference in reading proficiency scores is assigned to different effects, using Oaxaca–Blinder and Juhn–Murphy–Pierce decomposition methods. The analysis shows that German students and schools have on average more favorable characteristics except for the lowest deciles, but experience much lower returns to these characteristics in terms of test scores than Finnish students. The role of school types remains ambiguous. Overall, the observable characteristics explain more of the variation in test scores in Germany than in Finland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Student performance of natives and immigrants differed greatly in the Programme for International Student Assessment 2000 in Germany. This paper analyses the gap in test scores by estimating educational production functions, using an extension study with imputed data. The difference in test scores is assigned to various effects, using a Juhn-Murphy-Pierce decomposition. The analysis reveals that German students have a more favourable family background, particularly in the lower part of the test score distribution. The later enrolment of immigrant students and preferences of parents are more important than parents' education or the family setting for explaining the score gap. Differences in returns have no significant effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Industrielle Beziehungen is the property of Rainer Hampp Verlag and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

• We study changes in the link between social background and study abroad participation. • We focus on Italy, France and Germany between the 2000s and mid-2010s. • The social gap in access to study abroad programs did not decrease in any country. • Academic performance and earlier education decisions account for a portion of the gap. The growing evidence about the benefits of studying abroad calls for increased public efforts to equalize study abroad opportunities among university students from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Using student-level data from the nationally representative surveys of three European countries (Italy, France and Germany) between the 2000s and mid-2010s, this paper investigates how the social gap in access to study abroad programs changed over time and what are the factors driving these changes. Logistic regressions are used in order to identify the determinants of study abroad program participation and a decomposition technique is employed in an attempt to both determine how much of the gap each factor explains and compare its relative contribution over time. The results indicate that, not only has disparity in study abroad participation rate between students from more and less advantaged backgrounds not decreased in any of the countries considered here, but there is consistent evidence showing that it has increased in Germany. Differences in earlier educational trajectories and performance between these two groups of students are important predictors of the gap. However, a large part of this gap remains unexplained, and this underscores the important role played by unobserved or difficult-to-measure factors in accounting for inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This report interprets the presence of mite species in three clandestine graves in Europe, evaluating their potential use as trace evidence or markers. Grave 1 (Sweden): Two mite species Rhizoglyphus robini Claparède, 1869 and Parasitus loricatus (Wankel, 1861) were recovered from the surface of a body buried in a shallow grave in an area surrounded by trees, in close vicinity to house gardens. Grave 2 (Germany): Phoretic deutonymphs of Gamasodes spiniger (Trägårdh, 1910) were attached to an adult fly (Diptera: Sphaeroceridae) found within a shallow grave containing two human bodies covered in soil and dung. Grave 3 (France): P. loricatus were recovered from the soil around a body buried in a deep grave (80 cm under). In graves 1 and 3 both corpses were undergoing advanced decay and skeletization, the locations match with the subterranean habit of P. loricatus, highlighting the value of this species as a marker of graves or burials in soil and during late decomposition. R. robini is a soil mite that feeds on decayed roots and bulbs; this mite species confirms the location of the corpse within top soil, agreeing with a more specific type of superficial burial, a shallow grave. In case 2, the presence of both coprophiles, the mite G. spiniger and the carrier fly confirm association of remains with dung or animal feces. The three mite species are reported for the first time in human graves. There are no previous records of R. robini from Sweden., (© 2020 The Authors. Journal of Forensic Sciences published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Academy of Forensic Sciences.)

In forest ecosystems, ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi are important for plant growth and soil biogeochemical processes. The biochemical composition of ECM mycelium is an important fungal effect trait with consequences for its decomposition rate, and consequently on soil carbon pools and plant nutrition. Although the link between ECM fungi and leaf litter-released nutrients is well known, the response of ECM fungal biochemical composition to different leaf litter species remains poorly understood. To determine how leaf litter quality influences ECM fungi's biochemical profiles, we planted young beech trees in an oak forest and replaced the natural leaf litter with that of European beech (Fagus sylvatica), ash (Fraxinus excelsior), maple (Acer pseudoplatanus), or lime (Tilia cordata). We assessed the biochemical profiles of ECM root tips colonized by common fungal taxa in temperate forests (i.e., Cenococcum geophilum, Inocybe sp., and Lactarius subdulcis), using attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). ECM fungal biochemical composition changed with leaf litter species. Changes were apparent in the infrared absorption bands assigned to functional groups of lipids, amides, and carbohydrates. C. geophilum and L. subdulcis exhibited large spectral differences corresponding to the initial pattern of leaf litter chemical composition between samples collected in the beech and ash leaf litter treatments. In contrast, Inocybe sp. was influenced by lime, but with no differences between samples from ash or beech leaf litter treatments. Although the spectral bands affected by leaf litter type differed among ECM fungi, they were mainly related to amides, indicating a dynamic response of the fungal proteome to soil nutritional changes. Overall, the results indicate that the biochemical response of ECM fungi to leaf litter species varies among ECM fungal species and suggests that the biochemical composition of ECM mycelium is a fungal response trait, sensitive to environmental changes such as shifts in leaf litter species.

The article presents a list of abstracts about the general theme of social security and pensions in Germany. In particular, the articles touch on themes such as the minimum benefit system and neediness in old age, the legitimacy problems of the basic insurance, the German retirement income policy after the paradigm change, the increased poverty risk for the elderly in Germany, the standard of living in old age in Germany, and an evaluation of the Riester scheme.

International differences in long-term care (LTC) use are well documented, but not well understood. Using comparable data from two countries with universal public LTC insurance, the Netherlands and Germany, we examine how institutional differences relate to differences in the choice for informal and formal LTC. Although the overall LTC utilization rate is similar in both countries, use of formal care is more prevalent in the Netherlands and informal care use in Germany. Decomposition of the between-country differences in formal and informal LTC use reveals that these differences are not chiefly the result of differences in population characteristics but mainly derive from differences in the effects of these characteristics that are associated with between-country institutional differences. These findings demonstrate that system features such as eligibility rules and coverage generosity and, indirectly, social preferences can influence the choice between formal and informal care. Less comprehensive coverage also has equity implications: for the poor, access to formal LTC is more difficult in Germany than in the Netherlands., (Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Human activities are decreasing biodiversity and changing the climate worldwide. Both global change drivers have been shown to affect ecosystem functioning, but they may also act in concert in a non-additive way. We studied early-stage litter mass loss rates and soil microbial properties (basal respiration and microbial biomass) during the summer season in response to plant species richness and summer drought in a large grassland biodiversity experiment, the Jena Experiment, Germany. In line with our expectations, decreasing plant diversity and summer drought decreased litter mass loss rates and soil microbial properties. In contrast to our hypotheses, however, this was only true for mass loss of standard litter (wheat straw) used in all plots, and not for plant community-specific litter mass loss. We found no interactive effects between global change drivers, that is, drought reduced litter mass loss rates and soil microbial properties irrespective of plant diversity. High mass loss rates of plant community-specific litter and low responsiveness to drought relative to the standard litter indicate that soil microbial communities were adapted to decomposing community-specific plant litter material including lower susceptibility to dry conditions during summer months. Moreover, higher microbial enzymatic diversity at high plant diversity may have caused elevated mass loss of standard litter. Our results indicate that plant diversity loss and summer drought independently impede soil processes. However, soil decomposer communities may be highly adapted to decomposing plant community-specific litter material, even in situations of environmental stress. Results of standard litter mass loss moreover suggest that decomposer communities under diverse plant communities are able to cope with a greater variety of plant inputs possibly making them less responsive to biotic changes., (© 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)