FOR 2432:  Social-Ecological Systems in the Indian Rural-Urban Interface: Functions, Scales, and Dynamics of Transition

• Subject Area: Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine
• Term: from 2016 to 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 279374797

The goal of the Z-Project is to facilitate the collaborative implementation of the Indo-German FOR2432 and to ensure its visibility and standing in the larger context of international collaboration in agricultural and environmental research. Specifically the Z-Project will coordinate the administrative management of FOR2432, the adherence to the rules of good scientific practice, and data handling routines, the preparation of project meetings, the organisation of communication between the projects, the negotiation of contracts between German and Indian partners, support the further development of the Rural-Urban Centre at UASB in India, the coordination of financial issues and reporting, and the information of the public about the consortium´s research progress and results. This includes own publication activities. The Z-Project will also monitor the implementation of the planned measures for early career support and gender equity. Scientifically, the Z-Project will contribute to the development of overall and cluster-specific hypotheses to guide our joint research, and the preparation of new activities and components of FOR2432. This includes the initiation and implementation of project-overarching publications, in particular with synthesis or conceptual character, and the active extension of the cooperation network with scientists and institutions outside FOR2432.

• DFG Programme: Research Units
• International Connection: Australia, India

Projects

• Agricultural biodiversity and associated services across rural-urban landscapes: field and modelling studies (Applicants Grass, Ingo ;  Westphal, Catrin ;  Wiegand, Kerstin )
• Assessment of structural and functional characteristics of cropping systems using advanced terrestrial, air-, and spaceborne remote sensing applications (Applicant Wachendorf, Michael )
• Coordination Funds (Applicant von Cramon-Taubadel, Stephan )
• Economic and ecological analysis of dairy production and marketing (Applicant Brümmer, Bernhard )
• Effects of land use intensification and soil management practices on field water cycles and water use efficiency (Applicants Gassmann, Matthias ;  Peth, Stephan )
• Genetic and management factors influencing cow milk quality and safety (Applicants König, Sven ;  Schlecht, Eva )
• Patterns and determinants of nutrition and food security in the rural-urban interface (Applicants von Cramon-Taubadel, Stephan ;  Vollmer, Ph.D., Sebastian )
• Plant growth, water quality, carbon, and nutrient flows in rural-urban cropping systems at different spatial scales (Applicant Bürkert, Andreas )
• Preferences, decision-making behaviour of households and public good provision (Applicants Mußhoff, Oliver ;  Wollni, Meike )
• Social-ecological dynamics, ecosystem services uses, and governance of green and blue infrastructure in urbanizing environments (Applicants Plieninger, Tobias ;  Thiel, Andreas )
• Spatial modelling of individual service choices and their implications for social-ecological transitions (Applicants von Cramon-Taubadel, Stephan ;  Cumming, Graeme S. ;  Wiegand, Kerstin )
• Sustainable food consumption practices of middle class consumers (Applicant Dittrich, Christoph )
• Trees at the rural-urban interface in Bengaluru: patterns, functions, role and relevance (Applicants Kleinn, Christoph ;  Nölke, Nils )

• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Stephan von Cramon-Taubadel