Kanton Aargau

Success stories are rare in conservation science, hindered also by the research-implementation gap, where scientific insights rarely inform practice and practical implementation is rarely evaluated scientifically. Amphibian population declines, driven by multiple stressors, are emblematic of the freshwater biodiversity crisis. Habitat creation is a straightforward conservation action that has been shown to locally benefit amphibians, as well as other taxa, but does it benefit entire amphibian communities at large spatial scales? Here, we evaluate a landscape-scale pond-construction program by fitting dynamic occupancy models to 20 y of monitoring data for 12 pond-breeding amphibian species in the Swiss state Aargau, a densely populated area of the Swiss lowlands with intensive land use. After decades of population declines, the number of occupied ponds increased statewide for 10 out of 12 species, while one species remained stable and one species further declined between 1999 and 2019. Despite regional differences, in 77% of all 43 regional metapopulations, the colonization and subsequent occupation of new ponds stabilized (14%) or increased (63%) metapopulation size. Likely mechanisms include increased habitat availability, restoration of habitat dynamics, and increased connectivity between ponds. Colonization probabilities reflected species-specific preferences for characteristics of ponds and their surroundings, which provides evidence-based information for future pond construction targeting specific species. The relatively simple but landscape-scale and persistent conservation action of constructing hundreds of new ponds halted declines and stabilized or increased the state-wide population size of all but one species, despite ongoing pressures from other stressors in a human-dominated landscape.

Piglets are born with reduced plasma concentrations of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OH-D(3)) and are thus highly predisposed to vitamin D deficiency. Furthermore, sow milk contains little vitamin D, and the slow intestinal vitamin D absorption of sows limits the efficacy of dietary vitamin D supplementation. Hence, the neonate depends, to a large extent, on the vitamin D stores built up in fetal tissues from maternal sources. The current study was undertaken to evaluate whether the source and quantity of dietary vitamin D provided to the gestating and lactating sow, and also directly in the form of creep feed to the piglet, would influence the vitamin D status, growth performance, and skeletal development of piglets. A total of 39 primiparous and multiparous sows were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 dietary treatments (13 in each treatment), supplemented with either 5 or 50 μg of the commonly used cholecalciferol (vitamin D(3)) or 50 μg of 25-OH-D(3) per kilogram of feed. By wk 3 of lactation, piglets were offered a creep diet with vitamin D supplementation according to the treatment of the dam, and they were offered the same creep diets after weaning at d 35 of age until they reached a BW of approximately 20 kg. When dietary 25-OH-D(3) was provided, circulating concentrations of 25-OH-D(3) in piglet serum increased (P < 0.05) as early as d 21 and later at d 33 and 77, indicating greater body stores in those animals. Bone-breaking strength and cortical bone mineral content and density at the tibial midshaft of piglets were reduced (P < 0.05) when vitamin D(3) was supplemented at 5 μg/kg compared with the bone traits of other groups, but no differences (P > 0.05) were observed between the 2 other groups. After weaning, ADFI was greater (P < 0.05) and growth performance tended (P = 0.08) to improve when doses of 50 μg/kg were administered, regardless of the vitamin D source. In conclusion, supplementation of the diet with 50 μg/kg of either source of vitamin D was proved to be adequate in meeting the needs of gestating sows and in permitting the accumulation of vitamin D in fetal tissues, as well as for normal skeletal mineralization and growth in the offspring. Furthermore, the markedly improved vitamin D status of piglets whose mothers received 25-OH-D(3) possibly resulted from greater tissue reserves present at birth and a greater availability of vitamin D when released from those stores.

Adaptive radiations in postglacial fish offer excellent settings to study the evolutionary mechanisms involved in the rapid buildup of sympatric species diversity from a single lineage. Here, we address this by exploring the genetic and ecological structure of the largest Alpine whitefish radiation known, that of Lakes Brienz and Thun, using microsatellite data of more than 2000 whitefish caught during extensive species-targeted and habitat-randomized fishing campaigns. We find six strongly genetically and ecologically differentiated species, four of which occur in both lakes, and one of which was previously unknown. These four exhibit clines of genetic differentiation that are paralleled in clines of eco-morphological and reproductive niche differentiation, consistent with models of sympatric ecological speciation along environmental gradients. In Lake Thun, we find two additional species, a profundal specialist and a species introduced in the 1930s from another Alpine whitefish radiation. Strong genetic differentiation between this introduced species and all native species of Lake Thun suggests that reproductive isolation can evolve among allopatric whitefish species within 15,000 years and persist in secondary sympatry. Consistent with speciation theory, we find stronger correlations between genetic and ecological differentiation for sympatrically than for allopatrically evolved species.

The dreissenids, quagga mussel Dreissena bugensis and zebra mussel D. polymorpha, are invasive freshwater mussels in Europe and North America. These species strongly impact aquatic ecosystems, such as the food web through their high abundance and filtration rate. They spread quickly within and between waterbodies, and have the ability to colonize various substrates and depths. The zebra mussel invaded and established in Swiss lakes in the 1960s, whereas the quagga mussel was not detected until 2014. We collected all available data from cantonal as well as local authorities and other institutions to describe the colonization pattern of quagga mussels in perialpine lakes north of the Alps. We also collected data regarding the distribution of larval stages of the mussels, the so-called veliger larvae. We observed that in lakes colonized by the quagga mussel, veligers are present the whole year round, whereas they are absent in winter in lakes with only zebra mussels. Additionally, we present detailed information about the invasion and colonization pattern of quagga mussels in Lake Constance. Quagga mussels colonized the lakeshore within a few years (~ 2016-2018), outcompeted zebra mussels, and have reached densities > 5000 ind. m -2 in the littoral zone, even at 80 m densities above 1000 ind. m -2 were found at some locations. At the end of the article, we discussed possibilities on how the spread of quagga mussels within and among northern perialpine lakes should be monitored and prevented in the future.

Abstract The success of ponds constructed to restore ecological infrastructure for pond‐breeding amphibians and benefit aquatic biodiversity depends on where and how they are built. We studied effects of pond and landscape characteristics, including connectivity, on metapopulation dynamics of 12 amphibian species in Switzerland. To understand the determinants of long‐term occupancy (here summarized as incidence), environmental effects on both colonization and persistence should be considered. We fitted dynamic occupancy models to 20 years of monitoring data on a pond construction program to quantify effects of pond and landscape characteristics and different connectivity metrics on colonization and persistence probabilities in constructed ponds. Connectivity to existing populations explained dynamics better than structural connectivity metrics, and simple metrics (distance to the nearest neighbor population, population density) were useful surrogates for dispersal kernel‐weighted metrics commonly used in metapopulation theory. Population connectivity mediated the persistence of conservation target species in new ponds, suggesting source–sink dynamics in newly established populations. Population density captured this effect well and could be used by practitioners for site selection. Ponds created where there were 2–4 occupied ponds within a radius of ∼0.5 km had &gt;3.5 times higher incidence of target species (median) than isolated ponds. Species had individual preferences regarding pond characteristics, but breeding sites with larger (≥100 m 2 ) total water surface area, that temporarily dried, and that were in surroundings with maximally 50% forest benefitted multiple target species. Pond diversity will foster amphibian diversity at the landscape scale.

The Siggenthal Bridge is a concrete arch bridge with an arch span of 117 m, being built over the Limmat River in Baden, Switzerland. This bridge has been instrumented with 58 long- gage SOFO fiber optic deformation sensors, 2 inclinometers and 8 temperature sensors to monitor its deformations, curvatures and displacements during construction and int eh long-term. The sensor have been built installed successfully and the arch was monitored during the removal of the formwork and supports. It was therefore possible to observe the deformations of the arch wen being loaded by its dead load and by the daily temperature fluctuations. The measurements have shown that the temperature changes produce deformations of the same order of magnitude as the dead loads. The out-of-plain displacements obtained by double- integration of the measured curvatures are in good agreement with the direct triangulation measurements. Monitoring was also carried out during the construction of the superstructure, with the associated change of the load distribution in the arch. This paper briefly introduces the functional principle of the long-gage sensors used in this application, illustrates their installation and discusses the measurement results obtained during the bridge construction.

Seit Ende der 1990er Jahre prägt der Begriff „War for Talents“ aufgrund einer Studie von McKinsey die Diskussion rund um das Talent Management (vgl. Michaels/Handfield-Jonas/Axelrod 2001: 1). Auch heute wird Talent Management daher unweigerlich mit diesem Kampf um die Besten assoziiert. Diese bewusste Begriffswahl soll aufzeigen, dass es für Organisationen überlebenswichtig ist, über Talente zu verfügen. Die Grundannahme einer eher feindlichen Organisationsumgebung kann im „War for Talents“ mehrfach zum Organisationserfolg beitragen. Denn eine realistische Einschätzung von eigenen und frem denAbhängigkeiten ist zentral, um im Sinne des Vorsichtsprinzips die Notwendigkeit zur Ausbalancierung von Macht und Gegenmacht sowie von Vertrauen und Misstrauen auf dem Arbeitsmarkt zu erkennen. Darüber hinaus können Organisationen so im umkämpf ten Markt um die Besten ermutigt werden, selbstbewusst und offensiv zu handeln. Sie müssen erkennen, dass sie auf sich selbst gestellt sind und für ihre Attraktivität auf dem Arbeitsmarkt eigenständig sorgen müssen (vgl. von der Oelsnitz/Stein/Hahmann 2007: 195). Doch wer Talent Management primär als „Krieg“ versteht, wird ihn verlieren. Denn „Krieg“ ist ein Zustand, welcher von Konflikten geprägt ist, was nicht Ziel einer umfassenden Talent Management Strategie sein kann. Zusätzlich ist es von zentraler Bedeutung, dass die Organisation das Talent Management zu einer prioritären Aufgabe erklärt (vgl. Lubitsh/Smith 2007: 6).

The Swiss cantonal education systems account for the structural organisation of lower-secondary education (streamed, cooperative or integrated models). We examined whether structural cantonal variations affect students’ transition to upper-secondary education. Analyses drew on data from the TREE study. Multilevel logistic regression analyses indicated that students in cantons with a cooperative or integrated model had, by trend, a higher chance of gaining access to upper-secondary education. The effect was confounded with the language regions.

Die Lehrerinnen- und Lehrerbildung hat sich durch die vollstandige Integration in den Hochschulbereich seit den 1990er-Jahren grundlegend verandert. An sieben Fallbeispielen – Aargau, Bern, Freiburg, Genf, St. Gallen, Zug und Zurich – und auf der interkantonalen Ebene rekonstruiert der Band die Lehrer-bildungspolitik fur diesen Zeitraum. Im Zentrum der Analysen stehen die interkantonale und die jeweilige kantonale Lehrerbildungspolitik sowie die wesentlichen Veranderungen der Lehrerbildungsinstitutionen. Die Beitrage thematisieren die Reform der Lehrerinnen- und Lehrerbildung aus einer Makro- und Mesoperspektive. Die Resultate weisen deutlich auf gemeinsame Entwicklungstendenzen hin: Dank der Normen und Prozesse einer gesamtschweizerischen Diplomanerkennung ist eine uberkantonale Politik der Lehrerinnen- und Lehrerbildung entstanden. Die vormals sehr zersplitterte Lehrerinnen- und Lehrerbildung ist heute einheitlicher organisiert als vor der Reform. Anderseits weisen die Analysen auch auf eine grosse Varianz und viele regionale Besonderheiten der padagogischen Hochschulen hin – dies sowohl hinsichtlich der meist nach wie vor kantonalen Reformprozesse als auch hinsichtlich des Ergebnisses der Reform. Und dennoch ist die neue Lehrerinnen- und Lehrerbildung nicht mehr einfach auf die je kantonalen Schulstrukturen und Lehrplane ausgerichtet. Zwar orientieren sich die padagogischen Hochschulen immer noch stark am Schulfeld, sind aber neu auch Teil einer an Wissenschaft und Forschung ausgerichteten Hochschullandschaft. Sie haben sich auf diese neuen Herausforderungen einstellen mussen.

Therapeutische Leitlinien können multimodal einen Beitrag der personzentriert-experienziellen Psychotherapie in einer allgemeinen Psychotherapie darstellen. Der vorliegende Beitrag diskutiert die Herausforderung, die therapeutische Leitlinien für psychostrukturelle nicht symptomatologisch orientierte Verfahren darstellen. Symptomatologisches Geschehen wird in der Personzentrierten Psychotherapie als ein Ausdruck struktureller intra- und interpersoneller Konflikte gesehen. Symptome verweisen nicht linear auf Konfliktkonstellation, sie geben nur begrenzt Hinweise auf Störungsursachen und auf ursachenbezogene Behandlungsansätze. Leitlinien konfligieren in der Personzentrierten Psychotherapie mit dem ganzheitlich-interaktionellen Verständnis der Person und dem Prinzip der Selbststeuerung, können jedoch helfen, das Störungswissen in personzentriertem Sinne zu nutzen und das empathische Verständnis und somit das Behandlungsangebot für den Klienten zu verbessern.

Zum Schutz des Waldbodens und als Hilfe bei Planungsaufgaben wird im Kanton Aargau die Feinerschliessung digitalisiert. Mithilfe der bisher erfassten Feinerschliessung wurde ein Bilderkennungsmodell trainiert, um auf der restlichen Kantonsfläche die Feinerschliessung automatisch zu kartieren. Das Modell hat rund 90 Prozent der sichtbaren Fahrspuren zuverlässig erkannt. Die Daten dienen für die Erstellung von Arbeitsaufträgen oder Holzschlagskizzen und werden Maschinisten im Bord-GPS zur Verfügung gestellt.

Yes to revitalisation of watercourses: (not) a question of loss of arable land (essay) Because of the reduced availability of soil resources, projects for flood control, renaturation or revitalisation of watercourses have been opposed on the grounds of their excessive consumption of land in general, and arable land in particular. By the way of the Water Protection Act, which has been revised and came into force in 2011, the Confederation obliges the cantons to prepare strategic plans for revitalisation of watercourses. In the Canton of Aargau, it is planned to revitalise 152 km of watercourses between 2015 and 2035, which will lead to the loss of 32 ha of arable land. This is about 1.5 ha per year, or 6% of the annual loss of arable land, which is about 24 ha per year. Three quarters of this total is lost to settlements. If one only considers losses outside built-up areas, in 2014, more than half was lost to buildings connected to agricultural activity. We can demonstrate, using the Siegfried maps of 1880, that more than 1,000 ha of former marsh and wetland are now arable land. The planned revitalisation of watercourses in Aargau over the next 20 years is equivalent to about 3% of the marsh and wetlands converted over the last 135 years. Revitalisation is compulsory, and the planned obligation to compensate the loss of arable land disregards the true situation: the major consumers of soil resources are settlements and, outside built-up areas, agriculture.

Im folgenden Beitrag stellen wir das Ausbildungskonzept der Sekundar- und Reallehrkräfte im Kanton Aargau entlang einiger zentraler Strukturmerkmale der neuen Ausbildung vor. Beginnen wollen wir mit der Frage nach dem Sinn und den Chancen einer eigenständigen Ausbildung für Oberstufenlehrkräfte in einem Nicht-Hochschulkanton (1); zweitens skizzieren wir die pädagogischen Grundzüge der Gründungsidee (2); wir stellen dann unsere Modifikation der Stufenlehrkräfte im Kontext der aargauischen Schulverhältnisse vor (3), bevor wir das Curriculum als eine spezifische Ausbildungsoption skizzieren, mit der wir die strukturellen Chancen eines parauniversitären Bildungsganges berufspraktisch zu nutzen versuchen (4); in einem weiteren Schritt beschreiben wir die Lernorganisation als konzeptionellen Kern der neuen Ausbildung (5), und schliesslich ordnen wir die neue Ausbildung für Sekundar- und Reallehrkräfte in die kantonale Entwicklung eines Gesamtkonzepts Lehrerbildung ein (6).

Remote sensing in cantonal forest planning -canton of AargauRemote sensing data and products derived from them have long since found their way into forest planning in Aargau.In addition to contributing to the information available on background maps of the BKOnline web application, the data also flow directly, as parameters, into forest stand and measure planning.In addition, interfaces are increasingly being created that make it possible to access external, remote-sensing-based tools from the canton's internal BKOnline application.Field inspections are still indispensable for operational planning, as the calculated tree species proportions must be checked and other parameters, such as stand age, stand density and the status of regeneration, need to be recorded.However, the products from remote sensing create a good basis for the field work and shorten it significantly.

In 2012, the Canton of Aargau launched the process for the development of its new long-term strategy 2013–2022 («Entwicklungsleitbild»). The development of a long-term planning poses a challenge for the executive authority since it involves setting the necessary course for an unknown future in the present; without a comprehensive and reliable factual foundation. Commissioned by the State Chancellery of the Canton of Aargau, the Institute of Public Management of the Zurich University of Applied Sciences – together with internal and external experts – established a foresight study. Models and instruments from trend research and futurology were adapted and applied to the specific tasks and challenges facing a cantonal administration. The emphasis was placed on trend, scenario and consequences analysis. As a result, recommendations for the three core political fields of action (society, economy and state) were formulated for the attention of the government.

Adrian Ritz und Peter Sinelli widmen sich den definitorischen und konzeptionellen Grundlagen des Talent Managements sowie seiner Bezüge zum Prozessmodell des Human Resources Managements. Ausgangslage bilden die Kontextveränderung des demografischen Wandels, der Wissensmigration und die Veränderung im psychologischen Kontrakt zwischen Arbeitgeber und Arbeitnehmer weg von der Loyalität hin zu Employability. Es zeigt sich, dass die Kampfansage an den Arbeitsmarkt vor dem Hintergrund des „war for talents“ kaum als geeigneter Lösungsansatz verstanden werden kann, sondern erst die Integration in die existierenden Strategie- und Führungsprozesse ein erfolgreiches Talent Management verspricht.

A think tank on paper comes closer to the practitioner This note informs you about changes which will be put in place in the Swiss Forestry Journal in 2015, as well as the rationale motivating them. The Journal is the most visible product of the Swiss Forestry Society, and has been its flagship for 164 years. The members of the Society accepted in 2013 a new, more streamlined concept for the Journal. From 2015, the Journal will only appear six times a year. It will remain the organ of the Society, and will continue to distribute news on forest related issues. In a survey, many members expressed their wish that the Journal should deal more with practical issues. This request is being followed in three ways: 1) short articles from practitioners and researchers (new section “Notes”), 2) a closer link to practice in every article, and 3) a more flexible interpretation of the rule that contributions must be original work. In this way, the Journal positions itself more clearly at the interface between research and practice. Its role is to promote, like a think tank on paper, high-level professional discussions in the forest sector and thus the sector's evolution, as well as to foster mutual understanding between researchers and practitioners. Also those who are not researchers are invited to take their pen and enhance the Journal's practical relevance by their contributions.

Im Schuljahr 2020/21 wurde in der Aargauer Volksschule mit der Umsetzung des Projekts „Neue Ressourcierung Volksschule“ eine neue Ressoucensteuerung eingeführt. Diese vergrössert den Gestaltungsraum der Schulen. Die Schulen können sich verstärkt ihren pädagogischen Aufgaben widmen. Erste Erfahrungen zeigen, dass die Schulen den Gestaltungs- und Innovationsfreiraum erkennen und diesen zugunsten ihrer Schüler*innen nutzen.

Drei Fragen sind für jede Lehrerbildung grundlegend zu beantworten, wie sie das Verhältnis zur Schulpraxis gestaltet, wie sie es mit der Wissenschaftlichkeit hält und schliesslich wie sie das Problem der Eignung und der Persönlichkeitsförderung löst. Im folgenden Beitrag diskutiere ich Antworten auf die ersten beiden Fragen. Ich tue dies vor dem Hintergrund und im Hinblick auf das neue Ausbildungskonzept für die Sekundar- und Reallehrerausbildung im Kanton Aargau, das heisst für eine Ausbildung ausserhalb der Universität in einer spezifischen Lehrerbildungseinrichtung. Unter dem Stichwort "Schulnähe" erörtere ich drei Möglichkeiten, wie Praxisnähe anders als bloss diese abbildend realisiert werden kann; unter dem Stichwort "Erfahrungsnähe" diskutiere ich unsere Alternative zu einer fachdisziplinären wissenschaftlichen Grundbildung für Lehrerinnen und Lehrer.