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Observing Environmental Changes: Landscape Development and Monitoring

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Here, a hedge is cleared, there, a residential block is built, and over there, a forest encroaches upon the alpine meadows: our environment is changing slowly but steadily. Monitoring programmes are needed in order to gain an overall picture of these (landscape) developments.

Landscapes change constantly. These changes take place at several spatial scales and at different speeds. Often, they are gradual and are therefore barely noticeable. Since the 1950s, for example, numerous cultural landscapes in the Swiss Plateau which are characterised by agriculture, such as orchards or fields, have been transformed into urban conurbations. We document and quantify such changes and investigate their causes. We collect and analyse the resulting data, reconstruct past developments from it, and use models to calculate possible trends for the future.

Basis for sustainable land use

Our research contributes to a sound scientific basis for sustainable land use and landscape development, because decision-makers in the community and government must know how nature and landscape develop in the long term. Where, how fast and why do they change? And what are people saying about it? Environmental monitoring, which also takes social perception into account, is therefore an important basis for decision-making. Thanks to the EnviDat environment database which is currently under construction, the data are easily accessible for science and practical use.

We are involved in a number of environmental monitoring programmes, such as the Swiss National Forestry Inventory (LFI) and the Swiss Habitat Protection Impact Monitoring. We lend scientific support to the "Swiss Landscape Monitoring" programme. This programme is the only one of its kind in Europe, because it encompasses both physical landscape development and landscape perception by people. It analyses various aspects and functions of landscapes, such as diversity, nature conservation value and their benefits to society, as well as how people perceive them.

Topics

Monitoring the Effectiveness of Habitat Conservation in Switzerland

We measure national and regional developments in habitats of national importance with a monitoring programme.

Further information

News

07.07.2021

TerraRadTech brings a breakthrough water detection device to agriculture and environmental monitoring.

05.11.2019

21.10.2019

WSL researchers are reporting an ongoing decrease of habitat quality in species-rich dry grasslands, despite them being protected.

Projects

ProtoAIM - Enhanced Plot Design for Advanced Inventorying and Monitoring

We will enhance the design of the Swiss NFI plots to accomodate an augmented series of measurements, sampling and analysis needed to respond to pressing research question on status and change of the Swiss forest.

Suffizienzpolitik in ländlichen Gemeinden

Das Forschungsprojekt untersucht, welche Potentiale für Suffizienzpolitik es in ländlichen Gemeinden gibt, welche Faktoren eine solche Politik hemmen und fördern, und wie Bund und Kantone die Gemeinden unterstützen können, Suffizienzpolitiken zu entwickeln und zu realisieren.

LABES 2: Continuation of landscape monitoring Switzerland 2020/21

After further refining the concept, WSL and FOEN will work together on updating the landscape monitoring. An expanded set of indicators for landscape perception and satellite-based new indicators for the physical landscape are the new elements of the monitoring. Despite the new and expanded indicators, comparability with past surveys is ensured.

Nationwide shrub forest distribution maps based on remote sensing

Information on the distribution of shrub forest is of broad interest. The aim of this project is a robust workflow to produce an up-to-date, nationwide and high-resolution distribution map of the two dominant shrub forest species in the Alpine region based on remote sensing.

Expert Survey "Challenges Landscape"

10 Jahre nach der Ersterhebung werden erneut Expertinnen und Experten in der Schweiz dazu befragt, was Ihrer Meinung nach die künftigen Herausforderungen der Landschaftsentwicklung darstellen.

Habitat Map of Switzerland

Spatially explicit distribution of habitats in Switzerland

Optimised cable line planning

The transport of timber with cable yarders is of great importance in the Swiss forestry. Planning a cable line is a complex and demanding task. Together with selected forest contractors and forest enterprises, it is evaluated how scientific findings in cable mechanics, developments in remote sensing and mathematical optimization algorithms can contribute to more efficient cable road planning.

WaMos3

The aim of WaMos is to investigate the relationship of the Swiss population to the forest. In WaMos3, important aspects of the last household survey are replicated and the survey instrument is further developed in terms of content and methodology.

Storm damage indication map

Remote sensing methods allow a rapid, wide-area and objective overview of the forest damage after a storm event.

What is Sustainable Intensification?

Sustainable Intensification of agriculture (SI) is advocated by both, scientists and policy makers, as a solution for the dilemma between the need to increase agricultural production and the need to reduce the environmental burden which intensification historically entailed.

CLIMASTEPPE - Solutions for climate-smart land use in the dry steppes of Russia

In the CLIMASTEPPE project, we will investigate with partners from Russia, Germany, Slovakia how to optimise the land use of Russian steppe under changing climate conditions.

Grundlagen Lebensraumkarte Schweiz

Im Projekt werden bereits vorhandene und in Entstehung befindliche Geodatensätze für ihr Potential zur Erstellung einer Lebensraumkarte (nach Delarze, Gonseth, Eggenberg & Vust 2015) für die Schweiz evaluiert. Ein erste Prototyp wird erstellt.

EnviDat: the Environmental Data Portal

EnviDat is the WSL data portal providing unified and managed access to environmental monitoring and research data. Through the sharing of unique and high-value data sets worldwide, EnviDat fosters research and contributes to advancing environmental science.

Filling the land use gap

Mapping grassland management intensity in Switzerland with high spatial and temporal resolution satellite imagery

ESPON Alps 2050

The ESPON Alps 2050 project develops a vision and common spatial perspectives for the Alpine area to strengthen territorial cooperation among Alpine countries towards more effective sustainable development.

Red list of epiphytic and terricolous lichens

The Red list of threatened epiphytic and terricolous lichens in Switzerland from 2002 is being updated between 2017 and 2021. At present, representative data about the distribution and frequency of species is being gathered during extensive field work.

Conceptual evaluation of the Swiss landscape monitoring program 2018-2020

What are the qualities of the Swiss landscape? How do people assess the state of the landscape? These are the kinds of questions being taken up by the Landscape Monitoring program (LABES) launched in 2008. This project evaluates the program for relevance and use of up-front technology.

HYDRO-CH2018 "Forhycs-Ice"

In the project FORHYCS-ICE, ("Forest, Glacier and Hydrology Change in Switzerland"), we aim at providing the first holistic simulations of climate impacts (CH2018 scenarios) on water resources, glaciers and forests.

Tree species migration in DGVMs

Combining very efficient methods for simulation of seed dispersal and for local vegetation dynamics allows for large scale spatiotemporal vegetation dynamics simulations in DGVMs

Future consumption of prime cropland

Land use scenarios suggest that prime cropland, according to the sectorial plan of cropland protection, may come under even greater urbanisation pressure in some cantons in the following period of comprehensive plans.

Predictive Analytics in Big Data

Predictive analytics deals with extracting patterns from series of data, such as observational, in order to better understand and predict the evolvement of spatio-temporal phenomena.

Geschichte der Feuchtgebiete in der Schweiz seit 1700

Die Entwicklung und Rezeption der Feuchtgebiete von 1700 bis heute wird geschichtlich aufgearbeitet sowie ab 1850 bis 2010 rekonstruiert.

Assessment of strategic spatial plan making and plan implementation processes

The overall objective of this project is to develop an analytical framework grounded in an analysis of strategic spatial planning processes, i.e. plan making and plan implementation. Cities worldwide are increasingly engaging in strategic spatial planning processes to address economic, social and en

Evaluation of strategic spatial plans

The overall objective of this project is to contribute to the scholarship on plan evaluation. Current evaluation studies focus on plan performance and planning process performance, rather than actual material outcomes that are of pertinent interest to land-change science. Specifically, the project r

Vegetation height model NFI

For Switzerland, a national vegetation elevation model was calculated and updated on an ongoing basis. The ADS80 images routinely captured by swisstopo form the basis for the image matching workflow for deriving a 3D model of the landscape.

Countrywide Tree Type Mapping from Remote Sensing Surveys

Regularly updated information on the state, change and distribution of tree types (broadleaved and coniferous tree) is essential for forest related studies. The first data set consists of ADS80 aerial imagery. The follow-up product is currently being optimized using Sentinel satellite data.

Assessing tree stem structures using terrestrial LiDAR

The objective of this project is to develop an approach for assessing the ecological value of a tree stem using terrestrial laser scanning (TLS).

SImulating REcreationists’ MOvements

Wir entwickeln ein Agenten basiertes Modell zur Simulation der linearen Fortbewegung zu und in Naherholungsgebieten in suburbanen Gemeinden. Das Modell berücksichtigt neben den Wegeigenschaften auch landschaftliche Qualitäten und die Bedürfnisse verschiedener Langsamverkehrsnutzer.

Small urban gardens

The aim of this study is to explore which present or imagined organizational forms of urban gardens are best suited to our current society.

Recreational spaces

Daily life stress can be a substantial detriment to human health and wellbeing. In comparing the stress-reduction capacities among different urban recreational spaces, this project aims at identifying the components of urban nature causing these health benefits.

Healthy Alps

Across the Alps, land-use is changing rapidly. The project investigates the consequences of this change for alpine agricultural landscape, focusing on ecosystem services, biodiversity, and effects on human health and wellbeing, as well as their possible interrelations.

Governance of regional development

Several new approaches in regional development, all characterized by typical attributes of governance, emerged in Switzerland over the last few years. This research project identifies and analyses these attributes and functionalities of new regional governance regimes in Switzerland.

Urban forests

Urban forests fulfil important ecosystem services and are greatly appreciated by the public for their social and cultural services. The aim of the project is to get insights into people's expectations and assessments of these services. Furthermore, the project aims to link the population's perceptions and expectations with on-site forest characteristics.

WML - WaMos meets LFI

In Switzerland, there are two very different forest monitoring instruments: The National Forest Inventory NFI and the socio-cultural forest monitoring WaMos. The aim of the current project is to bridge physical and social aspects.

Strategies for better gardens

Urban gardens experience increasing social and ecological importance, yet, there are only few studies about it. This project investigates the value of urban gardening for social benefit, biodiversity and soil quality.

Forest dynamics in Switzerland - pattern, driving forces and ecological implications

Aim of the project is the reconstruction of forest changes in Switzerland (since 1840) and Canton of Zurich (since 1667) to study forest dynamics and search for transition processes.

Landscape and amenity migration

The objective of this research project is to analyze in-migration to rural regions in Switzerland. The focus is on the role of landscape amenities as a factor contributing to local quality of life and influencing attractiveness of a region for potential in-migrants.

Visitor Study at Wildernesspark Zürich

The aim of this project is to evaluate the Wildernesspark Zürich from the visitors' perspective. We are particularly interested in what visitors do during their stay and how they perceive the park. Moreover, we also analyse in how far people report feelings of restoration after their visit, and how this self-reported restoration is associated with environmental and psychological factors of the park visit.

GeneMig

GeneMig is an inter- and transdisciplinary CESS project that identifies societal and environmental challenges and risks associated with migration of species and their genes in a changing environment. This project (1) combines genetic methods with landscape modelling and (2) assess public attitudes and coping strategies towards species migration in the context of environmental change.

FORECOM Forest cover changes in mountainous regions

In the Polish-Swiss joint research project Forecom we will analyze historical forest cover changes and their drivers in the Carpatians and Alps. We will develop scenarios of potential future forest cover changes and assess the impact of past and future changes on key ecosystem services.

Measuring and Limiting Urban Sprawl

The sprawling, contourless growth of settlements not only has negative ecological, economic and social effects, it also contradicts the principle of sustainability. There is therefore an urgent need for action.

C3-Alps

C3-Alps synthesizes, transfers and implements in policy and practice results of previous Alpine Space Programme projects on climate change adaptation. In Work Package 4 we will assess the performance and governance, strengths and weaknesses as well as the science-policy interface of existing adaptation policies in Alpine countries.

Recovery of Wildlife in the Alps

The return of large carnivores such as wolf and lynx in the Alps leads to conflicts with the local population. The goal of this project is to present practical conservation and management options for wolf and lynx in the Alps.

EFICENT INTEGRATE

This report describes the system of formal instruments and informal rules concerning nature protection in Swiss Forests and elaborates on the future challenges. It then develops an answer to the question to which extent the current state of integration of nature protection has prepared forest policy for these future challenges and whether further reforms seem necessary.

DROUGHT-R&SPI

There is an urgent need to improve drought preparedness through increased knowledge, drought management plans and an improved science-policy interfacing that will reduce vulnerability to future drought and the risks they pose for Europe. The EU FP7 research project DROUGHT-R&SPI will address this pressing need.

SWIC

This project aims to assess the Swiss contribution to the establishment of an international regime on Biodiversity.

Monitoring the Effectiveness of Habitat Conservation in Switzerland

The project "Monitoring the Effectiveness of Habitat Conservation in Switzerland" aims to determine whether habitats of national importance (dry meadows and pastures, alluvial areas, bogs and fens, amphibian breeding sites) are changing according to their conservation targets and maintaining the same surface area and quality.

Climate risk analysis

The project develops a method to analyze and assess risks (and chances) related to climate change. The method is tested and applied to a regional case study in the Canton of Aargau. The method development and the assessment of climate risks are key elements of the Swiss national climate adaptation strategy.

CORINE Switzerland

Switzerland participates in the pan-European program CORINE to map land cover/ land use (CLC). WSL supports the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) in the production of the national data (CLC-CH 2000, CLC-CH 2006, CLC-CH 2012).

Copernicus Land Monitoring

This project funding is done by FOEN in order to observe actively the ongoing developments within Copernicus Land Monitoring Services. It encompasses the collaboration in working groups like EAGLE, assistance in EIONET meetings or expertise in international land cover / land use topics.

HELM

HELM initiates a move that will make European land monitoring more productive by increasing the alignment of national and sub-national land monitoring endeavours and by enabling their integration to a coherent European data system. HELM receives funding through the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Commission.

Nearby Outdoor Recreation

This project has the goal to develop a GIS-based model to forecast which near-by areas local inhabitants in Switzerland preferably use in their leisure time for outdoor recreation.

Landschaftsforschung

Die WSL hat im Auftrag des Forum Landschaft den Stand der Landschaftsforschung in der Schweiz untersucht. Es wurden aktuelle und zukünftige Herausforderungen der Schweizerischen Landschaftsentwicklung ermittelt sowie ihre Handlungsrelevanz beurteilt.

Effect on nature stay

The project analyses the influence of a stay in differently managed agricultural zones on human well-being. This allows to draw conclusions concering the optimal design of natural areas.

Intercultural gardens

The main topic of this project is restoration and integration by means of intercultural gardens. An explorative case study of the cooperation project „Seebrache“ in Zürich analyses these aspects over 1.5 years. The project has been initiated by Grün Stadt Zürich, Megaphon! and by Gemeinwesenarbeit Zürich Nord.

Fiscal Instruments

The study investigates how fiscal instruments and incentives affect land consumption and urban sprawl in Switzerland. An inventory lists those taxes and subsidies that are directly or indirectly linked to the possession and transfer of property and land, which comprise incentives that affect the location and density of private, business and industrial properties.

Biotopschutzkosten

Erfolgskontrollen und der Umweltprüfbericht der OECD zeigen, dass die Schweiz zu wenig investiert, um Biotope von nationaler Bedeutung uneingeschränkt zu erhalten. Darum werden in diesem Projekt die notwendigen Ausgaben für einen gesetzeskonformen Schutz dieser Biotope errechnet.

S5-Stadt

Die "S5-Stadt" bezeichnet einen Ausschnitt aus der Metropolitanregion Zürich. Sie steht für Dynamik und Wandel und repräsentiert einen Lebensraum von morgen. Das Forschungsprojekt untersucht Fragen einer nachhaltigen Regionalentwicklung.

Konversionsflächen

Im Forschungsprojekt werden die Potenziale der Wiedernutzung nicht mehr benötigter militärischer Liegenschaften und sonstiger Brachflächen für eine Landschaft und Freiraum schonende Siedlungsentwicklung untersucht.

Dezentrale Besiedlung

Am Beispiel der Region Surselva (GR) untersuchen WissenschafterInnen die ökonomischen, sozialen und ökologischen Folgen einer Aufgabe dezentraler Siedlungsstrukturen. Sie diskutieren, mit welchen Strategien und Konzepten sich die Zukunft peripherer ländlicher Räume gestalten lässt.

Erholungsnutzung im periurbanen Raum

Durch Zunahme der Freizeit steigt der Druck auf Naherholungsräume im periurbanen Raum. Um Nutzungskonflikte zu vermindern, braucht es Informationen zu Nachfrage, Potential und Intensität der Raumnutzung. Wissenschafter ermitteln deshalb Kriterien, die das Naherholungsverhalten bestimmen und entwickeln Naherholungsmodell.

Instrumente Flächennutzung

In der Schweiz wird jede Sekunde knapp ein Quadratmeter Kulturland überbaut, in Agglomerationen sogar noch wesentlich mehr. Welche marktwirtschaftlichen Instrumente tragen dazu bei, eine haushälterische Flächennutzung zu fördern?

Präferenzen Greifensee

Die heutige Landschaft ist das Produkt einer historischen Entwicklung. Trotzdem weiss man wenig darüber, inwiefern sich die Landschaft entsprechend den Präferenzen der Bevölkerung gestalten lässt.

BioScene: Reconciling biodiversity conservation

For centuries agriculture has played a multifunctional role in defining and sustaining mountain biodiversity in Europe through the management of habitats, species and landscapes. The overall aim of this project is to investigate the implications of agricultural restructuring and decline for biodiversity conservation in Europe’s mountain areas.

Natural science experiments

Do natural science experiments have an influence on the politicians' readiness to plan environ-political measures and on the public's acceptance? The significance of experiments in natural science in the public discussion on CO2-emissions was investigated. Among the politicians three different types of attitudes towards natural science in general were found.

Spontaneous reforestation

One of the main arguments for handing out agricultural subsidies in Swiss mountainous areas is the conservation of traditional landscapes. To find out what people think about land abandonment WSL conducted qualitative in-situ-interviews as well as standardised questionnaires and photo-experiments.

Landscape change assessed by tourists

The lay assessment of tourism-induced landscape changes was investigated with standardized questionnaires and photo-experiments. A main result was that tourists are very sensitive to landscape changes caused by tourist infrastructure. They wish the landscape to remain traditional.

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Publications

Landscape: Much more than just a backdrop

Focus WSL magazine Diagonal, 2/17: Whatever we do, we change the landscape. Our landscape researchers take a closer look so that we can shape these transformations together.

WSL magazine Diagonal, 2/17 (pdf, 29 MB)

Read online

Services and products

3D-Modell einer Riesenkastanie

3D-Modell einer Riesenkastanie als Basis für die Berechnung des Gesamtvolumens eines Baumes.

Person in charge: Patrik Krebs

Bellinzona und seine Schlösser

Die Entwicklung von Stadt und Landschaft des Tessiner Hauptorts auf originelle Art dokumentiert: Mit einer vertonten Sequenz von Übergängen zwischen alten und neuen Fotos und Videoszenen.

Person in charge: Patrik Krebs

CAS: Räumliche Informationssysteme (Fallstudie)

Das Weiterbildungsprogramm CAS (Certificate of Advanced Studies) ETH in Räumliche Informationssysteme richtet sich an aktuelle wie auch an zukünftige Anwenderinnen und Anwender von Geodaten und raumbezogenen Informationstechnologien wie GIS (Geographische Informationssysteme).

Organizer: ETH Zürich

Person in charge: Marielle Fraefel

Digitizing historical plagues

We present newly digitized data for download on 6,929 plague outbreaks that occurred between 1347 and 1900 AD across Europe. The data base on an inventory initially published 1976. For georeferencing the information of Tele Atlas 2009 was used.

Person in charge: Christian Ginzler

Geographic Data Processing with Python and ArcGIS

The course communicates the basics of the programming language Python and gives a general introduction into the geoprocessing framework of ArcGIS. In addition various Python libraries (numyp, Scipy, GDAL, statsmodels, pandas) will be introduced which increase the functional range of the geoprocessing framework substantially.

Organizer: ETH Zurich

Person in charge: Andri Baltensweiler

Landschafts- und Landnutzungsgeschichte der Schweiz und Europas

Landschaften und Lebensräume sind in einem jahrhundertelangen Prozess durch Menschen gestaltet worden. Sie sind somit Ausdruck der Interaktion von menschlichen Ansprüchen und Bedürfnissen und den natürlichen Ressourcen in einer spezifischen topographischen und räumlichen Situation. Diese Vorlesung fokussiert auf die historische Dimension der Landschaften und Ökosysteme mit einem Fokus auf die Entwicklungen in der Schweiz. Die für die Rekonstruktion der Landschaftsgeschichte wichtigsten Quellentypen und Methoden werden vorgestellt und mit internationalen Beispielen wird die Sicht auf die Schweiz ergänzt.

Organizer: Universität Bern

Person in charge: Matthias Bürgi

Lecture with Practical Exercises: Spatial Databases

This course introduces the fundamentals of spatial database: the storage, management and querying of spatial data with both geometrical and attribute variables. The focus will be on the fundamental approaches enabling the efficient storage, management and querying of geometrical and raster data, intricacies of spatial indexing and the optimization of topological analysis.

Organizer: University of Zurich

Person in charge: Rolf Meile

Lecture: Advanced Landscape Research

This course introduces landscapes as socially perceived, spatially and temporally dynamic entities that are shaped by natural and societal factors. Concepts and qualitative and quantitative methods to study landscapes from an ecological, societal and historical perspective are presented. In a term paper students work on a landscape-related topic of their choice.

Organizer: ETH Zürich

Person in charge: Janine Bolliger , Matthias Bürgi

Lecture: Environmental Systems Data Science

Students are introduced to a typical data science workflow using various examples from environmental systems. They learn common methods and key aspects for each step through practical application. The course enables students to plan their own data science project in their specialization and to acquire more domain-specific methods independently or in further courses.

Organizer: ETH Zürich

Person in charge: Loïc Pellissier

Lecture: Geographic Information Systems

Introduction to the architecture and data processing capabilities of geographic information systems (GIS). Practical application of spatial data modeling and geoprocessing functions to a selected project from the earth sciences.

Organizer: ETH Zurich

Person in charge: Andri Baltensweiler , Martin Hägeli

Lecture: Landscape Modeling of Biodiversity - From Global Changes to Conservation

The course provides the student with the spatial tools to address societal challenges toward ensuring the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems and the conservation of biodiversity. Students learn theory, tools and models during a few introductory sessions and apply this knowledge to solve a practical problem in groups related to climate change, land use change and biodiversity conservation.

Organizer: ETH Zürich

Person in charge: Loïc Pellissier

Lecture: Quantitative Vegetation Dynamics - Models from Tree to Globe

This course provides hands-on experience with models of vegetation dynamics across temporal and spatial scales. The underlying principles, assets and trade-offs of the different approaches are introduced, and students work in a number of small projects with these models to gain first-hand experience.

Organizer: ETH Zurich

Person in charge: Harald Bugmann , Heike Lischke , Brigitte Rohner

Monoplotting Tool

A platform for georeferencing and orthorectifying ordinary individual photographs - such as historical photos - with geographical data.

Person in charge: Claudio Bozzini

Quantitative Vegetation Dynamics: Models from Tree to Globe

This course provides hands-on experience with models of vegetation

dynamics across temporal and spatial scales. The underlying principles,

assets and trade-offs of the different approaches are introduced, and

students work in a number of small projects with these models to gain

first-hand experience.

Organizer: ETH Zurich

Person in charge: Brigitte Rohner , Heike Lischke

Urban Sprawl Metrics tool (USM)

The Urban Sprawl Metrics (USM) Toolset allows to intuitively apply intuitvely possible to apply the method of Weighted Urban Proliferation.

Person in charge: Felix Kienast

Video: The spatial development of Rio de Janeiro

Die Entwicklung von Rio de Janeiro illustriert mit historischen Bildern. An der WSL in Bellinzona wurde eine Software entwickelt, die anhand von herkömmlichen Landschaftsfotos eine quantitative Rekonstruktion der Landschaftsentwicklung ermöglicht (Monophotogrammetrie).

Vorlesung: Angewandte Systemökologie

Dieser Kurs vertieft das ökologische Systemwissen, das nötig ist, um angewandte Lösungen für aktuelle Umweltprobleme zu hinterfragen. Unser zentrales Anliegen ist es, den Respekt der Teilnehmer vor Komplexität mit einem Sinn für Möglichkeiten zu balancieren, indem wir Beispiele aus dem weiten Lösungsraum ökologischer Systeme darstellen, wie z.B. grüne Infrastruktur im Wassermanagement.

Organizer: ETH Zürich

Person in charge: Arthur Gessler

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