@misc{ZaplataWinterBiemeltetal., author = {Zaplata, Markus Klemens and Winter, Susanne and Biemelt, Detlef and Fischer, Anton}, title = {Immediate shift towards source dynamics: The pioneer species Conyza canadensis in an initial ecosystem}, series = {Flora - Morphology, Distribution, Functional Ecology of Plants}, volume = {206}, journal = {Flora - Morphology, Distribution, Functional Ecology of Plants}, number = {11}, doi = {10.1016/j.flora.2011.07.001}, pages = {928 -- 934}, abstract = {The aim of this study was to detect a potential temporal shift from sink to source dynamics of pioneer plants during primary succession. The study was done in an initial ecosystem, namely an artificially constructed catchment on Pleistocene sands in eastern Germany. The import and export of seeds (including soil seed bank and seed rain), the development of vegetation cover and the population size of all pioneer species were recorded in 2005-2009. The interplay between the spatial distribution of seed rain and the prevailing wind direction provide evidence that seeds of Conyza canadensis (Asteraceae) first and to a considerable amount left the developing ecosystem. A change from a sink to source dynamics was detected already in the first year of both the existence of the site and occurrence of C. canadensis individuals within the site. Population patterns at the landscape unit scale demonstrated extensive auto-correlations in the coverage of this invasive plant at first. Our results underline the pioneer traits of C. canadensis as a prolific seeder and excellent wind disperser, which enables this species to become rapidly dominant over relatively large areas.}, language = {en} } @misc{ZaplataWinterFischeretal., author = {Zaplata, Markus Klemens and Winter, Susanne and Fischer, Anton and Kollmann, Johannes and Ulrich, Werner}, title = {Species-driven phases and increasing structure in early-successional plant communities}, series = {The American Naturalist}, volume = {Vol. 181}, journal = {The American Naturalist}, number = {1}, doi = {10.1086/668571}, pages = {E17 -- E27}, abstract = {Successional phases describe changes in ecological communities that proceed in steps rather than continuously. Despite their importance for the understanding of ecosystem development, there still exists no reliable definition of phases and no quantitative measure of phase transitions. In order to obtain these data, we investigated primary succession in an artificial catchment (6 ha) in eastern Germany over a period of 6 years. The data set consists of records of plant species and their cover values, and initial substrate properties, both from plots in a regular grid (20 m × 20 m) suitable for spatial data analysis. Community assembly was studied by analyses of species co-occurrence and nestedness. Additionally, we correlated lognormal and log series distributions of species abundance to each community. We here introduce a new general method for detection of successional phases based on the degree of transient spatial homogeneity in the study system. Spatially coherent vegetation patterns revealed non-overlapping partitions within this sequence of primary succession and were characterized as two distinct ecological phases. Patterns of species co-occurrence were increasingly less random, and hence the importance of demographic stochasticity and neutral community assembly decreased during the study period. Our findings highlight the spatial dimension of successional phases and quantify the degree of change between these steps. They are an element for advancing a more reliable terminology of ecological successions.}, language = {en} } @misc{UlrichPiwczynskiZaplataetal., author = {Ulrich, Werner and Piwczynski, Marcin and Zaplata, Markus Klemens and Winter, Susanne and Schaaf, Wolfgang and Fischer, Anton}, title = {Small-scale spatial variability in phylogenetic community structure during early plant succession depends on soil properties}, series = {Oecologia}, volume = {175}, journal = {Oecologia}, number = {3}, doi = {10.1007/s00442-014-2954-2}, pages = {985 -- 995}, abstract = {During early plant succession, the phylogenetic structure of a community changes in response to important environmental filters and emerging species interactions. We traced the development of temperate-zone plant communities during the first 7 years of primary succession on catchment soils to explore patterns of initial species assembly. We found pronounced small-scale differences in the phylogenetic composition of neighbouring plant assemblages and a large-scale trend towards phylogenetic evenness. This small-scale variability appears to be mediated by soil properties, particularly carbonate content. Therefore, abiotic environmental conditions might counteract or even supersede the effects of interspecific competition among closely related species, which are usually predicted to exhibit patterns of phylogenetic evenness. We conclude that theories on phylogenetic community composition need to incorporate effects of small-scale variability of environmental factors.}, language = {en} } @misc{SchaafBensFischeretal., author = {Schaaf, Wolfgang and Bens, Oliver and Fischer, Anton and Gerke, Horst H. and Gerwin, Werner and Gr{\"u}newald, Uwe and Holl{\"a}nder, Hartmut M. and K{\"o}gel-Knabner, Ingrid and Mutz, Michael and Schloter, Michael and Schulin, Rainer and Veste, Maik and Winter, Susanne and H{\"u}ttl, Reinhard F.}, title = {Patterns and processes of initial terrestrial-ecosystem development}, series = {Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science}, volume = {174}, journal = {Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science}, number = {2}, issn = {1522-2624}, doi = {10.1002/jpln.201000158}, pages = {229 -- 239}, abstract = {Ecosystems are characterized as complex systems with abiotic and biotic processes interacting between the various components that have evolved over long-term periods. Most ecosystem studies so far have been carried out in mature systems. Only limited knowledge exists on the very initial phase of ecosystem development. Concepts on the development of ecosystems are often based on assumptions and extrapolations with respect to structure-process interactions in the initial stage. To characterize the effect of this initial phase on structure and functioning of ecosystems in later stages, it is necessary to disentangle the close interaction of spatial and temporal patterns of ecosystem structural assemblages with processes of ecosystem development. The study of initial, less complex systems could help to better identify and characterize coupled patterns and processes. This paper gives an overview of concepts for the initial development of different ecosystem compartments and identifies open questions and research gaps. The artificial catchment site "Chicken Creek" is introduced as a new research approach to investigate these patterns and processes of initial ecosystem development under defined boundary conditions. This approach allows to integrate the relevant processes with related pattern and structure development over temporal and spatial scales and to derive thresholds and stages in state and functioning of ecosystems at the catchment level.}, language = {en} } @misc{UlrichZaplataWinteretal., author = {Ulrich, Werner and Zaplata, Markus Klemens and Winter, Susanne and Schaaf, Wolfgang and Fischer, Anton and Soliveres, Santiago and Gotelli, Nicholas J.}, title = {Species interactions and random dispersal rather than habitat filtering drive community assembly during early plant succession}, series = {Oikos}, volume = {125}, journal = {Oikos}, number = {5}, doi = {10.1111/oik.02658}, pages = {698 -- 707}, abstract = {Theory on plant succession predicts a temporal increase in the complexity of spatial community structure and of competitive interactions: initially random occurrences of early colonising species shift towards spatially and competitively structured plant associations in later successional stages. Here we use long-term data on early plant succession in a German post mining area to disentangle the importance of random colonisation, habitat filtering, and competition on the temporal and spatial development of plant community structure. We used species co-occurrence analysis and a recently developed method for assessing competitive strength and hierarchies (transitive versus intransitive competitive orders) in multispecies communities. We found that species turnover decreased through time within interaction neighbourhoods, but increased through time outside interaction neighbourhoods. Successional change did not lead to modular community structure. After accounting for species richness effects, the strength of competitive interactions and the proportion of transitive competitive hierarchies increased through time. Although effects of habitat filtering were weak, random colonization and subsequent competitive interactions had strong effects on community structure. Because competitive strength and transitivity were poorly correlated with soil characteristics, there was little evidence for context dependent competitive strength associated with intransitive competitive hierarchies.}, language = {en} } @misc{UlrichPiwczynskiZaplataetal., author = {Ulrich, Werner and Piwczynski, Marcin and Zaplata, Markus Klemens and Winter, Susanne and Schaaf, Wolfgang and Fischer, Anton}, title = {Soil conditions and phylogenetic relatedness influence total community trait space during early plant succession}, series = {Journal of Plant Ecology}, volume = {7}, journal = {Journal of Plant Ecology}, number = {4}, doi = {10.1093/jpe/rtt048}, pages = {321 -- 329}, abstract = {The total space of traits covered by the members of plant communities is an important parameter of ecosystem functioning and complexity. We trace the variability of trait space during early plant succession and ask how trait space co-varies with phylogenetic community structure and soil conditions. Particularly, we are interested in the small-scale variability in trait space and the influence of biotic and abiotic filters. We use data on species richness and soil conditions from the first 7 years of initial succession of an artificial catchment in north-eastern Germany. Total functional attribute diversity serves as a proxy to total trait space. Total trait space steadily increased during succession. We observed high small-scale variability in total trait space that was positively correlated with species richness and phylogenetic segregation and negatively correlated with total plant cover. Trait space increased with soil carbonate content, while pH and the fraction of sandy material behaved indifferently. Our results indicate that during early succession, habitat filtering processes gain importance leading to a lesser increase in trait space than expected from the increase in species richness alone.}, language = {en} } @misc{GerwinSchaafBiemeltetal., author = {Gerwin, Werner and Schaaf, Wolfgang and Biemelt, Detlef and Fischer, Anton and Winter, Susanne and H{\"u}ttl, Reinhard F.}, title = {The artificial catchment "Chicken Creek" (Lusatia, Germany) - A landscape laboratory for interdisciplinary studies of initial ecosystem development}, series = {Ecological Engineering}, volume = {35}, journal = {Ecological Engineering}, number = {12}, issn = {0925-8574}, doi = {10.1016/j.ecoleng.2009.09.003}, pages = {1786 -- 1796}, language = {en} } @misc{SchaafElmerFischeretal., author = {Schaaf, Wolfgang and Elmer, Michael and Fischer, Anton and Gerwin, Werner and Nenov, Rossen and Pretzsch, Hans and Seifert, Stefan and Winter, Susanne and Zaplata, Markus Klemens}, title = {Monitoring the formation of structures and patterns during initial development of an artificial catchment}, series = {Environmental Monitoring and Assessment}, volume = {Vol. 185}, journal = {Environmental Monitoring and Assessment}, number = {7}, issn = {0167-6369}, doi = {10.1007/s10661-012-2998-x}, pages = {5965 -- 5986}, abstract = {The objective of this paper is to present observations, results from monitoring measurements, and preliminary conclusions about the development of patterns and structures during the first 5 years of development of an artificial catchment starting from point zero. We discuss the high relevance of initial system traits and external events for the system development and draw conclusions for further research. These investigations as part of a Collaborative Research Center, aim to disentangle and understand the feedback mechanisms and interrelationships of processes and their co-development with spatial and temporal structures and patterns by studying an initial, probably less complex ecosystem. Therefore, intensive measurements were carried out in the catchment with regard to the development of surface structures, hydrological patterns, vegetation dynamics, water chemistry, and element budgets. During the first 5 years, considerable changes within the catchment were observed. Both internal and external factors could be identified as driving forces for the formation of structures and patterns in the artificial catchment. Initial structures formed by the construction process and initial substrate characteristics were decisive for the distribution and flow of water. External factors like episodic events triggered erosion and dissection during this initial phase, promoted by the low vegetation cover, and the unconsolidated sandy substrate. The transformation of the initial geosystem into areas with evolving terrestrial or aquatic characteristics and from a very episodic to a more permanent stream network and discharge, together with the observed vegetation dynamics increased site diversity and heterogeneity with respect to water and nutrient availability and transformation processes compared with the more homogenous conditions at point zero. The processes and feedback mechanisms in the initial development of a new landscape may deviate in rates, intensity, and dominance from those known from mature ecosystems. It is therefore crucial to understand these early phases of ecosystem development and to disentangle the increasingly complex interactions between the evolving terrestrial and aquatic, biotic, and abiotic compartments of the system. Long-term monitoring of initial ecosystems may provide important data and parameters on processes and the crucial role of spatial and temporal structures and patterns to solve these problems. Artificially created catchments could be a suitable tool to study these initial developments at the landscape scale under known, designed, and defined boundary conditions.}, language = {en} } @misc{WinterZaplataRzannyetal., author = {Winter, Susanne and Zaplata, Markus Klemens and Rzanny, Michael and Schaaf, Wolfgang and Fischer, Anton and Ulrich, Werner}, title = {Increasing ecological multifunctionality during early plant succession}, series = {Plant Ecology}, volume = {220}, journal = {Plant Ecology}, number = {4-5}, issn = {1573-5052}, doi = {10.1007/s11258-019-00930-3}, pages = {499 -- 509}, abstract = {Ecological multifunctionality quantifies the functional performance of various important plant traits and increases with growing structural habitat heterogeneity, number of plant functional traits, and species richness. However, the successional changes in multifunctionality have not been traced so far. We use quantitative plant samples of 1 m2 plots from the first 6 years of initial vegetation dynamics in a German created catchment to infer the temporal changes in plant functional trait space and multifunctionality. Multifunctionality at the plot level was in all study years lower than expected from a random sample of the local pool of potential colonizers and was lowest at intermediate states of succession. In each year species containing a specific set of traits occurred with limited but focused functionality. The observed average low degree of multifunctionality contrasts with recent models predicting a tendency towards maximum multifunctionality during plant community development. However, variability in multifunctionality among plots increased during succession and the respective multifunctionality distribution among plots was increasingly right skewed indicating an excess of plots with relatively high multifunctionality. This relative excess of plots with high multifunctionality might act as an important trigger of community development paving the way for new species and functions to become established.}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{ZaplataKollmannUlrichetal., author = {Zaplata, Markus Klemens and Kollmann, Johannes and Ulrich, Werner and Winter, Susanne and Schaaf, Wolfgang and Elmer, Michael and Gerwin, Werner and Fischer, Anton}, title = {Cover balance or degree of autocorrelation? It is the same and integratively traces pattern formation during succession}, series = {Gf{\"O} 43rd Annual Meeting, Building bridges in ecology, linking systems, scales and disciplines, September 9 to 13, 2013, Potsdam, Germany}, booktitle = {Gf{\"O} 43rd Annual Meeting, Building bridges in ecology, linking systems, scales and disciplines, September 9 to 13, 2013, Potsdam, Germany}, editor = {Jeltsch, Florian and Joshi, Jasmin}, pages = {228 -- 229}, abstract = {It is widely acknowledged that increasing complexity is a key attribute of ecosystem genesis. This is particularly true for primary succession on homogeneous substrates. However, a mechanistic understanding of spatial colonisation and pattern formation during primary succession has not been achieved yet. Thus, we studied this topic for 7 years within an experimental catchment (6 ha) established in the post-mining landscape of eastern Germany. Equidistant permanent plots (120 plots {\`a} 25m²) allowed for autocorrelation analyses, and thus tracing the spatial development of species cover performance. For each species tested, the "cover balance" first increased due to colonization, while decreasing in the course of succession. Drawing a benefit from these temporal trends, we suggested cover balance levels revealed by autocorrelation analyses to best indicate well-defined phases in primary succession at spatial entities. Hence, with the help of this spatial approach, terrestrial succession can be understood now much better at the most general level of the hierarchy provided by Pickett et al. (1987). In accordance with these authors, at subordinated levels of the causal hierarchy differential species performance might get collectively explained by contributing processes or conditions, such as ecophysiological traits, life history strategies, competition and allelopathy of the occurring plant species. Further research is needed to understand their relative contributions to the pattern formation.}, language = {en} }