TY - GEN A1 - Schulz, Stefanie A1 - Engel, Marion A1 - Fischer, Doreen A1 - Buegger, Franz A1 - Elmer, Michael A1 - Welzl, Gerhard A1 - Schloter, Michael T1 - Diversity pattern of nitrogen fixing microbes in nodules of Trifolium arvense (L.) at different initial stages of ecosystem development T2 - Biogeosciences KW - nitrogen fixing microbes Y1 - 2013 SN - 1726-4189 VL - 10 IS - 3 SP - 1183 EP - 1192 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Wanner, Manfred A1 - Elmer, Michael A1 - Sommer, Michael A1 - Funk, Roger A1 - Puppe, Daniel T1 - Testate amoebae colonizing a newly exposed land surface are of airborne origin T2 - Ecological Indicators N2 - We hypothesized that at the very beginning of terrestrial ecosystem development, airborne testate amoebae play a pivotal role in facilitating organismic colonization and related soil processes. We, therefore, analyzed size and quantity of airborne testate amoebae and immigration and colonization success of airborne testate amoebae on a new land surface (experimental site “Chicken Creek”, artificial post-mining water catchment). Within an altogether 91-day exposure of 70 adhesive traps, 12 species of testate amoebae were identified to be of airborne origin. Phryganella acropodia (51% of all individuals found, diameter about 35–45 μm) and Centropyxis sphagnicola (23% of all individuals found, longest axis about 55–68 μm), occurred most frequently in the adhesive traps. We extrapolated an aerial amoeba deposition of 61 individuals d−1 m−2 (living and dead individuals combined). Although it would be necessary to have a longer sequence (some additional years), our analysis of the “target substrate” of aerial immigration (catchment site) may point to a shift from a stochastic (variable) beginning of community assembly to a more deterministic (stable) course. This shift was assigned to an age of seven years of initial soil development. Although experienced specialists are necessary to conduct these time-consuming studies, the presented data suggest that terrestrial amoebae are suitable indicators for initial ecosystem development and utilization. Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2014.07.037 SN - 1470-160x VL - 48 SP - 55 EP - 62 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Schulz, Stefanie A1 - Engel, Marion A1 - Fischer, Doreen A1 - Buegger, Franz A1 - Elmer, Michael A1 - Welzl, Gerhard A1 - Schloter, Michael T1 - Diversity patterns of nitrogen fixing microbes in nodules of Trifolium arvense (L.) at different initial stages of ecosystem development T2 - Biogeosciences Discussion Y1 - 2012 SN - 1810-6285 VL - 9 IS - 9 SP - 13135 EP - 13160 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Esperschütz, Jürgen A1 - Zimmermann, Claudia A1 - Dümig, Alexander A1 - Welzl, G. A1 - Buegger, Franz A1 - Elmer, Michael A1 - Munch, Jean Charles A1 - Schloter, Michael T1 - Dynamics of microbial communities during decomposition of litter from pioneering plants in initial soil ecosystems T2 - Biogeosciences Discussion Y1 - 2012 SN - 1810-6285 VL - 9 IS - 10 SP - 14981 EP - 15010 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Kreyling, Jürgen A1 - Beierkuhnlein, Carl A1 - Elmer, Michael A1 - Pritsch, Karin A1 - Radovski, Monica A1 - Schloter, Michael A1 - Wöllecke, Jens A1 - Jentsch, Anke T1 - Soil biotic processes remain remarkably stable after 100-year extreme weather events in experimental grassland and heath T2 - Plant and Soil Y1 - 2008 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-008-9617-1 SN - 1573-5036 SN - 0032-079X VL - 308 IS - 1-2 SP - 175 EP - 188 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Jentsch, Anke A1 - Kreyling, Jürgen A1 - Elmer, Michael A1 - Gellesch, Ellen A1 - Glaser, Bruno A1 - Grant, Kerstin A1 - Hein, Roman A1 - Lara, Marco A1 - Mirzae, Heydar A1 - Nadler, Stefanie E. A1 - Nagy, Laura A1 - Otieno, Denis A1 - Pritsch, Karin A1 - Rascher, Uwe A1 - Schädler, Martin A1 - Schloter, Michael A1 - Singh, Brajesh K. A1 - Stadler, Jutta A1 - Walter, Julia A1 - Wellstein, Camilla A1 - Wöllecke, Jens A1 - Beierkuhnlein, Carl T1 - Climate extremes initiate ecosystem-regulating functions while maintaining productivity T2 - Journal of Ecology Y1 - 2011 VL - 99 IS - 3 SP - 689 EP - 702 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Esperschütz, Jürgen A1 - Zimmermann, Claudia A1 - Dümig, Alexander A1 - Welzl, G. A1 - Buegger, Franz A1 - Elmer, Michael A1 - Munch, Jean Charles A1 - Schloter, Michael T1 - Dynamics of microbial communities during decomposition of litter from pioneering plants in initial soil ecosystems T2 - Biogeosciences N2 - In initial ecosystems, concentrations of all macro- and micronutrients can be considered as extremely low. Plant litter therefore strongly influences the development of a degrader’s food web and is an important source for C and N input into soil in such ecosystems. In the present study, a 13C litter decomposition field experiment was performed for 30 weeks in initial soils from a post-mining area near the city of Cottbus (Germany). Two of this region’s dominant but contrasting pioneering plant species (Lotus corniculatus L. and Calamagrostis epigejos L.) were chosen to investigate the effects of litter quality on the litter decomposing microbial food web in initially nutrient-poor substrates. The results clearly indicate the importance of litter quality, as indicated by its N content, its bioavailability for the degradation process and the development of microbial communities in the detritusphere and soil. The degradation of the L. corniculatus litter, which had a low C / N ratio, was fast and showed pronounced changes in the microbial community structure 1–4 weeks after litter addition. The degradation of the C. epigejos litter material was slow and microbial community changes mainly occurred between 4 and 30 weeks after litter addition to the soil. However, for both litter materials clear indication of the importance of fungi for the degradation process was observed both in terms of fungal abundance and activity (13C incorporation activity). Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-5115-2013 SN - 1726-4189 VL - 10 SP - 5115 EP - 5124 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Elmer, Michael A1 - Schaaf, Wolfgang A1 - Biemelt, Detlef T1 - Environmental monitoring at the Chicken Creek catchment T2 - Structures and processes of the initial ecosystem development, 1st International Conference associated with 4th Meeting of Young Researchers in Earth Sciences (MYRES), 20-24 September 2010, Cottbus, Germany, proceedings Y1 - 2010 UR - https://www-docs.b-tu.de/chicken-creek/public/Proceedings_TR38_2010.pdf SP - S. 27 PB - BTU CY - Cottbus ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Nenov, Rossen A1 - Vogt, Silvio A1 - Elmer, Michael A1 - Schaaf, Wolfgang A1 - Biemelt, Detlef T1 - Monitoring installations at the Chicken Creek catchment T2 - Structures and processes of the initial ecosystem development, 1st International Conference associated with 4th Meeting of Young Researchers in Earth Sciences (MYRES), 20-24 September 2010, Cottbus, Germany, proceedings Y1 - 2010 UR - https://www-docs.b-tu.de/chicken-creek/public/Proceedings_TR38_2010.pdf SP - S. 84 PB - BTU CY - Cottbus ER - TY - GEN A1 - Hohberg, Karin A1 - Russell, David J. A1 - Elmer, Michael T1 - Mass occurrence of algal-feeding tardigrade Apodibius confusus Dastych 1983 in the young soils of a post-mining site T2 - Journal of zoological systematics and evolutionary research Y1 - 2011 SN - 1439-0469 VL - 49 SP - 1 EP - 4 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Russell, David J. A1 - Hohberg, Karin A1 - Elmer, Michael T1 - Primary colonisation of newly formed soils by actinedid mites T2 - Soil Organisms Y1 - 2010 SN - 1864-6417 VL - 82 IS - 2 SP - 237 EP - 251 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Suckow, F. A1 - Schröder, J. A1 - Bäucker, Ernst A1 - Elmer, Michael A1 - Frommhold, Heinz A1 - Lange, M. ED - Elmer, Michael ED - Kätzel, Ralf ED - Bens, Oliver ED - Bues, Claus-Thomas ED - Sonntag, Herbert ED - Hüttl, Reinhard F. T1 - Grundlagen und Forschungsfragen T2 - Nachhaltige Bewirtschaftung von Eichen-Kiefern-Mischbeständen : im Spannungsfeld von Klimawandel, Waldumbau und internationalem Holzmarkt Y1 - 2009 SN - 978-3-86581-196-7 SP - 17 EP - 29 PB - oekom Verlag CY - München ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Zaplata, Markus K. A1 - Kollmann, Johannes A1 - Ulrich, Werner A1 - Winter, Susanne A1 - Schaaf, Wolfgang A1 - Elmer, Michael A1 - Gerwin, Werner A1 - Fischer, Anton ED - Jeltsch, Florian ED - Joshi, Jasmin T1 - Cover balance or degree of autocorrelation? It is the same and integratively traces pattern formation during succession T2 - GfÖ 43rd Annual Meeting, Building bridges in ecology, linking systems, scales and disciplines, September 9 to 13, 2013, Potsdam, Germany N2 - 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 à 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. Y1 - 2013 UR - http://www.gfoe-2013.de/download/130905_GFOe_2013_Abstracts.small.pdf SP - 228 EP - 229 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Wöllecke, Jens A1 - Elmer, Michael A1 - Anders, Kenneth A1 - Durka, Walter A1 - Wanner, Manfred ED - Wöllecke, Jens ED - Anders, Kenneth ED - Durka, Walter ED - Elmer, Michael ED - Wanner, Manfred ED - Wiegleb, Gerhard T1 - Landschaft im Wandel - natürliche und anthropogene Besiedlung der Niederlausitzer Bergbaufolgelandschaft - eine Einführung T2 - Landschaft im Wandel - natürliche und anthropogene Besiedlung der Niederlausitzer Bergbaufolgelandschaft Y1 - 2007 SN - 978-3-8322-6336-2 SP - 1 EP - 4 PB - Shaker CY - Aachen ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Elmer, Michael A1 - Schaaf, Wolfgang A1 - Gerwin, Werner A1 - Hinz, Christoph T1 - The constructed catchment ’Chicken Creek’ – a landscape observatory to analyze processes and feedback mechanisms during initial ecosystem development T2 - European Geosciences Union, General Assembly 2014, Vienna, Austria, 27 April – 02 May 2014 N2 - We investigated the initial development of the landscape observatory ’Chicken Creek’, Germany, an artificial catchment with well known boundary conditions and inner structures (Gerwin et al., 2011). Over a period of nine years, we observed considerable changes within the site (Elmer et al., 2013). Both internal and external factors could be identified as driving forces for the formation of structures and patterns in the catchment. Over time, secondary structures and patterns evolved and became more and more important. Invading biota and vegetation succession initialized feedback mechanisms resulting in pattern and habitat formation as well as in increased differentiation, heterogeneity and complexity that are typical characteristics of ecosystems (Schaaf et al., 2013). 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. Y1 - 2014 UR - http://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2014/EGU2014-6042.pdf N1 - EGU2014-6042-1 PB - European Geophysical Society CY - Katlenburg-Lindau ER - TY - GEN A1 - Schaaf, Wolfgang A1 - Elmer, Michael A1 - Fischer, Anton A1 - Gerwin, Werner A1 - Nenov, Rossen A1 - Pretzsch, Hans A1 - Seifert, Stefan A1 - Winter, Susanne A1 - Zaplata, Markus K. T1 - Monitoring the formation of structures and patterns during initial development of an artificial catchment T2 - Environmental Monitoring and Assessment N2 - 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. KW - ecosystem development Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-012-2998-x SN - 0167-6369 VL - Vol. 185 IS - 7 SP - 5965 EP - 5986 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Gerwin, Werner A1 - Schaaf, Wolfgang A1 - Elmer, Michael A1 - Hinz, Christoph T1 - The constructed catchment Chicken Creek as Critical Zone Observatory under transition T2 - European Geosciences Union, General Assembly 2014, Vienna, Austria, 27 April – 02 May 2014 N2 - The constructed catchment Chicken Creek was established in 2005 as an experimental landscape laboratory for ecosystem research. The 6 ha area with clearly defined horizontal as well as vertical boundary conditions was left for an unrestricted primary succession. All Critical Zone elements are represented at this site, which allows the study of most processes occurring at the interface of bio-, pedo-, geo- and hydrosphere. It provides outstanding opportunities for investigating interactions and feedbacks between different evolving compartments during ecosystem development. The catchment is extensively instrumented since 2005 in order to detect transition stages of the ecosystem. Data recorded with a high spatial and temporal resolution include ydrological, geomorphological, pedological, limnological as well as biological parameters. Y1 - 2014 UR - http://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2014/EGU2014-6248.pdf N1 - EGU2014-6248 PB - European Geophysical Society CY - Katlenburg-Lindau ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Hinz, Christoph A1 - Gerwin, Werner A1 - Schaaf, Wolfgang A1 - Elmer, Michael A1 - Flühler, Hannes A1 - Holländer, Hartmut M. A1 - Hüttl, Reinhard F. T1 - State transitions in the artificial catchment Huehnerwasser (Chicken Creek): Ecosystems development 8 years after initialization : abstract T2 - Soil-mediated Drivers of Coupled Biogeochemical and Hydrological Processes across Scales, AGU Chapman Conference Biosphere II, Tucson, Arizona, USA, 21-24 October 2013 Y1 - 2013 UR - http://chapman.agu.org/soil-mediated/files/2013/10/AGU-CC13SD-3.pdf SP - S. 34 ER - TY - BOOK A1 - Gerwin, Werner A1 - Schaaf, Wolfgang A1 - Biemelt, Detlef A1 - Elmer, Michael A1 - Maurer, Thomas A1 - Schneider, Anna T1 - The artificial catchment Hühnerwasser (Chicken Creek): Construction and initial properties Y1 - 2010 UR - http://opus.kobv.de/btu/volltexte/2011/2072/pdf/Ecol_Dev_Vol_1_2010.pdf PB - FZLB CY - Cottbus ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Schaaf, Wolfgang A1 - Elmer, Michael ED - Elmer, Michael ED - Schaaf, Wolfgang ED - Biemelt, Detlef ED - Gerwin, Werner ED - Hüttl, Reinhard F. T1 - Soil solution and water chemistry T2 - The artificial catchment Chicken Creek - initial ecosystem development 2005-2010 Y1 - 2011 SP - 55 EP - 66 PB - FZLB CY - Cottbus ER - TY - GEN A1 - Elmer, Michael A1 - Bachmann, Ute A1 - Gutsch, Martin A1 - Schröder, Jens A1 - Bäucker, Ernst A1 - Lange, Mike A1 - Clauder, Lothar A1 - Bens, Oliver A1 - Suckow, Felicitas A1 - Kätzel, Ralf A1 - Bues, Claus-Thomas A1 - Frommhold, Heinz A1 - Sonntag, Herbert A1 - Fischer, Thomas A1 - Hüttl, Reinhard F. T1 - OakChain: Eichen-Kiefern-Mischbestände im Spannungsfeld von Klimawandel, Waldumbau und internationalem Holzmarkt T2 - Forst und Holz Y1 - 2009 SN - 0932-9315 VL - 64 IS - 7/8 SP - 26 EP - 29 ER -