TY - GEN A1 - Hüttl, Reinhard F. A1 - Gerwin, Werner T1 - Landscape Development From Point Zero T2 - Pacific Science N2 - Severe disturbances of landscapes entail an ecosystem development with the formation of structures and functions which may reach either a new equilibrium state or a state similar to the original ecosystem. Natural disturbances can result from major events such as volcanoes, glaciers, or denudations from landslides. Major disturbance may also evolve from anthropogenic influences such as from mining operations. They all can be considered starting points for the development of ecosystems from ‘point zero’, which was one central research interest of Dieter Mueller-Dombois. In this paper results from research in the Lusatian post-mining landscapes (Eastern Germany) are presented. Different methodological approaches are discussed. The well-defined ‘point zero’ of the ecosystem development allows for research on chronosequence designs as well as real time series studies. Chronosequences have been investigated to gain insight into the medium to long-term direction of the development. Real time series are recorded to obtain a more detailed understanding. The paper is structured into three main parts: First, effects of ecosystem disturbances by mining in Lusatia and the initial conditions for restoration are presented. In the following part practical rehabilitation measures and land use options are discussed. Finally, the third part summarizes results of long-term monitoring in an artificial watershed. In conclusion, post-mining landscapes allow for relevant case studies of ecosystem development after severe disturbances. Particularly, the starting point of the initial phase is very well defined which distinguishes these anthropogenically disturbed landscapes from landscapes after natural disturbances. Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.2984/77.2.11 SN - 1534-6188 VL - 77 IS - 2-3 SP - 309 EP - 325 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Moghadas, Davood A1 - Schaaf, Wolfgang A1 - Gerwin, Werner A1 - Badorreck, Annika A1 - Hüttl, Reinhard F. T1 - A web-based platform for terrestrial data repository from Chicken Creek catchment T2 - Earth Science Informatics N2 - Exploring hydrological and ecological processes plays a key role in understanding ecosystem developments. In this respect, the constructed catchment, Chicken Creek, has been established for fundamental and interdisciplinary scientific research. Since 2005, an ongoing monitoring program has been launched to measure hydrological, biological, meteorological, and pedological parameters during the ecological development of the site. This comprehensive and multidisciplinary monitoring program has produced a diverse large data set. Handling such complex data for research purposes can be a cumbersome task. Consequently, we developed an online data portal (https://www.b-tu.de/chicken-creek/apps/datenportal/) to efficiently handle the data from Chicken Creek catchment. The portal was constructed using Shiny package of the R programming language. This platform provides a web-based data repository allowing for data discovery, download, visualization, and analysis. The data include time series of different parameters from installed sensors, data from laboratory analyses, vegetation data, data from sampling campaigns, and aerial photos. This platform demonstrates the relevancy and potentiality of the R-Shiny for constructing an online data portal to be used for multidisciplinary scientific purposes. The Chicken Creek data portal thus provides a comprehensive and reliable database to give scientists a fast and easy access to all collected data. Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s12145-019-00385-0 SN - 1865-0481 VL - 12 IS - 4 SP - 671 EP - 684 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Hüttl, Reinhard F. A1 - Gerwin, Werner T1 - Forest rehabilitation after disturbance : introduction T2 - Ecological Engineering Y1 - 2007 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2007.05.002 SN - 0925-8574 VL - 31 IS - 1 SP - 145 EP - 146 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Elmer, Michael A1 - Gerwin, Werner A1 - Schaaf, Wolfgang A1 - Zaplata, Markus K. A1 - Hohberg, Karin A1 - Nenov, Rossen A1 - Bens, Oliver A1 - Hüttl, Reinhard F. T1 - Dynamics of initial ecosystem development at the artificial catchment Chicken Creek, Lusatia, Germany T2 - Environmental Earth Sciences KW - ecosystem development Y1 - 2013 SN - 1866-6299 VL - 69 IS - 2 SP - 491 EP - 505 ER - TY - BOOK A1 - Gerwin, Werner A1 - Schillem, Steffi A1 - Asch, Folkard A1 - Bens, Oliver A1 - Bestajovsky, Jürgen A1 - Bruns, Christian A1 - Gattinger, Andreas A1 - Hattig, Tom A1 - Hoogen, Heiner A1 - Hüttl, Reinhard F. A1 - Raab, Thomas A1 - Rodionov, Andrei A1 - Schaaf, Wolfgang A1 - Schneider, Bernd Uwe A1 - Trimborn, Manfred ED - Hüttl, Reinhard F. ED - Gerwin, Werner T1 - Bodenmelioration und Anbauverfahren für trockenheitsgefährdete Standorte (BAtroS) Y1 - 2011 SN - 978-3-937728-14-8 PB - FZLB CY - Cottbus ER - TY - GEN A1 - Veste, Maik A1 - Dominik, R. A1 - Dimitrov, M. A1 - Fischer, Annette A1 - Gerwin, Werner A1 - Schaaf, Wolfgang ED - Stadler, Jutta ED - Schöppe, Felix ED - Frenzel, Mark T1 - Novel drone-based system for ecosystem monitoring - application, analysis and interpretation T2 - EURECO-GFOE 2008, Proceedings Y1 - 2008 SN - 978-3-00-025522-9 SP - S. 809 PB - Gesellschaft für Ökologie CY - Berlin ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Gerwin, Werner A1 - Raab, Thomas A1 - Dimitrov, M. T1 - Interactions between surface structures, runoff and erosion in an artificial watershed during the initial ecosystem development T2 - EGU General Assembly 2009, Vienna, Austria, 19 – 24 April 2009 Y1 - 2009 N1 - EGU2009-1406 PB - European Geophysical Society CY - Katlenburg-Lindau ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Gerwin, Werner A1 - Schaaf, Wolfgang T1 - Potentials of marginal lands - spontaneous ecosystem development T2 - European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2017 Vienna, Austria, 23–28 April 2017 N2 - Marginal lands are often considered as unfertile and not productive. They are widely excluded from modern land use by conventional agriculture. Assessment of soil fertility usually shows very low productivity potentials at least for growing traditional crops. However, it can be frequently observed that natural succession at different types of marginal lands leads to very diverse and nonetheless productive ecosystems. Examples can be found at abandoned former industrial or transportation sites which were set aside and not further maintained – and also in post-mining landscapes. In one of the lignite open cast mines of the State of Brandenburg in Eastern Germany a landscape observatory was established in 2005 for observing this natural ecosystem development under marginal site conditions. The site of 6 ha is part of the post-mining landscapes of Lusatia which are often characterized by poor soil conditions and clearly reduced soil fertility. It is named “Hühnerwasser-Quellgebiet” (Chicken Creek Catchment) after a small stream that is restored again after destruction by the mining operations. It is planned to serve as the headwater of this stream and was left to an unrestricted primary succession. A comprehensive scientific monitoring program is carried out since the start of ecosystem development in 2005. The results offer exemplary insights into the establishment of interaction networks between the developing ecosystem compartments. After 10 years a large biodiversity, expressed by a high number of species, can be found at this site as the result of natural recovery processes. A large number of both tree species and individuals have settled here. Even if no economic use of the site and of the woody biomass produced by these trees is planned, an overall assessment of the biomass production was carried out. The results showed that the biomass production from natural succession without any application of fertilizers etc. is directly comparable with yields from adjacent post-mining sites where trees are grown in agroforestry systems for bioenergy production. This reflects the general potentials of marginal lands with regard to biomass production. Y1 - 2017 UR - http://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2017/EGU2017-6583-1.pdf N1 - EGU2017-6583-1 PB - European Geophysical Society CY - Katlenburg-Lindau ER - TY - GEN A1 - Badorreck, Annika A1 - Schaaf, Wolfgang A1 - Gerwin, Werner A1 - Moghadas, Davood A1 - Hüttl, Reinhard F. T1 - Long-term monitoring program at the constructed catchment "Chicken Creek" T2 - Geophysical Research Abstracts N2 - Ecosystems are characterized by high complexity and are dynamically changing by abiotic and biotic drivers such as climate, vegetation and soil fauna. Due to feedback processes between compartments, ecosystems show an inherent degree of locally heterogeneous properties and structures at multiple spatial and temporal scales. The constructed catchment “Chicken Creek” represents a unique and outstanding site to study an ecosystem at the initial stage of development. The catchment is located about 20 km south of the city of Cottbus (Germany). The 6-ha catchment area was built in 2005 of coarse-textured quaternary sediments from the adjacent lignite mine and forms a back- and foot-slope that flattens out to a pond. A clay liner of 2-3 m thickness seals the catchment at the bottom, allowing for the formation of a local water body fed by precipitation. After construction the site was left to an unrestricted and unmanaged succession to elucidate the role of structures und processes during the initial establishment of an ecosystem. To study processes of ecosystem development and newly emerging structures the Chicken Creek catchment is equipped with a comprehensive ecological monitoring network. A network of more than 40 wells and two weirs allow for recording groundwater levels, surface runoff and discharge. Meteorological parameters are recorded at three weather stations. Annual aerial photos and vegetation monitoring reveal the floral colonisation of the area. Here, we present the 12 years of diverse and extensive monitoring program which has been launched to measure hydrological, biological, meteorological, and pedological parameters during the ecological development of the catchment area. Y1 - 2019 UR - https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2019/EGU2019-5038.pdf VL - 21 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Gerwin, Werner A1 - Schaaf, Wolfgang T1 - Dynamic interactions between abiotic and biotic ecosystem compartments - case study Huehnerwasser landscape observatory T2 - Geophysical Research Abstracts N2 - The Huehnerwasser catchment was constructed 2004-2005 in a post-mining landscape in Eastern Germany and was left for an unmanaged primary ecosystem succession. At the same time a comprehensive monitoring program was launched for observing the expected dynamic development of this 6 ha site. During the following years this artificially created system was subject to a series of fast changes with regard to morphology, hydrology or vegetation cover. In summary, these processes resulted in significant alterations of the original, initial system within a short period of time. This development can be divided up into single phases with dominating processes or groups of processes. A first phase was mainly characterized by interactions between abiotic system components such as water and substrate. However, already in this very early developmental phase biotic components in the form of microorganisms were a crucial system forming factor by means of biological soil crusts. This period was quickly replaced by a second phase with dominating hydrological processes. During this phase the local groundwater body of the system developed to its full extent. With the beginning of the present phase biota gained control of the system behavior. Particularly plants and related processes such as water uptake and evapotranspiration are now responsible for new modifications of the system. The Huehnerwasser site offers an example of young and highly dynamic ecological systems. This transitional development of a very young ecosystem contrasts with the behavior of mature ecosystems with slow and less pronounced changes unless the system is disturbed. In this paper we present insights into a unique landscape observatory which illustrates the dynamic nature of natural systems in fast motion. Y1 - 2019 UR - https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2019/EGU2019-4207.pdf VL - 21 ER -