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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. The developing ecosystem offers the opportunity to study most processes occurring at the interface of bio-, pedo-, geo- and hydrosphere. Particularly interactions and feedbacks between different evolving compartments as well as the establishment of ecosystem functions and services can be investigated during the ongoing ecosystem development. The catchment is extensively instrumented since 2005 in order to detect transition stages of the ecosystem. Comprehensive data recorded with a high spatial and temporal resolution include hydrological, geomorphological, pedological, limnological as well as biological parameters.
This site offers the unique situation of an early stage ecosystem with highly dynamic system properties. The first years of development were characterized by a fast formation of geomorphological structures due to massive erosion processes at the initially non-vegetated surface. Hydrological processes led to the establishment of a local groundwater body within 5 years. In the following years the influence of biological structures like vegetation patterns gained an increasing importance. Feedbacks between developing vegetation and e.g. hydrological features became more and more dominant. As a result, different phases of ecosystem development could be distinguished until now.
This observatory offers manifold possibilities to identify and disentangle complex interactions between ecosystem compartments in situ under natural conditions. The originally low complexity of the system is growing with time facilitating the identification of influences of newly developing structures on ecosystem functions. Thus, it is possible to study effects of small-scale processes on the whole system at the landscape scale. In addition, the highly dynamic initial system properties allow the observation of multifaceted changes of ecosystem properties and functions within short periods of time.
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.
Within the context of severely disturbed landscapes with little or no ecological memory, such as post-mining
landscapes, we propose a simple framework that explains the catchment evolution as a result of competing feedbacks influenced by the initial conditions and the atmospheric drivers such as rainfall intermittency and intensity. The first stage of the evolution is dominated by abiotic feedbacks triggered by rainfall and subsequent fluid flow causing particle mobilisation on the surface and in the subsurface leading to flow concentration or in some instances to densification of surface and subsurface substrates. Subsequently, abiotic-biotic feedbacks start to compete in the sense that biological activity generally stabilizes substrate by preventing particle mobilisation
and hence contribute to converting the substrate to a habitat. We suggest that these competing feedbacks may
generate alternative stable states in particular under semi-arid and arid climatic conditions, while in temperate
often energy limited environments biological process “outcompete” abiotic processes leading to a stable state, in particular from the water balance point of view for comparable geomorphic situations.
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.
Water budget components
(2011)
Conclusions
(2011)