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Die Agroforstwirtschaft, also die kombinierte Nutzung von Bäumen und Feldfrüchten auf einer landwirtschaftlichen Fläche, gewinnt vor dem Hintergrund der steigenden Holznachfrage sowie diverser ökologischer Vorteilswirkungen auch in Deutschland
zunehmend an Bedeutung. Verglichen mit den bereits bekannten Umweltleistungen, wie etwa einer erhöhten Biodiversität sowie dem Schutz vor Winderosion, ist der potenzielle Einfluss der Gehölzstreifen auf das Wachstum bzw. die Nährstoffversorgung von angrenzenden Feldfrüchten in Agroforstsystemen noch weitestgehend ungeklärt. Zur Quantifizierung dieser möglichen Interaktion wurden im Jahr 2013 auf einem etwa 40 ha großen Agroforst-Versuchsstandort nahe der Stadt Forst (Lausitz) umfangreiche Nährstoff- und Ertragsuntersuchungen durchgeführt.
Microbial communities are essential for a range of soil functions and adjust to soil development, environmental conditions and pollution level by community structure, abundance and activity. At desolated landfills of coal combustion waste (CCW) that were un-covered and covered with shallow soil material layers, soil microbial indicators were estimated for both the ecological and eco-toxicological evaluation. The young CCW sites with pH values of 9.5 and substantial coal-derived organic carbon showed significant microbial biomass content and nitrogen mineralization rates. At the 0 to 15 year old landfills, the microbial biomass content and activities increased significantly with age. However, large spatial variations occurred due to the variation of the cover material thickness, the degree of ash-aging and the tillage practices. Carbon dioxide was even sequestered at young CCW sites as indicated during laboratory incubation with an open apparatus purging continuously ambient air. In accordance, the respiratory quotient went down to 0.03 mol CO2 evolution rate per mol O2 uptake rate, indicating that the CO2 evolution rate is limited as an overall quality indicator. Within 15 years, these ‘Technosols’ showed pH values of 7.7 and decalcified while changes in microbial biomass content and activity rates were mainly related to N availability. We concluded that the available As, B, Cr and Ni pollution at CCW sites seemed largely immobilised by organic matter and alkalinity and therefore did not to inhibit the microbial colonisation and development of high microbial activity within 15 years. However, the ash disposals pose a contamination risk by wind erosion and a future risk to human or environmental health when toxic metals will be released in soil at low pH values, low organic matter and low antagonistic ion contents.
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 natural 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 co-evolving compartments. The catchment has been extensively instrumented since 2005. Data are recorded with a high spatial and temporal resolution and include hydrological, geomorphological, pedological, limnological as well as biological parameters in order to detect transition states of the ecosystem. In contrast to other Critical Zone Observatories, this site offers the unique situation of an early stage ecosystem with highly dynamic properties. The first years of development were characterized by a fast formation of geomorphological structures due to massive erosion of 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 increasing importance. Feedbacks between developing vegetation and e.g. hydrological features became more and more apparent. As a result, different phases of ecosystem development have been distinguished.
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.
The cultivation of fast growing trees on agricultural sites is an area undergoing a growth in interest due to the rising demand for woody biomass as a source of bioenergy. Short rotation alley cropping systems (SRACS) represent a promising possibility to combine annual crops for food, fodder or bioenergy with woody plants for biomass production, doing so through an integration of hedgerows of fast growing trees into conventional agricultural sites. Against such developments, the question has arisen as to what extent hedgerows in SRACS can act as an effective windbreak despite their management-related low height of only a few meters. On the basis of multiannual recorded wind velocity data in high resolution at two sites in Germany, it could be shown that the wind speed on crop alleys was reduced significantly by such hedgerows. At the central point of 24 m wide crop alleys, the wind speed decreased on an annual average basis by more than 50 % when compared to the wind speeds of open field. The overall amount of reduction was strongly dependent on the location within the crop alleys, the height of trees, the distance between two hedgerows, and their orientation. In reflection upon these results, it was concluded that the establishment of SRACS could lead to enhanced soil protection against wind erosion and thus to ecological and economic benefits for agricultural sites.
Organic matter from biological soil crusts induces the initial formation of sandy temperate soils
(2014)
Different development stages of algae-dominated and moss-dominated biological soil crusts (BSCs) were sampled on a natural sand dune (b17 years old) and on an experimental sand dune (b8 years old) along a catena, including gradients of vegetation cover, location on the slope, as well as composition and thickness of BSC organisms in northeastern Germany. The accumulation of BSC-derived organic carbon (OC)was determined for bulk materials and fractions less than 63 μm. The OC composition was characterized by solid-state 13C NMR spectroscopy and the carbohydrate-C signature. 14C contents were determined to assess the origin and dynamics of OC. From the radiocarbon contents, two OC pools were differentiated: recent BSC-derived and lignite-derived “old” OC. Downward movement of OC into the underlying substratewas found only undermoss-dominated BSCs at the old sand dune. BSC-derived OC was mainly composed of carbohydrate-C and, to a lesser extent, alkyl C and N-alkyl C, with considerably higher contributions of alkyl C in the young dune, indicating differences in the composition of extracellular polymeric substances produced by the BSCs with age. This is consistent with higher proportions of water-soluble OC of moss-dominated BSCs at the old dune, which is leached in the underlying substrate and initiates soil formation. Because of the channeling effect of mosses, OC depth translocation along with suspended colloidal substances contribute to OC accumulation in substrates.
The knowledge about element leaching and biogeochemical cycles during initial stages of soil development is very limited. Therefore, we studied the effects of parent material characteristics and plant litter addition on element leaching from young sandy soils in a microcosm experiment. Our objective was to evaluate the function of young soils as a source and/or sink for nutrients during initial pedogenesis and to identify main processes which are involved in the initial development of biogeochemical cycles. The main research questions were: (1) How do differences in parent material characteristics affect nutrient leaching?; and (2) How is nutrient leaching of young soils influenced by litter addition of different plant functional groups (e.g., legume and grass species)? Combined treatments of two minimally weathered parent materials (pure sand and loamy sand) with plant litter of two plant species (Lotus corniculatus L. and Calamagrostis epigejos L.) were investigated in a soil column experiment. In addition, control columns with parent material or plant litter only were included. Carbonate weathering as a main source for calcium leaching was induced by the moderately acidic irrigation solution used in the experiment. It was 7.5 fold greater for the loamy sand parent material compared to the pure sand despite lower carbonate contents in the loamy sand. Leaching of K was very low for both parent materials but greater for the loamy sand parent material, likely due to transfer processes from fixed to exchangeable potassium forms in the clay minerals of the loamy sand. Plant litter addition generally increased leaching losses. Carbonate dissolution was intensified by both plant litter types, especially by L. corniculatus, very likely due to H+ released during nitrification of N released from plant litter and an increase in partial pressure of CO2 from microbial respiration. In contrast, K was largely retained in the soils, probably due to fixation by clay minerals and microbial immobilization. Only the pure sand treated with L. corniculatus litter leached K, resulting in 4–6 fold greater leaching losses compared to all other treatments. Nitrogen released from L. corniculatus litter was almost completely nitrified and was nearly doubled as compared to that from C. epigejos,
resulting in greater N leaching. The results of our study allow identifying the general function and processes of vegetation patches in young ecosystems formed as a result of initial parent material characteristics and invading vegetation with respect to litter decomposition, soil solution composition, nutrient retention and leaching, and effects on the soil mineral phase. These patterns are not mere additive effects of parent materials plus plant litter, but reflect differences in biogeochemical process intensities and could result in an increasing heterogeneity of soil properties, nutrient availability, and element leaching fluxes with time.
Short rotation coppice (SRC) is seen as a successful management system, which in addition to energy wood production may enhance soil carbon sequestration. The objective of this study was to investigate total, labile and stable soil carbon fractions at SRCs composed of poplar clones Max 1 (Populus nigra x P. maximowiczii), Muhle Larsen (Populus Trichocarpa), and black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.). Study was conducted at three SRC sites (Allendorf, Dornburg, and Forst) varying in age (1–4 years old), soil texture and climatic characteristics, in Germany. Composite soil samples collected at SRCs from 0 to 3; 0–10; 10–30; and 30–60 cm depth layers were compared with soils collected from adjacent crop strips. Samples were analysed for total organic carbon (TOC), hot-water extractable carbon (HWC), and organic carbon (OC) at 250–2,000; 53–250; and\53 lm soil-size aggregates. Total OC stocks in 0–60 cm soil layer were the highest at the site with the heaviest texture, Dornburg, followed by Forst and Allendorf, comprising 92–107; 59–74; and 53–64 Mg ha-1, respectively. Although no significant differences in the total OC stocks between SRCs and adjacent crops were found for the 0–60 cm layer, a significantly (p\0.05) higher TOC, HWC, OC at macroaggregates (250–2,000 lm), and the amount of macro-aggregates were found in the top 0–3 cm layer in all SRC sites (except the youngest poplar SRC in Forst) compared to adjacent crop strips. A greater macro-aggregate formation in SRCs related to the lower soil disturbance compared to the tilled crops, revealed a potential of SRC for C sequestration, as C occluded within soil aggregates has a slower decomposition rates and longer residence time.
In Central Europe, short rotation coppice systems for the production of woody biomass come increasingly into focus as these wood plantations offer an opportunity to sustainably produce biomass for energy production and to sequester substantial amounts of CO2 within the plantations and the soils at the same time. In this study, a modeling analysis of the C cycle of a poplar (Populus suaveolens Fisch. x Populus trichocarpa Torr. et Gray cv Androscoggin) and a black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) SRC is presented. The calculations were performed with the bookkeeping C-model shortcar. The calculated estimates of C accumulation within the biomass, the litter layer, and the soil were validated against field data and published results from a selection of scientific studies. For the SRC on reclaimed mine sites a high C sequestration potential was found which amounted in the reference scenario over a period of 36 years to an accumulated net biome production of about 65 Mg C ha-1 for R. pseudoacacia and about 9 Mg C ha-1 for poplar, while the latter clearly suffered from the harsh growth conditions at the reclamation sites. Summarizing, the results suggested a high potential of SRC for C sequestration and C emission mitigation, especially on marginal sites.
Short-rotation forestry and agroforestry systems have the potential to become an ecologically valuable and economically profitable land use alternative on marginal lands. Therefore, our project focuses on determining the water demand for biomass production of black locust in the Lusatia region (Eastern Germany). The area is characterized by relative low annual rainfall (560-600 mm/yr) and drought periods during spring and summer. Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) is planted in short rotation plantations as well as in agroforestry systems at reclaimed post-mining sites of the opencast mining area “Welzow Süd” and on a conventionally managed field near the town Forst (both study sites are located about 120 km to the south of Berlin). Due to mining activities the ground water table in “Welzow-Süd” is below 100 m, while on the field site in Forst the ground water table is about 2 m below the soil surface. Because of the water accessibility directly affecting the yield, it is crucial to identify the spatial variation of the soil water availability and its influence on black locust growth. The main question of this study is how the drought periods affect black locust’s growth and recovery and about the drought mitigation effect obtainable by an accessible water table. The growth rate is being estimated monthly by measuring the maximum height and the trunk diameter at 10 and 130 cm. Furthermore, several trees are equipped with dendrometers to record their diameter increment in daily intervals. The pre-dawn water potential for selected trees is evaluated periodically to quantify plant water stress and relate it to the growth pattern. Water availability and microclimatic condition are monitored continuously. At the end of the vegetation period, information gathered from the field will be used to develop a growth model to link the soil water availability and plant water status with the growth rate of the trees.
Robinia pseudoacacia L. is a pioneer tree species which grows under a wide range of edaphic and climatic conditions. It is native from North America and its original range is a climatic region classified as humid to sub-humid, with a mean annual precipitation of 1.020 to 1.830 mm. However, in Central Europe the species has proven to be relatively drought tolerant in comparison to other temperate deciduous tree species. In the State of Brandenburg (Germany) for instance, with a continental climate and annual precipitation below 600 mm, the species has been successfully cropped for wood production for more than 250 years. The tree notably grows also in post-mining recultivated sites where soil water availability is limited and in spring and summer drought can occur. The importance of the species has increased over the lasts decades, after the CO2 reduction policy spread across the world, just as did the need for further sources for renewable energy. Therefore, due to its adaptability to water constraints, its fast growing and resprouting rate, together with the ability of nitrogen fixation, black locust could become a key species for short-rotation plantation on marginal land. Several studies have been already carried out to quantify the production and water use efficiency of the black locust. However, the effect of water scarcity on biomass production and the plant’s response to drought stress has still to be examined. In ourinvestigation we aim to evaluate the growth performance and the ecophysiological response of black locust to water limitation. The study of the soil-plant-atmosphere system for the evaluation of the relation between water availability, atmospheric evaporative demand and plant water status is critical to identify the ecophysiological adaptation and growth response in relation to different edaphic and climatic conditions. Different irrigation regimes and cycles of drought were chosen, to test the plant’s performance in a lysimeter experiment for the duration of two vegetation periods, under semi-controlled environmental conditions. The results obtained from studies were satisfactory. We assessed the drought tolerance and resilience of black locust, together with its water use efficiency. Both at whole-plant and leaf level the link between the soil water retention, plant water status and growth rate has been elucidated and the intertwined relation between primary production, transpiration, CO2 uptake and water limitation, together with the evaporative atmospheric demand, has been clarified.
Since the 1920s, more than 80.000 ha of land have been affected by lignite opencast mining activities in the Lusatia region (Eastern Germany), resulting in the evolution of large post-mining landscapes with substrates poor in humus and nutrients. As a consequence, the current conventional crop production on these post-mining areas is restricted. Against this background, the increasing demand for woody biomass for bioenergy, and thus the cultivation of fast growing trees for woody biomass production, could represent a promising option to enhance the productivity of land reclaimed from mining. Accordingly, considerable research has been carried out over the last two decades on reclamation technology, in addition to attempts to improve the soil quality through the use of different fast growing tree species in the Lusatia lignite region. Through such studies, it has been shown that it is possible to cultivate a sustainable supply of bioenergy wood through the use of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) trees, even under the unfavourable growth conditions of the marginal post mining areas. Since this knowledge is mainly based on studies of monocultural plantations (SRC), in 2007 a short rotation alley cropping system (SRACS) was established in the reclaimed lignite mining site “Welzow-Süd” with the purpose of obtaining fresh insight. The present paper evaluates the positive impacts of agroforestry land-use in terms of soil fertility, agricultural crop production, and soil protection against wind erosion based on the results of several years of examination made in this degraded area.
Understanding of soil carbon dynamics after establishment of alley-cropping systems is crucial for mitigation of greenhouse gas CO2. This study investigates soil CO2 flux in an alley-cropping system composed of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) and poplar (Max 1) tree strips and adjacent to them crop strips (Lupinus/ Solarigol). Soil CO2 flux was measured monthly over the March – November 2012 period, using a LI-COR LI-8100A automated device. Simultaneously with CO2 flux measurements, soil and air temperature, soil moisture, microbial C and hot water-extractable carbon (HWC) were determined for soils collected nearby each measurement collar. Root biomass was measured to a depth of 15 cm. In all sampling areas, soil CO2 flux increased from May to July, showing a significant positive correlation with air and soil temperature, which can be a reflection of increase in photosynthetic activity over the warm summer months. The relationships between soil moisture and CO2 flux showed positive correlation only for the warm period (May - October), indicating enhancing role of soil moisture on microbial mineralization and root respiration. CO2 flux values varied between sampling areas at different vegetation periods, with significantly higher values in trees over the summer. This could be attributed to the higher photosynthetic activity and higher root density in trees coppices compared to crops. In autumn, after seeding catch crop mix Solarigol, CO2 flux was significantly higher in crops compared to trees, which could be related to soil tillage prior to seeding of crops, as well as to the higher photosynthetic activity of newly seeded crops at the period of rapid plant growth. Despite a seasonal variation in CO2 flux between sampling areas, aaverage CO2 flux values observed over March – November period did not differ significantly between sampling areas, showing 2.5, 3.2, and 2.9 μmol m-2 s-1 values for black locust, poplar and crops, respectively. A greater C loss with soil respiration under trees in summer period may be compensated by greater C assimilation and storage in woody biomass, and the greater respiration from crop strips after tillage in autumn.
The production of energy wood on arable land increased in Germany during the last years. Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) is a suitable tree species in order to ensure substantial woody biomass yields on agricultural sites in eastern Germany. Arranged in hedge structures (alley cropping) positive effects on wind velocity and hence on soil erosion can be expected for the whole agricultural production area.
Results of field measurements carried out in several alley cropping sites located in eastern Germany show that wind velocity can be reduced by more than 50 %, even though tree hedgerows were not higher than four meters. Here, the reduction of wind speed was dependent on the distance to woody crops, the width of the crop alleys and the orientation of hedgerows. As a result of wind speeds reduction the potential of soil erosion by wind decreases considerably. The risk of wind erosion is even nearly negligible for 24 m wide or smaller crop alleys.
The establishment of short rotation hedgerows could contribute to an enhanced protection against wind erosion and thus to an ecological and possible long-term economic appreciation of agricultural sites. Aside from erosion control, further advantages such as a lower evaporation rate, and thus a crop yield increase, may be connected to the establishment of such agroforestry systems. Against the background of the increasing demand for woody biomass for bioenergy, the cultivation of fast growing trees on agricultural sites can furthermore result in an additional incomefor farmers. This is a prerequisite for the spread of this kind of agroforestry in Germany, because a comparable large share of an unprotected field has to be planted with trees in order to ensure an efficient windbreak.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Differences in soil P among silvopasture, grassland, and arable lands have been well established. Nevertheless, most of the reports compare soil properties under long-term sites. Thus, there exists little information on the effect of the conversion of silvopasture to arable or grassland use on soil P pools. The objective of the study was to determine the impact of converting silvopasture system (SP) into arable cropping and grassland system on the distribution of P pools and potential P bioavailability. We compared the following systems: SP system, SP converted to arable cropland (SP-AL), SP converted to grassland (SP-GL), and for comparative purposes, a long-term arable cropland (AL). The P fractionation was performed by a sequential extraction scheme, using acid and alkaline extractants on samples collected from the 0–10 and 10–20 cm soil layers. It was assumed that the large variations in soil-P fractionations are caused by the different management practices associated with land conversion. The results of P fractionation showed a dominance of calcium-bound P, HCl-extractable Pi constituted up to 36% of the soil total P (TP). However, the type of land use did not affect this P fraction. On the other hand, the reduction in labile-Pi and NaOH-Pi fractions observed at the SP-AL site may have led to the decline in readily available P. The soil total organic P (TPo) content was 8% and 17% lower at SP-AL compared to SP and SP-GL site, respectively. Labile organic-P (labile-Po) content was markedly higher at SP site compared to arable soils, and was ≈ 10% of TPo. The NaOH-Po constituted the highest fraction of the organic-P pool (55%–79% of TPo) across all the study systems, and was positively correlated with TPo (p < 0.01). The study indicates that conversion of SP system in temperate regions to arable cropping with conventional tillage seems to result in the reduction of P availability compared to SP, indicating SP as an important land-use practice.
Cross-linked polyacrylates in post-mining substrates: persistence and effects on plant growth
(2014)
Application of hydrophilic polymers composed of cross-linked polyacrylate can improve soil water-holding capacity and accelerate the restoration of post-mining substrates. In this work, we studied the persistence of a polyacrylate polymer incorporated into a soil and its impact on plant nutrients at a reclamation site of former lignite mining in Lusatia (Germany). In contrast to autumn application, the incorporation of the polymer enhanced the sequestration of plant-derived carbon in the soil, which was reflected by a significant increase in the concentration of a lignin marker. Attenuated total reflexion–Fourier transform infrared spectra (ATR-FTIR) and total elemental contents in the applied polymer suggested an intensive cation exchange between the polymer framework and the soil-forming substrate. In addition, there was an enrichment of carbonaceous material, which seems to reduce the swelling and thus the water-holding capacity of the cross-linked polyacrylate. Conversely, this process protected the polymer structure from rapid decomposition.
Ecosystems in transition: interactions and feedbacks with an amphasis on the initial development
(2014)
In this Special Issue of Biogeosciences on “Ecosystems in transition: Interactions and feedbacks with an emphasis on the initial development”, we bring together research on ecosystems undergoing state transitions, including artificially created and naturally formed sites, most of them in an initial
stage of development. State transitions of an ecosystem may occur either when a formerly stable system state is disturbed or when a developing system gradually achieves new functions during succession. This special issue presents a collection of observational and experimental studies that focus on processes occurring during state transitions in the development of ecosystems and provide insights into the feedback mechanisms controlling
them. These state transitions are studied at multiple scales, ranging from the pore scale to the catchment scale. The contributions
collected in this issue can be divided into two main groups: (i) studies dealing with state transition occurring in initial ecosystems without active human interference, and (ii) studies dealing with active restoration of ecosystems after severe disturbances.
Introduction
(2006)
Relationships between substrate, surface characteristics, and vegetation in an initial ecosystem
(2013)
We investigated surface and vegetation dynamics in the artificial initial ecosystem “Chicken Creek” (Lusatia, Germany) in the years 2006–2011 across a wide spectrum of empirical data. We scrutinized three overarching hypotheses concerning (1) the relations between initial geomorphological and substrate characteristics with surface structure and terrain properties, (2) the effects of the latter on the occurrence of grouped plant species, and (3) vegetation density effects on terrain surface change. Our data comprise and conflate annual vegetation monitoring results, biennial terrestrial laser scans (starting in 2008), annual groundwater levels, and initially measured soil characteristics. The empirical evidence mostly confirms the hypotheses,
revealing statistically significant relations for several goal variables: (1) the surface structure properties, local rill density, local relief energy and terrain surface height change; (2) the cover of different plant groups (annual, herbaceous, grass-like, woody, Fabaceae), and local vegetation
height; and (3) terrain surface height change showed significant time-dependent relations with a variable that proxies local plant biomass. Additionally, period specific effects (like a calendar-year optimum effect for the occurrence of Fabaceae) were proven. Further and beyond the hypotheses, our findings on the spatiotemporal dynamics during the system’s early development grasp processes which generally mark the transition from a geo-hydro-system towards a bio-geo-hydro system (weakening geomorphology effects on substrate surface dynamics, while vegetation effects intensify with time), where pure geomorphology or substrate feedbacks are changing into vegetation–substrate feedback processes.
Water infiltration and hydrophobicity in forest soils of a pine–beech transformation chronosequence
(2006)
Bodenfauna: Entwicklung der Biodiversität in jungen Böden der Niederlausitzer Bergbaufolgelandschaft
(2007)
Beschalte Amöben - Charakterisierung der frühesten Phase des "Community Assembly" in jungen Böden
(2007)
Innovations in land-use as response to rural change - a case report from Brandenburg, Germany
(2007)
Ostbayerische Mittelgebirge
(2007)
Watersheds are often insufficiently known and have to be explored indirectly e.g. by means of geophysical methods. Therefore, important parts of the system often remain 'black boxes'. In addition, natural systems are characterized by huge complexity and heterogeneity. To overcome these disadvantages artificially created watersheds may play an important role in ecosystem research. They offer the chance to investigate systems with well defined boundary conditions and inner structures. Furthermore, artificial watersheds might be an important link between lysimeter research and investigations at the landscape scale. The artificial catchment "Chicken Creek" ('Huehnerwasser') is one of the world's largest man-made catchments for scientific purposes. It was established in 2005 with an area of 6 ha (450 m x 150 m) including a small lake. The site is located in the Eastern German lignite mining district near Cottbus, about 150 km southeast of Berlin. The watershed was constructed by Vattenfall Europe Mining AG as the operator of the still active lignite open-cast mine Welzow-South. Construction work was done by means of large mining machines in co-operation with the Brandenburg University of Technology at Cottbus. The inner structure of this new landscape element is relatively simple: A clay layer was dumped as a barrier for seepage water overlaid by a 3 m sandy layer consisting of Quaternary substrate from Pleistocene sediments. The surface of the site has been flattened and the area was fenced to prevent disturbances. Neither amelioration nor any reclamation measures were carried out afterwards. The site has been left for an unrestricted natural succession. In 2007 the Transregional Collaborative Research Centre (SFB/TRR 38) as a joint project between 3 Universities (BTU Cottbus, TU Munich and ETH Zurich) was launched and is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). The project group investigates the initial genesis of ecosystems with the Chicken Creek catchment as its main research site. A comprehensive monitoring programme is investigating the development of hydrological, pedological, geomorphologic and biological patterns and processes. It is planned to establish a structure and process model for this catchment to describe the initial development phase of an ecosystem in detail. Furthermore, the site will be the basis for (hydrological) model validation
Holocene Dune Formation and Human-Induced Aeolian Remobilisation in South Brandenburg, Germany
(2008)
In the Mid Latitudes form and function of the earth surface are mainly affected by Pleistocene periglacial processes such as solifluction, cryoturbation and aeolian deposition. On the other hand, human impact on landscapes in Central Europe may date back to the earliest farmers from the Neolithic Period (c. 5500 a cal BC). At least since the Middle Ages intense land-use produced wide deforested areas. In the sand-rich North German Lowland these human-induced deforestation often resulted in the remobilisation of Late Pleistocene to Early Holocene sand dunes. Especially in the vicinity of former mining sites or glassworks the dune landscapes possess quite young stratigraphic disturbances (fossilized horizons, weak developed top soils). Within the scope of the Transregional Collaborative Research Centre (SFB/TRR) 38, funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), inland dunes in South Brandenburg were used as comparison sites to study structures and processes of the initial ecosystem development phase in an artificial water catchment. Here, we present first results of the pedostratigraphy and the age of two dune systems near Glashuette which is about 50 km south of Berlin. Based on twelve Optical Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) and six radiocarbon (14C) datings a chronology of the landscape development for the last c. 10000 years is derived. Data prove that both dune systems - even though they are just c. 1 km apart and have similar morphological features such as height, width, and orientation - have a completely different history in aeolian sand deposition and pedogenesis. At dune 'Glashuette 1' a well established podsol forms the topsoil. At dune 'Glashuette 2' soil development is clearly in a more initial state showing only some humus accumulation and weaker podsolization processes. OSL and 14C ages of sand from 'Glashuette 1' range between about 11.4 ka cal. BC (3.9 m below surface) and 9.4 ka cal. BC (0.7 m below surface). Against that, the sands in 'Glashuette 2' are mainly dated to about 0.8 ka cal BC (3.4 to 0.7 m below surface). On the basis of our findings further analyses can be planned more accurately to study the impact of initial processes on the later state of ecosystems characteristics.
Ökologische und ökonomische Bewertung von Agroforstsystemen in der landwirtschaftlichen Praxis
(2008)
Zur Zukunft ländlicher Räume, Entwicklung und Innovatioen in peripheren Regionen Nordostdeutschlands
(2008)
Field Measurements of Air and Water Pressures in a Heterogeneous Forest-Reclaimed Lignitic Mine Soil
(2007)
Character, Age, and ecological significance of pleistocene periglacial slope deposits in Germany
(2007)