Ecology and Diversity of Habitats PDF - Exam Paper

MEES.C2 Ecology and diversity of habitats Prof. Dr. Christine Römermann Institute of Ecology and Evolution FSU Jena [email protected] MEES.C2 – Ecology and Diversity (5 CP) Exams for the lectures Project work for the...

MEES.C2 Ecology and diversity of habitats Prof. Dr. Christine Römermann Institute of Ecology and Evolution FSU Jena [email protected] MEES.C2 – Ecology and Diversity (5 CP) Exams for the lectures Project work for the seminar 2  EXAM Ecology and Diversity of Habitats Wednesday, 10 February 2025, 10:00 – 12:00h Lecture Hall Am Planetarium You need to register via Friedolin also to the exam, not only to the lecture!!! 3  Course material/ script Ecology and Diversity of Habitats All course material can be found in Moodle 4  Literature (German and English…) Ellenberg & Leuschner (2010) Vegetation Mitteleuropas mit den Alpen. Ulmer-Verlag Stuttgart, 1334 S. 5 59 EEsung je Vegetation Ecology of Central Europe (Vol. I + II) 5  Literature: ecology textbooks (available in German and English…) Webpages of the Federal Agency of Nature Conservation Germany (www.bfn.de) Ecology textbooks, e.g., Begon & Townsend (2021) Ecology 6  Ecology and Diversity of Habitats Lecture overview Overview on natural and man-made habitats and vegetation types with… - their climatic and edaphic influences - the structure and dynamics of their communities - the ecophysiology of important plant species - key aspects of ecosystem functioning and nature conservation - while incorporating also case studies and important ecological concepts 7  Ecology and Diversity of Habitats Lecture overview mires coastal habitats forests - Deciduous forests - Coniferous forests - Floodplain forests Ecology and Diversity of Habitats grasslands alpine habitats heaths arable fields Prof. Dr. Christine Römermann PD Dr. Markus Bernhardt-Römermann 8  Köppen-Geiger Climate Classification Cfb = Warm temperate climate, fully humid, warm summer http://koeppen-geiger.vu-wien.ac.at/pics/1976-2100-A1FI.gif 9 10  Shifts of the Köppen Geiger zones 1981 - 2100 Cfb = Warm temperate climate, fully humid, warm summer changeto Csa = Warm temperate climate with dry and hot summer http://koeppen-geiger.vu-wien.ac.at/pics/1976-2100-A1FI.gif 11  Global Biodiversity Scenarios for the Year 2100 IEEES Sala et al. (2000) Global Biodiversity Scenarios for the Year 2100. Science 12  Biodiversity in a changing world Land-use climate E.PEnEsfew in general 1- Land-use 2- climate 3- N deposition 4- biotic exchange 5- atmospheric CO2 EE 13 Sala et al. (2000) Global Biodiversity Scenarios for the Year 2100 Science PNV- potential natural vegetation naturally etablieren Alpine, subnivale and subalpine vegetation Coniferous forests Soil acidic oak mixed forest Oak-hornbeam forests Beech and beech dominated mixed forests Vegetation of specific sites www.floraweb.de 14 Natural structure of the vegetation …before land-use took place Ei – oak EII.cn Bu – beech Ta – fir Fi – spruce In Kie – pine Kiefer Hb - hornbeam 15 © Ellenberg (1996)  Germany is woodland PNV: forest communities nearly all over the country Coniferous forests Deciduous forests Mixed forests but Today we find forests only on a small part of the country. What about the rest? 16  Corine land cover 7 17 Corine Land Cover 2000 Post-glacial sequence: reinvasion of tree species too dry for forest growth Site conditions: water availability pine oak glacial pine oak beech vegetation hazel oak, elm, linden, maple ash, alder pine too wet for forest growth time today Modified after Fischer (1995) 18 Transformation of ecosystems after the last ice age pollen diagrams willow südas birch pine oak beech hazel cereals © Bick et al. (1984) 19  Re-colonization depends on… Dispersal capacity of the species – Birch, willow and pine: easier dispersed advantage Long-distance dispersal (wind) High seed production Diaspore production early in the trees life – Oak and beech EEE.EEE E No long-distance dispersal Fructification later in the trees life Location of the glacial refugia – Beech and oak: in the South of the Alps Einer Lsize – Birch and pine: in local forest steppe patches 20 Post-glacial sequence: reinvasion of tree species would also grow whentoday in grassland no activity too dry for forest growth Site conditions: water availability pine oak ElferEisnade glacial pine µoak beech vegetation hazel oak, elm, linden, maple ash, alder pine too wet for forest growth time Modified after Fischer (1995) 21  Historical development Tundra/ Dryas reforestation after the end of the ice age already hunters hardly influenced the "natural landscape“ Older stone age but spread of hazel (Paleolithic times) Since the Middle Agriculture and forest pasture (cattle, pigs, goats, Stone Age sheep, from 2000 BC also horses). (Mesolithic times) In this time beginning repression of the forest; also slash-and-burn (Brandrodung). 7th century Grass-field crop rotation => Shifting cultivation 22 forest pasture TÖTETE Europe anymore a 23 forest pasture from Küster (1995) 24  Grass-field crop rotation (until the 7th century) Shifting cultivation: Farming after clearing until the soil was exhausted Clearing, fencing and cultivation of fertile areas Low amount of usable area and low yields - Cultivation: - Einkorn wheat (Triticum monococcum) - Emmer (Triticum dicoccum) cereals - Barley (Hordeum vulgaris) - Lentil (Lens culinaris) - Linum (Linum usitatissimum) 25 from Küster (1995)  Until now… …. „economy of scarcity“ 26  Historical development Tundra/ Dryas reforestation after the end of the ice age already hunters hardly influenced the "natural landscape“ Older stone age but spread of hazel (Paleolithic times) Since the Middle Agriculture and forest pasture (cattle, Stone Age pigs, goats, sheep, from 2000 BC also horses). (Mesolithic times) During this time repression of the forest started; also slash-and-burn (German: “Brandrodung”). 7th century Grass-field crop rotation => Shifting cultivation until 18th century three-field crop rotation 27  Three-field crop rotation (8th - 18th century) - Continuous use of permanently separated areas of the arable fields - Pure cereal crop rotation - Grazing of fallow land summer winter crop fallow land fallow land crop 28 Three-field crop rotation Village Ödenpullach (near Munich) Three fields on which crop rotation was operated. Every farmer had land ownership in every field! from Küster 1997 29 Use of leaf litter in forests as fertilizer for arable fields until it was forbidden 30  Use of leaf litter in forests as fertilizer for arable fields Nutrient removal in 50 - 100 year old pine trees ent significantly dieser Annual removal Not Removal every 6 years N 1100-1700 kg/ha 850-1200 kg/ha P ca. 200 kg/ha ca. 100-150 kg/ha Ca 800-1100 kg/ha 500-700 kg/ha Mg ca. 200 kg/ha 100-150 kg/ha modified after Ellenberg & Leuschner (2010) removal increases soil acidification  reduces soil biological activity  reduces nutrient accumulation reduction of growth 31  Use of litter and reduction of growth in forests Two experimental areas in the Upper Rhine plain on… …good soils Growth in bank meter …poor soils frequencies more impact No litter removal Litter removal every 5-6 years Annual litter removal Year Ellenberg & Leuschner (2010) 32  Three-field crop rotation: connecting pastures and arable fields PASTU R E S Allmend EEIEEEE.az Allmend (pastures, forests) pasture pasture fallow stubble field stubble field fallow winter crop fallow summer crop stubble field fallow stubble field A R A B L E F I E L D S (three-field crop rotation) Modified from Müller (2005) 33 Excursus: transhumance France 34  Transhumance E.g., alpine pastures – functional connection of low and high elevations – possibility to use the high elevational sites (with very short vegetation period) for food production during a few months a year – high elevations shaped over centuries as grazing systems © www. dolomitenstadt.at 35  Transhumance in Southern Germany Hiking routes to the winter pastures (200 sheep) 36  Transhumance in Southern France March- July: Steppe uly Alpine pastures Spring pastures (coussous) ct Oct - February: Pastures pril Pastures in irrigated Crau ec an Deveaux et al. (1983), modified 37  Adapted to grazing… would not be eaten bitter Juniperus communis Carlina vulgaris Gentiana ciliata Connection of habitats / metapopulations Epizoochory Endozoochory EY 38  Attachment potential in sheep wool 8500 diaspores of 85 species Seed retention time in the wool: up to 7 months Fischer et al. (1996) Experimental studies on the dispersal of plants and animals on sheep in calcareous grasslands. Journal of Applied Ecology 33: 1206-1222.  Transhumance Today only to be found locally (e.g., Southern France, Spain) – Historical rights & paths do not longer exist – Landscape barriers hinder the migration of the herds 40 Decline of dry calcareous grasslands in the district of Stuttgart (Mattern et al. 1979, 1992; Poschlod 2017) 41  Fragmentation and isolation of calcareous grasslands on the Swabian and Franconian Alb no. of sheep (Mio.) Poschlod P. & WallisDeVries M.F. (2002) The historical and socioeconomic perspective of calcareous grasslands- 42 lessons from the distant and recent past. Biological Conservation, 104, 361-376 Fragmentation and isolation of calcareous grasslands on the Swabian and Franconian Alb Since about 1960 - import of wool from e.g., New Zealand (year-round grazing possible, cheap transport costs) Meat Wool Poschlod P. & WallisDeVries M.F. (2002) 43  Dispersal vectors and processes earlier… Poschlod et al.(1998) Plant species richness in calcareous grasslands as affected by dispersability in space and 44 time. Applied Vegetation Science, 1, 75- 90  … and today in central europe Poschlod et al.(1998) Plant species richness in calcareous grasslands as affected by dispersability in space and 45 time. Applied Vegetation Science, 1, 75- 90  …with consequences for the landscape Swabian alls 1936 1997 © Poschlod (2017) 46  Historical development Tundra/ Dryas reforestation after the end of the ice age already hunters hardly influenced the "natural landscape“ Older stone age but spread of hazel (Paleolithic times) Since the Middle Agriculture and forest pasture (cattle, Stone Age pigs, goats, sheep, from 2000 BC also horses). (Mesolithic times) In this time beginning repression of the forest; also slash-and-burn (Brandrodung). 7th century Grass-field crop rotation => Shifting cultivation until 18th century three-field crop rotation until 19th century improved three-field crop rotation since mid 20th century industrialized/ intensive agriculture 47  Ecology and Diversity of Habitats Lecture overview mires Coastal habitats forests - deciduous forests - coniferous forests sand dunes - floodplain forests Ecology and Diversity of Habitats grasslands alpine habitats heaths arable fields Prof. Dr. Christine Römermann PD Dr. Markus Bernhardt-Römermann 48