@article{IrobBlaumBaldaufetal.2022, author = {Irob, Katja and Blaum, Niels and Baldauf, Selina and Kerger, Leon and Strohbach, Ben and Kanduvarisa, Angelina and Lohmann, Dirk and Tietjen, Britta}, title = {Browsing herbivores improve the state and functioning of savannas}, series = {Ecology and evolution}, volume = {12}, journal = {Ecology and evolution}, number = {3}, publisher = {Wiley}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {2045-7758}, doi = {10.1002/ece3.8715}, pages = {19}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Changing climatic conditions and unsustainable land use are major threats to savannas worldwide. Historically, many African savannas were used intensively for livestock grazing, which contributed to widespread patterns of bush encroachment across savanna systems. To reverse bush encroachment, it has been proposed to change the cattle-dominated land use to one dominated by comparatively specialized browsers and usually native herbivores. However, the consequences for ecosystem properties and processes remain largely unclear. We used the ecohydrological, spatially explicit model EcoHyD to assess the impacts of two contrasting, herbivore land-use strategies on a Namibian savanna: grazer- versus browser-dominated herbivore communities. We varied the densities of grazers and browsers and determined the resulting composition and diversity of the plant community, total vegetation cover, soil moisture, and water use by plants. Our results showed that plant types that are less palatable to herbivores were best adapted to grazing or browsing animals in all simulated densities. Also, plant types that had a competitive advantage under limited water availability were among the dominant ones irrespective of land-use scenario. Overall, the results were in line with our expectations: under high grazer densities, we found heavy bush encroachment and the loss of the perennial grass matrix. Importantly, regardless of the density of browsers, grass cover and plant functional diversity were significantly higher in browsing scenarios. Browsing herbivores increased grass cover, and the higher total cover in turn improved water uptake by plants overall. We concluded that, in contrast to grazing-dominated land-use strategies, land-use strategies dominated by browsing herbivores, even at high herbivore densities, sustain diverse vegetation communities with high cover of perennial grasses, resulting in lower erosion risk and bolstering ecosystem services.}, language = {en} } @article{LeinsGrimmDrechsler2022, author = {Leins, Johannes A. and Grimm, Volker and Drechsler, Martin}, title = {Large-scale PVA modeling of insects in cultivated grasslands}, series = {Ecology and evolution}, volume = {12}, journal = {Ecology and evolution}, number = {7}, publisher = {Wiley}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {2045-7758}, doi = {10.1002/ece3.9063}, pages = {17}, year = {2022}, abstract = {In many species, dispersal is decisive for survival in a changing climate. Simulation models for population dynamics under climate change thus need to account for this factor. Moreover, large numbers of species inhabiting agricultural landscapes are subject to disturbances induced by human land use. We included dispersal in the HiLEG model that we previously developed to study the interaction between climate change and agricultural land use in single populations. Here, the model was parameterized for the large marsh grasshopper (LMG) in cultivated grasslands of North Germany to analyze (1) the species development and dispersal success depending on the severity of climate change in subregions, (2) the additional effect of grassland cover on dispersal success, and (3) the role of dispersal in compensating for detrimental grassland mowing. Our model simulated population dynamics in 60-year periods (2020-2079) on a fine temporal (daily) and high spatial (250 x 250 m(2)) scale in 107 subregions, altogether encompassing a range of different grassland cover, climate change projections, and mowing schedules. We show that climate change alone would allow the LMG to thrive and expand, while grassland cover played a minor role. Some mowing schedules that were harmful to the LMG nevertheless allowed the species to moderately expand its range. Especially under minor climate change, in many subregions dispersal allowed for mowing early in the year, which is economically beneficial for farmers. More severe climate change could facilitate LMG expansion to uninhabited regions but would require suitable mowing schedules along the path. These insights can be transferred to other species, given that the LMG is considered a representative of grassland communities. For more specific predictions on the dynamics of other species affected by climate change and land use, the publicly available HiLEG model can be easily adapted to the characteristics of their life cycle.}, language = {en} } @article{SusmanGuetteWeith2021, author = {Susman, Roni and G{\"u}tte, Annelie Maja and Weith, Thomas}, title = {Drivers of land use conflicts in infrastructural mega projects in coastal areas}, series = {Land : open access journal}, volume = {10}, journal = {Land : open access journal}, number = {6}, publisher = {MDPI}, address = {Basel}, issn = {2073-445X}, doi = {10.3390/land10060615}, pages = {24}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Coastal areas are particularly sensitive because they are complex, and related land use conflicts are more intense than those in noncoastal areas. In addition to representing a unique encounter of natural and socioeconomic factors, coastal areas have become paradigms of progressive urbanisation and economic development. Our study of the infrastructural mega project of Patimban Seaport in Indonesia explores the factors driving land use changes and the subsequent land use conflicts emerging from large-scale land transformation in the course of seaport development and mega project governance. We utilised interviews and questionnaires to investigate institutional aspects and conflict drivers. Specifically, we retrace and investigate the mechanisms guiding how mega project governance, land use planning, and actual land use interact. Therefore, we observe and analyse where land use conflicts emerge and the roles that a lack of stakeholder interest involvement and tenure-responsive planning take in this process. Our findings reflect how mismanagement and inadequate planning processes lead to market failure, land abandonment and dereliction and how they overburden local communities with the costs of mega projects. Enforcing a stronger coherence between land use planning, participation and land tenure within the land governance process in coastal land use development at all levels and raising the capacity of stakeholders to interfere with governance and planning processes will reduce conflicts and lead to sustainable coastal development in Indonesia.}, language = {en} } @article{TroendleLilliestamMarellietal.2020, author = {Tr{\"o}ndle, Tim and Lilliestam, Johan and Marelli, Stefano and Pfenninger, Stefan}, title = {Trade-offs between geographic scale, cost, and infrastructure requirements for fully renewable electricity in Europe}, series = {Joule}, volume = {4}, journal = {Joule}, number = {9}, publisher = {Cell Press}, address = {Cambridge , Mass.}, issn = {2542-4351}, doi = {10.1016/j.joule.2020.07.018}, pages = {1929 -- 1948}, year = {2020}, abstract = {The European potential for renewable electricity is sufficient to enable fully renewable supply on different scales, from self-sufficient, subnational regions to an interconnected continent. We not only show that a continental-scale system is the cheapest, but also that systems on the national scale and below are possible at cost penalties of 20\% or less. Transmission is key to low cost, but it is not necessary to vastly expand the transmission system. When electricity is transmitted only to balance fluctuations, the transmission grid size is comparable to today's, albeit with expanded cross-border capacities. The largest differences across scales concern land use and thus social acceptance: in the continental system, generation capacity is concentrated on the European periphery, where the best resources are. Regional systems, in contrast, have more dispersed generation. The key trade-off is therefore not between geographic scale and cost, but between scale and the spatial distribution of required generation and transmission infrastructure.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Leins2023, author = {Leins, Johannes A.}, title = {Combining model detail with large scales}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-58283}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-582837}, school = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam}, pages = {xv, 168}, year = {2023}, abstract = {The global climate crisis is significantly contributing to changing ecosystems, loss of biodiversity and is putting numerous species on the verge of extinction. In principle, many species are able to adapt to changing conditions or shift their habitats to more suitable regions. However, change is progressing faster than some species can adjust, or potential adaptation is blocked and disrupted by direct and indirect human action. Unsustainable anthropogenic land use in particular is one of the driving factors, besides global heating, for these ecologically critical developments. Precisely because land use is anthropogenic, it is also a factor that could be quickly and immediately corrected by human action. In this thesis, I therefore assess the impact of three climate change scenarios of increasing intensity in combination with differently scheduled mowing regimes on the long-term development and dispersal success of insects in Northwest German grasslands. The large marsh grasshopper (LMG, Stethophyma grossum, Linn{\´e} 1758) is used as a species of reference for the analyses. It inhabits wet meadows and marshes and has a limited, yet fairly good ability to disperse. Mowing and climate conditions affect the development and mortality of the LMG differently depending on its life stage. The specifically developed simulation model HiLEG (High-resolution Large Environmental Gradient) serves as a tool for investigating and projecting viability and dispersal success under different climate conditions and land use scenarios. It is a spatially explicit, stage- and cohort-based model that can be individually configured to represent the life cycle and characteristics of terrestrial insect species, as well as high-resolution environmental data and the occurrence of external disturbances. HiLEG is a freely available and adjustable software that can be used to support conservation planning in cultivated grasslands. In the three case studies of this thesis, I explore various aspects related to the structure of simulation models per se, their importance in conservation planning in general, and insights regarding the LMG in particular. It became apparent that the detailed resolution of model processes and components is crucial to project the long-term effect of spatially and temporally confined events. Taking into account conservation measures at the regional level has further proven relevant, especially in light of the climate crisis. I found that the LMG is benefiting from global warming in principle, but continues to be constrained by harmful mowing regimes. Land use measures could, however, be adapted in such a way that they allow the expansion and establishment of the LMG without overly affecting agricultural yields. Overall, simulation models like HiLEG can make an important contribution and add value to conservation planning and policy-making. Properly used, simulation results shed light on aspects that might be overlooked by subjective judgment and the experience of individual stakeholders. Even though it is in the nature of models that they are subject to limitations and only represent fragments of reality, this should not keep stakeholders from using them, as long as these limitations are clearly communicated. Similar to HiLEG, models could further be designed in such a way that not only the parameterization can be adjusted as required, but also the implementation itself can be improved and changed as desired. This openness and flexibility should become more widespread in the development of simulation models.}, language = {en} } @article{BochMuellerPratietal.2018, author = {Boch, Steffen and M{\"u}ller, J{\"o}rg and Prati, Daniel and Fischer, Markus}, title = {Low-intensity management promotes bryophyte diversity in grasslands}, series = {Tuexenia : Mitteilungen der Floristisch-Soziologischen Arbeitsgemeinschaft}, journal = {Tuexenia : Mitteilungen der Floristisch-Soziologischen Arbeitsgemeinschaft}, number = {38}, publisher = {Floristisch-Soziologische Arbeitsgemeinschaft}, address = {G{\"o}ttingen}, issn = {0722-494X}, doi = {10.14471/2018.38.014}, pages = {311 -- 328}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Bryophytes constitute an important and permanent component of the grassland flora and diversity in Europe. As most bryophyte species are sensitive to habitat change, their diversity is likely to decline following land-use intensification. Most previous studies on bryophyte diversity focused on specific habitats of high bryophyte diversity, such as bogs, montane grasslands, or calcareous dry grasslands. In contrast, mesic grasslands are rarely studied, although they are the most common grassland habitat in Europe. They are secondary vegetation, maintained by agricultural use and thus, are influenced by different forms of land use. We studied bryophyte species richness in three regions in Germany, in 707 plots of 16 m(2) representing different land-use types and environmental conditions. Our study is one of the few to inspect the relationships between bryophyte richness and land use across contrasting regions and using a high number of replicates. Among the managed grasslands, pastures harboured 2.5 times more bryophyte species than meadows and mown pastures. Similarly, bryophyte cover was about twice as high in fallows and pastures than in meadows and mown pastures. Among the pastures, bryophyte species richness was about three times higher in sheep grazed plots than in the ones grazed by cattle or horses. In general, bryophyte species richness and cover was more than 50\% lower in fertilized than in unfertilized plots. Moreover, the amount of suitable substrates was linked to bryophyte diversity. Species richness of bryophytes growing on stones increased with stone cover, and the one of bryophytes growing on bark and deadwood increased with larger values of woody plant species and deadwood cover. Our findings highlight the importance of low-intensity land use and high structural heterogeneity for bryophyte conservation. They also caution against an intensification of traditionally managed pastures. In the light of our results, we recommend to maintain low-intensity sheep grazing on sites with low productivity, such as slopes on shallow soils.}, language = {en} } @article{Natho2021, author = {Natho, Stephanie}, title = {How Flood Hazard Maps Improve the Understanding of Ecologically Active Floodplains}, series = {Water / Molecular Diversity Preservation International (MDPI)}, volume = {13}, journal = {Water / Molecular Diversity Preservation International (MDPI)}, number = {7}, publisher = {MDPI}, address = {Basel}, issn = {2073-4441}, doi = {10.3390/w13070937}, pages = {17}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Floodplains are threatened ecosystems and are not only ecologically meaningful but also important for humans by creating multiple benefits. Many underlying functions, like nutrient retention, carbon sequestration or water regulation, strongly depend on regular inundation. So far, these are approached on the basis of what are called 'active floodplains'. Active floodplains, defined as statistically inundated once every 100 years, represent less than 10\% of a floodplain's original size. Still, should this remaining area be considered as one homogenous surface in terms of floodplain function, or are there any alternative approaches to quantify ecologically active floodplains? With the European Flood Hazard Maps, the extent of not only medium floods (T-medium) but also frequent floods (T-frequent) needs to be modelled by all member states of the European Union. For large German rivers, both scenarios were compared to quantify the extent, as well as selected indicators for naturalness derived from inundation. It is assumed that the more naturalness there is, the more inundation and the better the functioning. Real inundation was quantified using measured discharges from relevant gauges over the past 20 years. As a result, land uses indicating strong human impacts changed significantly from T-frequent to T-medium floodplains. Furthermore, the extent, water depth and water volume stored in the T-frequent and T-medium floodplains is significantly different. Even T-frequent floodplains experienced inundation for only half of the considered gauges during the past 20 years. This study gives evidence for considering regulation functions on the basis of ecologically active floodplains, meaning in floodplains with more frequent inundation that T-medium floodplains delineate.}, language = {en} } @misc{Natho2021, author = {Natho, Stephanie}, title = {How Flood Hazard Maps Improve the Understanding of Ecologically Active Floodplains}, series = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, journal = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, number = {1147}, issn = {1866-8372}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-51761}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-517613}, pages = {19}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Floodplains are threatened ecosystems and are not only ecologically meaningful but also important for humans by creating multiple benefits. Many underlying functions, like nutrient retention, carbon sequestration or water regulation, strongly depend on regular inundation. So far, these are approached on the basis of what are called 'active floodplains'. Active floodplains, defined as statistically inundated once every 100 years, represent less than 10\% of a floodplain's original size. Still, should this remaining area be considered as one homogenous surface in terms of floodplain function, or are there any alternative approaches to quantify ecologically active floodplains? With the European Flood Hazard Maps, the extent of not only medium floods (T-medium) but also frequent floods (T-frequent) needs to be modelled by all member states of the European Union. For large German rivers, both scenarios were compared to quantify the extent, as well as selected indicators for naturalness derived from inundation. It is assumed that the more naturalness there is, the more inundation and the better the functioning. Real inundation was quantified using measured discharges from relevant gauges over the past 20 years. As a result, land uses indicating strong human impacts changed significantly from T-frequent to T-medium floodplains. Furthermore, the extent, water depth and water volume stored in the T-frequent and T-medium floodplains is significantly different. Even T-frequent floodplains experienced inundation for only half of the considered gauges during the past 20 years. This study gives evidence for considering regulation functions on the basis of ecologically active floodplains, meaning in floodplains with more frequent inundation that T-medium floodplains delineate.}, language = {en} } @article{ReinhardGeisslerBlaum2019, author = {Reinhard, Johanna E. and Geissler, Katja and Blaum, Niels}, title = {Short-term responses of darkling beetles (Coleoptera:Tenebrionidae) to the effects of fire and grazing in savannah rangeland}, series = {Insect Conservation and Diversity}, volume = {12}, journal = {Insect Conservation and Diversity}, number = {1}, publisher = {Wiley}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {1752-458X}, doi = {10.1111/icad.12324}, pages = {39 -- 48}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Fire and grazing shape biodiversity in savannah landscapes. In land use management, knowing the effects of fire and grazing on biodiversity are important in order to ensure environmental sustainability. Beetles specifically are indicators of the biodiversity response to fire and grazing. A grazing exclusion and burning experiment in a split-plot design was used in order to investigate the interacting effects of fire and wildlife grazing on biomass, diversity, and species composition of darkling beetles (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae) over time after fire. Darkling beetle species richness and diversity were responding in a three-way-interaction to fire, grazing, and time after fire, whereby biomass of darkling beetles remained unaffected and species compositional changes were attributed to seasonal changes of time only. Fire on ungrazed plots had a negative effect on species diversity and richness 2 weeks and 6 months post fire, whereas fire on grazed plots had no impact on species diversity and richness. Grazing only lowered species diversity and richness 6 months after fire treatments. Results suggest that grazing overrides the effects of fire and that the similar effects caused by fire and grazing are due to niche and assemblage simplification of the habitat.}, language = {en} } @misc{BochMuellerPratietal.2018, author = {Boch, Steffen and M{\"u}ller, J{\"o}rg and Prati, Daniel and Fischer, Markus}, title = {Low-intensity management promotes bryophyte diversity in grasslands}, series = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, journal = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, number = {1049}, issn = {1866-8372}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-46008}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-460086}, pages = {311 -- 328}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Bryophytes constitute an important and permanent component of the grassland flora and diversity in Europe. As most bryophyte species are sensitive to habitat change, their diversity is likely to decline following land-use intensification. Most previous studies on bryophyte diversity focused on specific habitats of high bryophyte diversity, such as bogs, montane grasslands, or calcareous dry grasslands. In contrast, mesic grasslands are rarely studied, although they are the most common grassland habitat in Europe. They are secondary vegetation, maintained by agricultural use and thus, are influenced by different forms of land use. We studied bryophyte species richness in three regions in Germany, in 707 plots of 16 m2 representing different land-use types and environmental conditions. Our study is one of the few to inspect the relationships between bryophyte richness and land use across contrasting regions and using a high number of replicates.Among the managed grasslands, pastures harboured 2.5 times more bryophyte species than mead-ows and mown pastures. Similarly, bryophyte cover was about twice as high in fallows and pastures than in meadows and mown pastures. Among the pastures, bryophyte species richness was about three times higher in sheep grazed plots than in the ones grazed by cattle or horses. In general, bryophyte species richness and cover was more than 50\% lower in fertilized than in unfertilized plots. Moreover, the amount of suitable substrates was linked to bryophyte diversity. Species richness of bryophytes growing on stones increased with stone cover, and the one of bryophytes growing on bark and deadwood increased with larger values of woody plant species and deadwood cover. Our findings highlight the importance of low-intensity land use and high structural heterogeneity for bryophyte conservation. They also caution against an intensification of traditionally managed pastures. In the light of our results, we recommend to maintain low-intensity sheep grazing on sites with low productivity, such as slopes on shallow soils.}, language = {en} } @article{SoliveresManningPratietal.2016, author = {Soliveres, Santiago and Manning, Peter and Prati, Daniel and Gossner, Martin M. and Alt, Fabian and Arndt, Hartmut and Baumgartner, Vanessa and Binkenstein, Julia and Birkhofer, Klaus and Blaser, Stefan and Bluethgen, Nico and Boch, Steffen and Boehm, Stefan and Boerschig, Carmen and Buscot, Francois and Diekoetter, Tim and Heinze, Johannes and Hoelzel, Norbert and Jung, Kirsten and Klaus, Valentin H. and Klein, Alexandra-Maria and Kleinebecker, Till and Klemmer, Sandra and Krauss, Jochen and Lange, Markus and Morris, E. Kathryn and Mueller, Joerg and Oelmann, Yvonne and Overmann, J{\"o}rg and Pasalic, Esther and Renner, Swen C. and Rillig, Matthias C. and Schaefer, H. Martin and Schloter, Michael and Schmitt, Barbara and Schoening, Ingo and Schrumpf, Marion and Sikorski, Johannes and Socher, Stephanie A. and Solly, Emily F. and Sonnemann, Ilja and Sorkau, Elisabeth and Steckel, Juliane and Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf and Stempfhuber, Barbara and Tschapka, Marco and Tuerke, Manfred and Venter, Paul and Weiner, Christiane N. and Weisser, Wolfgang W. and Werner, Michael and Westphal, Catrin and Wilcke, Wolfgang and Wolters, Volkmar and Wubet, Tesfaye and Wurst, Susanne and Fischer, Markus and Allan, Eric}, title = {Locally rare species influence grassland ecosystem multifunctionality}, series = {Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London : B, Biological sciences}, volume = {371}, journal = {Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London : B, Biological sciences}, publisher = {Royal Society}, address = {London}, issn = {0962-8436}, doi = {10.1098/rstb.2015.0269}, pages = {3175 -- 3185}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Species diversity promotes the delivery of multiple ecosystem functions (multifunctionality). However, the relative functional importance of rare and common species in driving the biodiversity multifunctionality relationship remains unknown. We studied the relationship between the diversity of rare and common species (according to their local abundances and across nine different trophic groups), and multifunctionality indices derived from 14 ecosystem functions on 150 grasslands across a land use intensity (LUI) gradient. The diversity of above- and below-ground rare species had opposite effects, with rare above-ground species being associated with high levels of multifunctionality, probably because their effects on different functions did not trade off against each other. Conversely, common species were only related to average, not high, levels of multifunctionality, and their functional effects declined with LUI. Apart from the community level effects of diversity, we found significant positive associations between the abundance of individual species and multifunctionality in 6\% of the species tested. Species specific functional effects were best predicted by their response to LUI: species that declined in abundance with land use intensification were those associated with higher levels of multifunctionality. Our results highlight the importance of rare species for ecosystem multifunctionality and help guiding future conservation priorities.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Sakowski2018, author = {Sakowski, Fabian}, title = {Bodennutzung in der New Economic Geography}, series = {Potsdamer Schriften zur Raumwirtschaft}, journal = {Potsdamer Schriften zur Raumwirtschaft}, number = {7}, publisher = {Universit{\"a}tsverlag Potsdam}, address = {Potsdam}, isbn = {978-3-86956-426-5}, issn = {2190-8702}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-413737}, school = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam}, pages = {xiv, 290}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Mit der New Economic Geography (NEG) kann die Verteilung von Unternehmen und Arbeitskr{\"a}ften auf Regionen modellhaft diskutiert werden. In diesem Beitrag wird untersucht, welche r{\"a}umlichen Verteilungen der mobilen Arbeitskr{\"a}fte und Unternehmen in einem NEG-Modellansatz resultieren, wenn die Gr{\"o}ße einer Region und damit der ihr zur Verf{\"u}gung stehende Boden, die zu {\"u}berwindende Distanz f{\"u}r den G{\"u}tertransport innerhalb der Regionen, sowie Bodennutzungskonkurrenzen zwischen Wohnen, Industrie und Landwirtschaft ber{\"u}cksichtigt werden. Auch wird der Frage nachgegangen, welche Wohlfahrtswirkungen hierbei resultieren.}, language = {de} } @article{AllanManningAltetal.2015, author = {Allan, Eric and Manning, Pete and Alt, Fabian and Binkenstein, Julia and Blaser, Stefan and Bl{\"u}thgen, Nico and B{\"o}hm, Stefan and Grassein, Fabrice and H{\"o}lzel, Norbert and Klaus, Valentin H. and Kleinebecker, Till and Morris, E. Kathryn and Oelmann, Yvonne and Prati, Daniel and Renner, Swen C. and Rillig, Matthias C. and Schaefer, Martin and Schloter, Michael and Schmitt, Barbara and Sch{\"o}ning, Ingo and Schrumpf, Marion and Solly, Emily and Sorkau, Elisabeth and Steckel, Juliane and Steffen-Dewenter, Ingolf and Stempfhuber, Barbara and Tschapka, Marco and Weiner, Christiane N. and Weisser, Wolfgang W. and Werner, Michael and Westphal, Catrin and Wilcke, Wolfgang and Fischer, Markus}, title = {Land use intensification alters ecosystem multifunctionality via loss of biodiversity and changes to functional composition}, series = {Ecology letters}, volume = {18}, journal = {Ecology letters}, number = {8}, publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {1461-023X}, doi = {10.1111/ele.12469}, pages = {834 -- 843}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Global change, especially land-use intensification, affects human well-being by impacting the delivery of multiple ecosystem services (multifunctionality). However, whether biodiversity loss is a major component of global change effects on multifunctionality in real-world ecosystems, as in experimental ones, remains unclear. Therefore, we assessed biodiversity, functional composition and 14 ecosystem services on 150 agricultural grasslands differing in land-use intensity. We also introduce five multifunctionality measures in which ecosystem services were weighted according to realistic land-use objectives. We found that indirect land-use effects, i.e. those mediated by biodiversity loss and by changes to functional composition, were as strong as direct effects on average. Their strength varied with land-use objectives and regional context. Biodiversity loss explained indirect effects in a region of intermediate productivity and was most damaging when land-use objectives favoured supporting and cultural services. In contrast, functional composition shifts, towards fast-growing plant species, strongly increased provisioning services in more inherently unproductive grasslands.}, language = {en} } @article{SoliveresMaestreUlrichetal.2015, author = {Soliveres, Santiago and Maestre, Fernando T. and Ulrich, Werner and Manning, Peter and Boch, Steffen and Bowker, Matthew A. and Prati, Daniel and Delgado-Baquerizo, Manuel and Quero, Jose L. and Sch{\"o}ning, Ingo and Gallardo, Antonio and Weisser, Wolfgang W. and M{\"u}ller, J{\"o}rg and Socher, Stephanie A. and Garcia-Gomez, Miguel and Ochoa, Victoria and Schulze, Ernst-Detlef and Fischer, Markus and Allan, Eric}, title = {Intransitive competition is widespread in plant communities and maintains their species richness}, series = {Ecology letters}, volume = {18}, journal = {Ecology letters}, number = {8}, publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {1461-023X}, doi = {10.1111/ele.12456}, pages = {790 -- 798}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Intransitive competition networks, those in which there is no single best competitor, may ensure species coexistence. However, their frequency and importance in maintaining diversity in real-world ecosystems remain unclear. We used two large data sets from drylands and agricultural grasslands to assess: (1) the generality of intransitive competition, (2) intransitivity-richness relationships and (3) effects of two major drivers of biodiversity loss (aridity and land-use intensification) on intransitivity and species richness. Intransitive competition occurred in >65\% of sites and was associated with higher species richness. Intransitivity increased with aridity, partly buffering its negative effects on diversity, but was decreased by intensive land use, enhancing its negative effects on diversity. These contrasting responses likely arise because intransitivity is promoted by temporal heterogeneity, which is enhanced by aridity but may decline with land-use intensity. We show that intransitivity is widespread in nature and increases diversity, but it can be lost with environmental homogenisation.}, language = {en} } @article{KoenigZhenHelmingetal.2014, author = {Koenig, H. J. and Zhen, L. and Helming, K. and Uthes, S. and Yang, L. and Cao, Xianyong and Wiggering, Hubert}, title = {Assessing the impact of the sloping land conversion programme on rural sustainability in Guyuan, Western China}, series = {Land degradation \& development}, volume = {25}, journal = {Land degradation \& development}, number = {4}, publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {1085-3278}, doi = {10.1002/ldr.2164}, pages = {385 -- 396}, year = {2014}, abstract = {The goal of China's sloping land conversion programme (SLCP) is to combat soil erosion and to reduce rural poverty. An ex-ante assessment of possible SLCP impacts was conducted with a focus on rural sustainability, taking the drought-prone region of Guyuan in Western China as an example. The Framework for Participatory Impact Assessment (FoPIA) was used to conduct two complementary impact assessments, one assessing SLCP impacts at regional level and a second one assessing alternative forest management options, to explore possible trade-offs among the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainability. Regional stakeholders assessed the SLCP to be capable of reducing soil erosion but felt it negatively affected rural employment, and a further continuation of the Programme was advocated. Assessment of three forest management scenarios by scientists showed that an orientation towards energy forests is potentially beneficial to all three sustainability dimensions. Ecological forests had disproportionate positive impacts on environmental functions and adverse impact on the other two sustainability dimensions. Economic forests were assessed to serve primarily the economic and social sustainability dimensions, while environmental impacts were still tolerable. The FoPIA results were evaluated against the available literature on the SLCP. Overall, the assessment results appeared to be reasonable, but the results of the regional stakeholders appeared to be too optimistic compared with the more critical assessment of the scientists. The SLCP seems to have the potential to tackle soil erosion but requires integrated forest management to minimize the risk of water stress while contributing to economic and social benefits in Guyuan. Copyright (C) 2012 John Wiley \& Sons, Ltd.}, language = {en} } @article{SocherPratiBochetal.2012, author = {Socher, Stephanie A. and Prati, Daniel and Boch, Steffen and M{\"u}ller, J{\"o}rg and Klaus, Valentin H. and H{\"o}lzel, Norbert and Fischer, Markus}, title = {Direct and productivity-mediated indirect effects of fertilization, mowing and grazing on grassland species richness}, series = {The journal of ecology}, volume = {100}, journal = {The journal of ecology}, number = {6}, publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {0022-0477}, doi = {10.1111/j.1365-2745.2012.02020.x}, pages = {1391 -- 1399}, year = {2012}, abstract = {Recent declines in biodiversity have given new urgency to questions about the relationship between land-use change, biodiversity and ecosystem processes. Despite the existence of a large body of research on the effects of land use on species richness, it is unclear whether the effects of land use on species richness are principally direct or indirect, mediated by concomitant changes in ecosystem processes. Therefore, we compared the direct effects of land use (fertilization, mowing and grazing) on species richness with indirect ones (mediated via grassland productivity) for grasslands in central Europe. We measured the richness and above-ground biomass in 150 grassland plots in 3 regions of Germany (the so-called Biodiversity Exploratories). We used univariate and structural equation models to examine direct and indirect land-use effects. The direct effects of mowing (-0.37, effect size) and grazing (0.04) intensity on species richness were stronger compared with the indirect effects of mowing (-0.04) and grazing (-0.01). However, the strong negative effect of fertilization (-0.23) on species richness was mainly indirect, mediated by increased productivity compared with the weak direct negative effect (-0.07). Differences between regions in land-use effects showed five times weaker negative effects of mowing (-0.13) in the region with organic soils (Schorfheide-Chorin), strong overall negative effects of grazing (-0.29) for the region with organic soils opposed to a similar strong positive effect (0.30) in the Hainich-Dun region, whereas the Schwabische Alb region displayed a five times weaker positive effect (0.06) only. Further, fertilization effects on species richness were positive (0.03) for the region with organic soils compared to up to 25 times stronger negative effects in the other two regions. Synthesis. Our results clearly show the importance of studying both direct and indirect effects of land-use intensity. They demonstrate the indirect nature, via productivity, of the negative effect of fertilization intensity on plant species richness in the real-world context of management-induced gradients of intensity of fertilization, mowing and grazing. Finally, they highlight that careful consideration of regional environments is necessary before attempting to generalize land-use effects on species diversity.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Koenig2012, author = {K{\"o}nig, Hannes Jochen}, title = {Operationalising sustainability impact assessment of land use scenarios in developing countries : a stakeholder-based approach with case studies in China, India, Indonesia, Kenya, and Tunisia}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-63672}, school = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam}, year = {2012}, abstract = {Growing populations, continued economic development, and limited natural resources are critical factors affecting sustainable development. These factors are particularly pertinent in developing countries in which large parts of the population live at a subsistence level and options for sustainable development are limited. Therefore, addressing sustainable land use strategies in such contexts requires that decision makers have access to evidence-based impact assessment tools that can help in policy design and implementation. Ex-ante impact assessment is an emerging field poised at the science-policy interface and is used to assess the potential impacts of policy while also exploring trade-offs between economic, social and environmental sustainability targets. The objective of this study was to operationalise the impact assessment of land use scenarios in the context of developing countries that are characterised by limited data availability and quality. The Framework for Participatory Impact Assessment (FoPIA) was selected for this study because it allows for the integration of various sustainability dimensions, the handling of complexity, and the incorporation of local stakeholder perceptions. FoPIA, which was originally developed for the European context, was adapted to the conditions of developing countries, and its implementation was demonstrated in five selected case studies. In each case study, different land use options were assessed, including (i) alternative spatial planning policies aimed at the controlled expansion of rural-urban development in the Yogyakarta region (Indonesia), (ii) the expansion of soil and water conservation measures in the Oum Zessar watershed (Tunisia), (iii) the use of land conversion and the afforestation of agricultural areas to reduce soil erosion in Guyuan district (China), (iv) agricultural intensification and the potential for organic agriculture in Bijapur district (India), and (v) land division and privatisation in Narok district (Kenya). The FoPIA method was effectively adapted by dividing the assessment into three conceptual steps: (i) scenario development; (ii) specification of the sustainability context; and (iii) scenario impact assessment. A new methodological approach was developed for communicating alternative land use scenarios to local stakeholders and experts and for identifying recommendations for future land use strategies. Stakeholder and expert knowledge was used as the main sources of information for the impact assessment and was complemented by available quantitative data. Based on the findings from the five case studies, FoPIA was found to be suitable for implementing the impact assessment at case study level while ensuring a high level of transparency. FoPIA supports the identification of causal relationships underlying regional land use problems, facilitates communication among stakeholders and illustrates the effects of alternative decision options with respect to all three dimensions of sustainable development. Overall, FoPIA is an appropriate tool for performing preliminary assessments but cannot replace a comprehensive quantitative impact assessment, and FoPIA should, whenever possible, be accompanied by evidence from monitoring data or analytical tools. When using FoPIA for a policy oriented impact assessment, it is recommended that the process should follow an integrated, complementary approach that combines quantitative models, scenario techniques, and participatory methods.}, language = {en} } @book{Voss2008, author = {Voß, Anja}, title = {Untersuchung und Modellierung der Stickstoff- und Phosphorumsatz- und Transportprozesse in mesoskaligen Einzugsgebieten des Tieflandes am Beispiel von Nuthe, Hammerfließ und Stepenitz}, number = {19}, publisher = {Universit{\"a}tsverlag Potsdam}, address = {Potsdam}, isbn = {978-3-940793-13-3}, issn = {1434-2375}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-16356}, publisher = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam}, pages = {XXI, 170}, year = {2008}, abstract = {Ziel dieser Arbeit war es, die Stickstoff- und Phosphorprozesse im nordostdeutschen Tiefland detailliert zu untersuchen und Handlungsoptionen hinsichtlich der Landnutzung zur nachhaltigen Steuerung der Stickstoff- und Phosphoreintr{\"a}ge in die Fließgew{\"a}sser aufzuzeigen. Als Grundvoraussetzung f{\"u}r die Modellierung des N{\"a}hrstoffhaushaltes mussten zun{\"a}chst die hydrologischen Prozesse und die Abfl{\"u}sse f{\"u}r die Einzugsgebiete validiert werden. Daf{\"u}r wurde in dieser Arbeit das {\"o}kohydrologische Modell SWIM verwendet. Die Abflussmodellierung umfasste den Zeitraum 1991 - 2000. Die Ergebnisse dazu zeigen, dass SWIM in der Lage war, die hydrologischen Prozesse in den Untersuchungsgebieten ad{\"a}quat wiederzugeben. Auf der Grundlage der Modellierung des Wasserhaushaltes wurden mit SWIM die Stoffumsatzprozesse f{\"u}r den Zeitraum 1996 - 2000 simuliert. Um dabei besonders das Prozessgeschehen im Tiefland zu ber{\"u}cksichtigen, war die Erweiterung von SWIM um einen Ammonium-Pool mit dessen Umsatzprozessen erforderlich. Außerdem wurde der Prozess der N{\"a}hrstoffversickerung so erg{\"a}nzt, dass neben Nitrat auch Ammonium und Phosphat durch das gesamte Bodenprofil verlagert und {\"u}ber die Abflusskomponenten zum Gebietsauslass transportiert werden k{\"o}nnen. Mit diesen Modellerweiterungen konnten die Stickstoff und Phosphorprozesse in den Untersuchungsgebieten gut abgebildet werden. Mit dem so validierten Modell wurden weitere Anwendungen erm{\"o}glicht. N{\"a}hrstoffsimulationen f{\"u}r den Zeitraum 1981 bis 2000 dienten der Untersuchung des abnehmenden Trends in den N{\"a}hrstoffkonzentrationen der Nuthe. Die Untersuchungsergebnisse lassen deutlich erkennen, dass sich die Konzentrationen nach 1990 haupts{\"a}chlich auf Grund der Reduzierung der Eintr{\"a}ge aus punktf{\"o}rmigen Quellen und Rieselfeldern verringert haben. Weitere Modellrechnungen zur Herkunft der N{\"a}hrstoffe haben ergeben, dass Nitrat {\"u}berwiegend aus diffusen Quellen, Ammonium und Phosphat dagegen aus punktf{\"o}rmigen Quellen stammen. Als besonders sensitiv auf die Modellergebnisse haben sich die Parameter zu Landnutzung und -management und die Durchwurzelungstiefe der Pflanzen herausgestellt. Abschließend wurden verschiedene Landnutzungsszenarien angewendet. Die Ergebnisse zu den Szenariorechnungen zeigen, dass fast alle vorgegebenen Landnutzungsszenarien zu einer Verringerung der Stickstoff- bzw. Phosphoremissionen f{\"u}hrten. Die Anwendung von Szenarien, die alle relevanten Zielvorgaben und Empfehlungen zum Ressourcenschutz ber{\"u}cksichtigen, zeigen die gr{\"o}ßten Ver{\"a}nderungen.}, language = {de} }