TY  - JOUR
A1  - Lemke, Isgard H.
A1  - Kolb, Annette
A1  - Graae, Bente J.
A1  - De Frenne, Pieter
A1  - Acharya, Kamal P.
A1  - Blandino, Cristina
A1  - Brunet, Jorg
A1  - Chabrerie, Olivier
A1  - Cousins, Sara A. O.
A1  - Decocq, Guillaume
A1  - Heinken, Thilo
A1  - Hermy, Martin
A1  - Liira, Jaan
A1  - Schmucki, Reto
A1  - Shevtsova, Anna
A1  - Verheyen, Kris
A1  - Diekmann, Martin
T1  - Patterns of phenotypic trait variation in two temperate forest herbs along a broad climatic gradient
JF  - Plant ecology : an international journal
N2  - Phenotypic trait variation plays a major role in the response of plants to global environmental change, particularly in species with low migration capabilities and recruitment success. However, little is known about the variation of functional traits within populations and about differences in this variation on larger spatial scales. In a first approach, we therefore related trait expression to climate and local environmental conditions, studying two temperate forest herbs, Milium effusum and Stachys sylvatica, along a similar to 1800-2500 km latitudinal gradient. Within each of 9-10 regions in six European countries, we collected data from six populations of each species and recorded several variables in each region (temperature, precipitation) and population (light availability, soil parameters). For each plant, we measured height, leaf area, specific leaf area, seed mass and the number of seeds and examined environmental effects on within-population trait variation as well as on trait means. Most importantly, trait variation differed both between and within populations. Species, however, differed in their response. Intrapopulation variation in Milium was consistently positively affected by higher mean temperatures and precipitation as well as by more fertile local soil conditions, suggesting that more productive conditions may select for larger phenotypic variation. In Stachys, particularly light availability positively influenced trait variation, whereas local soil conditions had no consistent effects. Generally, our study emphasises that intra-population variation may differ considerably across larger scales-due to phenotypic plasticity and/or underlying genetic diversity-possibly affecting species response to global environmental change.
KW  - Climate change
KW  - Global environmental change
KW  - Milium effusum
KW  - Phenotypic plasticity
KW  - Intraspecific variation
KW  - Stachys sylvatica
Y1  - 2015
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-015-0534-0
SN  - 1385-0237
SN  - 1573-5052
VL  - 216
IS  - 11
SP  - 1523
EP  - 1536
PB  - Springer
CY  - Dordrecht
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Diekmann, Martin
A1  - Andres, Christian
A1  - Becker, Thomas
A1  - Bennie, Jonathan
A1  - Blueml, Volker
A1  - Bullock, James M.
A1  - Culmsee, Heike
A1  - Fanigliulo, Miriam
A1  - Hahn, Annett
A1  - Heinken, Thilo
A1  - Leuschner, Christoph
A1  - Luka, Stefanie
A1  - Meissner, Justus
A1  - Müller, Josef
A1  - Newton, Adrian
A1  - Peppler-Lisbach, Cord
A1  - Rosenthal, Gert
A1  - van den Berg, Leon J. L.
A1  - Vergeer, Philippine
A1  - Wesche, Karsten
T1  - Patterns of long-term vegetation change vary between different types of semi-natural grasslands in Western and Central Europe
JF  - Journal of vegetation science
N2  - Questions Has plant species richness in semi-natural grasslands changed over recent decades? Do the temporal trends of habitat specialists differ from those of habitat generalists? Has there been a homogenization of the grassland vegetation? Location Different regions in Germany and the UK. Methods We conducted a formal meta-analysis of re-survey vegetation studies of semi-natural grasslands. In total, 23 data sets were compiled, spanning up to 75 years between the surveys, including 13 data sets from wet grasslands, six from dry grasslands and four from other grassland types. Edaphic conditions were assessed using mean Ellenberg indicator values for soil moisture, nitrogen and pH. Changes in species richness and environmental variables were evaluated using response ratios. Results In most wet grasslands, total species richness declined over time, while habitat specialists almost completely vanished. The number of species losses increased with increasing time between the surveys and were associated with a strong decrease in soil moisture and higher soil nutrient contents. Wet grasslands in nature reserves showed no such changes or even opposite trends. In dry grasslands and other grassland types, total species richness did not consistently change, but the number or proportions of habitat specialists declined. There were also considerable changes in species composition, especially in wet grasslands that often have been converted into intensively managed, highly productive meadows or pastures. We did not find a general homogenization of the vegetation in any of the grassland types. Conclusions The results document the widespread deterioration of semi-natural grasslands, especially of those types that can easily be transformed to high production grasslands. The main causes for the loss of grassland specialists are changed management in combination with increased fertilization and nitrogen deposition. Dry grasslands are most resistant to change, but also show a long-term trend towards an increase in more mesotrophic species.
KW  - dry grasslands
KW  - fragmentation
KW  - homogenization
KW  - management
KW  - meta-analysis
KW  - nitrogen deposition
KW  - quasi-permanent plot
KW  - re-survey
KW  - species richness
KW  - wet grasslands
Y1  - 2019
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.12727
SN  - 1100-9233
SN  - 1654-1103
VL  - 30
IS  - 2
SP  - 187
EP  - 202
PB  - Wiley
CY  - Hoboken
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Graae, Bente J.
A1  - De Frenne, Pieter
A1  - Kolb, Annette
A1  - Brunet, Jorg
A1  - Chabrerie, Olivier
A1  - Verheyen, Kris
A1  - Pepin, Nick
A1  - Heinken, Thilo
A1  - Zobel, Martin
A1  - Shevtsova, Anna
A1  - Nijs, Ivan
A1  - Milbau, Ann
T1  - On the use of weather data in ecological studies along altitudinal and latitudinal gradients
JF  - Oikos
N2  - Global warming has created a need for studies along climatic gradients to assess the effects of temperature on ecological processes. Altitudinal and latitudinal gradients are often used as such, usually in combination with air temperature data from the closest weather station recorded at 1.52 m above the ground. However, many ecological processes occur in, at, or right above the soil surface. To evaluate how representative the commonly used weather station data are for the microclimate relevant for soil surface biota, we compared weather station temperatures for an altitudinal (500900 m a.s.l.) and a latitudinal gradient (4968 degrees N) with data obtained by temperature sensors placed right below the soil surface at five sites along these gradients. The mean annual temperatures obtained from weather stations and adjusted using a lapse rate of -5.5 degrees C km-1 were between 3.8 degrees C lower and 1.6 degrees C higher than those recorded by the temperature sensors at the soil surface, depending on the position along the gradients. The monthly mean temperatures were up to 10 degrees C warmer or 5 degrees C colder at the soil surface. The within-site variation in accumulated temperature was as high as would be expected from a 300 m change in altitude or from a 4 degrees change in latitude or a climate change scenario corresponding to warming of 1.63.8 degrees C. Thus, these differences introduced by the decoupling are significant from a climate change perspective, and the results demonstrate the need for incorporating microclimatic variation when conducting studies along altitudinal or latitudinal gradients. We emphasize the need for using relevant temperature data in climate impact studies and further call for more studies describing the soil surface microclimate, which is crucial for much of the biota.
Y1  - 2012
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0706.2011.19694.x
SN  - 0030-1299
VL  - 121
IS  - 1
SP  - 3
EP  - 19
PB  - Wiley-Blackwell
CY  - Hoboken
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Kurze, Susanne
A1  - Heinken, Thilo
A1  - Fartmann, Thomas
T1  - Nitrogen enrichment of host plants has mostly beneficial effects on the life-history traits of nettle-feeding butterflies
JF  - Acta oecologica : international journal of ecology
N2  - Butterflies rank among the most threatened animal groups throughout Europe. However, current population trends differ among species. The nettle-feeding butterflies Aglais io and Aglais urticae cope successfully with the anthropogenic land-use change. Both species are assumed to be pre-adapted to higher nitrogen contents in their host plant, stinging nettle (Urtica dioica). However, it is currently unknown, whether this pre-adaptation enables both Aglais species to cope successfully or even to benefit from the excessive nitrogen availabilities in nettles growing in modern farmlands. For this reason, this study focused on the response of both Aglais species to unfertilized nettles compared to nettles receiving 150 or 300 kg N ha(-1) yr(-1) (i.e., common fertilizer quantities of modern-day agriculture). Fertilized nettles were characterized by higher nitrogen concentrations and lower C:N ratios compared to the control group. In both Aglais species, the individuals feeding on fertilized nettles had higher survival rates, shorter larval periods and heavier pupae and, in A. urticae also longer forewings. All these trait shifts are beneficial for the individuals, lowering their risk to die before reproduction and increasing their reproductive potential. These responses agree with the well-accepted nitrogen-limitation hypothesis predicting a positive relationship between the nitrogen content of the diet and the performance of herbivorous insects. Furthermore, our findings suggest that the increasing abundance of both Aglais species may result not only from the increasing spread of nettles into the farmland but also from changes in their quality due to the eutrophication of the landscape during recent decades.
KW  - Aglais
KW  - Fertilization
KW  - Host-plant quality
KW  - Landscape eutrophication
KW  - Nitrogen-limitation hypothesis
KW  - Rearing experiment
Y1  - 2017
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actao.2017.11.005
SN  - 1146-609X
SN  - 1873-6238
VL  - 85
SP  - 157
EP  - 164
PB  - Elsevier
CY  - Amsterdam
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Kurze, Susanne
A1  - Heinken, Thilo
A1  - Fartmann, Thomas
T1  - Nitrogen enrichment in host plants increases the mortality of common Lepidoptera species
JF  - Oecologia
N2  - The recent decline of Lepidoptera species strongly correlates with the increasing intensification of agriculture in Western and Central Europe. However, the effects of changed host-plant quality through agricultural fertilization on this insect group remain largely unexplored. For this reason, we tested the response of six common butterfly and moth species to host-plant fertilization using fertilizer quantities usually applied in agriculture. The larvae of the study species Coenonympha pamphilus, Lycaena phlaeas, Lycaena tityrus, Pararge aegeria, Rivula sericealis and Timandra comae were distributed according to a split-brood design to three host-plant treatments comprising one control treatment without fertilization and two fertilization treatments with an input of 150 and 300kgNha(-1)year(-1), respectively. In L.tityrus, we used two additional fertilization treatments with an input of 30 and 90kgNha(-1)year(-1), respectively. Fertilization increased the nitrogen concentration of both host-plant species, Rumex acetosella and Poa pratensis, and decreased the survival of larvae in all six Lepidoptera species by at least one-third, without clear differences between sorrel- and grass-feeding species. The declining survival rate in all species contradicts the well-accepted nitrogen-limitation hypothesis, which predicts a positive response in species performance to dietary nitrogen content. In contrast, this study presents the first evidence that current fertilization quantities in agriculture exceed the physiological tolerance of common Lepidoptera species. Our results suggest that (1) the negative effect of plant fertilization on Lepidoptera has previously been underestimated and (2) that it contributes to the range-wide decline of Lepidoptera.
KW  - Agricultural fertilization
KW  - Global change
KW  - Host-plant quality
KW  - Nitrogen-limitation hypothesis
KW  - Rearing experiment
Y1  - 2018
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-018-4266-4
SN  - 0029-8549
SN  - 1432-1939
VL  - 188
IS  - 4
SP  - 1227
EP  - 1237
PB  - Springer
CY  - New York
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Heinken, Thilo
A1  - Zippel, Elke
T1  - Natural re-colonization of experimental gaps by terricolous bryophytes in Central European pine forests
N2  - In northeastern German pine forests we studied re-colonization patterns of experimental gaps by four dominant bryophyte species (Dicranum scoparium, Hypnum jutlandicum, Pleurozium schreberi and Scleropodium purum) over three years. Both vegetation and litter layer were removed on 1 m(2) plots within +/- pure colonies of the experimental species, while the humus layer was left intact. All plots were vegetatively re-colonized by the species which was dominant before gap creation. Three mechanisms of re-colonization occurred and interacted: (1) advance of surrounding shoots from the edge into the gaps by clonal growth, (2) dispersal of detached single shoots as well as larger clumps of multiple shoots into the plots, resulting in new colonies by continuing growth, and (3) regeneration from a soil diaspore bank consisting of seemingly dead stem fragments in the humus layer of the gaps. Scleropodium purum, which occurs at locations with good water and nutrient supply, displayed the most rapid growth. Here, some plots were completely recovered after three years. Despite lower rates of advance from the edge, colonization of Hypnum jutlandicum was faster than and of Dicranum scoparium as fast than that of Pleurozium schreberi because of a larger diaspore bank. Thus, each bryophyte species was characterized by a different habitat occupation strategy. The different clonal colonization strategies account for the high competitive capacity and regeneration potential of the investigated bryophyte species in pine forests despite of the lack of generative reproduction. Experimental disturbance resulted in a temporary increase of bryophyte diversity, because short-lived Colonists with a low competitive capacity colonized the gaps, before they will be overgrown by the dominant Perennials
Y1  - 2004
SN  - 0029-5035
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - De Frenne, Pieter
A1  - Rodriguez-Sanchez, Francisco
A1  - Coomes, David Anthony
A1  - Bäten, Lander
A1  - Versträten, Gorik
A1  - Vellend, Mark
A1  - Bernhardt-Römermann, Markus
A1  - Brown, Carissa D.
A1  - Brunet, Jörg
A1  - Cornelis, Johnny
A1  - Decocq, Guillaume M.
A1  - Dierschke, Hartmut
A1  - Eriksson, Ove
A1  - Gilliam, Frank S.
A1  - Hedl, Radim
A1  - Heinken, Thilo
A1  - Hermy, Martin
A1  - Hommel, Patrick
A1  - Jenkins, Michael A.
A1  - Kelly, Daniel L.
A1  - Kirby, Keith J.
A1  - Mitchell, Fraser J. G.
A1  - Naaf, Tobias
A1  - Newman, Miles
A1  - Peterken, George
A1  - Petrik, Petr
A1  - Schultz, Jan
A1  - Sonnier, Gregory
A1  - Van Calster, Hans
A1  - Waller, Donald M.
A1  - Walther, Gian-Reto
A1  - White, Peter S.
A1  - Woods, Kerry D.
A1  - Wulf, Monika
A1  - Graae, Bente Jessen
A1  - Verheyen, Kris
T1  - Microclimate moderates plant responses to macroclimate warming
JF  - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
N2  - Recent global warming is acting across marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems to favor species adapted to warmer conditions and/or reduce the abundance of cold-adapted organisms (i.e., "thermophilization" of communities). Lack of community responses to increased temperature, however, has also been reported for several taxa and regions, suggesting that "climatic lags" may be frequent. Here we show that microclimatic effects brought about by forest canopy closure can buffer biotic responses to macroclimate warming, thus explaining an apparent climatic lag. Using data from 1,409 vegetation plots in European and North American temperate forests, each surveyed at least twice over an interval of 12-67 y, we document significant thermophilization of ground-layer plant communities. These changes reflect concurrent declines in species adapted to cooler conditions and increases in species adapted to warmer conditions. However, thermophilization, particularly the increase of warm-adapted species, is attenuated in forests whose canopies have become denser, probably reflecting cooler growing-season ground temperatures via increased shading. As standing stocks of trees have increased in many temperate forests in recent decades, local microclimatic effects may commonly be moderating the impacts of macroclimate warming on forest understories. Conversely, increases in harvesting woody biomass-e.g., for bioenergy-may open forest canopies and accelerate thermophilization of temperate forest biodiversity.
KW  - climate change
KW  - forest management
KW  - understory
KW  - climatic debt
KW  - range shifts
Y1  - 2013
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1311190110
SN  - 0027-8424
VL  - 110
IS  - 46
SP  - 18561
EP  - 18565
PB  - National Acad. of Sciences
CY  - Washington
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Maes, Sybryn L.
A1  - Blondeel, Haben
A1  - Perring, Michael P.
A1  - Depauw, Leen
A1  - Brumelis, Guntis
A1  - Brunet, Jörg
A1  - Decocq, Guillaume
A1  - den Ouden, Jan
A1  - Haerdtle, Werner
A1  - Hedl, Radim
A1  - Heinken, Thilo
A1  - Heinrichs, Steffi
A1  - Jaroszewicz, Bogdan
A1  - Kirby, Keith J.
A1  - Kopecky, Martin
A1  - Malis, Frantisek
A1  - Wulf, Monika
A1  - Verheyen, Kris
T1  - Litter quality, land-use history, and nitrogen deposition effects on topsoil conditions across European temperate deciduous forests
JF  - Forest ecology and management
N2  - Topsoil conditions in temperate forests are influenced by several soil-forming factors, such as canopy composition (e.g. through litter quality), land-use history, atmospheric deposition, and the parent material. Many studies have evaluated the effects of single factors on physicochemical topsoil conditions, but few have assessed the simultaneous effects of multiple drivers. Here, we evaluate the combined effects of litter quality, land-use history (past land cover as well as past forest management), and atmospheric deposition on several physicochemical topsoil conditions of European temperate deciduous forest soils: bulk density, proportion of exchangeable base cations, carbon/nitrogen-ratio (C/N), litter mass, bio-available and total phosphorus, pH(KCI)and soil organic matter. We collected mineral soil and litter layer samples, and measured site characteristics for 190 20 x 20 m European mixed forest plots across gradients of litter quality (derived from the canopy species composition) and atmospheric deposition, and for different categories of past land cover and past forest management. We accounted for the effects of parent material on topsoil conditions by clustering our plots into three soil type groups based on texture and carbonate concentration. We found that litter quality was a stronger driver of topsoil conditions compared to land-use history or atmospheric deposition, while the soil type also affected several topsoil conditions here. Plots with higher litter quality had soils with a higher proportion of exchangeable base cations, and total phosphorus, and lower C/N-ratios and litter mass. Furthermore, the observed litter quality effects on the topsoil were independent from the regional nitrogen deposition or the soil type, although the soil type likely (co)-determined canopy composition and thus litter quality to some extent in the investigated plots. Litter quality effects on topsoil phosphorus concentrations did interact with past land cover, highlighting the need to consider land-use history when evaluating canopy effects on soil conditions. We conclude that forest managers can use the canopy composition as an important tool for influencing topsoil conditions, although soil type remains an important factor to consider.
KW  - Soil fertility
KW  - Ancient forest
KW  - Post-agricultural forest
KW  - Coppice
KW  - High forest
KW  - pH
KW  - Phosphorus
KW  - Base cations
KW  - Nutrient cycling
KW  - Decomposition
Y1  - 2019
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2018.10.056
SN  - 0378-1127
SN  - 1872-7042
VL  - 433
SP  - 405
EP  - 418
PB  - Elsevier
CY  - Amsterdam
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Caron, Maria Mercedes
A1  - De Frenne, P.
A1  - Brunet, J.
A1  - Chabrerie, Olivier
A1  - Cousins, S. A. O.
A1  - De Backer, L.
A1  - Diekmann, M.
A1  - Graae, B. J.
A1  - Heinken, Thilo
A1  - Kolb, A.
A1  - Naaf, T.
A1  - Plue, J.
A1  - Selvi, F.
A1  - Strimbeck, G. R.
A1  - Wulf, Monika
A1  - Verheyen, Kris
T1  - Latitudinal variation in seeds characteristics of Acer platanoides and A. pseudoplatanus
JF  - Plant ecology : an international journal
N2  - Climate change will likely affect population dynamics of numerous plant species by modifying several aspects of the life cycle. Because plant regeneration from seeds may be particularly vulnerable, here we assess the possible effects of climate change on seed characteristics and present an integrated analysis of seven seed traits (nutrient concentrations, samara mass, seed mass, wing length, seed viability, germination percentage, and seedling biomass) of Acer platanoides and A. pseudoplatanus seeds collected along a wide latitudinal gradient from Italy to Norway. Seed traits were analyzed in relation to the environmental conditions experienced by the mother trees along the latitudinal gradient. We found that seed traits of A. platanoides were more influenced by the climatic conditions than those of A. pseudoplatanus. Additionally, seed viability, germination percentage, and seedling biomass of A. platanoides were strongly related to the seed mass and nutrient concentration. While A. platanoides seeds were more influenced by the environmental conditions (generally negatively affected by rising temperatures), compared to A. pseudoplatanus, A. platanoides still showed higher germination percentage and seedling biomass than A. pseudoplatanus. Thus, further research on subsequent life-history stages of both species is needed. The variation in seed quality observed along the climatic gradient highlights the importance of studying the possible impact of climate change on seed production and species demography.
KW  - Acer platanoides
KW  - Acer pseudoplatanus
KW  - Climate change
KW  - Seed traits
KW  - Latitudinal gradient
Y1  - 2014
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-014-0343-x
SN  - 1385-0237
SN  - 1573-5052
VL  - 215
IS  - 8
SP  - 911
EP  - 925
PB  - Springer
CY  - Dordrecht
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Schwarzer, Christian
A1  - Heinken, Thilo
A1  - Luthardt, Vera
A1  - Joshi, Jasmin Radha
T1  - Latitudinal shifts in species interactions interfere with resistance of southern but not of northern bog-plant communities to experimental climate change
JF  - The journal of ecology
N2  - The persistence of species under changed climatic conditions depends on adaptations and plastic responses to these conditions and on interactions with their local plant community resulting in direct and indirect effects of changed climatic conditions. Populations at species' range margins may be especially crucial in containing a gene pool comprising adaptations to extreme climatic conditions. Many species of northern European bog ecosystems reach their southern lowland range limit in central Europe. In a common-garden experiment, we experimentally assessed the impact of projected climatic changes on five bog-plant species (including peat moss Sphagnum magellanicum) sampled along a latitudinal gradient of 1400km from Scandinavia to the marginal lowland populations in Germany. Populations were cultivated in monocultures and in experimental communities composed of all five species from their local community, and exposed to five combinations of three climate treatments (warming, fluctuating water-tables, fertilization) in a southern common garden. Whereas most monocultures showed a decreasing biomass production from southern to northern origins under southern environmental conditions, in the experimental mixed-species communities, an increasing biomass production towards northern communities was observed together with a shift in interspecific interactions along the latitudinal gradient. While negative dominance effects prevailed in southern communities, higher net biodiversity effects were observed in northern subarctic communities. The combined effects of climate treatments increased biomass production in monocultures of most origins. In communities, however, overall the treatments did not result in significantly changed biomass production. Among individual treatments, water-table fluctuations caused a significant decrease in biomass production, but only in southern communities, indicating higher vulnerability to changed climatic conditions. Here, negative effects of climate treatments on graminoids were not compensated by the slightly increased growth of peat moss that benefited from interspecific interactions only in northern communities.Synthesis. We conclude that shifting interactions within multispecies communities caused pronounced responses to changed climatic conditions in wetland communities of temperate southern marginal, but not of northern subarctic origin. Therefore, future models investigating the impacts of climate change on plant communities should consider geographical variation in species interactions an important factor influencing community responses to changed climatic conditions.
KW  - additive partitioning of biodiversity effects
KW  - biodiversity
KW  - ecosystem services
KW  - ecosystem stability
KW  - intraspecific divergence
KW  - multifactorial environmental change
KW  - nitrogen deposition
KW  - northern peatlands
KW  - Sphagnum magellanicum
KW  - wetland ecosystems
Y1  - 2013
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.12158
SN  - 0022-0477
SN  - 1365-2745
VL  - 101
IS  - 6
SP  - 1484
EP  - 1497
PB  - Wiley-Blackwell
CY  - Hoboken
ER  -