@article{MetzvonOppenTielboerger2015,
  author    = {Metz, Johannes and von Oppen, Jonathan and Tielb{\"o}rger, Katja},
  title     = {Parental environmental effects due to contrasting watering adapt competitive ability, but not drought tolerance, in offspring of a semi-arid annual Brassicaceae},
  series = {The journal of ecology},
  volume    = {103},
  journal   = {The journal of ecology},
  number    = {4},
  publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell},
  address   = {Hoboken},
  issn      = {0022-0477},
  doi       = {10.1111/1365-2745.12411},
  pages     = {990 -- 997},
  year      = {2015},
  abstract  = {Parental effects (PE) can be adaptive and improve offspring performance when parents and offspring experience similar environmental conditions. However, it is unknown whether adaptive PE exist also in habitats where such similarity is unlikely due to strong temporal variation. In particular, we do not know whether PE can adapt offspring to fluctuating levels of neighbour competition in such habitats. Here, we tested for adaptive PE in terms of two key environmental factors in a semi-arid annual system, competition and drought. While rainfall was stochastic in the study site, the competitive environment was partly predictable: higher plant densities followed after favourable (rainy) years due to high seed production. We therefore expected PE to adapt the offspring's competitive ability to these (predictable) fluctuations in plant densities, rather than to adapt the offspring's drought tolerance to the (unpredictable) occurrence of intensified drought. Parental plants of Biscutella didyma, an annual Brassicaceae, were raised under favourable watering and under drought conditions. Offspring performance was then tested under a full-factorial combination of two neighbour regimes and six watering levels in the glasshouse. Offspring of parents grown under favourable conditions were stronger competitors. This was associated with a small shift in phenology but not with higher parental seed provisioning. Offspring from parents grown under drought showed no improved drought tolerance. Moreover, no PE were detectable when offspring were grown without neighbours. Our results suggest a novel path of adaptive PE: higher competitive ability was induced in offspring that were more likely to experience high neighbour densities. Together with the lack of adaptive PE towards drought tolerance, this emphasizes that a correlation between parental and offspring environment is crucial for adaptive PE to evolve. Our results also call for the inclusion of competitive effects in future PE studies.Synthesis. This study demonstrates the important role of adaptive PE for plant fitness (regarding competition) but also their limits (regarding drought) in temporally variable environments, based on the predictability of the respective environmental factor.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{KoechyTielboerger2007,
  author    = {K{\"o}chy, Martin and Tielb{\"o}rger, Katja},
  title     = {Hydrothermal time model of germination : parameters for 36 Mediterranean annual species based on a simplified approach},
  issn      = {1439-1791},
  doi       = {10.1016/j.baae.2006.04.002},
  year      = {2007},
  abstract  = {Germination rates and germination fractions of seeds can be predicted well by the hydrothermal time (HTT) model. Its four parameters hydrothermal time, minimum soil temperature, minimum soil moisture, and variation of minimum soil moisture, however, must be determined by lengthy germination experiments at combinations of several levels of soil temperature and moisture. For some applications of the HTT model it is more important to have approximate estimates for many species rather than exact values for only a few species. We suggest that minimum temperature and variation of minimum moisture can be estimated from literature data and expert knowledge. This allows to derive hydrothermal time and minimum moisture from existing data from germination experiments with one level of temperature and moisture. We applied our approach to a germination experiment comparing germination fractions of wild annual species along an aridity gradient in Israel. Using this simplified approach we estimated hydrothermal time and minimum moisture of 36 species. Comparison with exact data for three species shows that our method is a simple but effective method for obtaining parameters for the HTT model. Hydrothermal time and minimum moisture supposedly indicate climate related germination strategies. We tested whether these two parameters varied with the climate at the site where the seeds had been collected. We found no consistent variation with climate across species, suggesting that variation is more strongly controlled by site-specific factors.Abstract auch auf deutsch vorhanden:Keimungsgeschwindigkeit und Anteil gekeimter Samen lassen sich gut mit dem Hydrothermalzeit-Modell bestimmen. Dessen vier Parameter Hydrothermalzeit, Mindesttemperatur, Mindestbodenfeuchte und Streuung der Mindestbodenfeuchte m{\"u}ssen jedoch durch aufwendige Keimungsversuche bei Kombinationen von mehreren Temperatur- und Feuchtigkeitsstufen bestimmt werden. F{\"u}r manche Anwendungen des Hydrothermalzeit-Modells sind aber ungef{\"a}hre Werte f{\"u}r viele Arten wichtiger als genaue Werte f{\"u}r wenige Arten. Wenn die Mindesttemperatur und die Streuung der Mindestfeuchte aus Ver{\"o}ffentlichungen und Expertenwissen gesch{\"a}tzt w{\"u}rde, k{\"o}nnen die Hydrothermalzeit und Mindestbodenfeuchte aus vorhandenen Daten von Keimungsversuchen mit nur einer Temperatur- und Feuchtigkeitsstufe berechnet werden. Wir haben unseren Ansatz auf einen Keimungsversuch zum Vergleich der Keimungsquote wilder einj{\"a}hriger Arten entlang eines Trockenheitsgradienten in Israel angewendet. Mit diesem Ansatz bestimmten wir die Hydrothermalzeit und Mindestfeuchtigkeit von 36 Arten. Der Vergleich mit genauen Werten f{\"u}r drei Arten zeigt, dass mit unserem Ansatz Hydrothermalzeit-Parameter einfach und effektiv bestimmt werden k{\"o}nnen. Hydrothermalzeit und Mindestfeuchtigkeit sollten auch bestimmte klimabedingte Keimungsstrategien anzeigen. Deshalb testeten wir, ob diese zwei Parameter mit dem Klima am Ursprungsort der Samen zusammenh{\"a}ngen. Wir fanden jedoch keinen f{\"u}r alle Arten {\"u}bereinstimmenden Zusammenhang, so dass die Unterschiede vermutlich st{\"a}rker durch stand{\"o}rtliche als durch klimatische Ursachen hervorgerufen werden.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{SchiffersSchurrTielboergeretal.2008,
  author    = {Schiffers, Katja and Schurr, Frank Martin and Tielb{\"o}rger, Katja and Urbach, Carsten and Moloney, Kirk A. and Jeltsch, Florian},
  title     = {Dealing with virtual aggregation : a new index for analysing heterogeneous point patterns},
  issn      = {0906-7590},
  doi       = {10.1111/j.0906-7590.2008.05374.x},
  year      = {2008},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{SchiffersTielboerger2006,
  author    = {Schiffers, Katja and Tielb{\"o}rger, Katja},
  title     = {Ontogenetic shifts in interactions among annual plants},
  doi       = {10.1111/j.1365-2745.2006.01097.x},
  year      = {2006},
  abstract  = {1.Interactions among plants are key processes that strongly influence the structure and dynamics of plant populations and communities. However, most empirical studies of plant-plant inter­actions failed to repeatedly measure the plants? response to neighboring individuals and thereby neglected possible changes in interactions through­out the life history of the plants.2.Here, we tested the hypo­thesis that competition between annual species intensifies from early to late life history stages. To test this hypothesis, we sequentially measured interactions at different levels of water stress. 3.For this purpose, we con­ducted neighbor-removal experiments in three study sites located along a climatic gradient in Israel. The two annual species Biscutella didyma and Hymenocarpos circinnatus were used as target plants. They grew with and without neighbors in their natural habitats. Five response variables, according to the consecutive life-history stages, (seedling survival, juvenile biomass, adult survival, number of seeds and final biomass) were recorded through­out the whole growing season. 4.The results suggest that direction and inten­sity of inter­actions varied consider­ably between environ­ments and life stages. On average, growth-related response variables indicated higher competition intensity at the productive end of the climatic gradient, while survival indicated either facilitation at the dry end or no trend along the gradient. 5.Considering the temporal aspect, moderate facili­tation short after germi­nation shifted to strong compe­tition at the end of the growing season. 6.Our results highlight that the outcome of experi­mental studies on plant-plant inter­actions may not only depend on the environ­mental productivity but even more on the life stage at which a target plant is found.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{BroseTielboerger2005,
  author    = {Brose, Ulrich and Tielb{\"o}rger, Katja},
  title     = {Subtle differences in environmental stress along a flooding gradient affect the importance of inter-specific competition in an annual plant community},
  issn      = {1385-0237},
  year      = {2005},
  abstract  = {Empirical evidence suggests that the direction and intensity of plant-plant interactions may depend on the favourability of the environment. Previous studies have mainly focused on steep gradients of environmental stress or disturbance, while the interplay of competition and environment has not been tested for subtle environmental differences. Here, we present results from a study on plant communities of temporary wetlands in East-German farmland. Due to yearly ploughing in autumn, the vegetation is composed of annual species. Flooding does not affect adult plants and the elevation on the gradient expresses differences in the length of the growing season rather than in disturbance intensity or severe environmental stress. We tested whether such subtle differences in environmental stress may affect the importance of interspecific competition by the dominant species. Two treatments were applied at two elevations: removal of the dominant species (Matricaria maritima ssp. inodora) and reciprocal transplants of the seed-bank of the two elevations. At both elevations, removal of Matricaria inodora led to an increase in total species richness and number of wetland species, but the effects were substantially stronger at high elevations. Removal and the elevation on the flooding gradient significantly influenced the plant community composition. In particular, the weed communities became more similar to the wetland communities after the removal. Transplanted weed species did not emerge at low elevations. While two of four target species had significantly higher densities after the removal at high elevations, none of them was influenced by removal at low elevations. This indicates that, consistent with previous studies from other habitat types, competition by the dominant species was more intense under conditions of low environmental stress. The overall results suggest that both flooding as well as interspecific competition are important in structuring the plant communities along the freshwater gradient studied},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{DeutschewitzTielboergerLausch2003,
  author    = {Deutschewitz, Kirstin and Tielb{\"o}rger, Katja and Lausch, Angela},
  title     = {Erkl{\"a}rt strukturelle Diversit{\"a}t der Landschaft das Verbreitungsmuster von fremdl{\"a}ndischen Pflanzenarten?},
  year      = {2003},
  abstract  = {Recently, much ecological research has focused on predicting invasions of alien species in order to prevent potentially negative effects of such invasions. In this study, we utilize novel methods of landscape ecology for testing the hypothesis that increasing structural diversity correlates with an increasing number of alien plant species. Our overall findings support this hypothesis and suggest that in the studied area (RB Dessau, Sachsen Anhalt, Germany), species richness of neophytes is positively correlated with the diversity in land-use types and structures. However, this relationship between structural diversity and species diversity applied for native spe-cies, too. Furthermore, our results support findings of previous studies which show that neophytes occur mainly in artificially or naturally disturbed areas. Our overall findings highlight the use of landscape-scale ecological methods for studying plant distribution patterns.},
  language  = {de}
}
@article{TschoepeTielboerger2010,
  author    = {Tsch{\"o}pe, Okka and Tielb{\"o}rger, Katja},
  title     = {The role of successional stage and small-scale disturbance for establishment of pioneer grass Corynephorus canescens},
  issn      = {1402-2001},
  doi       = {10.1111/j.1654-109X.2009.01072.x},
  year      = {2010},
  abstract  = {Question Which mechanisms promote the maintenance of the protected pioneer grass Corynephorus canescens in a mosaic landscape? Which are the interactive effects of small-scale disturbances, successional stage and year-to-year variation on early establishment probabilities of C. canescens? Location Brandenburg, NE Germany. Methods We measured emergence and survival rates over 3 yr in a sowing-experiment conducted in three successional stages (C. canescens- dominated site, ruderal forb site and pioneer forest) under two different regimes of mechanical ground disturbance (disturbed versus undisturbed control). Results Overall, disturbance led to higher emergence in a humid year and to lower emergence in a very dry year. Apparently, when soil moisture was sufficient, the main factor limiting C. canescens' establishment was competition, while in the dry year, water became the limiting factor. Survival rates were not affected by disturbance. In humid years, C. canescens emerged in higher numbers in open successional stages while in the dry year, emergence rates were higher in late stages, suggesting an important role of late successional stages for the persistence of C. canescens. Conclusions Our results suggest that small-scale disturbances can promote germination of C. canescens. However, disturbances should be carefully planned. The optimal strategy for promoting C. canescens is to apply disturbances just before seed dispersal and not during dry years. At the landscape scale, a mosaic of different vegetation types is beneficial for the protected pioneer grass as facilitation by late-successional species may be an important mechanism for the persistence of C. canescens, especially in dry years.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{MoloneyHolzapfelTielboergeretal.2009,
  author    = {Moloney, Kirk A. and Holzapfel, Claus and Tielb{\"o}rger, Katja and Jeltsch, Florian and Schurr, Frank Martin},
  title     = {Rethinking the common garden in invasion research},
  issn      = {1433-8319},
  doi       = {10.1016/j.ppees.2009.05.002},
  year      = {2009},
  abstract  = {In common garden experiments, a number of genotypes are raised in a common environment in order to quantify the genetic component of phenotypic variation. Common gardens are thus ideally suited for disentangling how genetic and environmental factors contribute to the success of invasive species in their new non-native range. Although common garden experiments are increasingly employed in the study of invasive species, there has been little discussion about how these experiments should be designed for greatest utility. We argue that this has delayed progress in developing a general theory of invasion biology. We suggest a minimum optimal design (MOD) for common garden studies that target the ecological and evolutionary processes leading to phenotypic differentiation between native and invasive ranges. This involves four elements: (A) multiple, strategically sited garden locations, involving at the very least four gardens (2 in the native range and 2 in the invaded range); (B) careful consideration of the genetic design of the experiment; (C) standardization of experimental protocols across all gardens; and (D) care to ensure the biosafety of the experiment. Our understanding of the evolutionary ecology of biological invasions will be greatly enhanced by common garden studies, if and only if they are designed in a more systematic fashion, incorporating at the very least the MOD suggested here.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{BeyerTielboergerBlumeetal.1998,
  author    = {Beyer, Lothar and Tielb{\"o}rger, Katja and Blume, Hans-Peter and Pfisterer, Ulrich and PingPank, K. and Podlech, Dieter},
  title     = {Geo-ecological soil features and the vegetation pattern of an arid dune area in the Northern Negev, Israel},
  year      = {1998},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{Tielboerger1997,
  author    = {Tielb{\"o}rger, Katja},
  title     = {The vegetation of linear desert dunes in the north-western Negev, Israel},
  year      = {1997},
  abstract  = {In 1992, the flora and vegetation of an area of linear sand dunes at Nizzana, western Negev desert, Israel, was investigated. Seven different plant communities were found and a vegetation map of the research area was produced. The plant communities were distinguished by only the dominating perennial species. Nevertheless, the results of the study indicate, that also annual species may be suitable as a tool to distinguish between desert plant communities.},
  language  = {en}
}