Refine
Year of publication
Document Type
- Article (39)
- Monograph/Edited Volume (1)
- Doctoral Thesis (1)
- Postprint (1)
- Preprint (1)
Is part of the Bibliography
- yes (43)
Keywords
- Aluize (2)
- Changane (2)
- biological soil crusts (2)
- droughts (2)
- floating mat (2)
- flooded grasslands (2)
- multi‐ year flooding cycle (2)
- plant clonality (2)
- seed bank (2)
- temporary wetland (2)
Institute
Aims: Factors limiting distributions of species are fundamental to ecology and evolution but have rarely been addressed experimentally for multiple species. The conspicuous linear distribution patterns of plant species confined to river corridors in the Central European lowlands constitute an especially long-standing distribution puzzle. We experimentally tested our novel hypothesis that the tolerance of species to river corridor conditions is independent of the degree of confinement to river corridor habitats, but that species not confined to river corridors are better able to take advantage of the more benign non-river corridor conditions. Methods: We grew 42 herbaceous species differing in their confinement to river corridors in a common garden experiment on loamy soil typical for river corridor areas and sandy soil typical for non-river corridor areas, and with and without a flooding period. For a subset of species, we grew plants of both river corridor and non-river corridor origin to test for adaptation to river corridor conditions. Important findings: Species more confined to river corridor areas benefited less from the more benign non-flooded and non-river corridor soil conditions than species of wider distributional range did. For subsets of 7 and 12 widespread species, the response to flooding and soil origin, respectively, did not differ between plants from river corridor sites and plants from other sites, suggesting that the habitat tolerance of widespread species is clue to phenotypic plasticity rather than to local adaptation. Overall, we found clear support for our novel hypothesis that species not confined to river corridors are more able to take advantage of the more benign non-river corridor conditions. Our study provides a general hypothesis on differences between species confined to stressful habitats and widespread species out for test in further multispecies comparative experiments.
The long-term persistence of populations and species depends on the successful recruitment of individuals. The generative recruitment of plants may be limited by a lack of suitable germination and establishment conditions. Establishment limitation may especially be caused by the competitive effect of surrounding dense vegetation, which is believed to restrict the recruitment success of many plant species to small open patches ('safe sites'). We conducted experiments to clarify the roles of germination and seedling establishment as limiting processes in the recruitment of Juncus atratus Krock., a rare and threatened herbaceous perennial river corridor plant in Central Europe. Light intensity had a positive effect on germination. However, some seedlings emerged even in total darkness and the germination rate at 1% light intensity was more than half of that at 60% light intensity. Seedling establishment in the field after 10 weeks was 30% on bare ground, but it was close to zero in grassland. Establishment in the growth chamber after 8 weeks was close to 75% for seedlings that germinated underwater, but only about 35% for seedlings that germinated afloat. Furthermore, establishment decreased with flooding duration on bare ground, but increased with flooding duration in grassland. These data indicate that establishment, rather than germination, is a critical life stage in Central European populations off. atratus. They furthermore indicate that the competition of surrounding vegetation for water limits seedling establishment under field conditions without flooding, largely restricting establishment success to bare ground habitats. In contrast, grassland is more suitable for the recruitment off. atratus than bare ground under prolonged flooding. Grassland may facilitate the establishment off. atratus seedlings during long- lasting floods by supplying oxygen to the soil through aerenchyma. The shift from competition to facilitation in grassland occurred after 30 days of flooding, i.e. within the ontogeny of individual plants. The specific recruitment requirements off. arrows may be a main cause of its rarity in modern Central Europe. In order to prevent regional extinction off. atratus, we suggest maintaining or re-establishing natural hydrodynamics in the species' habitats.
Since 1993 the southern shore of Lake Gülpe in western Brandenburg has been man-aged with Galloway cattle. This is supported by the so called "Vertragsnaturschutz" (i.e. contract nature conservation) in order to preserve the valuable, species-rich vegetation structure. This is an economically justifiable arrangement for the Galloway cattle-farmer. Permanent botanical plots were monitored in the area for four years. For most species, the observed changes in vegetation are considered as mere fluctuations on the basis of their known ecological requirements and data on hydrological dynamics during the study. Only a few species might indicate succession. A continuation of the present form of land management is recommended for the preservation of the current vegetation structure. However it is advisable to continue with monitoring of the vegetation in order to confirm the results over larger timescales. Until then the management with Galloway cattle is to acclaim as a proper treatment to preserve the southern shore of Lake Gülpe.
Since 1992 the southern shore of the Lake Gülpe in western Brandenburg is managed with Galloway cattle to preserve species, vegetation and landscape pattern. This paper presents the vegetation zones which are influenced by the water balance being the most significant and dynamic location factor in the area. Following the plots from dry to wet sites the most important plant communities are: Diantho-Armerietum, Arrhenatheretalia-Gesellschaft (-community), Leonotodon saxatilis -Potentilla anserina-community, Caricetum gracilis as well as Glycerietum aquaticae and Cypero- Samoletum. 23 endangered species were found.
Aim and Location In Central European lowland certain plant species grow mainly or exclusively in the corridors of large rivers. In German-speaking plant geography, they are known as "Stromtalpflanzen". The aim of this paper is to review the literature about definitions, explanations and species characteristics and to suggest future directions in research concerning this species group. Results A preliminary list contains 129 ecologically heterogeneous plant species. The mechanisms generating the peculiar distribution pattern may include hydrochory along river corridors, high level of disturbance by water, variable water availability including inundation and summer drought, warm summers, and high nutrient supply on alluvial soils. There is evidence from observational studies for all above mechanisms. However, none of them has been tested experimentally. Demographic data of river corridor plants is limited to very few species, including mainly invasive annuals (Artemisia annua, Bidens frondosa, Cuscuta campestris, Xanthium albinum) and annual (hemi)parasites (Cuscuta campestris, Melampyrum cristatum). Metapopulation studies do not exist to date for European species. part from their habitat requirements, river corridor plants were grouped according to their similarities in overall distribution pattern or in their distribution within particular river corridors. Main conclusions River corridor plants include a high proportion of threatened plant species. In order to preserve them, and in order to understand the mechanisms generating the peculiar distribution pattern, much more has to be known about their population biology and metapopulation dynamics.
Offenland - Management auf Truppenübungsplätzen im pleistozänen Flachland Nordostdeutschlands
(2002)
Rivers form the most important natural corridors through the landscape. Certain plant species grow mainly or exclusively in these corridors as it has been observed for about 150 years in Central European lowlands. However, these species do not form a homogenous group in terms of biogeography, site requirements, life form, or any other feature this distribution pattern. Accordingly, first, we give a review of the various hypotheses which have been proposed to explain the river corridor distribution pattern. This includes (1) river corridors acting as routes of migration or invasion, (2) floodplain-specific disturbance providing open sites, (3) temporary anoxic conditions during floods, (4) deviating meso-climatic conditions, (5) specific substrate and nutrient supply, and (6) water supply. In particular, the above hypotheses (2-5) imply that river corridor plants may be well-adapted to specific stress and regeneration conditions in floodplains while other species may be not. This may lead to reduced competition in river corridors. We suggest this mechanism to constitute actual benefits for river corridor plants. Secondly, we present a simple model of multi-species population dynamics to show, that our competition-related framework is, in principle, able to explain river corridor plant species distribution patterns. As, however, none of the above hypotheses (1-6) have been tested experimentally we thirdly present a currently running experimental study on the river corridor plant Juncus atratus (black rush) in north- eastern Germany. We emphasize that much more experimental evidence must be gained on population ecology and meta- population dynamics to understand the distribution patterns of river corridor plants.