Franz Makeschin

Effects of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization on mycorrhizal formation of two poplar clones (Populus trichocarpa and P. tremula x tremuloides)

Mineral fertilization is a common management practice in short rotation forestry. The mycorrhizal formation of trees can be affected by fertilizer applications, however, very little is known on such effects in arable soils. The effects of a nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilization on mycorrhizal formation of two poplar clones (Populus trichocarpa and P. tremula x tremuloides) were investigated at the plantation Abbachhof (South Germany). We determined the ectomycorrhizal colonization and the abundance of VAM spores in the soil during three years, and the species richness of sporocarps during one growing season. Approximately 26 to 73% of the fine roots of P. trichocarpa and 41 to 82% of the fine roots of P. tremula x tremuloides were colonized with ectomycorrhizal fungi. The percentage of ectomycorrizal colonization on P. tremula x tremuloides was significantly reduced after both fertilization treatments. On P. trichocarpa only the P-fertilization reduced the ectomycorrhizal colonization. The composition of ectomycorrhizal morphotypes was significantly affected by the N and P fertilization on P. tremula x tremuloides, but not on P. trichocarpa. Sporocarps of 12 ectomycorrhizal fungi species were found at the plantation. Cortinarius uliginosus, Lactarius controversus and Krombholziella aurantiaca produced sporocarps only on control plots, whereas Cortinarius croceocaeruleus, Inocybe umbrina, Laccaria tortilis, Paxillus involutus and Rhizopogon roseolus produced sporocarps only on fertilized plots. Inocybe geophylla, I. glabripes, Laccaria laccata and Tuber borchii produced sporocarps on both control and fertilized plots. The density of VAM spores was lower in the rooting zone of Populus trichocarpa than under P. tremula x tremuloides. In an efficient management of these short rotation plantations mineral fertilizer applications must be low enough to avoid undesired suppressions of mycorrhizal formation.

Assessment of the effects of forest land use strategies on the provision of ecosystem services at regional scale.

This paper presents results of a case study in Middle Saxony, Germany, where the impact of conversion, afforestation and alternatively introduction of short rotation coppice areas on the provision of ecosystem services was tested in a spatially inexplicit and a spatially explicit way to formulate recommendations for regional planning. While the spatially inexplicit testing did not lead to clear results regarding to what degree forests or short rotation coppice areas are desirable and applicable, the spatially explicit testing revealed that an increase in the forest area or area with short rotation coppice by 29.7% in unstructured agriculturally dominated Loess regions, 14.4% in more topographically structured parts in the North-East of the model region and 23.6% in its mountainous parts would be beneficial. Potentially resulting losses in the provision of bioresources and regional economy can be considerably reduced by replacing afforestation areas with short rotation coppice. In summary, we found that the spatially explicit analysis of land use scenarios in combination with a more detailed land use classification and including an assessment of changes in land use pattern gave us an improved basis for assessing different possible planning strategies and to enhance the communication between forest management planners and regional planners.

Pimp Your Landscape: A Tool for Qualitative Evaluation of the Effects of Regional Planning Measures on Ecosystem Services

The article presents the platform “Pimp your landscape” (PYL), which aims firstly at the support of planners by simulating alternative land-use scenarios and by an evaluation of benefits or risks for regionally important ecosystem services. Second, PYL supports an integration of information on environmental and landscape conditions into impact assessment. Third, PYL supports the integration of impacts of planning measures on ecosystem services. PYL is a modified 2-D cellular automaton with GIS features. The cells have the major attribute “land-use type” and can be supplemented with additional information, such as specifics regarding geology, topography and climate. The GIS features support the delineation of non-cellular infrastructural elements, such as roads or water bodies. An evaluation matrix represents the core element of the system. In this matrix, values in a relative scale from 0 (lowest value) to 100 (highest value) are assigned to the land-use types and infrastructural elements depending on their effect on ecosystem services. The option to configure rules for describing the impact of environmental attributes and proximity effects on cell values and land-use transition probabilities is of particular importance. User interface and usage of the platform are demonstrated by an application case. Constraints and limits of the recent version are discussed, including the need to consider in the evaluation, landscape-structure aspects such as patch size, fragmentation and spatial connectivity. Regarding the further development, it is planned to include the impact of land management practices to support climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies in regional planning.

Sediments in urban river basins: identification of sediment sources within the Lago Paranoá catchment, Brasilia DF, Brazil - using the fingerprint approach.

The development of effective sediment management strategies is a key requirement in tropical areas with fast urban development, like Brasilia DF, Brazil, because of the limited resources available. Accurate identification and management of sediment sources areas, however, is hampered by the dearth of reliable information on the primary sources of sediment. Few studies have attempted to quantify the source of sediment within fast urbanizing, mixed used, tropical catchments. In this study, statistically verified composite fingerprints and a multivariate mixing model have been used to identify the main land use specific sources of sediment deposited in the artificial Lago Paranoá, Central Brazil. Because of the variability of urban land use types within the Lago Paranoá sub-catchments, the fingerprinting approach was additionally undertaking for the Riacho Fundo sub-catchment. The main contributions from individual source types (i.e. surface materials from residential areas, constructions sites, road deposited sediment, cultivated areas, pasture, farm tracks, woodland and natural gullies) varied between the whole catchment and the Riacho Fundo sub-catchment, reflecting the different proportions of land uses. The sediments deposited in the silting zones of the Lago Paranoá originate largely from urban sources (85 ± 4%). Areas with (semi-) natural vegetation and natural gullies contribute 10 ± 2% of the sediment yield. Agricultural sites have only a minor sediment contribution of about 5 ± 4% within the whole catchment. Within the Riacho Fundo sub-catchment there is a significant contribution from urban (53 ± 4%) source, such as residential areas with semi-detached housings (42 ± 3%) with unpaved roads (12 ± 3%) and construction sites (20 ± 3%) and agricultural areas (31 ± 2%). The relative contribution from land use specific sources to the sediment deposition in the silting zone of the Lago Paranoá demonstrated that most of the sediment is derived from sites with high anthropogenic impact.

Pimp Your Landscape - a Generic Approach for Integrating Regional Stakeholder Needs into Land Use Planning

This article introduces Pimp your landscape, a tool that was developed for evaluating the effects of changes in land use patterns. The main application field is to support interactions and communication among actors in spatial planning. With this tool, different land use pattern alternatives can be visualized in a short time, and their impact on land use services can be evaluated immediately. Also, spatial training and environmental education with regard to sustainable land use management can be supported. The tool was developed in an iterative process, in close cooperation and over intensive exchanges with end-users. A resulting feature is the provision of two different modi oriented on the professional background and skills of the users. The biggest advantage of Pimp your landscape is the simple entry and handling. However, the system also offers the possibility to go in-depth and work with complex rule sets. The presented paper introduces the development background and development process of Pimp your landscape and describes the tool’s resulting concept and actual usage. Finally, possible constraints of the use of the system and potential workarounds are discussed.

Challenges of an integrated water resource management for the Distrito Federal, Western Central Brazil: climate, land-use and water resources

Land-use/cover change (LUCC) and climate change are major controlling factors for water resources in the Distrito Federal in Western Central Brazil. Dynamic LUCC in the region has severe impacts on water resources, while climate changes during the last three decades is thought to have only moderate effects. LUCC affects water quantity mostly during base flow conditions. River basins with substantial expansion of agriculture since the end 1970s show a dramatic decrease of base flow discharge by 40–70%, presumably due to irrigation. In contrast, the effects of urbanization on runoff are less distinct, since factors controlling runoff generation might be more variable. For water quality, we found urban areas to have a strong influence on the parameters CSB, NH4+, and suspended solids. In addition, we assume emerging pollutants, e.g. organic (micro)pollutants, might play a major role in the future. The project IWAS-ÁGUA DF focuses on creating the scientific base to face these problems in frame of an IWRM concept for the region. Results of our study will be a contribution to an IRWM concept for the Distrito Federal and will help to maintain high standards in water supply for the region.

Growth response of Populus trichocarpa to inoculation by the ectomycorrhizal fungus Laccaria laccata in a pot and a field experiment

The growth response of Populus trichocarpa cv. Muhle Larsen to inoculation by the ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungus Laccaria laccata was investigated in a pot and a field experiment on arable soils. Non-sterilized soil from a Cambisol in Wildeshausen (Lower Saxonia, Germany) was taken for the pot experiment. The field experiment was established at a reforestation plantation on Stagnic Gleysols in Leubnitz (Saxonia, Germany). Both arable soils were assumed to be low in indigenous ECM inoculum caused by the lack of host plants. The study was designed to determine (1) the ECM colonization on the poplar clone with or without inoculation in the pot and in the field experiment and (2) the effects of inoculation on plant growth parameters. In the pot experiment, 7% of fine roots of non-inoculated control plants and 18% of inoculated test plants were colonized with ECM fungi after one growing season. In the field experiment, 6% of fine roots were colonized with ECM fungi at the control plot and 20% at the inoculated plot after the first growing season. After the second growing season 50 or 53% were colonized, respectively. The inoculation by L. laccata caused significantly increased shoot lengths and leaf potassium concentrations of the poplar clone in the pot and field experiment after the first growing season. In the second growing season, only the leaf potassium concentrations were further increased compared to the non-inoculated control plants. The density of VAM spores in the soil and the leaf nitrogen, magnesium and calcium concentrations were significantly reduced after inoculation. However, after the second growing season there were no longer were significant differences in the ECM colonization and shoot lengths of inoculated or non-inoculated poplar cuttings. The results indicated that inoculation can be successfully used to increase ECM colonization and growth rates of P. trichocarpa on former arable soils in the first growth period. This could increase the resistance of the cuttings to soil-borne pathogens and their competitiveness for nutrients and space against weeds.

Indicative properties of fly-ash affected forest soils in Northeastern Germany

Many forest ecosystems in Germany are strongly influenced by emissions of pollutants like SO2 and alkaline dusts. To quantify and evaluate the consequences of long-term fly ash deposition on forest soils, a study was conducted in pine stands (Pinus sylvestris) in the Dubener Heide in Northeastern Germany. This forest area has been influenced mainly by emissions from coal-fired power plants and the chemical industry of the industrial region Bitterfeld-Wolfen-Zschornewitz since the early 1900. The study sites are located along a fly ash deposition gradient of 8, 16, 14, 18, and 25 km away from the main emission source in Bitterfeld (sites 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively). Samples of the organic horizons (Oi, Oe, and Oa) and mineral topsoil (0—10 cm) were taken in fall 1998 and analyzed for their ferromagnetic susceptibility and total ash content. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDX) were performed on selected samples to differentiate between the pedogenic and atmospheric origin of the mineral components in the organic horizons. As a result of the long-term deposition, ferromagnetic fly ash components are mainly accumulated in the Oe and Oa horizons of the forest soils studied. Ferromagnetic susceptibility was significantly higher (p ≤ 0.05) in the Oe horizon of sites 1 and 2 compared to sites 3, 4, and 5. Unusually high total ash contents for organic horizons of > 74 % were determined in the Oa at all sites. SEM revealed 3 distinct features of persistent fly ash deposits from coal-fired power plants within the organic horizons that can be defined as ”stable glasses” with magnetic properties, aluminum-silicate-minerals, and slag fragments. SEM and EDX indicated that a great portion of the mineral particles found in the organic horizons of forests soils influenced by fly ash are from atmospheric sources. For detection of atmospheric lignite-derived deposition into forest soils, the Oe and Oa horizons have to be considered as specific diagnostic horizons because they show indicative properties for such soils. Indikatoreigenschaften von flugaschebeeinflussten Waldboden in Nordostdeutschland Viele Waldokosysteme in Deutschland sind durch Emissionen von SO2 und alkalischen Stauben stark beeinflusst. Zur Erfassung und Bewertung der Folgen der langfristigen Flugaschedepositionen auf Waldboden wurden Untersuchungen auf Kiefernstandorten (Pinus sylvestris) der Dubener Heide, Nordostdeutschland, durchgefuhrt. Dieses Waldgebiet wurde seit Anfang 1900 hauptsachlich durch Emissionen von Braunkohlekraftwerken und der chemischen Industrie der Industrieregion Bitterfeld-Wolfen-Zschornewitz beeinflusst. Die Untersuchungen erfolgten entlang eines Flugaschedepositionsgradienten in Entfernung von 8, 16, 14, 18 und 25 km vom Hauptemittenten Bitterfeld (Standorte 1, 2, 3, 4 bzw. 5). Im Herbst 1998 wurden Proben der organischen Auflagehorizonte (L, Of und Oh) und des Mineralbodens (0—10 cm) entnommen und auf die ferromagnetische Suszeptibilitat und die Gesamtaschegehalte untersucht. Zur Differenzierung zwischen pedogener und atmospharischer Herkunft der mineralischen Partikel in den untersuchten organischen Auflagen wurden an ausgewahlten Proben rasterelektronenmikroskopische Aufnahmen (REM) und energiedispersive Rontgenmikroanalysen (EDX) durchgefuhrt. Als Ergebnis jahrzehntelanger Eintrage sind die Flugaschebestandteile hauptsachlich in den Of- und Oh-Horizonten der untersuchten Waldstandorte akkumuliert. Die ferromagnetische Suszeptibilitat war in den Of-Lagen der Standorte 1 und 2 signifikant hoher (P ≤ 0,05) als in jenen der Standorte 3, 4 und 5. Die Oh-Horizonte aller untersuchten Flachen wiesen hohe Gesamtaschegehalte von > 74 % auf. Mittels REM-Analyse konnten 3 typische Erscheinungsformen von persistenten Flugaschebestandteilen aus Braunkohlenkraftwerken innerhalb der organischen Auflagen bestimmt werden, welche als „stabile Glaser“ mit magnetischen Eigenschaften, Aluminium-Silikat-Mineralpartikel und Schlackefragmente definiert wurden. REM- und EDX-Analysen zeigten, dass ein groser Teil der Mineralpartikel, welche in den Humusauflagen von flugaschebeeinflussten Waldstandorten gefunden wurden, atmospharischen Quellen entstammen. Zum Nachweis von atmospharischen Eintragen aus Braunkohlekraftwerken sollten Of und Oh als diagnostische Horizonte berucksichtigt werden, da sie Indikatoreigenschaften fur derartig beeinflusste Standorte aufweisen.

Stratigraphic Distribution of Lignite-Derived Atmospheric Deposits in Forest Soils of the Upper Lusatian Region, East Germany

Atmospheric fly ash emissions from lignite-fired power plantsin the Upper Lusatian and Turówan mining districts stronglyaffected large forest areas along the German-Polish border. Afield study was conducted in old spruce stands (Piceaabies (L.) Karst.) to assess the stratigraphic distributionof fly ash in the forest floor and mineral topsoil in the St. Marienthal forest area in the eastern part of Saxony,Germany. This forest area is subjected to long-termatmospheric depositions by two German and one Polish powerplants since the early 1900s. The three study sites arelocated along a fly ash deposition gradient of 3, 6 and 15 kmfrom the power plant in Turów (Sites Ia, II and III,respectively). An additional site (Site Ib) at a distance of 3 km from Turów was chosen to study the influence of vegetationtype on fly ash deposition intensity in forest soils. Samplesof the humic layer (Oi (L), Oe (F) and Oa (H) horizons) andmineral soil (0–10 cm) were taken in Spring and Fall 1999 andanalysed for their ferromagnetic susceptibility and total ashcontent. Particle size distribution, magnetic susceptibilityof individual size fractions, scanning electron microscopy(SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDX) wereperformed on selected samples to evaluate the origin ofmineral particles found in the forest floor. High magneticsusceptibility of the Oa and Oe horizons is a result of thelong-term accumulation of lignite-derived atmospheric depositsin the forest floors of the studied area. Pure conifer stands(year-round filtration of airborne pollutants) resulted inhigher inputs of ferromagnetic fly ash particles in forestsoils. Unusually high total ash contents for humic horizons(up to 77%) were determined in the Oa and Oe horizons atSites Ia and IIb, indicating the need for a new classificationsystems for the organic layer in forest soils near coal-firedpower plants. SEM revealed 4 typical phases of persistent flyash deposits formed by combustion of Lusatian lignite: (1) iron-containing `stable glasses’, (2) aluminium-iron-silicate-minerals,(3) slag fragments and (4) lignite-derived fossilcarbon. Particle size analysis, magnetic susceptibilitymeasurements and SEM-EDX techniques indicated that a greatportion of the mineral particles found in the humic horizonsof forests soils are from atmospheric sources. Fly ashaccumulation consisting of ferromagnetic minerals contributesmainly to the 125–63 and <63 μm fractions in soils. EDXanalysis revealed that atmospheric input of lignite-derivedfly ash increases the contents of the following ecologicalrelevant elements in soils: carbon, iron, aluminium, calcium,potassium, sulphur, titanium and sodium.

Combating the effects of climatic change on forests by mitigation strategies

BackgroundForests occur across diverse biomes, each of which shows a specific composition of plant communities associated with the particular climate regimes. Predicted future climate change will have impacts on the vulnerability and productivity of forests; in some regions higher temperatures will extend the growing season and thus improve forest productivity, while changed annual precipitation patterns may show disadvantageous effects in areas, where water availability is restricted. While adaptation of forests to predicted future climate scenarios has been intensively studied, less attention was paid to mitigation strategies such as the introduction of tree species well adapted to changing environmental conditions.ResultsWe simulated the development of managed forest ecosystems in Germany for the time period between 2000 and 2100 under different forest management regimes and climate change scenarios. The management regimes reflect different rotation periods, harvesting intensities and species selection for reforestations. The climate change scenarios were taken from the IPCCs Special Report on Emission Scenarios (SRES). We used the scenarios A1B (rapid and successful economic development) and B1 (high level of environmental and social consciousness combined with a globally coherent approach to a more sustainable development). Our results indicate that the effects of different climate change scenarios on the future productivity and species composition of German forests are minor compared to the effects of forest management.ConclusionsThe inherent natural adaptive capacity of forest ecosystems to changing environmental conditions is limited by the long life time of trees. Planting of adapted species and forest management will reduce the impact of predicted future climate change on forests.