Design, Implementation and Performance of an Ecosystem
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Design, implementation and performance of an ecosystem monitoring program in Biosphere Reserves The Long-term Observation of Ecosystems in the Biosphere Reserves in the federal state Brandenburg (ÖUB) Vera Luthardt, Thomas Lüdicke, Robert Probst Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development, Department of Landscape Management and Nature Conservation Introduction and presentation of the program The MAB committee of UNESCO describes the Tab.1: Main aims of the ecological long-term observation in the Biosphere Reserves implementation of ecological monitoring as one task in Brandenburg ÖUB (LUGV 2015) -Excerpt of Biosphere Reserves (BR), adding to their ► Documentation of the development of the ecosystem protection and sustainable development functions. Drawing conclusions out of the assessment of areas concerning nature ► conservation In the late 1990s, the federal environmental agency of Formulation of new strategies for the future use and management of ► Brandenburg installed a large all-embracing ecosystems ecosystem monitoring program (ÖUB) for its three ► Support for decision making in sustainable land use Biosphere Reserves (Fig.1). It includes an Support for reporting within the international framework of MAB-Network observation of all ecosystem-compartments such as ► / continuous regional environmental reporting soil, water, vegetation and fauna (LUGV 2015). It is oriented to the topical dimension. ► Validation and qualification of ecological modelling Fig.1: Localization of the three Biosphere Reserves in the federal state Brandenburg, Germany 1997 1999 2003 2004-2011 2015 2017 Concept of the ÖUB, Initial start of the Initial start of the First summarizing Evaluation of the Comprehensive developement of the observation at BR observation at BR reports of selected complete program summarizing report of all main aims and Schorfheide-Chorin Flusslandschaft Elbe ecosystems for the and adaption on observed ecosystems for search for and Spreewald different BRs contemporary the three BR with detailed observation sites problems analyses and estimations (Fig.2) Tab.2: Kind of ecosystem groups and Ecosystem Group BR SC BR SW BR FE number of monitoring areas of the ÖUB in the three biosphere reserves (BR) of Brandenburg – Schorfheide-Chorin (BR Woodland / forest 22 8 8 SC), Spreewald (BR SW), Flusslandschaft Grassland on mineral soils 3 5 5 Elbe (BR FE) Grassland on peatlands 3 4 1 Arable land 5 2 - Near-natural Fens 4 - 1 Lakes (* kettle holes,** 30/4* - 0/4** back water) Fig.2: General steps to create the program for the long-term observation in the Streams and ditches - 13 13 Biosphere Reserves of Brandenburg (Luthardt 2010) Sum of observation sites 71 32 32 Examples of Observation Analyses Development of plant specie richness at different Effects of changing groundwater level on different land use practices on arable land in the BR SC grassland types in the BR SW Background: since mid 90s, the groundwater table increases in the region (reached • Site pairs under organic and conventionally farming: peak around 2012) because of the restoration of coal mining areas no significant differences in chemical soil properties in the last 15 years, inclusively content of humus In grassland areas with pasturing and mowing, plant species which indicate moderate humidity are displaced by wet land plants but higher plant species richness on organic farmed land and In 2016: Fluctuation backwards with a decrease of plants of wet conditions more equally distributed due to a series of very dry years (2013-2016) 20 100,0 18 90,0 16 80,0 14 70,0 12 2000 60,0 10 ELLENBERG 12) 2003 - 50,0 8 • effect of a fallow period on of 2006 F (7 40,0 6 2009 30,0 4 a sandy soil field in 2012 20,0 2 2016 Percentage 10,0 0 conventional use Mean plant species Mean plant richness transect on 0,0 Sommerpolder Nord Filow Schappigk 1999 2007 2010 2013 1999 2007 2010 2013 2000 2004 2007 2010 2000 2004 2007 2010 1999 2007 2010 2013 Wilmersdorf Schmiedeberg Brodowin Bölkendorf Werbellin Upper Spreewald Fig.4: Percentage of plant species (A1 n=31) (A2 n=39) (A4 n=21) (A5 n=19) (A3 n=28) with an „F-Zahl“ according to 0 Partially waterlogged deeploam Deeploam and loamy soil Sandy Soil Schappigk -10 ELLENBERG 7-12 (7 = wet, 12 = Fig.3: Wild plant species richness measured in a transect -20 water plants) and the main course of -30 2 Sommerpolder Nord the groundwater table in the last (average number of transect points with 6,3 m ) of organic -40 surface [cm] -50 years at three observation sites of farmed land (green) in comparison with conventionally Filow farmed land (yellow) water table below -60 the ÖUB in the „Upper Spreewald“ in Jul 98 Jan 04 Jul 09 Dez 14 Jun 20 Date the BR Spreewald Outlook The knowledge gained from this monitoring program is very useful to support future view on the complex landscape development. Similar to that, higher monitoring scales management decisions to maintain and advance biodiversity in Biosphere Reserves. The than the „integrated monitoring“ introduced by Gehrlein et al. (2014) are able to deal effect and out-put of long-term observation will increase with every year of observation. better with the complex requirements of decisions making in sustainable land-use and The impact of climate change will become more defined and land use practices can be regional development. Observations on topical scale can support these monitoring adapted better to new conditions. To achieve the optimal benefit, observations on topical approaches. scale have to be complemented with analyses on chorical scale to get a more accurate More information under: Gehrlein, U., Baranek, E.; Schubert, St. & P. Süß 2014. Ein integratives Monitoringprogramm für Nationale Naturlandschaften – Chancen und Herausforderungen. NuL 89. 465-470. LUGV / Landesamt für Umwelt, Gesundheit und Verbraucherschutz des Landes Brandenburg [Hrsg] 2015. Lebensräume im Wandel - Ökosystemare Umweltbeobachtung in den http://lanuweb.fh-eberswalde.de/oeub/ Biosphärenreservaten Brandenburgs . Broschüre, Potsdam. 120 S. Luthardt, V. 2010. Monitoring of ecosystems: two different approaches - long-term observation versus success control. In: Müller, F.; Baessler, C.; Schubert, H.; Klotz, St.: Long-term ecological Kontakt: Vera.Luthardt@hnee.de research - between theory and application, Springer Verlag, Heidelberg, pp. 317-325..