A5086767227- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Plant and animal studies
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Ecosystem dynamics and resilience
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management
- Forest ecology and management
- African Botany and Ecology Studies
- Science and Climate Studies
- Sustainable Agricultural Systems Analysis
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Tree Root and Stability Studies
- Plant Ecology and Soil Science
- Oil Palm Production and Sustainability
- Pharmacological Effects of Medicinal Plants
- Plant responses to elevated CO2
- demographic modeling and climate adaptation
- Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics
- Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies
- Cocoa and Sweet Potato Agronomy
- Insect and Pesticide Research
- Ecology and biodiversity studies
- Research Data Management Practices
- Plant Diversity and Evolution
Universität Hamburg
2012-2024
Significance The stability of ecological communities under ongoing climate and land-use change is fundamental to the sustainable management natural resources through its effect on critical ecosystem services. Biodiversity hypothesized enhance compensatory effects (decreased synchrony between species). However, relative importance interplay different biotic abiotic drivers remain controversial. By analyzing long-term data from seminatural ecosystems across globe, we found that degree among...
The sand termite Psammotermes allocerus generates local ecosystems, so-called fairy circles, through removal of short-lived vegetation that appears after rain, leaving circular barren patches. Because rapid percolation and lack evapotranspiration, water is retained within the circles. This process results in formation rings perennial facilitate survival locally increase biodiversity. termite-generated ecosystem persists prolonged droughts lasting many decades.
The study was carried out in the Cusseque area of Municipality Chitembo south-central Angola. Our objectives were to assess floristic diversity, species composition, and stand structure Miombo woodlands during regeneration after shifting cultivation. A total 40 plots 1000 m 2 surveyed analyzed, corresponding mature forests/woodlands three fallow types different age. analyses based on plot inventories all trees with DBH ≥ 5 cm. 51 woody species, 38 genera, 19 families recorded. dominant...
Abstract Analysing temporal patterns in plant communities is extremely important to quantify the extent and consequences of ecological changes, especially considering current biodiversity crisis. Long‐term data collected through regular sampling permanent plots represent most accurate resource study succession, analyse stability a community over time understand mechanisms driving vegetation change. We hereby present LOng‐Term Vegetation Sampling (LOTVS) initiative, global collection...
Ecological theory posits that temporal stability patterns in plant populations are associated with differences species' ecological strategies. However, empirical evidence is lacking about which traits, or trade-offs, underlie species stability, especially across different biomes. We compiled a worldwide collection of long-term permanent vegetation records (greater than 7000 plots from 78 datasets) large range habitats we combined existing trait databases. tested whether the observed...
At present, there are two main hypotheses regarding the origin and life history of Namibian fairy circles (FCs). The first hypothesis (Juergens, 2013, 2015; Vlieghe et al., 2015) assumes that FCs a product herbivory, intraspecific competition chemical inhibition plant growth by sand termite Psammotermes allocerus (‘sand hypothesis’). second (Cramer & Barger, 2013; Getzin 2015b) for water among plants generates circular gaps in vegetation (‘plant hypothesis’) through self-organisation layer....
Abstract Questions Compensatory dynamics are described as one of the main mechanisms that increase community stability, e.g., where decreases some species on a year‐to‐year basis offset by an in others. Deviations from perfect synchrony between (asynchrony) have therefore been advocated important mechanism underlying biodiversity effects stability. However, it is unclear to what extent existing measures actually capture signal fluctuations presence long‐term directional trends both abundance...
In the hyperarid Namib Desert, sand termite Psammotermes allocerus Silvestri, 1908 (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) establishes colonies that create conspicuous, barren patches known as ‘fairy circles' on permeable, sandy soils. The central bare areas of fairy circles serve key function storing moisture received from sparse rainfall. soil texture allows rapid infiltration and percolation precipitation, while localized herbivory by termites creates patch, thereby reducing loss uptake transpiration...
Termite mounds contribute to the heterogeneity and productivity of many semi‐arid ecosystems worldwide. Regular spatial patterns termite are well documented but underlying pattern‐building mechanisms remain be clarified. This study analysed a comprehensive data set Macrotermes michaelseni mound metrics, dynamics, recorded 12 years apart within 1 km 2 Namibian thornbush savanna. We used both unmarked marked point pattern analyses assess distributions mounds. 485 in 2007 2019. Out investigated...
Abstract In many tropical ecosystems, termites are important ecosystem engineers. Mound‐building termite species often contribute to topographical landscape heterogeneity, and the associated accumulation of soil moisture nutrients affects spatial distribution plant communities. Plants that grow next mound known benefit from provided water storage. The other way around, protection against erosion cooling effects on microclimate mounds imposed by trees have been described. However, little is...
As a basis for conservation planning, first comprehensive vascular plant species checklist the core Richtersveld National Park was compiled, based on collection of more than 3000 new herbarium vouchers and in total studying over 8000 specimens 4000 iNaturalist observations. By end April 2024, 1077 indigenous taxa were recorded. The documented flora included 14 pteridophytes, 3 paleodicots, 246 monocotyledons 815 dicotyledons. A 99 families 392 genera largest family Asteraceae, second...
Summary Ecological theory posits that temporal stability patterns in plant populations are associated with differences species’ ecological strategies. However, empirical evidence is lacking about which traits, or trade-offs, underlie species stability, specially across different ecosystems. To address this, we compiled a global collection of long-term permanent vegetation records (>7000 plots from 78 datasets) wide range habitats and combined this existing trait databases. We tested...