Ecosystem dynamics in time and space

11. April 2006

Introduction / Overview

SS 2006

Lecture/Seminar

Zeit: Mittwoch, 10-12 Uhr, oder?

Ort: Seminarraum, oder?

Language: English, oder?

Presentations @http://biogeo.botanik.uni-greifswald.de

Scroll „members“, „Wilmking“ and „teaching“

Kontakt: Dr. Martin Wilmking Münterstrasse 2, 1. Stock

Tel: 03834 – 864095

wilmking@uni-greifswald.dehttp://biogeo.botanik.uni-greifswald.de/

Overview I:

Ecosystem / Landscape characteristicsStructure

Interaction

Hierarchies in space and time

General System Theory

Stability and Instability

Self organization

Evolution

Overview II:

Application of realityReal systems in time and space

Landscape ecological complex analysis

Your contribution…

e.g. Dynamics of ecosystem boundaries

Use of models in ecosystem science

Design of Diplom thesis approach

Major goal for today:

Start you thinking about some of the concepts in ecological science

Maybe things are not as clear as we wish them to be

Questions to YOU at this point:

What constitutes / belongs to an ecosystem?

How big is an ecosystem?

Define “Landscape” / “Landschaft”

What is a “dissipative system”

What is landscape ecology?

Terms, definitions on and on:

Landscape / Ecosystem / Land-ecology / Landsystem / Total Human Ecosystem / Pattern and Process / ……

Terms, definitions on and on:Haase (1991): Der Begriff Landschaft bezeichnet Inhalt und Wesen eines von der Naturausstattung

vorgezeichneten und durch die Gesellschaft beeinflussten und gestalteten Raum als Ausschnitt der Erdhülle.

Zonnefeld (1995): „Landschap“ equals

1) Scenery (Landschaftsbild)

2) Pattern (Mosaik und Gefüge)

3) Ecosystem in a pragmatically thinking Holism = Land ecology

Terms, definitions on and on:Troll (1970): Landschaftsökologie, Geoökologie, Biogeocoenologie

alles das Gleiche

Hard (1983): Es gibt keine Landschaftsökologie im Sinne einer Ökologie der ganzen Landschaft, aber natürlich gibt es viele Ökologen die sich irgendwie mit landschaftlichen Phänomenen beschäftigen, und einige wenige nennen sich dann, die beschriebene Suggestionskraft der Landschaftsvokabel nutzend, Landschafts-ökologen.

Terms, definitions on and on:

Foreman and Godron (1986): We can now define landscape as a heterogeneous land area composed of a cluster of interacting ecosystems that repeat in similar form throughout.

Terms, definitions on and on:

Naveh and Lieberman (1994): The Total Human Ecosystem is the complex sum of all landscapes, interacting and integrating with human beings. Whereas the geosphere, biosphere and noosphere can be understood as subsystems of the landscape, the THE is the conceptual suprasystem.

Terms, definitions on and on:

Example: What is landscape?

Linguistic Landscapes: Concepts, languages and interpretation of the term „Landscape“ in European countries.

Ecosystem Ecology

Chapin et al. (2002): Study of interactions among organisms and their physical

environment as an

integrated system

What is an ecosystem?

bounded ecological system consisting of all the organisms in an area and the physical environment with which they interact

Simple ecosystem model

Concepts?

System

Interaction

Spatial extent

Temporal extent

Temporal dynamics?

General approaches

Systems approach- Top-down- Based on observations of general patterns

Mechanistic approach- Bottom-up- Based on process understanding

Observation of pattern

Ecosystem distribution is predictable from global patterns of wind and ocean circulation

Levels of simplifying assumptions

Equilibrium

Steady State

Dynamic change

Ecosystems in space and time

Literature:Blumenstein, Schachtzabel: Grundlagen der Geoökologie

Bastian, Steinhardt: Developments and Perspectives of Landscape Ecology

Jantsch: Die Selbstorganisation des Universums

Steinhardt et al: Lehrbuch der Laök

Literature:

Schneider-Sliwa et al.: Angewandte Laök

Briggs and Peat: Die Entdeckung des Chaos

Chapin et al.: Principals of terrestrial Ecosystem Ecology

Example of long term dynamic:

Younger Dryas:

Younger Dryas cooling

ACR / YDC:

ACR / YDC:

Influx of freshwater from melting ice sheets

Shutdown or slowing of thermohaline circulation

Transition in a decade or so

Most pronounced in Europe

ACR / YDC:Europe: Sweden saw displacement of forest by tundra

Glaciation increased globally

Dust increased in atmosphere from deserts in Asia

Similar events in S hemisphere

ACR / YDC:

End of Younger Dryas in 40-50 years

3 distinctive steps

7°C warming in a few years

No human interference

Spatial scale

Econ: