ANLiegen Natur

Table of contents
ANLiegen Natur 37/1 (2015): Pages 1 till 4 download full text (german only, 0,9 MB).

News of the Internet
ANLiegen Natur 37/1 (2015): Pages 5 till 8 download full text (german only,1,0 MB).

Notes from nature and environment
ANLiegen Natur 37/1 (2015): Pages 9 till 18 download full text (german only, 1,3 MB).

Benjamin U. Schwarz and Peter Poschlod
The last of its kind in Bavaria – the ice age relict Betula nana
Summary
Concern over the ongoing decline of populations of the ice age relict Dwarf Birch (Betula nana) in Germany, as well as the ambiguous and outdated nature of locality data, prompted a viability analysis of the remaining populations. To determine the current level of threat, we did not only focus on species associations, but also on other factors such as water levels, soil conditions, population size, regeneration rates, and made estimates of growth by measuring height, stem circumference, and specific leaf area The results allowed populations to be classified into three risk categories, and to make specific species protection recommendations for the populations of Dwarf Birch for which Bavaria is responsible within Germany.
ANLiegen Natur 37/1 (2015): Pages 19 till 23 download full text (predominantly in german, 1,4 MB).

Thomas Blachnik and Regina Saller
In situ resettlement of Arnica montana – results and recommendations for species conservation
Summary
The Arnica project of the Hof landcare association, funded by the Federal Biodiversity Programme, aims to stop the sharp decline in the Arnica population in the Bavarian Vogtland and the Fichtel Mountains. In addition to optimized habitat management, new wild stocks have been established since 2012. Arnica seeds collected in the project area were applied to prepared seeding areas and there was an analysis of what is necessary for successful establishment. Seeding areas included micro sites, plaggen areas, Nardus grasslands loosened by harrowing, milled surfaces and exposed soils resulting from habitat management. An increase in Arnica montana was successfully initiated and applied Arnica seeds in sufficient quantity will germinate under suitable habitat conditions. If seed were applied immediately after fruit ripening or after storage over winter there is no difference in seeding establishment between late summer sowing (until 6th September) and spring sowing. The limitations for the development and establishment of seedlings and young plants are competition during growth, the effects of weather (drought) and the water supply at the sites. Disturbances caused by Wild Boar, snails, animal droppings, leaves or litter can restrict seeding success clearly, but occur only occasionally. In the autumn of 2014 about 12,000 seedlings and 16,900 one- to two-yearold seedlings were recorded in 105 seeding areas in 19 project areas. Particular success came with seeding on year-round fresh to damp and moderately nutrient-rich locations with open soil surface when the competition remained low during growth. These include plaggen areas and open ground grasslands or Nardus-communities poor in nutrients that were created by habitat management. Man-made micro-locations were found to be unsuitable. Favorable conditions for successful propagation were achieved with an optimization of formally unfavourable Nardus grasslands (sowing on bare ground). Partially „tweezers maintenance“ was needed to give the young plants space during establishment. Planting in vegetation-free milled strips of meadows proved to be problematic because of high competition during growing from meadow herbs or the spread of Creeping Soft Grass (Holcus mollis). This must be removed by weeding.
ANLiegen Natur 37/1 (2015): Pages 31 till 41 download full text (predominantly in german, 1,0 MB).

Matthias Dolek
Report on the anniversary symposium of 10 years Butterfly Monitoring in Germany
Summary
For butterfly experts, Leipzig-Workshops are always a place to go, but in 2015, the 10 year celebration of the German Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (TMD) attracted an extraordinarily large number of participants. The meeting was dominated by numerous lively contributions and discussions on conservation and recent research results. This article gives an overview on selected important contents and outlines the development, impact and European integration of TMD.
ANLiegen Natur 37/1 (2015): Pages 42 till 45 download full text (predominantly in german, 0,6 MB).

Andreas Zahn and Friederike Herzog
Water Buffalo as habitat designers
Summary
Amphibian fauna was monitored over several years at a wet fallow in Jettenbach (Bavaria, Mühldorf) which has been grazed by cattle since 1996 and also by Water Buffalo since 2011. In 2012, the use of space and the behaviour of the Water Buffalo were investigated. As a result of grazing, the former dense and tall vegetation consisting of tall herbs and reeds developed into a mosaic of grazing lawns as well as higher grasses and shrubs. Reeds in the water bodies have been greatly reduced and the sunlight levels of riparian zones increased. Since the project began, the population of the Grass Frog (Rana temporaria) has increased significantly. The most important spawning grounds are in periodically flooded meadow grasses and riparian areas with large fluctuations in the water level. Even the population of the Yellow-Bellied Toad (Bombina variegata) seems to have increased. They spawn on the banks of a pond which has been opened up by grazing animals and, since 2011, in water bodies newly created by Water Buffalo. Reproduction was only successful in water-filled Buffalo tracks and ponds not used by Buffalo during the spawning season. The Buffalo created five wallows in largely silted waters or in marshy areas and used them during days with temperatures above 20°C. From this the Buffalo created paths in wet areas of pasture and as a result of their wallowing behaviour, vegetationfree, sunlit small water bodies emerged in previously dense vegetation. It is suggested that grazing Water Buffalo can be an alternative to mechanical desedimentation or re-creation of such waters.
ANLiegen Natur 37/1 (2015): Pages 46 till 54 download full text (predominantly in german, 1,7 MB).

Andreas Zehm, Astrid Fölling and Rene Reifenrath
Nature conservation with grazing donkeys – conclusions and management implications
Summary
Donkey grazing is a quite effective tool for nature conservation – particularly for high-value grassland – but almost nearly unknown in landscape management. Results show that this kind of grazing is quite helpful in restoring and preserving dry grassland habitats. Sunny Pine forests can also be targeted with donkey grazing, where a combination with other grazing animals or manual landscape management is best practice. Feeding and the disturbance patterns of donkey (trampling, wallows) reduce dominant grass species (like Calamagrostis epigejos) and promote small growing plants. Moreover, they are more efficient in reducing woody plants than horses and cattle. The article shows what has to be known about animal keeping and pasture management to run a successful conservation project.
ANLiegen Natur 37/1 (2015): Pages 55 till 65 download full text (predominantly in german, 1,5 MB).

Bernd Raab
Renewable energy and nature conservation – solar farms can contribute to the stabilization of biological diversity
Summary
In 2013, the flora, vegetation and selected animal groups at five solar parks built between 2001 and 2010 were examined to determine whether solar installations have effects on biodiversity of a region. In doing so, 231 plant and 157 animal species were identified. It was found that in addition to the age of the installation, the proximity of a delivery ecosystem (preferably less than 500 m) is important for immigration and local diversity of the installation. Markstetten, the oldest installation with the largest habitat diversity on its premises, proved to be the best solar park in terms of biodiversity. The extensification of landuse leads to a relatively rapid immigration of butterflies and a growing diversity of plants, which strongly depends on source areas in the immediate vicinity, as is case at the best installation in Markstetten. Another important factor is the utilisation of the solar parks; too much grazing (Röckersbühl) is a great hindrance for local biodiversity. For some mobile animal groups, such as butterflies, colonisation was rapid. At four of the five investigated solar parks a significant increase in faunal diversity was found in comparison to the previous intensive agricultural use. The conclusion of the study is that a significant improvement of the land is possible through the operation of solar parks in comparison to the previous arable or intensive grassland. Overall, the solar farms thus make a surprisingly large contribution to regional biodiversity. The project has identified possibilities for increasing biodiversity, which can be used with respect to determining planning approval. This article is based on a study by Raab & Knipfer (2013).
ANLiegen Natur 37/1 (2015): Pages 67 till 76 download full text (predominantly in german, 1,2 MB).

Paul-Bastian Nagel
Conference on Wind Energy and Wildlife Impacts – a conference report
Following Trondheim 2011 and Stockholm 2013 the Conference on Wind Energy and Wildlife Impacts (CWW) was held in Berlin this year. With more than 100 contributions and about 400 participants from almost 30 different countries, the CWW gave a broad overview on current research activities with respect to wind energy and species protection. The Conference`s aim is to present and discuss the state of research in the field of environmental impacts caused by wind energy development. Emphases were placed on bird and bat migration, wind energy in forested areas, collision risks and the efficiency of mitigation and compensation measures. In this report only selected contributions will be presented.
ANLiegen Natur 37/1 (2015): Pages 77 till 81 download full text (predominantly in german, 0,4 MB).

Simone Tausch, Martin Leipold, Christoph Reisch and Peter Poschlod
Genbank Bayern Arche – a contribution to the permanent conservation of threatened plants in Bavaria
Summary
Due to the steadily decreasing levels of biodiversity and increasing numbers of greatly endangered plant species, more and more importance is being placed on both ex situ (conservation of species outside their natural habitats in seed banks or preservation cultures) and in situ (in their natural habitats) conservation strategies. While the genetic diversity of domesticated plants has been secured in seed banks since the beginning of the 20th century, seed banks for wild plants in Germany were only established at the beginning of the new millennium. In 2010, a recommendation was finally made in the Global Strategy for the Conservation of Plants to implement ex situ conservation management strategies as important tools to protect plant species and our biodiversity. The seed bank Bayern Arche was established in 2009 at the Institute of Plant Sciences at the University of Regensburg. Its aim was to provide storage for seeds from all 344 taxa on the Bavarian priority list and another 239 species from the Alps. Seeds were collected, cleaned and stored, and their quality, storage life and germination ecology were studied. For selected species, a standardized seed longevity test was carried out. In total, 950 accessions of seeds from 530 species were collected. 92 (almost 50 %) of these species are classified as nearly extinct in Bavaria. A species list is provided on the webpage URL 1 (2015). Additionally, accessions of 124 species are now maintained as ex situ collections in the Botanical Garden of the University of Regensburg, 60 of which were grown from seeds from the seed bank. These collections help promote public awareness about the conservation status of these species, and also produce seeds and progeny that can be used to establish new populations, support existing populations, and restore natural habitats. While the in situ management of plant populations has the highest priority, ex situ conservation strategies are important complementary means of maintaining biodiversity. Seed banks can be a type of “life insurance” that can help prevent the loss of species and populations when in situ conservation management strategies are ineffective or lacking. They may also serve as a valuable tool for the compensation of any environmental impacts.
ANLiegen Natur 37/1 (2015): Pages 82 till 91 download full text (predominantly in german, 1,0 MB).

News from Environmental Law and Administration
ANLiegen Natur 37/1 (2015): Pages 92 till 96 download full text (german only, 0,9 MB).

Claire Tranter
Hotspot-Projekt „Alpenflusslandschaften – Vielfalt leben von Ammersee bis Zugspitze“
Summary
The river landscapes of the Wertach, Lech, Ammer and Isar/Loisach, all situated in the foothills of the Alps, link habitats, landscapes and especially the people living in the region. Since October 2014, these wildlife areas in Upper Bavaria have become the centrepiece of the joint six-year project “Alpine River Landscapes – Living diversity from the Ammersee to the Zugspitze”. This project is funded by the federal biodiversity programme, as part of its funding policy called “hotspots of biodiversity”, focusing on activities within regions that are characterized by a high abundance and diversity of typical species, many populations and rare habitats. The main goal of the project is to familiarize local people with the diversity of their regional countryside, to explain its value to them, and to share the diversity experience. In the context of this project, the river landscapes are taken as an example for the whole range of regional biodiversity, the conservation of species due to landscape management and restoration measures including the reintroduction of species.
ANLiegen Natur 37/1 (2015): Pages 97 till 101 download full text (predominantly in german, 0,7 MB).

Sebastian Klinger, Stephan Philipp and Samantha Ruppel
Experiences of working with international workcamps in mountain forests
Summary
In 2013 and 2014 the Mountain Forest Initiative (Bergwaldoffensive = BWO) organized three International Youth Workcamps in cooperation with the International Youth Services (ijgd). The main job was planting various tree species to convert monotonous spruce stands into mixed mountain forests. In addition, tracks and hunting stands were built. In this article we share our practical experiences and give advice on how such a project can be carried out successfully.
ANLiegen Natur 37/1 (2015): Pages 102 till 106 download full text (predominantly in german, 0,7 MB).

Books, booklets and information offers
ANLiegen Natur 37/1 (2015): Pages 107 till 112 download full text (german only, 0,6 MB).