Sprungmarken

 

EVENT Experiments:

As communities might vary in their stability against extreme events, grassland and dwarf-shrub communities have been chosen to evaluate systems differing in their longevity and productivity. Within the systems we compare the performance with one (only grasses in grassland and only dwarf-shrubs in heath) and two functional groups (grasses and herbs in grassland and dwarf shrubs and grasses in heath) to address the importance of functional group performance for buffering against extremes.

Therefore we have installed a field experiment in 2005 (EVENT 1) at the University of Bayreuth, Germany, where we experimentally apply expected extreme events like drought, intense rain and more numerous freeze-thaw cycles to different plant communities. Together with different control treatments this experiment gives us a powerful tool to evaluate the effects of extreme climatic events. As communities might vary in their stability against extreme events, grassland and dwarf-shrub communities have been chosen to evaluate systems differing in their longevity and productivity. Within the systems we compare the performance with one (only grasses in grassland and only dwarf-shrubs in heath) and two functional groups (grasses and herbs in grassland and dwarf shrubs and grasses in heath) to address the importance of functional group performance for buffering against extremes.

In 2008, the experiment was extended to natural grown grassland to enable better recommendations for praxis e.g. agriculture. In EVENT 2 we alter the variability but not the amount of precipitation. Furthermore we examine effects of different timing of extreme drought.

EII_overview
EVENT 1: Site Overview

 

Since 2009, the experiment is part of the Bavarian Research Cooperation “Impact of climate on ecosystems and climatic adaption strategies” FORKAST. In this context, we also test the response of various proveniences of six key species (four grassland and two tree species) to extreme drought event and rising temperature. This experiment aims to identify proveniences which are adapted to higher climatic extremes and therefore ensure the ecological function and performance of forests and grassland in the future (EVENT 3).

Further Information in: Jentsch, A; Beierkuhnlein, C: Simulating the future - responses of ecosystems, key species and European provenances to expected climatic trends and events, Nova Acta Leopoldina, 112(384), 89-98 (2010) --- pdf