Publications

non-destructive phenotypic analysis of early stage tree seedling growth using an automated stereovision imaging method.	a plant phenotyping approach was applied to evaluate growth rate of containerized tree seedlings during the precultivation phase following seed germination. a simple and affordable stereo optical system was used to collect stereoscopic red-green-blue (rgb) images of seedlings at regular intervals of time. comparative analysis of these images by means of a newly developed software enabled us to calculate (a) the increments of seedlings height and (b) the percentage greenness of seedling leaves. c ...	2016	27840632
gastropods slow down succession and maintain diversity in cryptogam communities.	herbivore effects on diversity and succession were often studied in plants, but not in cryptogams. besides direct herbivore effects on cryptogams, we expected indirect effects by changes in competitive interactions among cryptogams. therefore, we conducted a long-term gastropod exclusion experiment testing for grazing effects on epiphytic cryptogam communities. we estimated the grazing damage, cover and diversity of cryptogams before gastropods were excluded and three and six years thereafter. g ...	2016	27859075
on the influence of provenance to soil quality enhanced stress reaction of young beech trees to summer drought.	climate projections propose that drought stress will become challenging for establishing trees. the magnitude of stress is dependent on tree species, provenance, and most likely also highly influenced by soil quality. european beech (fagus sylvatica) is of major ecological and economical importance in central european forests. the species has an especially wide physiological and ecological amplitude enabling growth under various soil conditions within its distribution area in central europe. we ...	2016	27878095
acclimation of leaf water status and stem hydraulics to drought and tree neighbourhood: alternative strategies among the saplings of five temperate deciduous tree species.	adjustment in leaf water status parameters and modification in xylem structure and functioning can be important elements of a tree's response to continued water limitation. in a growth trial with saplings of five co-occurring temperate broad-leaved tree species (genera fraxinus, acer, carpinus, tilia and fagus) conducted in moist or dry soil, we compared the drought acclimation in several leaf water status and stem hydraulic parameters. considering the extremes in the species responses, fraxinus ...	2016	27881798
phylogenetic and functional traits of ectomycorrhizal assemblages in top soil from different biogeographic regions and forest types.	ectomycorrhizal (em) fungal taxonomic, phylogenetic, and trait diversity (exploration types) were analyzed in beech and conifer forests along a north-to-south gradient in three biogeographic regions in germany. the taxonomic community structures of the ectomycorrhizal assemblages in top soil were influenced by stand density and forest type, by biogeographic environmental factors (soil physical properties, temperature, and precipitation), and by nitrogen forms (amino acids, ammonium, and nitrate) ...	2017	27885418
stable hydrogen isotope values of lignin methoxyl groups of four tree species across germany and their implication for temperature reconstruction.	stable hydrogen isotope ratios of lignin methoxyl groups (δ(2)hlm values) in wood have been shown to mirror the δ(2)h signatures of precipitation (δ(2)hprecip values). thus, δ(2)hlm values were suggested to serve as a potential paleotemperature proxy since δ(2)hprecip values are dominantly controlled by air temperature in the mid-latitudes. a recent study where a significant δ(2)hlm-temperature relationship was found for a european transect with mean annual temperatures ranging from -4 to 17°c s ...	2017	27889214
strong coupling of shoot assimilation and soil respiration during drought and recovery periods in beech as indicated by natural abundance δ(13)c measurements.	drought down-regulates above- and belowground carbon fluxes, however, the resilience of trees to drought will also depend on the speed and magnitude of recovery of these above- and belowground fluxes after re-wetting. carbon isotope composition of above- and belowground carbon fluxes at natural abundance provides a methodological approach to study the coupling between photosynthesis and soil respiration (sr) under conditions (such as drought) that influence photosynthetic carbon isotope discrimi ...	2016	27909442
scleroderma areolatum ectomycorrhiza on fagus sylvatica l.	despite its broad host range and distribution and its potential applications in commercial plantation forests, comprehensive descriptions of scleroderma ectomycorrhizae are available only for scleroderma citrinum, scleroderma bovista and scleroderma sinnamariense. this study provides a morphological and anatomical description of tree nursery derived ectomycorrhizae of scleroderma areolatum on fagus sylvatica, grown for several years in a climatized room. ectomycorrhizae of s. areolatum were silv ...	2017	27913893
reservoir-driven heterogeneous distribution of recorded human puumala virus cases in south-west germany.	endemic regions for puumala virus (puuv) are located in the most affected federal state baden-wuerttemberg, south-west germany, where high numbers of notified human hantavirus disease cases have been occurring for a long time. the distribution of human cases in baden-wuerttemberg is, however, heterogeneous, with a high number of cases recorded during 2012 in four districts (h districts) but a low number or even no cases recorded in four other districts (l districts). bank vole monitoring during ...	2016	27918151
negative effects of density on space use of small mammals differ with the phase of the masting-induced population cycle.	home range size generally decreases with increasing population density, but testing how this relationship is influenced by other factors (e.g., food availability, kin structure) is a difficult task. we used spatially explicit capture-recapture models to examine how home range size varies with population density in the yellow-necked mouse (apodemus flavicollis). the relationship between population density and home range size was studied at two distinct phases of population fluctuations induced by ...	2016	28031794
leaf water (18) o and (2) h enrichment along vertical canopy profiles in a broadleaved and a conifer forest tree.	distinguishing meteorological and plant-mediated drivers of leaf water isotopic enrichment is prerequisite for ecological interpretations of stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopes in plant tissue. we measured input and leaf water δ(2) h and δ(18) o as well as micrometeorological and leaf morpho-physiological variables along a vertical gradient in a mature angiosperm (european beech) and gymnosperm (douglas fir) tree. we used these variables and different enrichment models to quantify the influence ...	2017	28042668
fine spatial scale variation of soil microbial communities under european beech and norway spruce.	the complex interactions between trees and soil microbes in forests as well as their inherent seasonal and spatial variations are poorly understood. in this study, we analyzed the effects of major european tree species (fagus sylvatica l. and picea abies (l.) karst) on soil bacterial and fungal communities. mineral soil samples were collected from different depths (0-10, 10-20 cm) and at different horizontal distances from beech or spruce trunks (0.5, 1.5, 2.5, 3.5 m) in early summer and autumn. ...	2016	28066384
trends in wild food plants uses in gorbeialdea (basque country).	despite wild food plants' potential nutritional and economic value, their knowledge and consumption is quickly decreasing throughout the world. we examine how the consideration that a wild plant use is within the cultural tradition of a given area relates to its consumption by analysing 1) current perception and 2) past and present use of six wild plants' food-uses, of which only three are locally perceived as being part of the local tradition. research was conducted in gorbeialdea, an area in t ...	2017	28087368
reading the leaves' palm: leaf traits and herbivory along the microclimatic gradient of forest layers.	microclimate in different positions on a host plant has strong direct effects on herbivores. but little is known about indirect effects due to changes of leaf traits. we hypothesized that herbivory increases from upper canopy to lower canopy and understory due to a combination of direct and indirect pathways. furthermore, we hypothesized that herbivory in the understory differs between tree species in accordance with their leaf traits. we investigated herbivory by leaf chewing insects along the ...	2017	28099483
identification, distribution, and quantification of biominerals in a deciduous forest.	biomineralization is a common process in most vascular plants, but poorly investigated for trees. although the presence of calcium oxalate and silica accumulation has been reported for some tree species, the chemical composition, abundance, and quantification of biominerals remain poorly documented. however, biominerals may play important physiological and structural roles in trees, especially in forest ecosystems, which are characterized by nutrient-poor soils. in this context, our study aimed ...	2017	28130812
long-term tree inventory data from mountain forest plots in france.	we present repeated tree measurement data from 63 permanent plots in mountain forests in france. plot elevations range from 800 (lower limit of the montane belt) to 1942 m above sea level (subalpine belt). forests mainly consist of pure or mixed stands dominated by european beech (fagus sylvatica), silver fir (abies alba), and norway spruce (picea abies), in association with various broadleaved species at low elevation and with arolla pine (pinus cembra) at high elevation. the plot network inclu ...	2017	28145102
impact of leaf traits on temporal dynamics of transpired oxygen isotope signatures and its impact on atmospheric vapor.	oxygen isotope signatures of transpiration (δ e ) are powerful tracers of water movement from plant to global scale. however, a mechanistic understanding of how leaf morphological/physiological traits effect δ e is missing. a laser spectrometer was coupled to a leaf-level gas-exchange system to measure fluxes and isotopic signatures of plant transpiration under controlled conditions in seven distinct species (fagus sylvatica, pinus sylvestris, acacia longifolia, quercus suber, coffea arabica, pl ...	2017	28149303
beech wood fagus sylvatica dilute-acid hydrolysate as a feedstock to support chlorella sorokiniana biomass, fatty acid and pigment production.	this work evaluates the possibility of using beech wood (fagus sylvatica) dilute-acid (h2so4) hydrolysate as a feedstock for chlorella sorokiniana growth, fatty acid and pigment production. neutralized wood acid hydrolysate, containing organic and mineral compounds, was tested on chlorella growth at different concentrations and compared to growth under phototrophic conditions. chlorella growth was improved at lower loadings and inhibited at higher loadings. based on these results, a 12% neutrali ...	2017	28187341
physicochemical characteristics of the cold-pressed oil obtained from seeds of fagus sylvatica l.	a physicochemical characteristic of the cold-pressed oil obtained from seeds of common beech (fagus sylvatica l.) has been presented. this plant may be considered as unconventional oilseeds crops because of relatively high content of fat (27.25%). the analyzed beech seeds oil has been classified as oleic-linoleic acids oil with more than 76% percentage share of those species. beech seeds oil contains 4.2% of gamma-linolenic acid (gla). unique characteristic is the high content of γ-tocopherol (7 ...	2017	28193421
effects of drought on leaf carbon source and growth of european beech are modulated by soil type.	drought potentially affects carbon balance and growth of trees, but little is known to what extent soil plays a role in the trade-off between carbon gain and growth investment. in the present study, we analyzed leaf non-structural carbohydrates (nsc) as an indicator of the balance of photosynthetic carbon gain and carbon use, as well as growth of european beech (fagus sylvatica l.) saplings, which were grown on two different soil types (calcareous and acidic) in model ecosystems and subjected to ...	2017	28195166
two centuries of masting data for european beech and norway spruce across the european continent.	tree masting is one of the most intensively studied ecological processes. it affects nutrient fluxes of trees, regeneration dynamics in forests, animal population densities, and ultimately influences ecosystem services. despite a large volume of research focused on masting, its evolutionary ecology, spatial and temporal variability, and environmental drivers are still matter of debate. understanding the proximate and ultimate causes of masting at broad spatial and temporal scales will enable us ...	2017	28241388
invasion by the alien tree prunus serotina alters ecosystem functions in a temperate deciduous forest.	alien invasive species can affect large areas, often with wide-ranging impacts on ecosystem structure, function, and services. prunus serotina is a widespread invader of european temperate forests, where it tends to form homogeneous stands and limits recruitment of indigenous trees. we hypotesized that invasion by p. serotina would be reflected in the nutrient contents of the native species' leaves and in the respiration of invaded plots as efficient resource uptake and changes in nutrient cycli ...	2017	28261238
the shifting phenological landscape: within- and between-species variation in leaf emergence in a mixed-deciduous woodland.	many organisms rely on synchronizing the timing of their life-history events with those of other trophic levels-known as phenological matching-for survival or successful reproduction. in temperate deciduous forests, the extent of matching with the budburst date of key tree species is of particular relevance for many herbivorous insects and, in turn, insectivorous birds. in order to understand the ecological and evolutionary forces operating in these systems, we require knowledge of the factors i ...	2017	28303184
determination of the quantum efficiency of photosystem ii and of non-photochemical quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence in the field.	a newly developed portable chlorophyll fluorometer in combination with a special leaf clip holder was used for assessing photosynthetic activity of attached sun leaves of fagus sylvatica and cucurbita pepo under field conditions. during diurnal time courses, fluorescence yield, photosynthetic photon flux density (ppfd) incident on the leaf plane, and leaf temperature were measured and quantum efficiency of photosystem ii (ps ii), apparent relative electron transport rates, and non-photochemical ...	1995	28306885
xylem dysfunction during winter and recovery of hydraulic conductivity in diffuse-porous and ring-porous trees.	xylem embolism in winter and spring as well as the occurrence of positive xylem pressure were monitored in several diffuse-porous and one ring-porous tree species (fraxinus excelsior). in acer pseudoplatanus and betula pendula embolism reversal was associated with positive (above-atmospheric) xylem pressures that frequently occurred during a 2-month period prior to leaf expansion. in acer high stem pressures were occasionally triggered on sunny days after a night frost. the other species investi ...	1996	28307135
protozoa, nematoda and lumbricidae in the rhizosphere of hordelymus europeaus (poaceae): faunal interactions, response of microorganisms and effects on plant growth.	interactions among protozoa (mixed cultures of ciliates, flagellates and naked amoebae), bacteria-feeding nematodes (pellioditis pellio schneider) and the endogeic earthworm species aporrectodea caliginosa (savigny) were investigated in experimental chambers with soil from a beechwood (fagus sylvatica l.) on limestone. experimental chambers were planted with the grass hordelymus europeaus l. (poaceae) and three compartments separated by 45-μm mesh were established: rhizosphere, intermediate and ...	1996	28307163
changes in microbial biomass, respiration and nutrient status of beech (fagus sylvatica) leaf litter processed by millipedes (glomeris marginata).	the effect of processing of beech leaf litter (fagus sylvatica l.) of different ages by the diplopodglomeris marginata (villers) on status and turnover of microorganisms was investigated in the laboratory. microbial biomass, basal respiration and metabolic quotient of litter-material from three different beechwood sites of a basalt hill forming a gradient from basalt (upper part of the hill) to limestone (lower part of the hill) were determined each season (february, may, august and november). t ...	1996	28307200
the breakdown and decomposition of sweet chestnut (castanea sativa mill.) and beech (fagus sylvatica l.) leaf litter in two deciduous woodland soils : i. breakdown, leaching and decomposition.	weight losses from sweet chestnut and beech leaves, attributable to biotic and abiotic breakdown processes, leaching and microbial decomposition have been studied using tethered leaves and litter bags. the experimental sites were two adjacent areas of deciduous woodland. in one area (the castanea site) a mor-like moder humus form has developed under a stand dominated by coppiced chestnut, in the other a mull-like moder underlies a stand of coppiced beech (the fagus site).chestnut leaves in the c ...	1973	28308230
the breakdown and decomposition of sweet chestnut (castanea sativa mill.) and beech (fagus sylvatica l.) leaf litter in two deciduous woodland soils : ii. changes in the carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and polyphenol content.	changes in the carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and polyphenol content of chestnut and beech leaves were measured during the first year after fall.chestnut leaves had an initial carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen content (by weight) of 48.71%, 5.56% and 0.77% respectively; beech had a similar carbon and hydrogen content (47.77% and 5.36%) but less nitrogen (0.56%).both leaf litter types showed percentage increases in nitrogen content during the study period but only the beech showed absolute increases in n ...	1973	28308231
the soil food web of two beech forests (fagus sylvatica) of contrasting humus type: stable isotope analysis of a macro- and a mesofauna-dominated community.	the structure of the soil food web in two beech (fagus sylvatica) forests, the göttinger wald and the solling forest (northern germany), was investigated using variations in tissue (15)n concentrations of animal species or taxa. the göttinger wald is located on a limestone plateau and characterized by mull humus with high macrofauna activity, particularly of lumbricidae, diplopoda and isopoda. in contrast, the solling forest is located on a sandstone mountain range and characterized by moder hum ...	2000	28308733
food, feeding rates and assimilation in woodland snails.	analyses of the faeces of seven species of woodland, litterdwelling snails (marpessa laminata, clausilia bidentata, oxychilus cellarius, o. alliarius, discus rotundatus, arianta arbustorum and hygromia striolata), showed that all feed predominently on higher plant material, be it living or dead. h. striolata and a. arbustorum took more chlorophyll-containing plant material than the other species, d. rotundatus had a significant amount of fungus in its faeces, while the faeces of o. cellarius and ...	1970	28309717
wood biomass, production and litter-fall in an english beechwood.	studies of productivity in a 160 yr old beechwood growing on a basic soil did not reveal any marked, or inexplicable, differences from similar aged european beech forests growing on acid soils.total above-ground wood biomass was equivalent to 44,897 g d.wt. m(-2) (live wood biomass accounting for 42,322 g). bole biomass equalled 28,595 g m(-2) (live tree contribution, 26,755 g). branch and twig biomass was 16,302 g m(-2) (live tree contribution, 15,567 g) while root biomass was estimated to be 8 ...	1983	28310175
seed production and outbreaks of non-cyclic rodent populations in deciduous forests.	in a 10-year study period, outbreaks of the bank vole, clethrionomys glareolus, schreber only occurred in years following huge seed production of european beech, fagus sylvatica. intensive winter reprodution preceded the outbreaks, in contrast to a normal breeding season from april through september. no winter reproduction occurred in nearby populations from habitats without mast production. during the winter, the average weight of c. glareolus remained high in the mast forests and the age struc ...	1982	28311427
the bark of trees: thermal properties, microclimate and fauna.	the thermal properties of four different types of bark were investigated on twentyfour central european tree species using thermocouples. tree species with white bark avoid overheating of their surface by reflection of the radiation. species with fissured and scaly barks shade inner parts of their bark. some tree species with fissured barks show high insulation across the bark. smooth and thin barks show no adaptation to avoid overheating. these tree species (in central europe e.g. fagus sylvati ...	1986	28311699
resource allocation of beech seedlings (fagus sylvatica l.) -relationship to earthworm activity and soil conditions.	the physiological activity and c and n allocation of beech seedlings planted in two different beech forest soils (acid brown earth, rendzina) were studied over 80 days. one adult earthworm octolasion lacteum (örley) was placed in half of the containers. transpiration, co2, assimilation, chlorophyll synthesis and n incorporation were higher in the acid brown earth than in the rendzina. fine root production was also higher in the acid brown earth. production of stems and total n incorporation were ...	1991	28312740
foliage litter turnover and earthworm populations in three beech forests of contrasting soil and vegetation types.	leaf litter decomposition, levels of accumulated litter as well as the abundance and biomass of earthworms were measured in three mature beech forests in southern sweden: one mor site, one poor mull site, and one rich mull site. the disappearance rate of beech litter, measured with litter bags, increased with increasing soil fertility. on the rich mull site, the disappearance rate was much higher than in the two other forests, due to the combined effects of higher earthworm activity, more favoua ...	1987	28312897
[the effect of light and temperature of the co2 exchange of different life forms in the ground vegetation of a montane beech forest].	in a montane beech (fagus sylvatica) forest the influence of the climatic factors, light and temperature, on net photosynthesis and on the co2 balance of the ground vegetation was investigated. the total turnover of carbon was calculated. species studied included: athyrium filix-femina, oxalis acetosella, luzula luzuloides, deschampsia flexuosa and young plants of fagus sylvatica. 1. the light compensation point in all spp. is between 300 and 500 lux except for d. flexuosa where it is 2 klx. lig ...	1972	28313125
growth and energetics of a trichopteran larva feeding on fresh submerged and terrestrial plants.	we studied the growth and assimilation of larvae of anabolia nervosa, a lotic trichopteran shredder, on diets of fresh tissue of the submerged macrophyte potamogeton perfoliatus and fresh leaves of the trees alnus glutinosa and fagus sylvatica. fifth-instar larvae were fed these three diets for 23 days (20 may-12 june) in the laboratory. instantaneous growth rate and gross growth efficiency were almost the same for larvae fed potamogeton and alnus, but lower for larvae fed fagus. the larvae cons ...	1994	28313638
drought and reproductive effort interact to control growth of a temperate broadleaved tree species (fagus sylvatica).	interannual variation in radial growth is influenced by a range of physiological processes, including variation in annual reproductive effort, although the importance of reproductive allocation has rarely been quantified. in this study, we use long stand-level records of annual seed production, radial growth (tree ring width) and meteorological conditions to analyse the relative importance of summer drought and reproductive effort in controlling the growth of fagus sylvatica l., a typical mastin ...	2017	28338975
do forests best mitigate co2 emissions to the atmosphere by setting them aside for maximization of carbon storage or by management for fossil fuel substitution?	forests' potential to mitigate carbon emissions to the atmosphere is heavily debated and a key question is if forests left unmanaged to store carbon in biomass and soil provide larger carbon emission reductions than forests kept under forest management for production of wood that can substitute fossil fuels and fossil fuel intensive materials. we defined a modelling framework for calculation of the carbon pools and fluxes along the forest energy and wood product supply chains over 200 years for ...	2017	28351817