Biogeochemistry of Forested Catchments in a Changing Environment: A German Case Study

Forest ecosystems represent a major type ofland use in Germanyand in Europe. They provide a number of functions, or ecosystem services, beneficial to humans, namely biomass production, regulation of the water- and energy cyde, C and N sequestration, erosion control, recreation, and they act as habitat for numerous species. The stability of forest ecosystems in Europe as influenced by the deposition of air pollutants has been a matter of debate for more than 20 years. Besides atmospheric deposition, other environmental conditions affecting forest ecosystems, such as temperature, CO content of the atmosphere 2 and precipitation, have significantly changed in the past and continue to change in the future. Quantifying and predicting the effects of these changes on ecosys­ tem functioning are achallenge to ecosystem research and also a requirement to establish sustainable use of forest ecosystems in the future. This book summarizes results of long-term, interdisciplinary ecosystem research conducted in two forested catchments and coordinated at the Bayreuth Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystem Research (BITÖK), University of Bayreuth, Germany. It does not aim to summarize all the research of BITÖ K in the past decade, which would go far beyond the studies in these two catch­ ments. Instead, we concentrate here on the long-term developments in the biogeochemistry of carbon and mineral elements and on the water cyde, at both the plot and the catchment scale.

From the reviews:

"This volume is an important contribution to the literature with particular respect to the effects of  acidic deposition effects in Central Europe. ... The strengths of the volume include the combination of approaches on the same sites including monitoring (at both catchment and plot scales), experiments, and modeling for evaluating biogeochemical processes. ... Investigators involved with research on forested ecosystems and catchments in Central Europe will undoubtedly benefit by having this volume. Investigators throughout the world will also find this compendium particularly useful with respect to acidification effects and recovery." (Journal of Plant Nutrition)

"This book presents the results obtained during ten years of research on the biochemistry of small forest catchment areas ... . The Editor is a soil science specialist, renowned for his word on soil acidification and forest decline. ... It is an interesting source of information about the ecosystems considered." (Etienne Dambrine, Annals of Forest Science, Vol. 62 (5), 2005)

"This edited volume describes a series of investigations undertaken by the Bayreuth Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystem Ecology (BITÖK) in Germany. ... The general focus is on ecosystem biogeochemistry ... . This volume is an important contribution to the literature ... . The strengths of the volume include the combination of approaches ... . Investigators involved with research on forested ecosystems and catchments in Central Europe will undoubtedly benefit by having this volume. Investigators throughout the world will also find this compendium particularly useful with respect to acidification effects and recovery." (Myron J. Mitchell, Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, Vol. 168 (1), 2005)

“The framework conditions, problems, goals, strategy and methods of the BITÖk project are succinctly and concisely described. ... the book provides an excellent introduction to the intricacies of forest ecosystem functioning and responses to exogenous interference for students and provide an invaluable brush-up of knowledge for forest managers and policy formulators. ... Anti-production-forestry eco-warriors, tree-huggers and dreamy protection ideologists should read this book.” (Eberhard F. Bruenig, International Forestry Review, Vol. 7 (3), September, 2005)