<p>Original data comes from a project which takes or took place as part of the DFG priority program "Exploratories for large-scale and long-term functional biodiversity research". The data is stored together with descriptive metadata, in combination called a dataset, in the project repository (https://www.bexis.uni-jena.de). Species information was extracted from that original dataset. The second paragraph is part of the metadata of the original dataset.</p><p>Pink-pigmented colonies with different morphologies were isolated to asses Methylobacterium community composition on leaf surfaces with cultivation-dependent methods</p>
Terpenes (=isoprenoids) are volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by plants but their ecological functions are not fully understood. Poplars are strong isoprene emitters. In preceding studies we have constructed non-isoprene emitting poplars and started with their characterization. We have also constructed poplars expressing pinene synthase. We aim to study the role of isoprene and monoterpenes in herbivore and mycorrhizal interactions. In addition to wild type poplar plants (isoprene and non-monoterpene emitters) we will make use of transgenic poplar lines, that are either non-isoprene emitters or non-isoprene, but constitutive monoterpene emitters. The influence of the VOC emission on the interaction with herbivores and/or ectomycorrhizal fungi will be studied under laboratory, green house and open air conditions. Furthermore, it will be investigated how attack by herbivores affects the survival of ectomycorrhizal fungi or pathogenic fungi and vice versa, and how EM changes the VOC blend emitted by the plants and the performance of leaf feeding insects. Responses of the plant and the ectomycorrhiza will be studied on a molecular level. The results of these studies will provide important knowledge about poplar interaction and defense from herbivory.
Impactful knowledge generation and utilisation, aiming at addressing environmental and sustainability challenges, requires meaningful interaction between scientists, stakeholders, policymakers and society. This study identifies key success factors and challenges at the science-policy-practice interaction, drawing on document analysis, interviews, and workshops involving experts, policymakers, and funders of environmental and sustainability research and innovation across 14 European countries. Experiences from current practices highlight the highly variable contexts for interaction and communication throughout Europe, a diverse range of tools and approaches, and differing levels of available resources. Siloed structures and the need to engage various societal sectors and levels of governance remain significant challenges. The development and employment of expertise in communication, interaction and knowledge co-creation, capable to orchestrate this variability, is essential. Greater recognition of the diverse dimensions of inclusive participation is proposed to ensure that environmental and sustainability research and innovation, aimed at societal transformation, leaves no one behind. © 2026 Lyytimäki J et al.
The data were taken to obtain information on soil and vegetation information at ground surface. That included (1) measurements of soil moisture, soil temperature and surface temperature of a 40 m x 40 m stubble field west of the flux tower station Hordorf (Central Germany); (2) the measurements of soil moisture, soil temperature and surface temperature as well as spectra taken with an Analytical Spectral Devices (ASD) field spectrometer of a bare soil reference area close to flux tower station: (3) measurements of soil moisture, soil temperature, field spectra with ASD field spectrometer, height of plant height, chlorophyll content and pheno-code on crop fields (sugar beet, potatoes) close to flux tower station and (4) the available ASD data files. Alle data points are merged with its GPS coordinates.The time base is CET, except of the ASD field spectra, where CEST was used.
Urbanization affects ecological communities but urban ecology has mostly focused on large and charismatic species. Water-filled tree holes and other ephemeral small standing waters in cities constitute unique but inconspicuous breeding habitats for a range of insects. Their biodiversity is not well known and how their communities respond to increased urbanization in particular, has rarely been studied. Using a Citizen Science Project, we investigated how urbanization (measured as imperviousness, human population density and altered temperature), additional environmental parameters (pH, electric conductivity) and detritus serving as a food source affected larval insect communities in artificial aquatic microhabitats. We found that these habitats were colonized quickly by a range of insect taxa. Their community abundance, richness and decomposition rates were largely stable across different levels of urbanization. Fine detritus content increased larval abundance. Community composition shifted strongly with urbanization. The most abundant and frequent species in our study, the exotic mosquito species Aedes japonicus, responded negatively to imperviousness. Aquatic microhabitats could be shown to be important habitats for aquatic insects in cities. However, their community composition may change with increased urbanization. As our results showed, exotic species such as mosquitoes may dominate the communities in these habitats. In the case of vector species, high abundances may affect human and animal health via increased pathogen transmission. Therefore, we suggest raising awareness about potential risks of these habitats and possible measures preventing the establishment and spread of harmful species, while still supporting native biodiversity in urban spaces.
Ground reference data are a prerequisite for the calibration, update and validation of land data assimilation systems facilitating large-scale crop monitoring based on Earth Observation data. Here, we provide a comprehensive database which was elaborated to test and validate the recently developed Earth Observation Land Data Assimilation System (EO-LDAS). In situ data was collected for seven crop types cultivated on the agricultural Gebesee test site (central Germany) in 2013 and 2014, i.e., winter barley, winter wheat, spring wheat, durum, winter rape, potato and sugar beet. The database contains information on the evolution of biophysical and biochemical plant parameters, phenology, leaf structure, soil moisture, atmospheric states and illumination conditions. In addition, surface reflectance was recorded with a field spectrometer. Data was collected with an approximately weekly resolution throughout the growing season. In addition, it was attempted to schedule days of field work according to the acquisition plans of RapidEye, SPOT5, Landsat 7 and 8, and on days with a high probability of low cloud coverage. Data was collected on up to three elementary sampling units (ESUs) per acreage. ESUs represent squares with a diagonal length of 24 m and consist of five secondary sampling points (SSPs). This experimental design permits an assessment of spatio-temporal variations of the investigated parameters. Coordinates of survey sites, nearby ground control points (GCPs) and check points (CPs) were recorded with a differential Global Navigation Satellite System (dGNSS) which supports accurate geo-referencing of satellite images. The experimental design of the field campaigns, methods employed in the determination of all parameters, and meteorological conditions in the measurement period are described in detail in Truckenbrodt & Schmullius, 2017.
Seagrass meadows play a significant role in the formation of carbonate sediments, serving as a substrate for carbonate-producing epiphyte communities. The magnitude of the epiphyte load depends on plant structural and physiological parameters, related to the time available for epiphyte colonization. Yet, the carbonate accumulation is likely to also depend on the carbonate saturation state of seawater (Omega) that tends to decrease as latitude increases due to decreasing temperature and salinity. A decrease in carbonate accumulation with increasing latitude has already been demonstrated for other carbonate producing communities. The aim of this study was to assess whether there was any correlation between latitude and the epiphyte carbonate load and net carbonate production rate on seagrass leaves. Shoots from 8 different meadows of the Zostera genus distributed across a broad latitudinal range (27 °S to up to 64 °N) were sampled along with measurements of temperature and Omega. The Omega within meadows significantly decreased as latitude increased and temperature decreased. The mean carbonate content and load on seagrass leaves ranged from 17 % DW to 36 % DW and 0.4-2.3 mg CO3/cm**2, respectively, and the associated mean carbonate net production rate varied from 0.007 to 0.9 mg CO3/cm**2/d. Mean carbonate load and net production rates decreased from subtropical and tropical, warmer regions towards subpolar latitudes, consistent with the decrease in Omega. These results point to a latitudinal variation in the contribution of seagrass to the accumulation of carbonates in their sediments which affect important processes occurring in seagrass meadows, such as nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration and sediment accretion.
Specific leaf area (SLA) was determined for five vascular plant species of contrasting functional groups (evergreen tree, deciduous tree, herb, grass). Samples were collected in August 2018 in the Northern Black Forest, SW-Germany. Upon sampling, vascular plant leaves were put into plastic bags to avoid shrinkage. Leaves were kept cool and measured within 24 hours after return to the laboratory. Leaf petioles were cut off and excluded from surface area measurements (see protocol in Pérez-Harguindeguy et al. 2013). Leaf area was measured using a flatbed scanner. After area measurements were conducted, all individual samples were oven-dried at 70 °C for 48 hours and weighed. Species nomenclature followed Oberdorfer (2001).
Seed-based restoration is a promising approach to accelerate the slow natural recolonization of Zostera marina meadows. In this study, seed-based restoration was investigated through the injection of seeds into the sediment using syringes. Parallel laboratory and field experiments were conducted to examine the germination success over time under both simulated and natural field conditions. A laboratory experiment was conducted in the climate chambers of GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel. Twelve replicate aquaria, each containing 6 boxes of 18 cm*13 cm*18 cm, were set up in a climate chamber. Each plastic box in the aquaria was filled with 6 cm of sandy sediment collected from sandbanks next to seagrass meadows in Falckenstein near Kiel (54°23'39.4N 10°11'23.6E). For sterilization, the sediment was autoclaved at 121°C for 20 minutes before use. Water was changed weekly, with approximately 30% replaced by filtered (50 μm and 5 μm filter cascade) Baltic Sea water with an ambient salinity ranging from 14-16 PSU. The chamber simulated field conditions typical for the season, with 12 hours of light per day and a temperature of 10°C. In each box, a seed amount equivalent to the weight of 100 Zostera marina seeds was sown, based on the average seed weight determined prior to the experiment. Seeds were collected at two sites in Laboe and Falckenstein (Kiel Fjord) in July 2023 by snorkelers and scientific divers (Laboe: 54° 24' 48.53 N, 10° 13' 29.91 E; Falckenstein: 54° 23' 31.36 N, 10° 11' 31.15 E). They were overwintered in climate cabinets in darkness at 4°C and a salinity of 32 PSU, where they rotated every 6 hours for 1 minute. Different treatment combinations were tested, involving the factors Sowing Method (syringe (100 ml) with agar medium or Hand-Sown), Sowing Depth (2 cm or 4 cm), Origin of Seeds (Falckenstein or Laboe), and Fertilization of the Sediment (from the beginning, after germination, or none at all). The Hand-Sown method served as a control. To this end, the box was filled with about 4cm autoclaved sandy sediment. Then the seeds were evenly distributed on the surface and covered with either 2 cm or 4 cm of sediment before being gently lowered into the aquarium. For the syringe treatment, seeds were injected into the sediment embedded in an agar medium prepared by cooking Baltic Sea water with 1.8% agar (Agar-Agar, BioScience Grade, pulv., Carl Roth). Each syringe contained 90 ml crumbly agar, 10 g autoclaved sediment, 100 seeds and depending on the treatment, either 1g charcoal powder, nutrients (P and N) or no further additions. For the nutrients, according to the Redfield ratio N:P = 16:1, 100 μL of nitrogen and 10 μL of phosphorus were used per 90 mL of agar. There were three timing treatments for "Timing of Nutrients in the Sediment". "Nutrients from Beginning", "Nutrients after Germination" and "no Nutrients". The treatment was the same for all boxes within one aquarium to avoid potential influence on the surrounding water. As fertilizer "osmocote Langzeitdünger 6 Monate" (N P 19+9) was used. In the boxes with "Nutrients from Beginning", two pellets were inserted with tweezers into the sediment directly after sowing. In the boxes with "Nutrients after Germination", the same treatment started on April 29, 2024, after many of the seedlings had already developed some green leaves. The seeds were sown on March 4, 2024, and from March 21 to May 25, 2024, emerging seedlings were counted three times per week. Seedlings with only cotyledons and seedlings with developed green leaves were counted together in the beginning and separately from April 24, 2024, onwards.
This vector dataset is based on a 10 m resolution raster dataset that shows forest canopy cover loss (FCCL) in Germany at a monthly resolution from September 2017 to October 2025. Results at pixel level were aggregated at municipality, district, and federal state level. For the results at administrative level we differentiate between deciduous and coniferous forests. We use the stocked area map 2018 (Langner et al. 2022, https://doi.org/10.3220/DATA20221205151218 ) as a reference forest mask. We differentiate between deciduous and coniferous forests by intersecting the stocked area map with a tree species map (Blickensdoerfer et al. 2024). Pixels of the classes birch, beech, oak, alder, deciduous trees with long lifespan and deciduous trees with short lifespan were classified as deciduous forest and pixels of the classes Douglas fir, spruce, pine, larch and fir as coniferous forest. The coverage of the two datasets is not identical, which is why a few areas of the forest reference map remained unclassified. These were filled with the dominant leaf type map of the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service (CLMS 2025). Therefore, the vector data at administrative level contains information about unclassified forest areas and the total forest area as the sum of deciduous, coniferous, and unclassified forests. The FCCL confidence at pixel level is lowest at the end of the time series because the number of repeated threshold exceedance is used as a criterion to record forest canopy cover losses. Therefore, we excluded August 2024 through October 2025 from the annual and overall statistics and summarized the respective FCCL as additional attribute. The dataset provides an update of the assessment in Thonfeld et al. (2026).
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