Auswirkung des Klimawandels auf die Kulturlandschaft

Der anthropogene Klimawandel wird lokal und regional wirken und auch unsere Kulturlandschaften verändern. Einerseits sind einzelne Landschaftselemente oder Nutzungsmöglichkeiten direkt durch den Wandel der klimatischen Verhältnisse betroffen, andererseits haben die Anpassungsmaßnahmen des Menschen Auswirkungen auf die Kulturlandschaftsentwicklung, im städtischen wie im ländlichen Raum. Der Beitrag skizziert überblicksartig ausgewählte landschaftswirksame Folgen des Klimawandels sowie der Änderungen im Bereich der Energieerzeugung. Insgesamt dürften die landschaftlich relevanten Veränderungen in den unterschiedlichen betroffenen Handlungsbereichen weniger dem Klimawandel an sich zuzuweisen sein, als vielmehr den bewussten Änderungen („Anpassungen“) der Landnutzungen und Landschaftsstrukturen – sind doch die Kulturlandschaften v. a. durch die menschliche Nutzung bzw. die Nutzungsgeschichte geprägt. Zum Teil wird es jedoch auch eher punktuell oder lokal erkennbare direkte Folgen geben, z. B. in Bezug auf die Artenzusammensetzung bestimmter Biotope. Die rasante Entwicklung im Bereich der erneuerbaren Energien, insbesondere bei Biomasse und Windkraft, führt zu vergleichsweise raschen und prägnanten landschaftlichen Änderungen. Insgesamt wird deutlich, dass Landschaftsveränderungen durch den Klimawandel selbst sowie durch Mitigation und Anpassung unvermeidbar sind und daher konstruktiv – und in einer langfristigen Perspektive – in Diskussionen um die Gestaltung und Nutzung von Kulturlandschaften einbezogen werden müssen.Anthropogenic climate change will have local and regional effects and will also change our cultural landscape. On the one hand, individual landscape elements or possible land uses are directly affected by the changes in climatic conditions; on the other hand measures taken to counter climate change effects also have consequences for the development of the cultural landscape, in both urban and rural spaces. This paper outlines selected climate change effects that impact on the landscape and changes in the field of energy production. Overall changes that are relevant for the landscape in the various fields of activity are less attributable to climate change itself than to conscious changes (“adaptations”) in land uses and landscape structures – cultural landscapes are after all especially influenced by human use both past and present. To a certain extent there will however also be isolated or locally identifiable direct consequences, e. g. in terms of the species composition of certain biotopes. Rapid developments in the field of renewable energies, especially biomass and wind energy, are leading to comparatively quick and incisive landscape changes. Overall it is becoming clear that climate change itself, and mitigations and adaptations related to it, are unavoidably causing landscape change. These factors must therefore be constructively included in discussions about the shaping and use of cultural landscapes, taking a long term perspective

Soil seed bank in a subtropical grassland under different grazing intensities

Grazing is an important determinant for the composition and structure of grasslands; however, soil seed bank (SSB) response to grazing intensity is poorly investigated. We analyzed SSB richness and density in a subtropical grassland in southern Brazil with different forage offers (low, intermediate, high and very high), that is, contrasting grazing intensities. The SSB was evaluated by the seedling emergence method. We collected ten SSB samples at two layers (0–5 and 5–10 cm) in spring and autumn in each of grazing intensity treatments. We surveyed the established vegetation to assess its similarity with the SSB. Treatment effects were analyzed by Poisson regression while compositional differences were visualized by ordination. We found 103 species in the SSB, of which 71 were also found in established vegetation. We found a positive correlation between SSB density and grazing intensity. High grazing intensity influences patterns of composition and dominance in the SSB, while no strong differences were found among the other treatments. The SSB was characterized by low participation of dominant grasses in the vegetation and the dominance of ruderal species, indicating that recovery from the SSB after total removal of vegetation (severe disturbance) may be limited in grasslands in the region

Small seed bank in grasslands and tree plantations in former grassland sites in the South Brazilian highlands

The soil seed bank can be an important source for vegetation regeneration, and data on the similarity between aboveground vegetation and the seed bank can provide information about successional pathways after disturbances or land‐use change. We conducted this study in natural grasslands in the subtropical highland region in southern Brazil. We evaluated the effect of silviculture on richness, density, and composition of the seed bank at former grassland sites converted to pine plantations 25 years ago. We worked at six grassland sites and three pine plantation sites and used the seedling emergence method. Seed bank density and richness in grasslands were lower than those reported in similar environments in other regions. Species richness and density varied considerably within each vegetation type; therefore, richness and density were not statistically significant, while composition varied among vegetation types. In terms of species, the pine plantation seed bank was a small subset of the grassland seed bank. Seeds of typical grassland species were missing in the pine plantation, but also had only low abundances in the grassland, and similarity of seed bank and vegetation were low (less than 20%). The low seed density found in this study, including in grasslands areas, indicates that regeneration of species from the soil seed bank likely is of a limited role for the maintenance of plant populations after disturbances in this system. Our data further suggest that natural regeneration after tree planting in grasslands is reduced due to seed limitation

Suburbane Räume als Kulturlandschaften - Einführung

Der Aufsatz besteht aus drei Teilen. In einem ersten Abschnitt werden die bisherigen Arbeiten zu Kulturlandschaften seit Ende der 1990er Jahre im Kontext der ARL und in Verbindung mit anderen raumwissenschaftlichen Einrichtungen resümiert. Daraus wird deutlich, dass Kulturlandschaften zwischenzeitlich ein zentrales Forschungsfeld der Raumwissenschaften geworden sind. Motor dieser Entwicklung waren sich wandelnde Verständnisse von Kulturlandschaft in bundesdeutschen und europäischen Dokumenten zur Raumordnung und zur Strukturpolitik. Diese werden im zweiten Abschnitt vorgestellt. Dabei wird offenkundig, dass der Begriff "Kulturlandschaft" zunehmend auch auf suburbane Räume bezogen wird. Das bildet den Hintergrund für aktuelle Diskussionen darüber, welchen Mehrwert es bringt, solche Räume auch als Kulturlandschaften zu verstehen. Der dritte Abschnitt skizziert die unterschiedlichen Perspektiven auf suburbane Räume, wie sie in den Beiträgen dieses Bandes zur Diskussion gestellt werden.The paper is divided into three parts. The first section reviews work undertaken on cultural landscapes since the end of the 1990s in the context of the ARL and in connection to other spatial research institutions. The review shows that cultural landscapes have become a central field of research for spatial planning and regional development. Driving this development was a changing understanding of cultural landscape in German Federal and European documentation on spatial planning and structural policy, as is discussed in the second section of the paper. It becomes obvious that the concept of cultural landscape is being increasingly used with reference to suburban spaces. This provides a background for current discussions about the advantages of conceptualising such spaces as cultural landscapes. The third section outlines the various perspectives on suburban spaces taken in the contributions to this volume

Conservation of species-rich subtropical grasslands: traditional management vs. legal conservation requirements in primary and secondary grasslands

Land-use change is the main cause of biodiversity losses, and for grasslands includes changes in management. The last 10 years has seen afforestation of traditionally grazed grasslands increase considerably in the understudied Serra do Sudeste region of the Brazilian Pampa, turning the region into a mosaic of tree plantations, natural ecosystems (partly in conservation areas without grazing management) and other land uses. We evaluated grassland plant community structure and composition in conservation areas considering two distinct types of land-use history and compared them to grasslands under traditional management. The study was carried out at 58 sites. Per site, three plots were established to sample the plant composition of the herbaceous and shrub layers. We used ordination techniques and indicator species analysis to describe patterns of community composition. We recorded a total of 516 species, thus confirming the high biodiversity of the region. We detected differences in vegetation structure and composition between primary and secondary grasslands. Our study emphasizes the need to increase conservation efforts in the region and points out that current conservation approaches should be evaluated critically regarding their effects for biodiversity conservation and that adequate grazing management is key for grassland biodiversity conservation

Are we ready to restore south brazilian grasslands? Plant material and legal requirements for restoration and plant production

The need for grassland restoration in the State of Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil, has become evident in the last two decades, when more than 1 million hectares were converted to other uses only in the Pampa region. Since then, studies have started to verify the most suitable ways to restore subtropical grasslands. Around the world, species introduction is one of the principal restoration techniques. We investigated the availability of seedlings and seeds of native grassland species in the local market and the legal framework regarding the restoration of grassland vegetation in RS. We found, in total, only seven companies that sold seedlings or seeds of nine native species from grasslands, a very limited number given the great biodiversity of South Brazilian grasslands. In addition to that, we found no criteria and procedures for grassland conversion or obligatory replacement established in legal norms for grasslands to Pampa region, as there are for forest vegetation. Without legal requirement, a market for seeds and seedlings likely will not develop and, without a market, there will be no producers, and restoration will remain limited. Our results support the need to create initiates and legislation with basic guidelines for the grassland conversion and restoration in RS

Avaliação de tratamentos com altas temperaturas na germinação de espécies campestres

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Floristic and structural patterns in South Brazilian coastal grassland

ABSTRACT The natural vegetation of Southern Brazil's coastal region includes grasslands formations that are poorly considered in conservation policy, due to the lack of knowledge about these systems. This study reports results from a regional-scale survey of coastal grasslands vegetation along a 536 km gradient on southern Brazil. We sampled 16 sites along the coastal plain with 15 plots (1 m²) per site. All sites were grazed by cattle. We estimated plant species cover, vegetation height, percentage of bare soil, litter and manure, and classified species according to their growth forms. We found 221 species, 14 of them exotic and two threatened. The prostate grasses: Axonopus aff.affinis, Paspalum notatum and P. pumilumwere among the most important species. Prostrate graminoids species represented the most important vegetation cover, followed by cespitose grasses. Vegetation height, bare soil, litter and manure were similar among all areas, highlighting the homogeneity of sampling sites due to similar management. In comparison to other grasslands formations in Southern Brazil, the coastal grasslands presented rather low species richness. The presence of high values for bare soil at all sampling sites indicates the need to discuss management practices in the region, especially with regard to the intensity of livestock grazing

Distance decay 2.0 : a global synthesis of taxonomic and functional turnover in ecological communities

Aim: Understanding the variation in community composition and species abundances (i.e., β-diversity) is at the heart of community ecology. A common approach to examine β-diversity is to evaluate directional variation in community composition by measuring the decay in the similarity among pairs of communities along spatial or environmental distance. We provide the first global synthesis of taxonomic and functional distance decay along spatial and environmental distance by analysing 148 datasets comprising different types of organisms and environments. Location: Global. Time period: 1990 to present. Major taxa studied: From diatoms to mammals. Method: We measured the strength of the decay using ranked Mantel tests (Mantel r) and the rate of distance decay as the slope of an exponential fit using generalized linear models. We used null models to test whether functional similarity decays faster or slower than expected given the taxonomic decay along the spatial and environmental distance. We also unveiled the factors driving the rate of decay across the datasets, including latitude, spatial extent, realm and organismal features. Results: Taxonomic distance decay was stronger than functional distance decay along both spatial and environmental distance. Functional distance decay was random given the taxonomic distance decay. The rate of taxonomic and functional spatial distance decay was fastest in the datasets from mid-latitudes. Overall, datasets covering larger spatial extents showed a lower rate of decay along spatial distance but a higher rate of decay along environmental distance. Marine ecosystems had the slowest rate of decay along environmental distances. Main conclusions: In general, taxonomic distance decay is a useful tool for biogeographical research because it reflects dispersal-related factors in addition to species responses to climatic and environmental variables. Moreover, functional distance decay might be a cost-effective option for investigating community changes in heterogeneous environments

L'Avant-projet de Loi et la protection des consommateurs

L'avant-projet de Loi sur le droit des obligations marque un virage législatif très important en ce qui concerne le traitement des problèmes juridiques des consommateurs québécois. Il y est proposé en effet d'intégrer la plupart des aspects civils de l'actuelle Loi sur la protection du consommateur au Code civil. Il est clair en outre qu'un bon nombre de contrats nommés seraient dorénavant formulés dans une perspective de protection des consommateurs et que certains principes généraux du titre I applicables à tous les contrats seraient marqués par un souci évident de protection de la partie contractante la plus faible. L'auteur discute dans la présente étude des mérites et des difficultés de l'intégration de la protection du consommateur au droit des obligations. Quoique favorable dans l'ensemble à cette intégration, il souligne la nécessité d'harmoniser les différentes parties de l'avant-projet entre elles et d'éviter d'introduire en droit commercial des techniques juridiques qui ont d'abord été élaborées dans le but de protéger les consommateurs. Il y est également discuté des problèmes relatifs à la délimitation du champ d'application du titre III qui porte sur le contrat de consommation, du caractère d'ordre public des dispositions générales concernant ce type de contrat, du problème de la sanction des règles de fonds et deforme et, enfin, de certaines règles de droit de la preuve applicables à ce droit particulier.The Draft Bill marks a new trend in the field of Quebec consumer law and protection. Indeed, the Draft Bill proposes the integration into the Civil Code of most civil aspects of the current Consumer Protection Act. In addition, it is also clear that many nominate contracts will henceforth be drawn up with a view to consumer protection and that certain general principles applying to all contracts will bear the mark of an obvious concern for protecting the weaker of the contracting parties. The author also discusses the merits and difficulties involved in integrating consumer protection into the law of obligations. Despite a favourable attitude towards this projected integration, he emphasizes the necessity for harmonizing the various parts of the Draft Bill in order to avoid the introduction of legal techniques originally developed for consumer protection into the Civil Law. Finally, the author dwells upon problems relating to the defining of the scope of Title III which encompasses the consumer contract, general provisions on public order with regard to this kind of contract, the problem posed by the sanctionning of rules on substance and form, and lastly, certain rules of law pertaining to evidence applicable to this area of the law