description of mid-conference excursions ser 2016 (freising)

Description of mid-conference excursions SER 2016 (Freising)

Introduction: Johannes Kollmann (Technical University of Munich) The conference location in Freising just north or Munich offers many opportunities to visit alpine,

rural or urban settings that are of interest from a restoration perspective – both for practitioners

and scientists from Europe and overseas. We have selected a number of challenges for ecological

restoration in a wide range of ecosystems. Researchers from the Technical University Munich and

cooperating institutions have been working on these sites in numerous projects. On the excursions a

number of experts will demonstrate different environmental problems, current research results,

restoration plans and management measures. With the design of the excursions we have decided to

take an ecosystem approach and hope that this will meet the expectations of the conference

participants.

List of SER2016 mid-conference excursions offered on Wednesday, 24 August 2016

1. Alpine forest management (30 participants)

2. Lowland forest conversion (50 participants)

3. Floodplain forest reconstruction (20 participants)

4. Riverbank revitalisation (25 participants)

5. Bog regeneration (30 participants)

6. Ecology and conservation of pre-alpine lakes (30 participants)

7. Quarry rehabilitation (50 participants)

8. Calcareous grassland restoration (50 participants)

9. Supporting agrobiodiversity in organic farming (50 participants)

10. Urban green infrastructure (50 participants)

Mid-conference excursions SER 2016 (Freising – 24 August 2016)

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1. Alpine forest management

Guide: Michael Weber (Technical University of Munich) Alpine forest management is critical for maintaining biodiversity and for protection of human

infrastructure against avalanches, landslides and rock fall. In the Bavarian Alps many forests are

affected by historical management, including grazing and mowing that favoured spruce on expense

of beech and silver fir. Another challenge are high densities of deer compromising natural tree

regeneration. Moreover, due to climate change the humus content of the forests is declining and

forest fires become more common. The excursion will visit high-montane and subalpine forest

stands near Lake Schliersee with diverse restoration activities in protective forests. For this excursion

hiking equipment is mandatory and it is necessary to be sure-footed, lunch will be in the forest and –

as in the other excursions – a beer garden may be visited before driving back to Freising.


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2. Lowland forest conversion

Guide: Thomas Knoke (Technical University of Munich) Forestry is productive but also vulnerable in Central Europe. With an average timber production of 7

m3 ha-1 year-1, Germany is among the countries with the highest forest productivity worldwide, partly

due to conifer-dominated plantations. Risk management of these stands is increasingly difficult due

to damages by wind, snow, drought and bark beetles. This does not only affect timber production

but many other ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration. To mitigate these problems,

forest conversion towards mixed and uneven-aged stands is a major aim of German forest policy.

The excursion will present a typical example near Landshut in Lower Bavaria, the ‘University Forest’

that is managed by Technical University of Munich. The forest covers a total of 428 ha and is

dominated by planted softwoods (Picea abies, Pinus sylvestris), mixed with hardwoods (Fagus

sylvatica, Quercus robur, Q. rubra), the latter accounting for 24% of the area. Forest conditions are

recorded on 425 inventory plots spread over all stand types. The excursion will demonstrate forest

conversion towards mixed and uneven-aged stands with Abies alba and Fagus sylvatica as most

important elements (see photo). A central topic is conversion towards a more natural forest

structure combined with requirements of economic sustainability. Lunch will be at the

administration building of the University Forest; a beer garden can be visited on the way home.


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3. Floodplain forest reconstruction at River Danube

Guide: Bernd Cyffka (Catholic University Eichstätt-Ingolstadt) Since the 1970s, the floodplain between Neuburg and Ingolstadt has been disconnected from the River Danube by construction of a hydropower dam. A major revitalisation project started in 2011 to re-establish some of the original hydrological dynamics of the floodplain, and to enhance habitat conditions for typical species. For five years, an extensive monitoring programme has been carried out by various groups at Technical University of Munich and University Eichstätt to record the change of abiotic parameters as well as of vegetation and selected animal groups. The excursion will start at the research institute ‘Aueninstitut Neuburg’, with an exhibition about the River Danube, in a former hunting castle of the Bavarian kings. Several revitalisation measures will be demonstrated during the excursion, including channel reconstruction, controlled flooding and low water management. Positive effects include increased river bank erosion, re-creation of active gravel bars, forest transformation and establishment of new pioneer vegetation; as a drawback, there is an increasing abundance of invasive alien plants in some areas (see photo). The excursion will finish in a beer garden near Neuburg. Because of transport limitations on the forest tracks, the number will be limited to 20 participants; lunch will be in the field depending on weather conditions. For more information see www.ku.de/mgf/geographie/angewandte-physische-geographie/aueninstitut-neuburg/mondau/


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4. Riverbank revitalisation at River Inn

Guide: Johannes Kollmann (Technical University of Munich) Since 2011, the Austrian power company VERBUND has adopted numerous revitalisation measures on the River Inn in a previously highly regulated section near Wasserburg. The excursion will demonstrate different measures of riverbank revitalisation, i.e. embankment removal, input of sand or large woody debris, and gravel addition, and the respective effects on vegetation structure and biodiversity (see photo). Embankment removal initiates development of highly dynamic habitats. Sites remain relatively open after gravel introduction, so that riparian pioneer species can colonise. The input of sand leads to a rather homogenous species composition, at least partly because the habitats are productive and develop to tall reed stands or riparian forests. This illustrates the need for careful consideration of the pursued goals and of site-specific conditions prior to restoration, as well as the need for long-term observations. Monitoring of the current revitalisation measures is done by Technical University of Munich and includes plants, birds and fish diversity that are shown during the trip. The excursion will be partly done by boat; therefore, participant numbers are limited to 25; packed lunches are provided. The excursion concludes with a visit to a beer garden in the historic town of Wasserburg. For more information see www.wasserburg.de/en/touristik/impressionen/


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5. Bog regeneration

Guide: Matthias Drösler (University of Applied Sciences Weihenstephan-Triesdorf) Bog ecosystems are widespread in the pre-alpine region of Bavaria. High precipitation and a positive

water balance led to the development of bogs with peat layers up to 10 m after the last ice age. In

the past 200 years, many of these bogs were degraded by drainage and peat cutting. Only in the past

25 years, peatland regeneration has become more common. Several large regeneration projects

have been initiated, initially to improve protection of habitat specialists. More recently, water

retention and climate mitigation were identified as additional ecological services of peatland

regeneration. The excursion will visit two bogs with different regeneration activities – both located

about 40 km south of Munich. The first site (‘Schechenfilze’) represents a well-preserved peat bog

that recovers from small-scale peat cutting (photo). The second site (‘Mooseurach’) is divided in two

parts, one with ongoing drainage and planted spruce forest, the other with a large-scale

rehabilitation of former pine forest, drained heathland and grassland etc. In both sites we will

demonstrate restoration activities, vegetation succession, peat characteristics and the effects on the

greenhouse gas (GHG) balances. The sites are part of the European ICOS-D infrastructure project for

long-term GHG-exchange measurements and were financed by BMBF and Klip2050 (Bavaria). Part of

the tour is on narrow wooden boardwalks; rubber boots are recommended. Lunch is planned in a

typical Bavarian beer-garden.


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6. Ecology, conservation and restoration of pre-alpine lake ecosystems

Guide: Jürgen Geist (Technical University of Munich) The excursion will visit the Limnological Research Station Iffeldorf (Technical University of Munich). It is located adjacent to a chain of lakes (‘Osterseen’) with differing trophic status, south of the Lake Starnberg in the pre-alpine region of Upper Bavaria. During the excursion, participants will be introduced to various research projects, as well as to the lakes and their surroundings. In the 1980s, most of the Bavarian pre-alpine lakes were exposed to eutrophication. Thus, ring canalisations were established to reduce the influx of wastewater into the lakes. In the past two decades, a continuous ‘re-oligotrophication’ of the lakes has occurred which is also mirrored in their biological communities. The initial state of the lakes and the efficiency control of their expensive restoration are documented using bioindicator-based tools such as the macrophyte index, to be explained during the excursion. Recent projects addressing the effects of global change on lake functioning, particularly on cyanobacterial blooms, will also be presented and discussed. Depending on weather conditions, the excursion will include a boat trip as well as a walking tour around the lakes including information on geology and vegetation. Participant number is limited to 30, and lunch will be offered at the Research Station.


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7. Quarry rehabilitation near Regensburg

Guide: Michael Rademacher (University of Applied Sciences Bingen) Quarries offer great opportunities for science and practice of ecological restoration to meet. This has been demonstrated in recent years by the company HeidelbergCement in several of its limestone quarries and gravel pits in Germany and many other countries. The company applies innovative measures to improve biodiversity and ecosystem functions already during the active phase of the quarries. Local stakeholders, including school classes and university students, for example from Technical University of Munich, have become actively involved. The excursion will visit two sites near Regensburg that are particularly rich in biodiversity and were featured twice in the Quarry Life Award since 2011 (www.quarrylifeaward.com/quarries/germany/burglengenfeld). In these quarries, near-natural wetlands, calcareous grasslands, successional scrub, scree slopes and rock habitats will be shown (photo). We will present projects on wetland management, on reduction of woody invasions, and on reintroducing target species of conservation, for example wild bees, butterflies, reptiles and plants of limestone grassland. Several of these projects participated in the Quarry Life Award competition. Depending on weather conditions, lunch will be in the canteen of the quarry, and the day may be concluded in a beer garden in the old town of Regensburg, a UNESCO-World Heritage site.


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8. Calcareous grassland restoration near Munich

Guide: Kathrin Kiehl (Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences) Semi-natural calcareous grasslands have covered large areas of Bavaria for thousands of years. Today, these grasslands are highly endangered due to land-use change, habitat destruction and fragmentation in Central Europe. They are protected by European law as so-called ‘Natura 2000’ habitats, and thus all EU member states have to preserve this type of grassland. North of Munich, eight municipalities and district administrations and the Bavarian Botanical Society have joined forces to preserve and restore a network of calcareous grasslands and associated sparse pine forests (www.heideflaechenverein.de). The nature reserves ‘Garchinger Heide’, ‘Mallertshofer Holz mit Heiden’ and ‘Dietersheimer Brenne’ are at the core of this network and will be visited during the field trip. Since 1993, Technical University of Munich has initiated and monitored a variety of grassland restoration and management projects on former arable fields adjacent to the nature reserves, including topsoil removal (photo), hay transfer, planting of endangered species and seeding of regional source-certified seeds. The results of these experiments will be demonstrated and discussed. In the afternoon, seed producer Johann Krimmer (Pulling) will provide insight into his pioneer work on regional seed propagation. The excursion will end in a beer garden near Freising.

© K. Kiehl


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9. Supporting agrobiodiversity by organic farming

Guide: Klaus Wiesinger (Bavarian State Research Center for Agriculture)

Organic agriculture provides multiple ecosystem services such as maintenance of water quality, soil protection and climate mitigation, and, moreover, supporting biodiversity. We will visit two organic farms that have different approaches to preserving and promoting biological diversity. The first is a mixed farm near Freising, with arable land and milk cows; it is in organic production since 1989 and currently involved in an agroforestry project with the Bavarian State Research Center for Agriculture. After a general introduction to the farm, we will present findings from seven years of research on combining organic agriculture and short rotation coppice on-site (photo). A central question to be discussed is if such a novel system – combining several forms of usage on the same land – could contribute to minimizing the conflict between production of food and gain of energy. Another question is whether and how it is possible to cultivate fast-growing tree species under the regulations of organic farming, especially without herbicide spraying. The project also compares performance of autochthonous tree species (black alder, grey alder etc.) with that of conventional hybrid poplar. After a lunch break in the farm restaurant, we will continue to the pre-alpine fen and bog area ‘Loisach-Kochelseemoore’, where organic farmers are involved in restoration of litter (straw) meadows. In organic animal husbandry, the use of litter for laying surfaces in stables is obligate. We will visit a modern organic milk cow stable with use of litter, as well as the species-rich meadows areas from which the litter is harvested. Depending on weather conditions, the excursion will be concluded in a beer garden.


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10. Urban green infrastructure

Guide: Harald Albrecht & Stephan Pauleit (Technical University of Munich) Urban areas harbour a wide range of ecosystems which can be grouped into relicts of natural vegetation, remnants of former land use, designed green spaces, and abandoned industrial and railway areas. The excursion presents various approaches to preserving these urban habitat types, and provides insights on how nature conservation can be combined with urban development of a fast growing city. The following sites are investigated by Technical University of Munich and will be visited during the excursion: (1) ‘Fröttmaninger Heide’ where large calcareous grassland exists adjacent to ‘Allianz Arena’ of FC Bayern München (photo), and conservation of species richness by traditional grazing is challenged by high visitor frequency and free running dogs from surrounding residential areas. (2) The former Railway Depot Neuaubing, one of the most species-rich examples of abandoned railway areas in Germany. (3) A wasteland park in Pasing with an innovative ‘logistics’ approach to preserving the reptile Lacerta agilis, protected under the European Natura 2000 directive, in a new housing area. (4) Isar river restoration in downtown Munich, where river restoration aims at combining ecological and social goals with flood protection. And (5) ‘Englischer Garten’ with conservation management in one of the most prominent examples of this type of urban landscape architecture in Germany. Lunch will be at one of the excursion sites, and a beer garden may be visited at the end of the excursion.

© H. Albrecht

description of mid-conference excursions ser 2016 (freising)

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