Stimulated by the concern for environmental problems that arose during the 1970s and 1980s, related both to global and national questions of sustain ability, the German government committed itself to advancing ecosystem research as a central component of planning for environment ally, economically, and socially sound policies and for resource manage ment during the 21 st century. Ecosystem research has been promoted at institutions spread throughout the country and that are favorably struc tured to conduct interdisciplinary studies. Research funding is derived from both the federal union and state governments. Results from the research programme at several of these institutions are summarized in this volume: 1. to provide a status report on process understanding within ecosystem types that are viewed as building blocks of complex, highly-modified Central European landscapes, 2. to document progress at institutions pursuing ecosystem science and promoting interdisciplinary approaches, 3. to support the next steps in generalizing the research results, e. g., to obtain a picture of ecosystem function in time and space or oflandscape function, and 4. to examine how the results may be applied to better manage natural resources and achieve sustainability.

A source of comparison of important fluxes of carbon, nitrogen, and water through different types of ecosystems which make up central European landscapes Demonstrates alternative field research designs that have been employed in ecosystem studies Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Inhalt
1 Relating Ecosystem Studies to the Management of Resources in Central Europe: A Problem of Complexity, Scales and Communication.- 2 A Historical Perspective on the Development of Ecosystem and Landscape Research in Germany.- 3 Conceptual Framework of the Bornhöved Lake District Research.- 4 Spatial Heterogeneity in Forest Soils and Understory Communities of the Bornhöved Lake District.- 5 The Carbon Cycle of Contrasting Landscape Elements of the Bornhöved Lake District.- 6 Nitrogen Retention and Loss from Ecosystems of the Bornhöved Lake District.- 7 Spatial and Temporal Variability of Limnological Processes.- 8 Sustainable Landscape Management in the Börnhoved Lake District.- 9 Adapting Land Use To Promote Sustainable Agricultural Management: A Model Project at the Scheyern Experimental Farm of FAM.- 10 The Scheyern Experimental Farm: Research Methods, the Farming System and Definition of the Framework of Site Properties and Characteristics.- 11 Site Effects on the Variability of Crop Growth at the Scheyern Experimental Farm.- 12 Site Effects on Plant and Animal Distribution at the Scheyern Experimental Farm.- 13 Site Effects on the Variability of Nitrogen Turnover at the Scheyern Experimental Farm.- 14 Modelling Seasonal Dynamics of Matter Transport and Cycling from Patch to Landscape: Extrapolating from the Scheyern Experimental Farm.- 15 Ecological and Economic Evaluations of Agricultural Land Use Experiences from the Scheyern Experimental Farm.- 16 Interdisciplinary and Multifunctional Approaches for Ensuring Sustainable Use of Northeast German Agro-landscapes.- 17 Spatially Distributed Simulation of Evapotranspiration, Soil Water Dynamics, and Groundwater Recharge in Northeast German Agro-landscapes.- 18 Potholes in Northeast GermanAgro-landscapes: Functions, Land Use Impacts, and Protection Strategies.- 19 Assessing the Impact of Land Use Intensity and Climate Change on Ontogenesis, Biomass Production, and Yield of Northeast German Agro-landscapes.- 20 A Model To Assess the Effects of Land Use Changes on Nitrogen Leaching in Northeast German Agro-landscapes.- 21 Effects of Patterning on Biodiversity in Northeast German Agro-landscapes.- 22 Land Use Change and Habitat Quality in Northeast German Agro-landscapes.- 23 Future Land Use Planning in Northeast German Agro-landscapes.- 24 Assessing Environmental Influences on Ecological Function of a Spruce Forest Catchment in the Fichtelgebirge.- 25 Controls on Evapotranspiration in a Spruce Forest Catchment of the Fichtelgebirge.- 26 Modelling of Fluxes in a Spruce Forest Catchment of the Fichtelgebirge.- 27 Biogeochemistry of a Spruce Forest Catchment of the Fichtelgebirge in Response to Changing Atmospheric Deposition.- 28 Generalizing from a Spruce Forest Catchment of the Fichtelgebirge: Expected Responses of Montane Forests to Environmental Change.- 29 Changes in Forest Ecosystem Function with Succession in the Lüneburger Heide.- 30 Future Development of Landscapes in Marginal Agrarian Regions of Central Europe: Long-term Effects of Land Use on the Water Balance.- 31 Remote Sensing, GIS and Modelling: Assessing Spatially Distributed Water, Carbon, and Nutrient Balances in the Ammer River Catchment in Southern Bavaria.- 32 Ecosystem Science Contributions and the Implementation of an Ecologically Based Landscape Management in Central Europe.- Appendix: Color Illustrations.