Project description C1 - Project completed
Scientific advisor
Prof. Dr. C. Leuschner
Project
Historical development, utilisation patterns and past growth dynamics of deciduous forests with contrasting tree species diversity
The project aims to reconstruct the history of 12 sampling plots investigated by the first phase of the Graduiertenkolleg. First, archives were visited and records on structure of land tenure and forest management analysed. Before the national park was established, the forest was managed for the purpose of a military training area only extensively harvesting on our research plots. However, until the middle of the 20th century our plots belonged to a heterogenous forest area with reference to ownership and forest management. Besides feudal estate, the studied plots are located on land owned by the city of Bad Langensalza and cooperative forest (Laubgenossenschaft).
In addition to written information, trees can be used as archives for stand history. We sampled trees forming the canopy and measured ringwidth of the extracted wood cores. The beeches (Fagus sylvatica L.) were chosen according to the neighboring trees which were assigned to different tree species mixtures. Ringwidth gives information on climatical conditions and on changed competition due to forest management. To gain further information on the precedent years, chemical analyses of elements and stable isotopes in different wood sections were carried out.
Methods
- Archival documents
- Analysis of the seed bank in cooperation with Project A2
- Dendroecological analysis of tree core samples (LINTAB/TSAPWin)
- Dendrochemistry: ICP, stable isotopes (13C and 15N)