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Tom Kirschey

Naturschutzbund Deutschland (NABU) e.V., International, Head of International Peatland and Southeast Asia Projects

Conservation Biology +27

Phone: +4930-284984-1172
Address: NABU headquarters
International Department
Charitéstrasse 3
10117 Berlin
Germany

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Papers

Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Degraded and Rewetted Peatlands in Northern European Lowland

16th International Peatland Congress, 2021

The northeastern European countries as Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have huge peatland areas, wh... more The northeastern European countries as Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have huge peatland areas, which partly reach several meters in depth. Due to peat excavating and the intensification of agriculture and forestry, peatlands were increasingly drained, leading to an accelerated peat mineralization and consequently to high greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. At European level the Baltic States represent Hot Spots of GHG emissions, coming from drained peatlands as well as Germany and Poland. The EU aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions currently by 50 to 55 percent until 2030 compared to 1990. Therefore the restoration of drained peatlands must be integrated in the climate policy. The objective of the EU-LIFE Project "Peat Restore" is the rewetting of degraded peatlands in the partner countries Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Germany, covering a total area of 5.300 hectares. To assess the climate effect of the restoration measures and to obtain actual emission data, we monitored the greenhouse gas dynamic in ten different sites and ecosystems. The measurements started in early summer 2018 in Estonia, Poland and Germany and 2019 in Latvia and Lithuania. We used a combination of different chambers (opaque and transparent ones) to quantify the Ecosystem Respiration (RECO) and the Net-Ecosystem-Exchange (NEE) by different Infrared Gas analyser (IRGA) systems. We also measured methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes in-situ or in the laboratory by manual sampling in a 2-/4-weekly cycle. Due to the dry summer we measured continuously high RECO-fluxes throughout the vegetation period in 2018, but depending on the vegetation composition and the water level with significant spatial differences. The calculated gross primary production (GPP) fluxes reflect a more typical seasonal course, with a pronounced interannual variation. The methane fluxes are low to moderate, but respond also with rates to beaver activities. The N2O fluxes are currently on a low level only.

Best Practice Book for Peatland Restoration and Climate Change Mitigation: Experiences from LIFE Peat Restore Project

by Jurate Sendzikaite and Tom Kirschey

University of Latvia, 2021

www.life-peat-restore.eu/en

Amphibians of Leuweung Sancang Nature Reserve, West Java, Indonesia

Zoo Indonesia, 2022

Cagar Alam Leuweung Sancang merupakan cagar alam yang terletak di bagian selatan dari Kabupaten G... more Cagar Alam Leuweung Sancang merupakan cagar alam yang terletak di bagian selatan dari Kabupaten Garut, tepatnya Kecamatan Cibalong, Jawa Barat. Keanekaragaman flora dan fauna pada kawasan ini diketahui tinggi. Chirixalus pantaiselatan merupakan jenis baru yang ditemukan dan menunjukkan bahwa amfibi di kawasan ini belum sepenuhnya terungkap. Pengumpulan data dalam survei ini menggunakan metode Visual Encounter Survey (VES) yang dipadukan dengan sistem transek sampling yang dilakukan secara purposive berdasarkan tipe habitat. Survei dilakukan pada dua lokasi, yaitu Cijeruk dan Cikalongberan dengan waktu survei selama lima hari. Selain data amfibi, diukur juga komponen habitatnya meliputi cuaca, suhu udara, kelembaban, dan pH air. Berdasarkan hasil survei, ditemukan sebanyak 82 individu yang terdiri dari 4 suku dan 11 jenis dengan indeks keanekaragaman Shannon-Wiener (H') keseluruhan sebesar 1,59. Hasil perhitungan tersebut juga tidak berbeda siginifikan pada masing-masing lokasi survei. Suhu pada lokasi survei berkisar antara 29,9ºC hingga 33,2ºC dengan kelembaban cukup tinggi antara 69,1-85,8%, serta pH air antara 6-7. Jenis amfibi yang paling umum ditemukan pada lokasi survei, yaitu Chirixalus pantaiselatan sebanyak 38 individu. Sementara itu, jenis amfibi dengan jumlah temuan paling sedikit, yaitu Indosylvirana nicobariensis, Fejervarya iskandari, Ingerophrynus biporcatus, Limnonectes macrodon, Kaloula baleata, dan Polypedates leucomystax dengan masingmasing sebanyak satu individu.

Landscape epidemiology of Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans: reconciling data limitations and conservation urgency

Ecological Applications, 2021

Starting in 2010, rapid-fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra) population declines in northweste... more Starting in 2010, rapid-fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra) population declines in northwestern Europe heralded the emergence of Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal), a salamander-pathogenic chytrid fungus. Bsal poses an imminent threat to global salamander diversity owing to its wide host range, high pathogenicity, and long-term persistence in ecosystems. While there is a pressing need to develop further research and conservation actions, data limitations inherent to recent pathogen emergence obscure necessary insights into Bsal disease ecology. Here, we use a hierarchical modeling framework to describe Bsal landscape epidemiology of outbreak sites in light of these methodological challenges. Using model selection and machine learning, we find that Bsal presence is associated with humid and relatively cool, stable climates. Outbreaks are generally located in areas characterized by low landscape heterogeneity and low steepness of slope. We further find an association between Bsal presence and high trail density, suggesting that human-mediated spread may increase risk for spillover between populations. We then use distribution modeling to show that favorable conditions occur in lowlands influenced by the North Sea, where increased survey effort is needed to determine how Bsal impacts local newt populations, but also in hill- and mountain ranges in northeastern France and the lower half of Germany. Finally, connectivity analyses suggest that these hill- and mountain ranges may act as stepping stones for further spread southward. Our results provide initial insight into regional environmental conditions underlying Bsal epizootics, present updated invasibility predictions for northwestern Europe, and lead us to discuss a wide variety of potential survey and research actions needed to advance future conservation and mitigation efforts.

Population density of Tarsius supriatnai along a forest degradation gradient in Popayato-Paguat landscape (Gorontalo Province, Sulawesi)

Biodiversity, Biogeography and Nature Conservation in Wallacea and New Guinea, Vol. IV, 2021

Jatna's Tarsier Tarsius supriatnai Shekelle, Groves, Maryanto et Mittermeier, 2017 is a species o... more Jatna's Tarsier Tarsius supriatnai Shekelle, Groves, Maryanto et Mittermeier, 2017 is a species of primitive primates described very recently from the western part of the Gorontalo Province in North Sulawesi (Shekelle et al. 2017). The main aim of the present study is to identify correlations between forest degradation and conversion and population densities of Jatna’s Tarsier in a typical forest edge to agricultural land transition area in Popayato Paguat landscape and provide ecological data about the species and its spatial distribution. The results show that Tarsius supriatnai is not entirely restricted to the secondary forest. As long as small particular remnants of natural vegetation remain in the landscape, tarsiers are found be able to persist, but their population densities are considerably lower. Average population densities on agricultural-agroforest area (1.22 individuals/ha) differ significantly from those within the secondary rainforest (5.37 individuals/ha). Moreover, average population densities at the study plots undergoing forest conversion (1.05 individuals/ha) differ significantly from those unaffected (5.65 individuals/ha) by rainforest degradation (4.07 individuals/ha). Regarding to the IUCN Red List assessment guidelines, we confirm the criterion "VU Vulnerable" for Tarsius supriatnai based on the results of the present study.

Assessing mire-river interaction in a pristine Siberian bog-dominated watershed - case study of a part of the Great Vasyugan Mire, Russia

Siberian mires, especially the world’s largest coherent bogs of the Great Vasyugan Mire (Tomsk Re... more Siberian mires, especially the world’s largest coherent bogs of the Great Vasyugan Mire (Tomsk Region, West Siberian Plain, Russia), play an important role in the regional hydrological cycle, global carbon balance and influence flow formation of the region’s rivers. We revealed the role of natural mires in supplying water to a mire-dominated (80% of the river basin area) Siberian catchment of the Klyuch River that represents typical features of the headwater catchment of the Great Vasyugan Mire, the world’s largest mire in natural and well-preserved conditions. Our research protocol involved an analysis of the electric conductivity of peat water along selected transects of the mire, analysis of groundwater levels and river discharge and electric conductivity of the river water. We used ground-penetrating radar to determine the structure of the peat. We revealed that the examined part of the mire depends solely on the rainwater supply and that minerotrophic groundwater is not present within the area of the research. Average groundwater levels within the mire in the period 2013–2018 reached 0.193 m b.g.l. We also revealed that the natural drainage of mire water does not sustain river discharge throughout the whole year. This means the Klyuch remains an intermittent river dependent on the natural outflow of the mire’s waters, after exceeding the mire’s critical water retention volume. Total retention volume of a mire depends on the peat’s physical features and the mire’s short-term response to excessive thaw and precipitation events. An analysis of river discharge duration curves demonstrated that river discharge can be sustained by the duration reaching from 0.39 up to 0.71 in a year, in dry and wet years, respectively. We concluded that in a specific hydrogeological setup of the mire–river system, natural ombrotrophic mires cannot be considered as systems with a continuous water supply and discharge stabilization. We concluded that the Hortonian vision of infiltration and discharge is not valid in bog dominated basins. In the face of climatic changes in Siberia, we foresee a decrease in the discharge volume from the headwaters of rivers and the increase of river intermittence which may affect total outflow volume, specifically in the upper Ob and Irtysh, by reducing the contribution of surface runoff.

A submerged pine forest from the early Holocene in the Mecklenburg Lake District, northern Germany

by Knut Kaiser, Tom Kirschey, and Silke Oldorff

For the first time, evidence of a submerged pine forest from the early Holocene can be documented... more For the first time, evidence of a submerged pine forest from the early Holocene can be documented in a central European lake. Subaquatic tree stumps were discovered in Lake Giesenschlagsee at a depth of between 2 and 5 m using scuba divers, side‐scan sonar and a remotely operated vehicle. Several erect stumps, anchored to the ground by roots, represent an in situ record of this former forest. Botanical determination revealed the stumps to be Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) with an individual tree age of about 80 years. The trees could not be dated by means of dendrochronology, as they are older than the regional reference chronology for pine. Radiocarbon ages from the wood range from 10 880±210 to 10 370±130 cal. a BP, which is equivalent to the mid‐Preboreal to early Boreal biozones. The trees are rooted in sedge peat, which can be dated to this period as well, using pollen stratigraphical analysis. Tilting of the peat bed by 4 m indicates subsidence of the ground due to local dead ice melting, causing the trees to become submerged and preserved for millennia. Together with recently detected Lateglacial in situ tree occurrences in nearby lakes, the submerged pine forest at Giesenschlagsee represents a new and highly promising type of geo‐bio‐archive for the wider region. Comparable in situ pine remnants occur at some terrestrial (buried setting) and marine (submerged setting) sites in northern central Europe and beyond, but they partly differ in age. In general, the in situ pine finds document shifts of the zonal boreal forest ecosystem during the late Quaternary.

Distribution of the Common or Viviparous Lizard, Zootoca vivipara (Lichtenstein, 1823) (Squamata: Lacertidae) in Central Europe and Re-Colonization of the Baltic Sea Basin: New Karyological Evidence

The widely distributed viviparous lizard Zootoca vivipara (Lichtenstein 1823) revealed considerab... more The widely distributed viviparous lizard Zootoca vivipara (Lichtenstein 1823) revealed considerable differences in physiology, karyology, molecular genetics, and natural history. Based on chromosomal and mtDNA data several distinct karyotypic forms and haplotypes have been described from Central Europe. In an attempt to further clarify the geographic distribution of two karyologically different forms within the viviparous, nominotypic Z. v. vivipara, we studied the karyotypes of specimens from two NE German localities in West Pomerania (Baltic Sea) and Brandenburg, respectively, and also of those from Mt. Kopaonik in Serbia. All individuals karyotyped represented the western form of Z. v. vivipara that differs from other chromosomal forms of Central Europe in several karyotype characters. It inhabits the south coast of the Baltic Sea between the German harbor city of Kiel in the west and the Russian harbor city of Kaliningrad in the east. Recently, the eastern, so-called Russian form of Z. v. vivipara was recorded also in the Kaliningrad exclave, in Belarus near the border Belarus-Poland and even in easternmost Poland, then further eastwards along the Baltic Sea coast including Finland. Our data show that easternmost German populations still belong to the western form, as it is also the case in the SE European Serbian locality sampled. Together with previous data sets, our results document chromosomal uniformity within the western form of Z. v. vivipara from the Baltic Sea coast to the Carpathian basin and the central Balkans, and earlier hypotheses of the postglacial recolonization of the Baltic Sea basin by Z. vivipara are corroborated.

Benthivorous fishes interaction with submerged vegetation – A simple exclosure experiment

by Silke Oldorff and Tom Kirschey

This study tested the setup of an exclosure experiment to exclude or at least diminish direct imp... more This study tested the setup of an exclosure experiment to exclude or at least diminish direct impacts of medium-to large size benthivorous fishes on submerged macrophytes in three EU habitat type 3140 lakes in NE-Germany. In lakes Großer Glietzen and Peetsch no effect on stimulation of regrowth of macrophytes could be observed, the exclosures remained free of macrophyte vegetation like the reference plots. This is likely caused by water level fluctuations resulting in lake bottom conditions unsuitable for macrophyte development. Only in Lake Stechlin significant differences of macrophyte development between inside and outside the exclosure have been observed in 2014 and 2015. The ratio of covered vs. uncovered sediment was significantly influenced by presence or absence of benthivorous fishes. Also the ratio of charophytes vs. angiosperms and other groups was significantly influenced. In 2014 and 2015 Charophytes dominated the macrophyte vegetation inside the exclosure, while at the reference plot in 2014 angiosperms dominated and in 2015 significantly increased. The experiment results support the hypothesis, that benthivorous fishes are key species and strongly influencing macrophyte communities. Additionally species-specific direct impacts of certain benthivorous fishes on macrophytes are documented from direct observations.

Exkursionsergebnisse des 12. Treffens des Arbeitskreises Characeen Deutschlands in Nordost-Brandenburg

by Silke Oldorff, Tom Kirschey, Thomas Gregor, and Sebastian Meis

Herpetofauna (Amphibia, Reptilia) at the Kafa Biosphere Reserve

chapter in NABU (ed. 2017): NABU's Biodiversity Assessment at the Kafa Biosphere Reserve. NABU, B... more

Preliminary data on the batrachofauna of the Kafa Biosphere Reserve

by Konstantin Milto, Mark Pestov, and Tom Kirschey

Der Salamanderfresser - eine neue Bedrohung für heimische Schwanzlurche

to the knowledge of the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans

Untersuchung von Abgrabungsgewässern in NRW - Ergebnisse der Exkursion des DGL-Arbeitskreises Tauchen in der Limnologie

by Silke Oldorff, Tom Kirschey, and Robert Pudwill

26.-29.09.2015 we investigated several secondary (former exctraction sites) standing waters in No... more

Besonderheiten bei der Bewertung von Tagebaurestseen des LRT 3140 nach der FFH-Richtlinie – Ergebnisse der Exkursion des Arbeitskreises Tauchen in der Limnologie

by Silke Oldorff, Franz Brümmer, Christin Müller, Tom Kirschey, Said Yasseri, and Robert Pudwill

Die Makrophytenvegetation des Großen Fürstenseer Sees und des Hinnensees

characterizes the Dynamics of aquatic macrophyte Vegetation of 2 lakes in Müritz National Park (N... more

Notes on the Dice Snake (Natrix tessellata) from the Caucasian Isthmus

by Konrad Mebert, Борис Туниев, and Tom Kirschey

A summary of general aspects of dice snakes from the Caucasian Isthmus, including areas west to t... more A summary of general aspects of dice snakes from the Caucasian Isthmus, including areas west to the Sea of Azov and east to the Caspian Sea, is presented. The aspects include notes on color pattern, distribution, habitat and sympatric herpetofauna. We conclude this report with relevant accounts on the daily activity and conservation of dices snakes in the Caucasus biogeographic region.

Vom „lose-lose“ zum „win-win“ – funktioniert das?

by Silke Oldorff and Tom Kirschey

Naturschutz und Sporttauchen im Naturpark-Stechlin-Ruppiner Land

Makrophytenkartierung in ausgewählten Seen Nordostdeutschlands

by Tom Kirschey and Silke Oldorff

Methodik und erste Ergebnisse des "naturkundlichen Tauchens" in Seen des Naturparks Stechlin-Ruppiner Land

by Tom Kirschey and Silke Oldorff

Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Degraded and Rewetted Peatlands in Northern European Lowland

16th International Peatland Congress, 2021

The northeastern European countries as Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have huge peatland areas, wh... more The northeastern European countries as Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have huge peatland areas, which partly reach several meters in depth. Due to peat excavating and the intensification of agriculture and forestry, peatlands were increasingly drained, leading to an accelerated peat mineralization and consequently to high greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. At European level the Baltic States represent Hot Spots of GHG emissions, coming from drained peatlands as well as Germany and Poland. The EU aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions currently by 50 to 55 percent until 2030 compared to 1990. Therefore the restoration of drained peatlands must be integrated in the climate policy. The objective of the EU-LIFE Project "Peat Restore" is the rewetting of degraded peatlands in the partner countries Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Germany, covering a total area of 5.300 hectares. To assess the climate effect of the restoration measures and to obtain actual emission data, we monitored the greenhouse gas dynamic in ten different sites and ecosystems. The measurements started in early summer 2018 in Estonia, Poland and Germany and 2019 in Latvia and Lithuania. We used a combination of different chambers (opaque and transparent ones) to quantify the Ecosystem Respiration (RECO) and the Net-Ecosystem-Exchange (NEE) by different Infrared Gas analyser (IRGA) systems. We also measured methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes in-situ or in the laboratory by manual sampling in a 2-/4-weekly cycle. Due to the dry summer we measured continuously high RECO-fluxes throughout the vegetation period in 2018, but depending on the vegetation composition and the water level with significant spatial differences. The calculated gross primary production (GPP) fluxes reflect a more typical seasonal course, with a pronounced interannual variation. The methane fluxes are low to moderate, but respond also with rates to beaver activities. The N2O fluxes are currently on a low level only.

Best Practice Book for Peatland Restoration and Climate Change Mitigation: Experiences from LIFE Peat Restore Project

by Jurate Sendzikaite and Tom Kirschey

University of Latvia, 2021

www.life-peat-restore.eu/en

Amphibians of Leuweung Sancang Nature Reserve, West Java, Indonesia

Zoo Indonesia, 2022

Cagar Alam Leuweung Sancang merupakan cagar alam yang terletak di bagian selatan dari Kabupaten G... more Cagar Alam Leuweung Sancang merupakan cagar alam yang terletak di bagian selatan dari Kabupaten Garut, tepatnya Kecamatan Cibalong, Jawa Barat. Keanekaragaman flora dan fauna pada kawasan ini diketahui tinggi. Chirixalus pantaiselatan merupakan jenis baru yang ditemukan dan menunjukkan bahwa amfibi di kawasan ini belum sepenuhnya terungkap. Pengumpulan data dalam survei ini menggunakan metode Visual Encounter Survey (VES) yang dipadukan dengan sistem transek sampling yang dilakukan secara purposive berdasarkan tipe habitat. Survei dilakukan pada dua lokasi, yaitu Cijeruk dan Cikalongberan dengan waktu survei selama lima hari. Selain data amfibi, diukur juga komponen habitatnya meliputi cuaca, suhu udara, kelembaban, dan pH air. Berdasarkan hasil survei, ditemukan sebanyak 82 individu yang terdiri dari 4 suku dan 11 jenis dengan indeks keanekaragaman Shannon-Wiener (H') keseluruhan sebesar 1,59. Hasil perhitungan tersebut juga tidak berbeda siginifikan pada masing-masing lokasi survei. Suhu pada lokasi survei berkisar antara 29,9ºC hingga 33,2ºC dengan kelembaban cukup tinggi antara 69,1-85,8%, serta pH air antara 6-7. Jenis amfibi yang paling umum ditemukan pada lokasi survei, yaitu Chirixalus pantaiselatan sebanyak 38 individu. Sementara itu, jenis amfibi dengan jumlah temuan paling sedikit, yaitu Indosylvirana nicobariensis, Fejervarya iskandari, Ingerophrynus biporcatus, Limnonectes macrodon, Kaloula baleata, dan Polypedates leucomystax dengan masingmasing sebanyak satu individu.

Landscape epidemiology of Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans: reconciling data limitations and conservation urgency

Ecological Applications, 2021

Starting in 2010, rapid-fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra) population declines in northweste... more Starting in 2010, rapid-fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra) population declines in northwestern Europe heralded the emergence of Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal), a salamander-pathogenic chytrid fungus. Bsal poses an imminent threat to global salamander diversity owing to its wide host range, high pathogenicity, and long-term persistence in ecosystems. While there is a pressing need to develop further research and conservation actions, data limitations inherent to recent pathogen emergence obscure necessary insights into Bsal disease ecology. Here, we use a hierarchical modeling framework to describe Bsal landscape epidemiology of outbreak sites in light of these methodological challenges. Using model selection and machine learning, we find that Bsal presence is associated with humid and relatively cool, stable climates. Outbreaks are generally located in areas characterized by low landscape heterogeneity and low steepness of slope. We further find an association between Bsal presence and high trail density, suggesting that human-mediated spread may increase risk for spillover between populations. We then use distribution modeling to show that favorable conditions occur in lowlands influenced by the North Sea, where increased survey effort is needed to determine how Bsal impacts local newt populations, but also in hill- and mountain ranges in northeastern France and the lower half of Germany. Finally, connectivity analyses suggest that these hill- and mountain ranges may act as stepping stones for further spread southward. Our results provide initial insight into regional environmental conditions underlying Bsal epizootics, present updated invasibility predictions for northwestern Europe, and lead us to discuss a wide variety of potential survey and research actions needed to advance future conservation and mitigation efforts.

Population density of Tarsius supriatnai along a forest degradation gradient in Popayato-Paguat landscape (Gorontalo Province, Sulawesi)

Biodiversity, Biogeography and Nature Conservation in Wallacea and New Guinea, Vol. IV, 2021

Jatna's Tarsier Tarsius supriatnai Shekelle, Groves, Maryanto et Mittermeier, 2017 is a species o... more Jatna's Tarsier Tarsius supriatnai Shekelle, Groves, Maryanto et Mittermeier, 2017 is a species of primitive primates described very recently from the western part of the Gorontalo Province in North Sulawesi (Shekelle et al. 2017). The main aim of the present study is to identify correlations between forest degradation and conversion and population densities of Jatna’s Tarsier in a typical forest edge to agricultural land transition area in Popayato Paguat landscape and provide ecological data about the species and its spatial distribution. The results show that Tarsius supriatnai is not entirely restricted to the secondary forest. As long as small particular remnants of natural vegetation remain in the landscape, tarsiers are found be able to persist, but their population densities are considerably lower. Average population densities on agricultural-agroforest area (1.22 individuals/ha) differ significantly from those within the secondary rainforest (5.37 individuals/ha). Moreover, average population densities at the study plots undergoing forest conversion (1.05 individuals/ha) differ significantly from those unaffected (5.65 individuals/ha) by rainforest degradation (4.07 individuals/ha). Regarding to the IUCN Red List assessment guidelines, we confirm the criterion "VU Vulnerable" for Tarsius supriatnai based on the results of the present study.

Assessing mire-river interaction in a pristine Siberian bog-dominated watershed - case study of a part of the Great Vasyugan Mire, Russia

Siberian mires, especially the world’s largest coherent bogs of the Great Vasyugan Mire (Tomsk Re... more Siberian mires, especially the world’s largest coherent bogs of the Great Vasyugan Mire (Tomsk Region, West Siberian Plain, Russia), play an important role in the regional hydrological cycle, global carbon balance and influence flow formation of the region’s rivers. We revealed the role of natural mires in supplying water to a mire-dominated (80% of the river basin area) Siberian catchment of the Klyuch River that represents typical features of the headwater catchment of the Great Vasyugan Mire, the world’s largest mire in natural and well-preserved conditions. Our research protocol involved an analysis of the electric conductivity of peat water along selected transects of the mire, analysis of groundwater levels and river discharge and electric conductivity of the river water. We used ground-penetrating radar to determine the structure of the peat. We revealed that the examined part of the mire depends solely on the rainwater supply and that minerotrophic groundwater is not present within the area of the research. Average groundwater levels within the mire in the period 2013–2018 reached 0.193 m b.g.l. We also revealed that the natural drainage of mire water does not sustain river discharge throughout the whole year. This means the Klyuch remains an intermittent river dependent on the natural outflow of the mire’s waters, after exceeding the mire’s critical water retention volume. Total retention volume of a mire depends on the peat’s physical features and the mire’s short-term response to excessive thaw and precipitation events. An analysis of river discharge duration curves demonstrated that river discharge can be sustained by the duration reaching from 0.39 up to 0.71 in a year, in dry and wet years, respectively. We concluded that in a specific hydrogeological setup of the mire–river system, natural ombrotrophic mires cannot be considered as systems with a continuous water supply and discharge stabilization. We concluded that the Hortonian vision of infiltration and discharge is not valid in bog dominated basins. In the face of climatic changes in Siberia, we foresee a decrease in the discharge volume from the headwaters of rivers and the increase of river intermittence which may affect total outflow volume, specifically in the upper Ob and Irtysh, by reducing the contribution of surface runoff.

A submerged pine forest from the early Holocene in the Mecklenburg Lake District, northern Germany

by Knut Kaiser, Tom Kirschey, and Silke Oldorff

For the first time, evidence of a submerged pine forest from the early Holocene can be documented... more For the first time, evidence of a submerged pine forest from the early Holocene can be documented in a central European lake. Subaquatic tree stumps were discovered in Lake Giesenschlagsee at a depth of between 2 and 5 m using scuba divers, side‐scan sonar and a remotely operated vehicle. Several erect stumps, anchored to the ground by roots, represent an in situ record of this former forest. Botanical determination revealed the stumps to be Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) with an individual tree age of about 80 years. The trees could not be dated by means of dendrochronology, as they are older than the regional reference chronology for pine. Radiocarbon ages from the wood range from 10 880±210 to 10 370±130 cal. a BP, which is equivalent to the mid‐Preboreal to early Boreal biozones. The trees are rooted in sedge peat, which can be dated to this period as well, using pollen stratigraphical analysis. Tilting of the peat bed by 4 m indicates subsidence of the ground due to local dead ice melting, causing the trees to become submerged and preserved for millennia. Together with recently detected Lateglacial in situ tree occurrences in nearby lakes, the submerged pine forest at Giesenschlagsee represents a new and highly promising type of geo‐bio‐archive for the wider region. Comparable in situ pine remnants occur at some terrestrial (buried setting) and marine (submerged setting) sites in northern central Europe and beyond, but they partly differ in age. In general, the in situ pine finds document shifts of the zonal boreal forest ecosystem during the late Quaternary.

Distribution of the Common or Viviparous Lizard, Zootoca vivipara (Lichtenstein, 1823) (Squamata: Lacertidae) in Central Europe and Re-Colonization of the Baltic Sea Basin: New Karyological Evidence

The widely distributed viviparous lizard Zootoca vivipara (Lichtenstein 1823) revealed considerab... more The widely distributed viviparous lizard Zootoca vivipara (Lichtenstein 1823) revealed considerable differences in physiology, karyology, molecular genetics, and natural history. Based on chromosomal and mtDNA data several distinct karyotypic forms and haplotypes have been described from Central Europe. In an attempt to further clarify the geographic distribution of two karyologically different forms within the viviparous, nominotypic Z. v. vivipara, we studied the karyotypes of specimens from two NE German localities in West Pomerania (Baltic Sea) and Brandenburg, respectively, and also of those from Mt. Kopaonik in Serbia. All individuals karyotyped represented the western form of Z. v. vivipara that differs from other chromosomal forms of Central Europe in several karyotype characters. It inhabits the south coast of the Baltic Sea between the German harbor city of Kiel in the west and the Russian harbor city of Kaliningrad in the east. Recently, the eastern, so-called Russian form of Z. v. vivipara was recorded also in the Kaliningrad exclave, in Belarus near the border Belarus-Poland and even in easternmost Poland, then further eastwards along the Baltic Sea coast including Finland. Our data show that easternmost German populations still belong to the western form, as it is also the case in the SE European Serbian locality sampled. Together with previous data sets, our results document chromosomal uniformity within the western form of Z. v. vivipara from the Baltic Sea coast to the Carpathian basin and the central Balkans, and earlier hypotheses of the postglacial recolonization of the Baltic Sea basin by Z. vivipara are corroborated.

Benthivorous fishes interaction with submerged vegetation – A simple exclosure experiment

by Silke Oldorff and Tom Kirschey

This study tested the setup of an exclosure experiment to exclude or at least diminish direct imp... more This study tested the setup of an exclosure experiment to exclude or at least diminish direct impacts of medium-to large size benthivorous fishes on submerged macrophytes in three EU habitat type 3140 lakes in NE-Germany. In lakes Großer Glietzen and Peetsch no effect on stimulation of regrowth of macrophytes could be observed, the exclosures remained free of macrophyte vegetation like the reference plots. This is likely caused by water level fluctuations resulting in lake bottom conditions unsuitable for macrophyte development. Only in Lake Stechlin significant differences of macrophyte development between inside and outside the exclosure have been observed in 2014 and 2015. The ratio of covered vs. uncovered sediment was significantly influenced by presence or absence of benthivorous fishes. Also the ratio of charophytes vs. angiosperms and other groups was significantly influenced. In 2014 and 2015 Charophytes dominated the macrophyte vegetation inside the exclosure, while at the reference plot in 2014 angiosperms dominated and in 2015 significantly increased. The experiment results support the hypothesis, that benthivorous fishes are key species and strongly influencing macrophyte communities. Additionally species-specific direct impacts of certain benthivorous fishes on macrophytes are documented from direct observations.

Exkursionsergebnisse des 12. Treffens des Arbeitskreises Characeen Deutschlands in Nordost-Brandenburg

by Silke Oldorff, Tom Kirschey, Thomas Gregor, and Sebastian Meis

Herpetofauna (Amphibia, Reptilia) at the Kafa Biosphere Reserve

chapter in NABU (ed. 2017): NABU's Biodiversity Assessment at the Kafa Biosphere Reserve. NABU, B... more

Preliminary data on the batrachofauna of the Kafa Biosphere Reserve

by Konstantin Milto, Mark Pestov, and Tom Kirschey

Der Salamanderfresser - eine neue Bedrohung für heimische Schwanzlurche

to the knowledge of the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans

Untersuchung von Abgrabungsgewässern in NRW - Ergebnisse der Exkursion des DGL-Arbeitskreises Tauchen in der Limnologie

by Silke Oldorff, Tom Kirschey, and Robert Pudwill

26.-29.09.2015 we investigated several secondary (former exctraction sites) standing waters in No... more

Besonderheiten bei der Bewertung von Tagebaurestseen des LRT 3140 nach der FFH-Richtlinie – Ergebnisse der Exkursion des Arbeitskreises Tauchen in der Limnologie

by Silke Oldorff, Franz Brümmer, Christin Müller, Tom Kirschey, Said Yasseri, and Robert Pudwill

Die Makrophytenvegetation des Großen Fürstenseer Sees und des Hinnensees

characterizes the Dynamics of aquatic macrophyte Vegetation of 2 lakes in Müritz National Park (N... more

Notes on the Dice Snake (Natrix tessellata) from the Caucasian Isthmus

by Konrad Mebert, Борис Туниев, and Tom Kirschey

A summary of general aspects of dice snakes from the Caucasian Isthmus, including areas west to t... more A summary of general aspects of dice snakes from the Caucasian Isthmus, including areas west to the Sea of Azov and east to the Caspian Sea, is presented. The aspects include notes on color pattern, distribution, habitat and sympatric herpetofauna. We conclude this report with relevant accounts on the daily activity and conservation of dices snakes in the Caucasus biogeographic region.

Vom „lose-lose“ zum „win-win“ – funktioniert das?

by Silke Oldorff and Tom Kirschey

Naturschutz und Sporttauchen im Naturpark-Stechlin-Ruppiner Land

Makrophytenkartierung in ausgewählten Seen Nordostdeutschlands

by Tom Kirschey and Silke Oldorff

Methodik und erste Ergebnisse des "naturkundlichen Tauchens" in Seen des Naturparks Stechlin-Ruppiner Land

by Tom Kirschey and Silke Oldorff

Handbook for Assessment of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Peatlands - Applications of direct and indirect methods by LIFE Peat Restore

by Jurate Sendzikaite and Tom Kirschey

Lithuanian Fund for Nature, 2022

Pflanzen im Süßwasser

by Silke Oldorff and Tom Kirschey

This book is a photographic field guide for submerged freshwater macrophytes. It describes 140 sp... more