Pluralism in counteracting nitrogen eutrophication of forest ecosystems

Nitrogen eutrophication is one of the chief threats to forest species and habitats in Central Europe. Based on assumed levels of N-availability during post-glacial vegetation history, five complementary management strategies are proposed: (1) Function-oriented silviculture (industrial), (2) conservation of species and biotopes (pre-industrial), (3) wilderness (pre-historic) and (4) primary succession (post-glacial reference period).
In the face of persisting N-immissions from agriculture and combustion, measures to increase uptake and retention must be combined with active removal of biomass and soils, as already practised in grassland restoration and management, to allow the survival of more specialised forest species.

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Invited by Jürgen Dengler, Department of Plant Ecology

• Announcement (PDF)