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Central Europe (central + europe)
Selected AbstractsThe impacts of climate change on the risk of natural disastersDISASTERS, Issue 1 2006Maarten K. Van Aalst Abstract Human emissions of greenhouse gases are already changing our climate. This paper provides an overview of the relation between climate change and weather extremes, and examines three specific cases where recent acute events have stimulated debate on the potential role of climate change: the European heatwave of 2003; the risk of inland flooding, such as recently in Central Europe and Great Britain; and the harsh Atlantic hurricane seasons of 2004 and 2005. Furthermore, it briefly assesses the relation between climate change and El Niño, and the potential of abrupt climate change. Several trends in weather extremes are sufficiently clear to inform risk reduction efforts. In many instances, however, the potential increases in extreme events due to climate change come on top of alarming rises in vulnerability. Hence, the additional risks due to climate change should not be analysed or treated in isolation, but instead integrated into broader efforts to reduce the risk of natural disasters. [source] Neophyte species richness at the landscape scale under urban sprawl and climate warmingDIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS, Issue 6 2009Michael P. Nobis Abstract Aim, Land use and climate are two major components of global environmental change but our understanding of their simultaneous and interactive effects upon biodiversity is still limited. Here, we investigated the relationship between the species richness of neophytes, i.e. non-native vascular plants introduced after 1500 AD, and environmental covariates to draw implications for future dynamics under land-use and climate change. Location, Switzerland, Central Europe. Methods, The distribution of vascular plants was derived from a systematic national grid of 1 km2 quadrates (n = 456; Swiss Biodiversity Monitoring programme) including 1761 species, 122 of which were neophytes. Generalized linear models (GLMs) were used to correlate neophyte species richness with environmental covariates. The impact of land-use and climate change was thereafter evaluated by projections for the years 2020 and 2050 using scenarios of moderate and strong changes for climate warming (IPCC) and urban sprawl (NRP 54). Results, Mean annual temperature and the amount of urban areas explained neophyte species richness best, with a high predictive power of the corresponding model (cross-validated D2 = 0.816). Climate warming had a stronger impact on the potential increase in the mean neophyte species richness (up to 191% increase by 2050) than ongoing urban sprawl (up to 10% increase) independently from variable interactions and model extrapolations to non-analogue environments. Main conclusions, In contrast to other vascular plants, the prediction of neophyte species richness at the landscape scale in Switzerland requires few variables only, and regions of highest species richness of the two groups do not coincide. The neophyte species richness is basically driven by climatic (temperature) conditions, and urban areas additionally modulate small-scale differences upon this coarse-scale pattern. According to the projections climate warming will contribute to the future increase in neophyte species richness much more than ongoing urbanization, but the gain in new neophyte species will be highest in urban regions. [source] Spatiotemporal changes of beetle communities across a tree diversity gradientDIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS, Issue 4 2009Stephanie Sobek Abstract Aim, Plant and arthropod diversity are often related, but data on the role of mature tree diversity on canopy insect communities are fragmentary. We compare species richness of canopy beetles across a tree diversity gradient ranging from mono-dominant beech to mixed stands within a deciduous forest, and analyse community composition changes across space and time. Location, Germany's largest exclusively deciduous forest, the Hainich National Park (Thuringia). Methods, We used flight interception traps to assess the beetle fauna of various tree species, and applied additive partitioning to examine spatiotemporal patterns of diversity. Results, Species richness of beetle communities increased across the tree diversity gradient from 99 to 181 species per forest stand. Intra- and interspecific spatial turnover among trees contributed more than temporal turnover among months to the total ,-beetle diversity of the sampled stands. However, due to parallel increases in the number of habitat generalists and the number of species in each feeding guild (herbivores, predators and fungivores), no proportional changes in community composition could be observed. If only beech trees were analysed across the gradient, patterns were similar but temporal (monthly) species turnover was higher compared to spatial turnover among trees and not related to tree diversity. Main conclusions, The changes in species richness and community composition across the gradient can be explained by habitat heterogeneity, which increased with the mix of tree species. We conclude that understanding temporal and spatial species turnover is the key to understanding biodiversity patterns. Mono-dominant beech stands are insufficient to conserve fully the regional species richness of the remaining semi-natural deciduous forest habitats in Central Europe, and analysing beech alone would have resulted in the misleading conclusion that temporal (monthly) turnover contributes more to beetle diversity than spatial turnover among different tree species or tree individuals. [source] Selection of preadapted populations allowed Senecio inaequidens to invade Central EuropeDIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS, Issue 4 2008Oliver Bossdorf ABSTRACT Invasive species often evolve rapidly in response to the novel biotic and abiotic conditions in their introduced range. Such adaptive evolutionary changes might play an important role in the success of some invasive species. Here, we investigated whether introduced European populations of the South African ragwort Senecio inaequidens (Asteraceae) have genetically diverged from native populations. We carried out a greenhouse experiment where 12 South African and 11 European populations were for several months grown at two levels of nutrient availability, as well as in the presence or absence of a generalist insect herbivore. We found that, in contrast to a current hypothesis, plants from introduced populations had a significantly lower reproductive output, but higher allocation to root biomass, and they were more tolerant to insect herbivory. Moreover, introduced populations were less genetically variable, but displayed greater plasticity in response to fertilization. Finally, introduced populations were phenotypically most similar to a subset of native populations from mountainous regions in southern Africa. Taking into account the species' likely history of introduction, our data support the idea that the invasion success of Senecio inaequidens in Central Europe is based on selective introduction of specific preadapted and plastic genotypes rather than on adaptive evolution in the introduced range. [source] Patterns of interspecific associations of stem gallers on willowsDIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS, Issue 6 2003Jens-Peter Kopelke Abstract., The pattern of interspecific associations of three stem-galling sawfly species (Euura atra, E. elaeagnos, E. purpureae) and three stem-galling gallmidge species (Rabdophaga sp. 3,5) was investigated on five willow taxa (Salix alba, S. fragilis, S. × rubens, S. elaeagnos, S. purpurea) at five natural sites in Central Europe. The willow species harboured specific species associations of two stem gallers, each pair consisting of one Euura and one Rabdophaga species. The stem gallers were patchily distributed and their densities varied significantly among willow host plant species, host plant individuals, and host plant sexes. Four of the six species showed a significant increase in galling rate with shoot length. The other two species were the sawfly and cecidomyiid pair that induce galls on S. purpurea. The preference of stem gallers to longer shoots was generally not related to higher larval performance in terms of survival. Only one species, Rabdophaga sp. 5, was found to be more abundant on male plants. The correlation of densities of the species pairs of stem gallers was independent of willow sexes. Species pairs of stem gallers co-occurring on the same willow species tended to attack different shoots within the same host plant individual. When species pairs co-occurred on shoots they were usually found in similar densities as when occurring alone on shoots. The stem-galling sawflies usually formed galls at the basal part of a shoot, whereas the gallmidge R. sp. 5 (R. sp. 3 and R. sp. 4 showed no clear tendency) preferred the middle or distal part of a shoot. This is interpreted with differences of their phenology and oviposition period. [source] Inventing the Pasts in North Central Europe: The National Perception of Early Medieval History and Archaeology by Matthias Hardt, Christian Lübke and Dittmar SchorkowitzEARLY MEDIEVAL EUROPE, Issue 4 2006CHARLES WEST No abstract is available for this article. [source] When fish meet fish as determined by physiological sensorsECOLOGY OF FRESHWATER FISH, Issue 4 2009O. Slavík Abstract,,, Electromyogram (EMG) biotelemetry allows a description of the spatial distribution of fish together with a simultaneous measurement of individual energy consumption. Using this technique, we observed behaviour of the largest European freshwater predator, Silurus glanis, in the Elbe River, Central Europe. In total, 52 diurnal cycles and 1248 individual fish positions were recorded with 12,480 EMG records during the period from March to May 2006; 1013 fish positions with 10,130 EMG records were further used for statistical analyses. Energy consumption increased with decreasing mutual distance between specimens, an effect that occurred predominantly when both of them were simultaneously in overlapping preferred areas [core areas (CAs)] appointed within their home ranges (HRs). Furthermore, with increasing energy consumption individual's movement range in longitudinal and lateral profiles decreased; i.e., the fish were positioned within a small area. When the CAs of tested individuals did not overlap, no relationship between EMG signals and mutual distance of conspecifics was found. Our results indicate that movement activity and also social behaviour can be determined with physiological sensors. [source] Population genetics of the European trout (Salmo trutta L.) migration system in the river Rhine: recolonisation by sea troutECOLOGY OF FRESHWATER FISH, Issue 1 2005A. Schreiber Abstract , Allozyme genetics (34 loci) is studied in up to 1010 European trout (Salmo trutta) from the Rhine, Meuse, Weser, Elbe and Danube river systems in Central Europe. Population samples from single collection sites, chiefly small streams (GCG = 0.2126), rather than the divergence of the trout from Atlantic and Danubian drainages (GSG = 0.0711), contributed to the overall gene diversity of GST = 0.2824. Sea trout (n = 164) and brown trout (n = 767) in Atlantic rivers adhere to the same biogeographical stock, but anadromous trout from the Rhine and the Elbe display more genetic cohesion than resident brown trout from the Rhine system alone. Strayers from the Elbe could have founded the recently re-established sea trout population of the Rhine, after a few decades of absence or precarious rarity. Migrants may even connect the Rhine and Elbe stocks by ongoing gene flow. A release,recapture study confirms that all trout in the Rhine belong to one partly migratory population network: Six of 2400 juvenile sea trout released into a tributary of the Rhine were later recorded as emigrants to the Rhine delta, against three of 1600 released brown trout. One migrant had entered the open North Sea, but the other dispersers were recorded in fresh waters of the Rhine delta (Ijsselmeer, Amstelmeer). Stocking presumably elevated both heterozygosity and fixation indices of brown trout, but this effect is subtle within the range of the Atlantic population group. Improved sea trout management in the Rhine, and modifications to brown trout stocking in the upper Danubian area are recommended. [source] Catching Up or Falling Behind?ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY, Issue 2 2000Economic Performance, Regional Trajectories in the "New Europe" Abstract: This paper examines the trajectories of economic development of European national and regional economies in light of the pressures for greater integration and enlargement of the European Union. Using a variety of data sets, we demonstrate that there are significant variations in the speed and direction of change in per capita income and in productivity and employment rates across countries and a sample of European regions, and that falling behind (divergence) occurs as well as catching up (convergence). Making sense of spatial development therefore requires, we argue, that attention be paid to processes of differentiation and, in particular, to the falling behind experienced by less developed areas in East Central Europe and the forging ahead of the most developed, as well as to processes of catch-up. The paper also contributes to an assessment of the appropriateness of interpretations of growth and spatial development through countering the dominant discourse of convergence in neoclassical and neoliberal formulations and by suggesting that integration brings with it a number of important territorial "costs" associated with increasing inequality. [source] Monetary circulation in Central Europe at the beginning of the early modern period: attempts to establish a shared currency as an aspect of the political culture of the 16th century (1524,1573) , By Petr VorelECONOMIC HISTORY REVIEW, Issue 2 2007Ian Blanchard No abstract is available for this article. [source] Invasive and quarantine pests in forests in Slovakia1EPPO BULLETIN, Issue 2 2006Milan Zúbrik Biological invasions of insects, plants, and fungal pest species often cause substantial disturbance to forest ecosystems and as well as severe socioeconomic impacts. Central Europe acts as a ,bridge' between Western and Eastern Europe both ecologically and as an important transit corridor for people. Human activity, including the movement of material goods, increases the risk of invasions. Some species introduced in the past have been established, becoming common and causing serious problems (such as Dreyfusia nordmannianae or Hyphantria cunea). The status, importance and spatial distribution in Slovakia of seven different forest pests recently introduced into Slovak forest ecosystems (Cameraria ohridella, Coleotechnites piceaella, Cryphonectria parasitica, Dothistroma septospora, Ips duplicatus, Parectopa robiniella, Phyllonorycter robiniellus) as well as two others not yet recorded in Slovakia (Anoplophora glabripennis, Phytophthora spp.) is discussed. [source] Cleavages, competition and coalition-building: Agrarian parties and the European question in Western and East Central EuropeEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF POLITICAL RESEARCH, Issue 4 2004AGNES BATORY Variations in the patterns of Euroscepticism found in agrarian parties across Europe is therefore explained in terms of three central variables: the agrarian parties' long-term policy goals linked to identity and interest; their position in the party systems and the mainstream left- and right-wing parties' stance on European integration; and their long- and short-term electoral strategies and office-related incentives. [source] The Culture of Private Law in Central Europe After Enlargement: A Polish PerspectiveEUROPEAN LAW JOURNAL, Issue 5 2005First page of article [source] European Union Constitution-Making, Political Identity and Central European ReflectionsEUROPEAN LAW JOURNAL, Issue 2 2005It analyses both the temporal and spatial dimensions of constitution-making and addresses the problems of political identity related to ethnic divisions and civic demos. It starts by summarising the major arguments supporting the Union's constitution-making project and emphasises the Union's symbolic power as a polity built on the principles of civil society and parliamentary democracy. The EU's official rejection of ethnically based political identity played an important symbolic role in post-Communist constitutional and legal transformations in Central Europe in the 1990s. In the following part, the text analyses the temporal dimension of the EU's identity-building and constitution-making and emphasises its profoundly future-oriented structure. The concept of identity as the ,future in process' is the only option of how to deal with the absence of the European demos. Furthermore, it initiates the politically much-needed constitution-making process. The following spatial analysis of this process emphasises positive aspects of the horizontal model of constitution-making, its elements in the Convention's deliberation and their positive effect on the Central European accession states. The article concludes by understanding the emerging European identity as a multi-level identity of civil political virtues surrounded by old loyalties and traditions, which supports the conversational model of liberal democratic politics, reflects the continent's heterogeneity and leads to the beneficial combination of universal principles and political realism. [source] Die Häufigkeit von Oenothera -Arten im westlichen MitteleuropaFEDDES REPERTORIUM, Issue 5-6 2003R. Wittig Professor Dr. Auf ausgewählten Industrie- und Verkehrstandorten in drei Ballungsgebieten des westlichen Mitteleuropas (Rhein-Ruhr-Gebiet: Nordrhein-Westfalen/ Deutschland; Frankfurt: Hessen/Deutschland; Oberrheingebiet: Baden-Württemberg/Deutschland und Elsass/ Frankreich) wurde in den Jahren 1999 bis 2002 an ausgewählten, Oenothera -reichen Standorten (Industriegelände, Bahngelände, Hafenanlagen) eine quantitative Bestandsaufnahme der Oenothera -Arten vorgenommen. Hierbei belegten O. biennis und O. fallax nahezu gleichrangig den ersten Platz in der Häufigkeitsliste. Mit teilweise recht deut-lichem Abstand folgen O. pycnocarpa und O. glazioviana auf den Plätzen 3 und 4. Bemerkenswer-terweise ergab eine gleichzeitig in Frankfurt durchgeführte Rasterkartierung der Oenothera -Arten die gleiche Reihenfolge dieser vier Spezies im Hinblick auf die Zahl der von ihnen besiedelten Rasterfelder. Wie der Vergleich mit älteren Arbeiten zeigt, in denen O. biennis stets als die eindeutig häufigste Art genannt wird, hat sich O. fallax offensichtlich erst in jüngster Zeit stark ausgebreitet. Frequency of species of Oenothera in Western Central Europe Between 1999 and 2002 a quantitative inventory of Oenothera species was carried out in three urban agglomeration areas in Western Central Europe [Rhine-Ruhr-Area: North Rhine-Westfalia/Germany; Frankfurt (Main) Hessen/Germany; Upper Rhine Area-Baden-Wurttemberg/Germany and Elsace/ France] in areas with a rich abundance of Oenothera (manufacturing plants, stations, docks) at selected industrial sites and locations with high volumes of traffic. Results revealed that Oenotherabiennis and O. fallax occur most frequently followed after a wide margin by Oenothera pycnocarpa and O. glazioviana in third and fourth position. It is noteworthy that a grid mapping of Oenothera species undertaken simultanously in Frankfurt revealed the same order of frequency for the four species with respect to the number of grid cells they occupy. A comparison with previous studies, which all name Oenothera biennis as the most frequently occurring species, demonstrates clearly that the high frequency of Oenothera fallax is the result of a recent development. [source] Welche Bedeutung hat die sexuelle Reproduktion für den Erfolg der Art Calamagrostis epigejos (L.) Roth?FEDDES REPERTORIUM, Issue 3-4 2003A. Grüttner Dr. Als Quellen der Variabilität im Potential der sexuellen Reproduktion fanden sich Unterschiede in der Keimungsgeschwindigkeit (entspelzte Karyopsen keimten rascher und synchroner), bei den Keimraten und vor allem bei der Zahl keimfähiger Diasporen pro Rispe. Von den anderen abweichend zeigten kleine isolierte Bestände geringere Keimraten und brachten , wohl bedingt durch Selbstinkompatibilität , kaum keimfähige Diasporen hervor. Bei gezielter Suche fanden sich Keimlinge auf offenen, zumindest leicht tonhaltigen Rohböden. Das Wachstum der Keimlinge stagnierte und keiner von über 6000 überlebte bis zum nächsten Jahr. Da Bewässerung die Entwicklung auf dem selben Substrat sehr förderte, war offenbar Wassermangel für das geringe Wachstum ausschlaggebend. Die erfolgreiche generative Etablierung ist also auf den Zufall günstiger Witterungsphasen oder Standorte angewiesen. Auch im Frühjahr waren noch keimfähige Diasporen in aufrechten Rispen nachweisbar, sodass sich der Diasporenfall mehr oder weniger über das gesamte Jahr erstreckt. Im Zusammenspiel mit dem Fehlen von Dormanz ermöglicht das die Nutzung nicht vorhersagbarer günstiger Witterungsphasen. Bei einem Kulturversuch kamen einzelne Individuen auch mit schwierigen Substraten gut zurecht, auf denen die Mehrzahl kümmerte. Danach ergibt sich die standörtliche Breite der Art C.,epigejos als Summe sehr unterschiedlicher Reaktionsnormen der Individuen. Die angeführten Befunde unterstreichen insgesamt die Bedeutung der sexuellen Reproduktion und der genetischen Diversität für den Erfolg der Art. Is sexual reproduction important to the success of Calamagrostis epigejos (L.) Roth? Calamagrostis epigejos is very common in Central Europe and occupies an extraordinary wide range of habitats. As up to now nearly no reports exist on spontaneous seedling emergence, we aimed to investigate several aspects of sexual reproduction, thereby refering to contrasting habitat types. Components in the variability of the potential of sexual reproduction were differences in germination speed and rates and, above all, number of germinable seeds per panicle. Unlike the others, small isolated stands produced very low numbers of germinable seeds, probably caused by selfincompatibility. Our search for seedlings was successful at several sites , all distinguished by raw soil, a certain clay content, and little cover of vegetation and plant litter. The seedlings grew very slowly and none of more than 6000 survived the first year. Additional water enabling much better growth indicates the necessity of favorable weather or favorable habitats (with constant water supply) for successful seedling establishment. Seed dispersal nearly all around the year, combined with the lack of dormancy, allows to make use of the unpredictable opportunities of suitable weather periods. A growth experiment on different substrates demonstrated: the more extreme the conditions, the more differentiated the amount of biomass achieved by each of 20 genets. Some genets grew well even on substrates where most others stagnated. This outcome suggests the wide range of habitats covered by C. epigejos to be the result of the genetic diversity, which in turn is maintained by sexual reproduction and avoidance of inbreeding. [source] Rhodomyrtophyllum reticulosum (Rossm.) Knobloch & Z. Kva,ek , ein bedeutendes eozänes Florenelement im Tertiär MitteleuropasFEDDES REPERTORIUM, Issue 1-2 2003U. Glinka Dipl.-Biol. Nach kritischer Überprüfung blattepidermaler und blattmorphologischer Merkmalskomplexe an Blättern und Blattresten von RhodomyrtophyllumRüffle & Jähnichen aus dem Weißelster-Becken und seiner Randgebiete in Mitteldeutschland (Raum Halle,Leipzig,Borna,Altenburg,Zeitz,Zwickau und Ostthüringen) wird nachgewiesen, dass es sich bei den Blattresten um Vertreter einer einzigen Art handelt. Die Untersuchungen stützen sich auf 465 Fossilien aus meist kohlig- oder tonig-schluffiger Facies. In einer erweiterten Diagnose wird neben Grundformen mit typischen Charakteristiken die morphologische und blattanatomische Variationsbreite angeführt, die in den natürlichen Grenzen einer Species liegt. Untersuchungen an Blättern weiterer Fundorte in Europa kommen zum gleichen Ergebnis. An Arten von 21 Gattungen rezenter Myrtaceae erfolgen detaillierte Untersuchungen der Blattmorphologie und vor allem der Epidermisstruktur, die markante Ähnlichkeiten zur fossilen Sippe zeigen, was besonders bei Arten der Gattungen SyzygiumGaertn. und Eugenia L. erkennbar ist. Rhodomyrtophyllum reticulosum (Rossm.) Knobloch & Z. Kva,ek , a significant Eocene floral element in the Tertiary of Central Europe The leaf remains of RhodomyrtophyllumRüffle & Jähnichen from the Eocene occurring in the Weißelster Basin in central Germany (area Halle,Leipzig,Borna,Altenburg,Zeitz,Zwickau and Eastern Thuringia) have been proven to belong to a single species. This has been documented by analysing gross morphology and epidermical structure of 465 fossil leaves and leaf fragments from coal sand coal-silt facies. An emended diagnosis characterises besides basic forms with typical gross morphology and leaf anatomy, also extreme specimens within the limits of natural variability of Rhodomyrtophyllumreticulosum. These results correspond with studies from other European localities. Furthermore, detailed analyses of leaf morphology and epidermal structure of 21 recent species of the Myrtaceae are given. These demonstrate analogies of the fossil taxon studied especially among representatives of SyzygiumGaertn. and Eugenia L. [source] Ecology of yeasts in plant,bumblebee mutualism in Central EuropeFEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2004Michael Brysch-Herzberg Abstract Yeast community involved in plant,bumblebee mutualism was investigated in three successive years. Yeasts were isolated from floral nectar, bumblebee queens after hibernation, bumblebee workers, and the honey provisions in nests. From the distribution of yeast species in the various microhabitats in the course of the year their ecology was assessed. Nectar of numerous plant species belonging to various plant families was analyzed in order to uncover possible impacts on the yeasts present in the nectar. Only ascomycetous yeasts were autochthonous members of the communities in the plant,bumblebee mutualism. Species in the Metschnikowia clade, the Starmarella clade, and the genera Debaryomyces and Zygosaccharomyces were associated with the mutualism. Some species appeared highly specialized, whereas others had a broader distribution. While physical and chemical properties of nectar had only limited influence on the abundance of nectar yeasts, the attractiveness of plants to the flower-visiting insects appears to have had a greater impact on the abundance and frequency of yeasts in the nectar of different plant species. [source] Foreign Banks in Transition Countries: To Whom Do They Lend and How Are They Financed?FINANCIAL MARKETS, INSTITUTIONS & INSTRUMENTS, Issue 4 2006Ralph De Haas We use focused interviews with managers of foreign parent banks and their affiliates in Central Europe and the Baltic States to analyze the small-business lending and internal capital markets of multinational financial institutions. Our approach allows us to complement the standard empirical literature, which has difficulty in analyzing important issues such as lending technologies and capital allocation. We find that the acquisition of local banks by foreign banks has not led to a persistent bias in these banks' credit supply toward large multinational corporations. Instead, increased competition and the improvement of subsidiaries' lending technologies have led foreign banks to gradually expand into the SME and retail markets. Second, it is demonstrated that local bank affiliates are strongly influenced by the capital allocation and credit steering mechanisms of the parent bank. [source] Terrestrial invertebrates inhabiting lowland river floodplains of Central Amazonia and Central Europe: a reviewFRESHWATER BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2002JOACHIM ADIS 1.,Amazonian terrestrial invertebrates produce high population densities during favourable periods and may suffer a drastic decrease during occasional floods and droughts. However, the monomodal, predictable flood pulse of the larger Amazonian rivers favours the development of morphological (respiratory organs, wing-dimorphism), phenological (synchronization of life cycles, univoltine mode of life), physiological (flooding ability, gonad dormancy, alternating number of developmental stages), and behavioural adaptations (migration, temporal diving) with numerous interactions. 2.,In lowlands of Central Europe, the flood pulse of large rivers is less predictable than in Central Amazonia and is superimposed by the seasonal light/temperature pulse (summer/winter regime). Some terrestrial invertebrates show physiological resistance against inundation or drought, phenologies fitting the normal annual rhythm of water level fluctuation (quiescence or diapause of eggs or adult invertebrates), high dispersal ability and migration. However, most species survive simply using a `risk strategy', combining high reproduction rates, dispersal and reimmigration following catastrophic events. 3.,The diversity of species in terrestrial invertebrates is lower in lowland riverine ecosystems of Central Amazonia and Central Europe compared with the respective uplands because of flood stress in these systems. However, floodplains in Central Amazonia possess a greater number of endemic species in comparison with Central European floodplains because of long periods of fairly stable climatic conditions in comparison with large palaeoclimatic changes in Central Europe. [source] Influence of cutting regime and fertilizer application on the botanical composition, yield and nutritive value of herbage of wet grasslands in Central EuropeGRASS & FORAGE SCIENCE, Issue 4 2009Abstract The changes in dry matter (DM) yield, botanical composition and nutritive value of herbage to ruminants of two wet grasslands, Arrhenatherum elatius grassland (Experiment 1) and a Molinia caerulea fen meadow (Experiment 2), in which a range of cutting and fertilizer treatments were imposed in 1999, were assessed after 4,7 years of treatment imposition. Both experiments had a split-plot design with four replicates. In Experiment 1 the three main-plot cutting treatments were two cuts with a delayed first cut, three cuts and four cuts during the growing season of each year. In Experiment 2 the cutting treatments were two cuts with a traditional harvest time, two cuts with a delayed first cut and three cuts. The four sub-plot fertilizer treatments were an unfertilized control, application of a phosphorus and potassium (PK) fertilizer, application of a nitrogen (N) and PK fertilizer to the first cut only (N1PK) and application of PK plus N applied to each of two, three or four cuts (NcPK). Application of fertilizer influenced yield and botanical composition of herbage more than the cutting treatments while the opposite occurred for nutritive value of the herbage. Application of fertilizer increased the proportion of tall grasses in Experiment 1 and forbs in Experiment 2. The proportion of Equisetum palustre, present only in Experiment 1, was reduced from 0·33 to less than 0·01 by increased cutting frequency together with the NPK fertilizer treatments. In Experiment 1 diversity of vascular plants was negatively affected only by the four-cuts treatment while on both wet grasslands other cutting and fertilizer application treatments had no effect. Changes in DM yield of herbage caused by the cutting and fertilizer application treatments were similar for both vegetation types with DM yield increased significantly by fertilizer application but only slightly or not reduced by increasing the cutting frequency. Nutritive value of herbage was positively correlated with cutting frequency and was most influenced at the first cut. [source] Wetlands with controlled drainage and sub-irrigation systems,modelling of the water balanceHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 14 2007Ottfried Dietrich Abstract Over the past centuries, the agricultural use of wetlands in Central Europe has required interference with the natural wetland water balance. Often this has consisted of drainage measures alone. In low-precipitation areas, it has also involved the operation of combined drainage and sub-irrigation systems. Model studies conducted as part of planning processes, or with a view to finding out the impact of changing climate conditions on the water balance of wetlands, must take these facts into account. For this reason, a water balance model has been devised for wetlands whose water balance is governed by water resources management systems. It is based on the WBalMo model system. Special modules were integrated into WBalMo to calculate the water balance of wetland areas (WABI module) and to regulate inflow partitioning within the wetland (REGINF module). When calculating the water balance, the WABI module takes into account precipitation and potential evapotranspiration, groundwater levels below surface, soil types, land-use classes, inflows via the running water system, and data for target water levels. It provides actual evapotranspiration, discharge into the running water system, and groundwater levels in the area. The example of the Spreewald, a major wetland area in north-eastern Germany, was used to design and test the WBalMo Spreewald model. The comparison of measured and calculated water balance parameters of the wetland area confirms the suitability of the model for water balance studies in wetlands with complex water resources management systems. The results reveal the strong influence of water management on the water balance of such areas. The model system has proved to be excellently suited for planning and carrying out water management measures aimed at the sustainable development of wetlands. Furthermore, scenario analyses can be used to assess the impact of global change on the water balance of wetlands. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Wind speed measurements and forest damage in Canton Zurich (Central Europe) from 1891 to winter 2007INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLIMATOLOGY, Issue 3 2010Tilo Usbeck Abstract The most severe damage to forests in central Europe occurs during winter storms that are caused by Northern Hemispheric mid-latitude cyclones. These winter storms have caused several catastrophic windthrows during the past four decades. Amounts of forest storm damage are believed to be a function of both the size of the forest and the storm intensity. To test this hypothesis, the Zurich region (city and canton) was chosen because long-term climate observation data is available for the region. The relationships between forest attributes, wind speed and forest damage were explored by comparing data on forests and wind speed from 107 winters with forest damage. Storm damage was defined as the proportion of damaged forests with respect to the growing stock. The variables: daily wind run (91 years), daily maximum hourly average wind speed (107 years) and peak gust wind speed (74 years) were homogenized with respect to high wind speed and related to levels of forest damage. High maximum wind speed at the end of the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century was followed by low maximum wind speed in the 1940s, 1960s and 1970s. Since then, maximum values have increased. Gusts (extremes of the maximum wind speed) increased from the beginning of the recordings in 1933 and peaked in the early 1990s. Forest damage due to winter storms is best correlated with peak wind speed. Gusts exceeding 40 m/s and resulting in catastrophic windthrow have increased in recent winters. Copyright © 2009 Royal Meteorological Society [source] Responses of large volcanic eruptions in the instrumental and documentary climatic data over Central EuropeINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLIMATOLOGY, Issue 4 2006Jan Písek Abstract Responses of large volcanic eruptions in selected long temperature series from Austria, the Czech Republic and Germany as well as in three global radiation series in Central Europe are studied. In the example of seven large tropical eruptions (Krakatau 1883; Pelée, Soufriére and Santa María 1902; Agung, 1963; El Chichón, 1982; Mt Pinatubo, 1991) it has been demonstrated that volcanic signal in regional series is not so strongly expressed as in the hemispheric scale owing to different local effects and circulation patterns. This is also valid in the case of two further discussed eruptions of Tambora (1815) and Katmai (1912). The responses of eruptions in areas closer to Central Europe such as Iceland or Italy are more important. In nine analysed cases with VEI = 4,5 with a single exception of the Hekla eruption (1917), cold seasons were observed to follow the eruption. Responses to the Lakagígar eruption (1783) of Iceland with important impacts are also discussed in detail. Moreover, correlation between temperatures (annual and winter half-year series) and NAOI is prevailingly smaller for the period following eruptions than in the period preceding eruptions. The importance of documentary evidence as a valuable source of the information about the impacts of volcanic eruptions is demonstrated. Copyright © 2006 Royal Meteorological Society. [source] Single nucleotide polymorphisms of cytokine genes in the healthy Slovak populationINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF IMMUNOGENETICS, Issue 4 2007J. Javor Summary Cytokines are molecules that control and modulate the activities of numerous target cells via binding to specific receptors. The observed differences in the cytokine production among individuals can be, at least partially, explained by gene polymorphisms. Several cytokine gene polymorphisms have been identified to play a role in susceptibility to various diseases, including autoimmune, infectious, allergic or cardiovascular diseases. The aim of the current study was to determine allele and genotype frequencies of 22 polymorphisms in 13 cytokine genes in the healthy Slovak population and to compare them with data available from six populations from Central and Southern Europe. A polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primers was used to genotype polymorphisms within genes encoding IL-1,, IL-1,, IL-1R, IL-1RA, IL-4R,, IL-12, IFN-,, TGF-,, TNF-,, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6 and IL-10 in a sample of 140 unrelated Slovak subjects. The allelic distribution of all polymorphisms in the Slovak population was very close to that in the geographically and historically closest populations in Central Europe , the Czech and the Polish. However, several differences were found between the Slovak and four populations from Southern Europe. The obtained data represent a basis for further studies on association of cytokine gene polymorphisms with some diseases. [source] Limb bones asymmetry and stress in medieval and recent populations of Central EuropeINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OSTEOARCHAEOLOGY, Issue 5 2008M. Kujanová Abstract Monitoring the degree of asymmetry in different parts of the human body can contribute to population studies, as it may be connected indirectly with the social structure, living conditions, and also with biomechanical stress affecting the person. Analysis of asymmetry may also assess preferential use of the right or left of the body during specific activities. This study is based on the measurements of bones of the upper and lower limbs of skeletons derived from the remarkable medieval cemeteries of Mikul,ice-Kostelisko (78 male, 132 female) and Pru,ánky (66 male, 69 female) (9th,12th centuries AD), and a series of skeletons representing a recent population from Bohemia (143 male, 157 female). The objective was to assess directional asymmetry (DA), fluctuating asymmetry (FA) and antisymmetry (AS) of the dimensions of the evaluated bones, and to use these data to compare the characteristics of the medieval and recent populations. DA was recorded in most dimensions. In the upper limb, the humerus exhibited the greatest expression of asymmetry, and, with the exception of the clavicle, DA was always more pronounced on the right side. Conversely, DA was less prevalent in the lower limb bones. It was more pronounced on the transverse, sagittal and circumferential dimensions of the diaphyses and epiphyses than on the length, and in most cases it was on the left side. The FA values were very low, and almost negligible in relation to the size. Nevertheless, FA was markedly more frequent on the lower than on the upper limb. In contrast to the medieval population, the recent population had higher FA and DA values. Thus, we propose that people from this medieval population were subjected to lower developmental stress than the recent sample. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] An interesting case of prehistoric trepanation from Poland: re-evaluation of the skull from the Franki Suchodolskie siteINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OSTEOARCHAEOLOGY, Issue 2 2005W. Lorkiewicz Abstract The skull described here was excavated in Central Poland (archaeological site Franki Suchodolskie) in 1951, and was known as one of the oldest cases of healed trepanation. This skull, with later excavations from the Ukraine (cemeteries of Vasilyevka II and Vasilyevka III), was the basis for dating the beginning of the practice of trepanation in the Mesolithic period. The skull was never comprehensively described and dated, although it was scientifically extremely important. The skull has been reassessed by the authors of this paper has brought thorough verification of the knowledge concerning this excavation. According to radiocarbon analysis it is much younger than previously thought and has now been dated to the Late Neolithic or the Bronze Age. Earlier opinions about the healing and survival after the operation have not been confirmed: the hole in the squama of the frontal bone made by scraping and then by grooving has no evidence of healing. Radiological studies as well as computer tomography indicate lack of any healing processes in the bone tissue around the trepanation opening. The results of the analysis significantly modify ideas regarding the earliest skull operations in Central Europe, and change the time of the first trepanation to the Late Neolithic, as for most of the continent. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Local dimensions of global investment: Israeli property firms in Central EuropeINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF URBAN AND REGIONAL RESEARCH, Issue 2 2003Igal Charney Transnational property investment has increased dramatically during the last few decades. This process has been traced by literature focusing on capital-rich countries (e.g. the United States, Canada, Japan) and on major world cities. More recently, in tandem with the collapse of the Berlin Wall, the geographical horizons of foreign investors have broadened to include former socialist countries. This article examines the recent surge in Israeli property investment in Central Europe and argues that global flows depend on relationships between place of origin and destination. Mobility of property capital creates networks that connect cities on a transnational basis. Les investissements immobiliers transnationaux ont énormément augmenté au cours des dernières décennies. Cet aspect a été suivi et documenté surtout pour les pays riches en capitaux (Etats-Unis, Canada, Japon, par exemple) et les grandes villes mondiales. Plus récemment, parallèlement à la chute du Mur de Berlin, les horizons géographiques des investisseurs étrangers se sont élargis aux anciens pays socialistes. L'article examine l'afflux récent d'investissements immobiliers israéliens en Europe centrale, affirmant que les flux planétaires dépendent des relations entre les lieux d'origine et de destination. La mobilité des capitaux immobiliers crée des réseaux qui relient des villes au plan transnational. [source] Treatment of basal cell carcinomaJOURNAL DER DEUTSCHEN DERMATOLOGISCHEN GESELLSCHAFT, Issue 12 2009Tino Wetzig Summary Basal cell carcinoma is the most common tumor in Central Europe, the U.S. and Australia. The increasing incidence of basal cell carcinoma presents the health care system, especially dermatology, with great challenges. In recent years new options for treating basal cell carcinoma have become available, enriching our therapeutic options. We review the current status of each of these treatment approaches. [source] Prospective analysis of the incidence of autoimmune bullous disorders in Lower Franconia, GermanyJOURNAL DER DEUTSCHEN DERMATOLOGISCHEN GESELLSCHAFT, Issue 5 2009Franziska Bertram Summary Background: Only limited epidemiologic data are available on autoimmune bullous diseases. Improved diagnostic tools should have led to an increased incidence. To test this hypothesis, all patients with autoimmune bullous disorders who were treated in the Department of Dermatology at the University of Würzburg, Germany, between January 2001 and June 2002 were analysed prospectively. Patients and Methods: Epidemiologic data of patients diagnosed with an autoimmune bullous disease during this time period were registered and statistically evaluated. Diagnosis was based on the clinical picture and specific immunopathological findings. Only patients from Lower Franconia, a well-defined administrative region of Southern Germany, were included into this study. Results: During the study period, 41 patients with an autoimmune bullous disease were diagnosed, including 27 with bullous pemphigoid, 4 with pemphigoid gestationis and mucous membrane pemphigoid, 2 with dermatitis herpetiformis and linear IgA disease, and 1 with epidermolysis bullosa acquisita and pemphigus vulgaris, respectively. The highest incidence was calculated for bullous pemphigoid (13.4 per 1 million inhabitants per year) followed by pemphigoid gestationis (2.0) and mucous membrane pemphigoid (2.0). Patients with mucous membrane pemphigoid were found to have the highest mean age at disease onset (76 years) followed by patients with bullous pemphigoid (74 years). Conclusions: This is the first prospective study on the incidence of autoimmune bullous disorders. Subepidermal blistering autoimmune diseases were shown to be more frequent than previously reported for Central Europe. This is most likely due to improved diagnostic tools for and increased awareness of these diseases. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||