Ernst Detlef Schulze

Bio: Ernst Detlef Schulze is an academic researcher from Max Planck Society. The author has contributed to research in topics: Biodiversity & Ecosystem. The author has an hindex of 133, co-authored 670 publications receiving 69504 citations. Previous affiliations of Ernst Detlef Schulze include University of Idaho & University of Utah.

Anatomical Adaptations to Environmental Conditions

Abstract: In this chapter we compare anatomical structures of various species within plant communities. Combinations of similar environmental factors cause similar growth conditions, and therefore form plant communities with similar characteristics (such as plant size, life form and growth form, leaf properties and physiological behavior). This principle is expressed in large-scale vegetation zones as well as in small-scale plant communities. The similarity in species composition was the basis for phytosociology (Braun-Blanquet 1951, Reinalter 2007). In the following we explore if this similarity is also evident with respect to wood anatomy.

Introduction: The Problem of Forest Decline and the Bavarian Forest Toxicology Research Group

Abstract: Forest decline first came to public attention when the dominant silvicultural tree of Germany showed damage on a large geographic scale. Damaged Norway spruce, Picea abies (L.) Karts., displayed symptoms which could not be explained by known pathogens or other factors. In the Fichtelgebirge (northeast Bavaria, Federal Republic of Germany), the earliest observations of the typical decline symptoms of needle chlorosis and needle loss were made in 1978 (Zech, personal communication). When these symptoms appeared over a larger area, research on permanent observation plots began in 1981–82 (Bayerische Staatsforstverwaltung 1982–87). Research first focused on classifying the damage according to the various degrees of chlorosis and needle loss (Table 1).

Photosynthesis of plants in relation to resource availability in the field

Abstract: Photosynthesis is the process that provides energy to all anabolic and catabolic processes in ecosystems. The rate at which plants assimilate CO2 in the field may be quite different from optimal conditions in the test tube or in growth cabinets. The rate depends on the environmental conditions of the habitat which determine to what extent the genetic capability of a plant can actually be used for photosynthesis. The main factor restricting photosynthesis in the field is the availability of light. But, other factors my become just as rate 1imitating, such as atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration, air humidity and temperature, and water or nutrient supply from the soil. Time is an additional important factor which influences the carbon balance via plant age but also by deterimining the dose of stress.

The Theory of Island Biogeography

Abstract: Preface to the Princeton Landmarks in Biology Edition vii Preface xi Symbols Used xiii 1. The Importance of Islands 3 2. Area and Number of Speicies 8 3. Further Explanations of the Area-Diversity Pattern 19 4. The Strategy of Colonization 68 5. Invasibility and the Variable Niche 94 6. Stepping Stones and Biotic Exchange 123 7. Evolutionary Changes Following Colonization 145 8. Prospect 181 Glossary 185 References 193 Index 201

Effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning: a consensus of current knowledge

Abstract: Humans are altering the composition of biological communities through a variety of activities that increase rates of species invasions and species extinctions, at all scales, from local to global. These changes in components of the Earth's biodiversity cause concern for ethical and aesthetic reasons, but they also have a strong potential to alter ecosystem properties and the goods and services they provide to humanity. Ecological experiments, observations, and theoretical developments show that ecosystem properties depend greatly on biodiversity in terms of the functional characteristics of organisms present in the ecosystem and the distribution and abundance of those organisms over space and time. Species effects act in concert with the effects of climate, resource availability, and disturbance regimes in influencing ecosystem properties. Human activities can modify all of the above factors; here we focus on modification of these biotic controls. The scientific community has come to a broad consensus on many aspects of the re- lationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, including many points relevant to management of ecosystems. Further progress will require integration of knowledge about biotic and abiotic controls on ecosystem properties, how ecological communities are struc- tured, and the forces driving species extinctions and invasions. To strengthen links to policy and management, we also need to integrate our ecological knowledge with understanding of the social and economic constraints of potential management practices. Understanding this complexity, while taking strong steps to minimize current losses of species, is necessary for responsible management of Earth's ecosystems and the diverse biota they contain.

Agricultural sustainability and intensive production practices

Abstract: A doubling in global food demand projected for the next 50 years poses huge challenges for the sustainability both of food production and of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and the services they provide to society. Agriculturalists are the principal managers of global useable lands and will shape, perhaps irreversibly, the surface of the Earth in the coming decades. New incentives and policies for ensuring the sustainability of agriculture and ecosystem services will be crucial if we are to meet the demands of improving yields without compromising environmental integrity or public health.

The worldwide leaf economics spectrum

Abstract: Bringing together leaf trait data spanning 2,548 species and 175 sites we describe, for the first time at global scale, a universal spectrum of leaf economics consisting of key chemical, structural and physiological properties. The spectrum runs from quick to slow return on investments of nutrients and dry mass in leaves, and operates largely independently of growth form, plant functional type or biome. Categories along the spectrum would, in general, describe leaf economic variation at the global scale better than plant functional types, because functional types overlap substantially in their leaf traits. Overall, modulation of leaf traits and trait relationships by climate is surprisingly modest, although some striking and significant patterns can be seen. Reliable quantification of the leaf economics spectrum and its interaction with climate will prove valuable for modelling nutrient fluxes and vegetation boundaries under changing land-use and climate.

Carbon Isotope Discrimination and Photosynthesis

Abstract: We discuss the physical and enzymatic bases of carbone isotope discrimination during photosynthesis, noting how knowledge of discrimination can be used to provide additional insight into photosynthetic metabolism and the environmental influences on that process