Elbe Valley Research Articles

Genetic differentiation of wild boar populations in a region affected by African swine fever

In the European Union, African swine fever (ASF) affects wild boar (Sus scrofa) populations in several Member States. Knowledge of population connectivity is important for the implementation of control measures, in particular the establishment of effective barriers. Population genetic comparisons of neighbouring populations can be very helpful in this respect. The present study investigated the genetic differentiation of wild boar in eastern Germany. This region has been affected by ASF since September 2020. A total of 1,262 wild boars from 31 hunting grounds (populations) in ASF-affected and ASF-free districts were sampled over a total area of almost 100,000 km². The study area encompassed a network of geographical factors that promote (roads, rivers, cities) or inhibit (natural areas, habitat corridors) genetic differentiation between wild boar populations. The genetic differentiation of the areas was based on 12 microsatellite markers. Three different Bayesian algorithms were used to analyse the data. The results were combined into a common approach with 9 clusters. Based on the cluster distribution in each population, the connectivity between the areas was quantified. The strongest differentiation was found along an imaginary line along the lower Elbe valley through Berlin and the A11 freeway to the Szczecin Lagoon. In contrast, the Mecklenburg Lake District and the south-east of the study area showed strong connectivity between areas. The special features of the landscapes along the lower Elbe valley, which was assessed as highly connective, and the high barrier effect of the A11 freeway in contrast to the other freeways in the study area show that barrier effects cannot be generalised in principle, but are actually determined by the circumstances of individual structures. The results of the connectivity analysis were compared with the distribution of viral lineages and variants. The genotypes of the wild boar populations and the ASFV lineages and variants showed a good explanatory approach for the observed disease dynamics in the study area. The newly gained knowledge on barriers and regionally different connectivity between wild boar populations can support considerations and measures for the containment of ASF in the affected areas by improving the understanding of wild boar dispersal dynamics.

Air pollution trapping in the Dresden Basin from gray-zone scale urban modeling

Abstract. The microscale variability of urban air pollution is essentially driven by the interaction between meteorology and urban topography, which remains challenging to represent spatially accurately and computationally efficiently in urban dispersion models. Natural topography can additionally exert a considerable amplifying effect on urban background pollution, depending on atmospheric stability. This requires an equally important representation in models, as even subtle terrain-height variations can enforce characteristic local flow regimes. In this model study, the effects of urban and natural topography on the local winds and air pollution dispersion in the Dresden Basin in the Eastern German Elbe valley are investigated. A new, efficient urban microscale model is used within a multiscale air quality modeling framework. The simulations that consider real meteorological and emission conditions focus on two periods in late winter and early summer, respectively, as well as on black carbon (BC), a key air pollutant mainly emitted from motorized traffic. As a complement to the commonly used mass concentrations, the particle age content (age concentration) is simulated. This concept, which was originally developed to study hydrological reservoir flows in a Eulerian framework, is adapted here for the first time for atmospheric boundary-layer modeling. The approach is used to identify stagnant or recirculating orographic air flows and resulting air pollution trapping. An empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis is applied to the simulation results to attribute the air pollution modes to specific weather patterns and quantify their significance. Air quality monitoring data for the region are used for model evaluation. The model results show a strong sensitivity to atmospheric conditions, but generally confirm increased BC levels in Dresden due to the valley location. The horizontal variability of mass concentrations is dominated by the patterns of traffic emissions, which overlay potential orography-driven pollutant accumulations. Therefore, an assessment of the orographic impact on air pollution is usually inconclusive. However, using the age-concentration metric, which filters out direct emission effects, previously undetected spatial patterns are discovered that are largely modulated by the surface orography. The comparison with a dispersion simulation assuming spatially homogeneous emissions also proves the robustness of the orographic flow information contained in the age-concentration distribution and shows it to be a suitable metric for assessing orographic air pollution trapping. The simulation analysis indicates several air quality hotspots on the southwestern slopes of the Dresden Basin and in the southern side valley, the Döhlen Basin, depending on the prevailing wind direction.

Late Weichselian–Holocene valley development of the Elbe valley near Dresden – linking sedimentation, soil formation and archaeology

Abstract. Valley infills are essential for understanding changes in hydrology and landscape. Anthropogenic activities are proven by prehistoric settlement remains, which mark distinct sediments and soils as usable land during certain time periods. In 2009 and 2018/19, excavations by the Saxonian Archaeological Heritage Office were conducted in the Elbe valley between Meißen and Dresden, preceding the construction of two natural gas pipelines. As a result, two important multicultural prehistoric sites were discovered on the Lower Weichselian Terrace (LWT) in different sediments and on varying stratigraphic levels. During this study sediments and soils at the excavation sites and throughout the pipe trench have been documented. Micromorphological, sedimentological and geochemical investigations and analyses of archaeobotanical and archaeological finds, complemented by 14C and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating, enabled deciphering the structure of sediments and soils. Two major sites were the focus. At the Clieben site, an early Neolithic settlement and former topsoil, developed in a Weichselian valley loam above gravels and sands, are covered by younger overbank fines. At the Brockwitz site, shallow incision channels in the LWT were filled with clayey overbank fines during the Preboreal. An overprinting humic soil horizon was later anthropogenically overprinted during the early and middle Neolithic period. An omnipresent layer of Subboreal or younger overbank fines, covering the majority of the LWT in combination with the spatially confined Preboreal overbank fines, mirrors the ever-growing risk of flooding in a formerly attractive settlement area.

The Rise of the White Serbia in the Light of the Merovingians’ Thuringia Policy

The study offers an analytical overview of the international relations in the territory of the Middle Elbe basin from the 530s until the early 8th century, specifically concerned with the policy of the Merovingian kings towards the former Thuringian kingdom lands and the issue of the rise of White Serbia. The author considers Frankish policy as an influencing factor in slavisation of the discussed region while examining the impact of a wider spectrum of possible factors, in particular, the changes in ecology and the Avar presence in the Middle Danube region. The chronology of the Serbian settlers’ arrival into the Middle Elbe valley as well as their political & legal status in that land are specified. The author discusses the issue of the White Serbs’ initial foreign policy orientation and investigates the causes, direction, time & consequences of its change. The main research content is complemented by the excurses on the climatic crisis of the Late Antique Little Ice Age and chosen aspects of the Avars’ & the White Serbs’ early ethnic history.
 The author develops W. Fritze’s hypothesis of the Merovingians’ active involvement and support of the Serbian immigration into the Middle Elbe and Saale region together with an idea of anti-Avar direction of this measure. Whereas, the results of the study have rejected the assumptions, that the Elbe Germans abandonment of the area to the east of the Elbe and Saale at the end of the third quarter of the 6th century was caused by the Frankish-Avar agreement or Slavic pressure. The author concludes that the first group of the Serbian settlers arrived to the Middle Elbe and Saale from the North-Western Bohemia during the Austrasian king Theudebert ІІ’s reign, probably, at the invitation of the famous Brunhilda, receiving the lands in Thuringia’s border zone as the Frankish foederati. The interconnection between the initial successes of the Merovingians’ Serbian policy in the east of Thuringia during the first decades of the 7th century and the settlement of the Croats & Serbs in the Balkans by the emperor Heraclius is revealed. It has been demonstrated that further expansion of the White Serbia’s territory from the 630s was of spontaneous nature and took place under the circumstances of the collapsed Merovingian control over Thuringia.

Revisiting the Paleo Elbe Valley: Reconstruction of the Holocene, Sedimentary Development on Basis of High-Resolution Grain Size Data and Shallow Seismics

The Paleo Elbe Valley is the most prominent subsurface structure in the southern North Sea. During the Weichselian (marine isotope stage (MIS) 2), the valley traversed the exposed sea floor and drained the southern margin of the Scandinavian ice sheet. Today the valley is filled with up to 16 m thick sediments, but the responsible processes and drivers remain unknown. To unravel these processes and describe the valley’s evolution with Holocene transgression, we use shallow seismic data and vertical high-resolution grain-size core data. At the base of the western shore, supralittoral fine sands are overlain by a thin layer of clay dated to 9.8 cal. ka BP. The major sediment package consists of marine silt with internal seismic reflectors inclined in a northeastern direction, indicating a sediment transport from the southwest. The valley infill started when the western shore was flooded around 9.6 cal. ka BP and can be divided into two phases. During the first one (9.6–8.1 cal. ka BP) the sedimentation rate was highly driven by wind and waves. The second phase (8.1–5.0 cal. ka BP) was mainly tidal dominated but shows also storm event deposits in the north. Around 5.0 cal. ka BP the valley was almost filled.

Eutrophication assessment in the transit area German Bight (North Sea) 2006–2014 – Stagnation and limitations

The eutrophication status of the German Bight (North Sea) has been assessed the third time since 1998 according to the OSPAR-Comprehensive Procedure between 2006 and 2014. Since the 1980s nutrient discharges and atmospheric nitrogen deposition had declined significantly but chlorophyll a and nutrient concentrations remained above assessment levels inshore and in inner coastal waters, reflecting continuing eutrophication. Recently local river discharges stagnated or increased again and total nitrogen remained above a reduction target of 200 μM. Most nutrients and conversion products were imported by a coastal current, passing the German Bight. Organic matter was trapped in offshore bottom waters in the ancient Elbe valley, causing repeated annual oxygen minima (<6 mg/L) and a classification as Problem Area. Effects of national reduction measures are limited in the transit area German Bight because improvements in open coastal waters require international efforts, based on comprehensive analyses.

Reworked Middle Jurassic sandstones as a marker for Upper Cretaceous basin inversion in Central Europe—a case study for the U–Pb detrital zircon record of the Upper Cretaceous Schmilka section and their implication for the sedimentary cover of the Lausitz Block (Saxony, Germany)

The Saxonian–Bohemian Cretaceous Basin (Elbsandsteingebirge, E Germany and Czech Republic, Elbtal Group) comprises Upper Cretaceous sedimentary rocks from Upper Cenomanian to Santonian age. These sandstones were deposited in a narrow strait of the sea linking the northern Boreal shelf to the southern Tethyan areas. They were situated between the West Sudetic Island in the north and the Mid-European Island in the south. As known by former studies (e.g. Troger, Geologie 6/7:717–730, 1964; Troger, Geologie von Sachsen, Schweizerbart, 311–358, 2008; Voigt and Troger, Proceedings of the 4th International Cretaceous Symposium, 275–290, 1996; Voigt, Dissertation, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, 1–130, 1995; Voigt, Zeitschrift der geologischen Wissenschaften 37(1-2): 15–39, 2009; Wilmsen et al., Freiberger Forschungshefte C540: 27–45, 2011) the main sedimentary input came from the north (Lausitz Block, southern West-Sudetic Island). A section of Turonian to Coniacian sandstones was sampled in the Elbsandsteingebirge near Schmilka (Elbtal Group, Saxony, Germany). The samples were analysed for their U–Pb age record of detrital zircon using LA-ICP-MS techniques. The results show main age clusters typical for the Bohemian Massif (local material) and are interpreted to reflect the erosion of uniform quartz-dominated sediments and basement rocks. Surprisingly, these rocks lack an expected Upper Proterozoic to Lower Palaeozoic age peak, which would be typical for the basement of the adjacent Lausitz Block (c. 540–c. 560 Ma). Therefore, the Lausitz Block basement must have been covered by younger sediments that acted as source rocks during deposition of the Elbtal Group. The sandstones of the Elbe valley (Elbtal Group, Schmilka section) represent the re-deposited sedimentary cover of the Lausitz Block in inverse order. This cover comprised Permian, Triassic, Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous deposits, which are eroded already today and cannot be investigated. Within the samples of the Elbtal Group (Schmilka section), the zircon age patterns change significantly towards the Lower Coniacian (topmost sample of the analysed section), where a major input of Meso- and Paleoproterozoic grains was obtained. Comparable ages are generally scarce in the working area. To have a reference for the detrital zircon age spectra of Triassic and Jurassic sediments of the area, two Upper Triassic und two Middle Jurassic clastic sediments of Germany were analysed. Surprisingly, the two Middle Jurassic (Dogger) sandstones from Bavaria and Lower Saxony showed similar detrital zircon age compositions as the Coniacian sediments on top of the Schmilka section (Elbe valley, Elbtal Group). In contrast, the two Upper Triassic sediments could be excluded as possible source rocks for the Upper Cretaceous sandstones of the Elbe valley (Schmilka section, Elbtal Group). The Meso- and Paleoproterozoic zircon age populations in the uppermost sandstone sample of the Schmilka section are assumed to originate from recycled Jurassic (Dogger) sandstones, resting on the Lausitz Block. These Middle Jurassic deposits were strongly influenced by a sedimentary input from the Scandinavian region (southern Baltica and North Sea Dome). The Turonian sandstones of the Schmilka section (samples below the topmost Coniacian sample) are interpreted to represent re-deposited Lower Cretaceous sediments resting on the Lausitz Block. A proposed synsedimentary uplift of about 5 km during the Upper Cretaceous along the Lausitz Fold (Lange et al., Zeitschrift der Deutschen Gesellschaft fur Geowissenschaften 159(1):123–132, 2008) would have caused erosion of the pre-existing sedimentary cover of the Lausitz Block followed by inverse accumulation of the detritus into the Cretaceous Basin (Elbe valley, Elbtal Group). The Permian and Triassic cover units of the Lausitz Block were not exposed during the Upper Cretaceous, but are assumed to have contributed to younger (post-Coniacian) sediments of the Elbtal Group, which were eroded during uppermost Cretaceous and lower Paleogene. Based on this study, the detrital zircon record of the Jurassic Dogger sandstones of Germany can be seen as “marker ages” for the European Cretaceous Basin inversion. This paper presents the first results of a case study with further investigations in other areas of Europe to follow.

Der Slawengau Quezici im Licht der Ortsnamen

The Slavonic district Quezici in the light of place names. ‒ The Slavonic district Quezici is mentioned for the first time in a document by Otto I, dated 961, as regio Quezici, in qua inest civitas Ilburg. Past linguistic research localized this district as a narrow strip of land beginning on the left bank of the Mulde river in the vicinity of Eilenburg which extended ca. 15 km to the north. The analysis and mapping of the Slavonic place names in the Eilenburg district revealed a clearly definable settlement area farther south. It extended from Taucha in the west to Müglenz, east of the Mulde. In the west it bordered on the pagus Chutici, in the north on the tribal area of the Siusili, in the south on the district Neletici. In the east a wide primeval forest belt separated the Quezici, Old Sorbian *Kvasici ‘Kvas people’, from the Slavonic tribes in the Elbe valley.

The beginnings and diversity of Levallois methods in the early Middle Palaeolithic of Central Europe

The origin of Levallois technology and its diversity has been one of the key issues of late Middle Pleistocene archaeology for a long time. This is due to the fact that this technological mode is associated with profound changes in the cognitive ability, the mobility, and the social organization of Palaeolithic hunters and gatherers.The aim of this paper is to raise a few questions related to the origins of the Levallois technology in Central Europe. It is essential to answer the question concerning when Levallois methods appeared in this part of the continent. The next question concerns the diversity of Levallois methods in Central Europe. Are we dealing with a number of schemes used independently, or rather with one or two ideas that were flexible and allowed for different technical changes? The paper also attempts to answer the question regarding the potential sources for the Levallois strategy in Central Europe. Was its sole propagator the Acheulean groups of hunters and gatherers, or might there have been other sources?Current studies indicate that the Levallois technology within the early Middle Palaeolithic sites of Central Europe is as diverse as in Western Europe. The reasons for this can be seen in both the distribution of stone raw materials as well as the impact of different mental patterns, the activity range, and the structural features of the technical system. Current analyses show that the Levallois technology was more widely promoted in the northern zone of Central Europe, where outcrops of high quality raw materials occurred. The studies also suggest that the Levallois technology in Central Europe may have come from different sources. A large part of the materials is related to the Acheulean milieu, which is commonly regarded as the main promoter of the idea of predetermined technology (the Elbe valley). Some Central European sites with early signals of Levallois technology (Silesian Lowlands, Kraków–Częstochowa Upland and the Bohemian Massive or the Carpathians) are located, however, outside the dense Acheulean settlement area. These sites are linked to sources in south or southeast Europe. There is no evidence of local, Central European origins of predetermined technology.Considering the chronology of the appearance of the Levallois technology, two periods can be distinguished. The first period is characterized by the incidental appearance of signs of the small-scale use of predetermined methods in separated places (to MIS9). The second period, which begins either in MIS8 or MIS7 and 6, is characterized by the rapid spread of the technology in question in various forms. Traces from Central Europe are known only from the second period. The later appearance of the Levallois technology in Central Europe probably results from the fact that this area was not visited as often as other territories because of its proximity to the glacial centres.

Lateglacial/early Holocene fluvial reactions of the Jeetzel river (Elbe valley, northern Germany) to abrupt climatic and environmental changes

Mechanisms of climatic control on river system development are still only partially known. Palaeohydrological investigations from river valleys often lack a precise chronological control of climatic processes and fluvial dynamics, which is why their specific forces remain unclear. In this multidisciplinary case study from the middle Elbe river valley (northern Germany) multiple dating of sites (palynostratigraphy, radiocarbon- and OSL-dating) and high-resolution analyses of environmental and climatological proxies (pollen, plant macro-remains and ostracods) reveal a continuous record of the environmental and fluvial history from the Lateglacial to the early Holocene. Biostratigraphical correlation to northwest European key sites shows that river system development was partially out of phase with the main climatic shifts. The transition from a braided to an incised channel system predated the main phase of Lateglacial warming (∼14.6 ka BP), and the meandering river did not change its drainage pattern during the cooling of the Younger-Dryas period. Environmental reconstructions suggest that river dynamics were largely affected by vegetation cover, as a vegetation cover consisting of herbs, dwarf-shrubs and a few larger shrubs seems to have developed before the onset of the main Lateglacial warming, and pine forests appear to have persisted in the river valley during the Younger Dryas. In addition, two phases of high fluvial activity and new channel incision during the middle part of the Younger Dryas and during the Boreal were correlated with changes from dry towards wet climatic conditions, as indicated by evident lake level rises. Lateglacial human occupation in the river valley, which is shown by numerous Palaeolithic sites, forming one of the largest settlement areas of that period known in the European Plain, is assigned to the specific fluvial and environmental conditions of the early Allerød.

Social learning can benefit decision-making in landscape planning: Gartow case study on climate change adaptation, Elbe valley biosphere reserve

This paper uses a planning experiment to empirically investigate possible social learning outcomes of landscape and urban planning with benefits for decision-making. Building on C. Steinitz’ Framework for Alternative Futures Studies, a framework for participatory scenario-based landscape planning (SLP) is developed and used in a three-month climate adaptation planning process involving up to 37 local actors in Gartow, Germany. The evaluation of social learning outcomes follows the premise of action research and employs a mixed-method approach. The research shows that SLP can successfully generate social learning outcomes among participants. Observed social learning outcomes include gains in substantive knowledge (e.g. on climate change impacts), procedural knowledge (e.g. on alternative adaptation strategies), understanding of different perspectives, as well as social and technical skills. Participants named several potential impacts of social learning outcomes on their future decision-making, including enhanced awareness, altered agendas, and better social relations. The SLP process and its results formed the basis and inducement for further collaboration of local actors and external consultants in the development of a coordinated mission statement (Leitbild) for climate change adaptation.

Proposta i acceptació dels encavalcaments en el marc de les idees geològiques de començaments del segle XIX

Proposal and acceptance of thrusts in geology at the start of the XIX century. This paper addresses different ideas about thrusts at the early 19th century: 1) The publication of anomalous stratigraphical superpositions in the Alps by H.-C. Escher in 1807 and the rejection of this idea by von Buch, who advocated the neptunist orthodoxy, in 1809. 2) The description of the contact between the granite and the Jurassic and Cretaceous deposits along the Elbe valley (Saxony), including fault rocks, and its interpretation as a thrust (Lausitz thrust) by Weiss in 1827. 3) The controversy between neptunists and plutonists about the interpretation of this structure, rejecting the ideas of Weiss that were not consistent with the dominant theories (1829-1834). 4) The research project led by Cotta (1835-1838), which resulted in the acceptance of the Lausitz structure as a thrust by the geological community; the interpretation of Weiss made a come-back after having been eclipsed by the neptunist-plutonist controversy. The article also examines the researchers� attitudes to models and their observations as well as some aspects of the methodology.

Increased incidence of saprophytic bacteria, coliforms and E. coli following severe flooding requires risk assessment for human health: results of the River Elbe flood in August 2002

AbstractIn August 2002, flooding in the Elbe valley caused severe damage of sewage treatment plants and networks. We investigated the impact of flooding on the bacteriological water quality (colony‐forming units of saprophytic bacteria, coliform bacteria and Escherichia coli) compared with levels from previous and subsequent years. The flood introduced organic matter and elevated saprophytic bacteria levels, and a general increase of coliform bacteria. Markedly high loads of coliforms and E. coli were detected in the water column in areas where damage to sewage treatment plants was rife, exceeding the European Commission's Bathing Water Directive. The rapid disappearance from the water column may partly be caused by sedimentation creating deposits on pasture, farmland and in built‐up areas, which could represent a health hazard. Future flood risk reduction should therefore be focused on the protection of sewage systems and hygienic monitoring of floodwater and flood sediments.

The behaviour and the acoustic reactions of the Eurasian Treecreeper (Certhia familiaris macrodactyla C.L. BREHM, 1831) and the Short-toed Treecreeper (Certhia b. brachydactyla C. L. BREHM, 1820) with syntope occurrence in the area of the &amp;quot;Mittelelbe&amp;quot; near Wittenberg/Sachsen-Anhalt

From 1999 until 2006 large-scale investigations were conducted on the occurrence and distribution of the Eurasian Treecreeper (Certhia familiaris macrodactyla C. L. BREHM , 1831) and the Short-toed Treecreeper (Certhia b. brachydactyla C. L. BREHM , 1820) in the area of the “Mittelelbe” (former district Wittenberg, 51.50° N, 12.50° E), from the southern rim of the “Roßlau-Wittenberger Vorfläming” to the northern rim of the “Dübener Heide”, including the River Elbe valley (topographic maps 4041, 4042, 4141, 4142, 4241, 4242 and 4342). The occurrence of the species was tested by playback experiments at 781 checkpoints on 1231 days distributed over all months. A total of 2838 excursions led to 1737 records of territorial Eurasian Treecreepers and to 2372 records of territorial Short-toed Treecreepers. In 1257 cases a syntope occurrence of Eurasian and Short-toed Treecreepers was detected on 591 checkpoints. A total of 905 Eurasian and 1593 Short-toed Treecreepers were mist-netted, measured and ringed with rings of the Hiddensee bird ringing centre. 94 Eurasian and 148 Short-toed Treecreepers were re-captured once or several times at the ringing site (details in SCHÖNFELD 2007). The behaviour and the acoustic reactions of the test birds on the playback experiments were documented at each checkpoint. A total of 3036 recordings of different utterance types, songs, call series and aggressive sounds (except single calls) were taken. Analyses of acoustics and behaviour were carried out separately for checkpoints with only one species present and for those with both species, respectively. Whereas the two species responded to playback experiments with song display in late winter and spring, they mainly displayed call series from the beginning of July. Single or series of aggressive calls as well as vocalisations to be interpreted as excitement or resentment calls were recorded in the Short-toed Treecreeper year-round. At 279 checkpoints habituation and its time-dependence on the preceding capture, aversion to repeated playbacks and dominance behaviour of adult and first-year birds was investigated in the two species on 413 excursions. The behaviour and affiliation to either of the Treecreeper species was studied in a certain number of mixed singers. The results are shown in 7 tables and 4 figures and discussed in comparison to other investigations

Occurrence and distribution of the Eurasian Treecreeper (Certhia familiaris macrodactyla C.L. BREHM, 1831) and the Short-toed Treecreeper (Certhia b. brachydactyla C.L. BREHM, 1820) in the area of the &amp;quot;Mittelelbe&amp;quot;, former district Wittenberg, from the southern rim of the Fl&amp;auml;ming to the northern rim of the D&amp;uuml;bener Heide

From 1999 until 2006 (with addition of some data of 2006) there were targeted large-area investigations on the occurrence and distribution of the Eurasian Treecreeper (Certhia familiaris macrodactyla C.L. BREHM, 1831) and the Short-toed Treecreeper (Certhia b. brachydactyla C.L. BREHM, 1820) in the area of the “Mittelelbe” (former district Wittenberg, 51.50° N, 12.50° E), from the southern rim of the “Roßlau-Wittenberger Vorfl äming” to the northern rim of the “Dübener Heide”, including the River Elbe valley (topographic maps 4041, 4042, 4141, 4142, 4241, 4242 and 4342). In 220 minutes fields convenient for settlement (462 km² = 86.6 % of the area) the occurrence of the species was tested by playback experiments at 778 checkpoints. A total of 2458 excursions on 1107 days (distributed over all months) led to 663 successfully controlled checkpoints. In 183 minutes fi elds territorial Eurasian Treecreepers (n=1423) were found and in 210 minutes fields there were territories of Short-toed Treecreepers (n=2048). In 1038 cases a syntope occurrence of Eurasian and Short-toed Treecreepers was detected in 177 minutes fi elds (588 checkpoints). A total of 661 Eurasian and 1262 Short-toed Treecreepers were mist-netted, measured and ringed with rings of the Hiddensee bird ringing centre. 66 Eurasian and 140 Short-toed Treecreepers were re-captured once or several times at the ringing site. The breeding stock of the Treecreepers in the former district Wittenberg is estimated at 1600 to 1800 breeding pairs of the Eurasian and at 2200 to 2500 breeding pairs of the Short-toed Treecreeper, respectively. In relation to the overall area (about 610 km2) the breeding density is 2.6–3.0 pairs/ km2 in the Eurasian and 3.6–4.1 pairs/km2 in the Short-toed Treecreeper, revealing a proportion of 1.44:1 (Eurasian: Short-toed Treecreeper). Whereas the medians of breeding density between Eurasian and Short-toed Treecreeper do not signifi cantly differ in coniferous forests (Mann-Whitney-U-Test, p &gt; 0.05), differences in deciduous forests are signifi cant (M-W-U-Test, p &lt; 0.05). There is also a signifi cant difference in breeding density within each Treecreeper species between coniferous and deciduous forests (M-W-U-Test, p &lt; 0.05). Information about the occurrence of the Treecreeper species in various types of landscape as well as proportional data is extensively demonstrated in 14 tables and 3 fi gures. There is also a comparison with results of other studies in different parts of Central Europe

Benthic macrofauna communities of the submersed Pleistocene Elbe valley in the southern North Sea

Macrozoobenthic community structure was studied in two surveys along a transect of 13 stations following the submersed Pleistocene Elbe valley in the south-eastern North Sea during May to June 2000 and March 2001. Two replicates of bottom samples were taken with a van Veen grab of 0.1 m2 sampling size. In order to analyse the benthic macrofauna communities, the animals obtained were identified and counted, and MDS and cluster analysis were performed. Out of 200 taxa identified, 84 were polychaetes, 46 molluscs, 40 crustaceans, 15 echinoderms, and 15 belonged to other groups. Mean abundance was 4,860 individuals per m2, mean biomass 32.9 g ash free dry mass per m2. Mean diversity was 1.76 and mean evenness 0.54. The macrofauna of the Pleistocene Elbe valley is composed of three associations according to the cluster analysis. Each association is described by a combination of characterizing and discriminating species. An Amphiura-brachiata―Tellimya-ferruginosa-association was found in the south-eastern part of the depression, whereas a transitional association with elements of both assemblages lead to an Amphiura-filiformis―Galathowenia-oculata―Nuculoma-tenuis-association in the north-western part of the valley. In the context of the entire southern North Sea, both associations are small-scale substructures, and as such are contained in the Nucula-nitidosa-community and the Amphiura-filiformis-community, respectively. A north-westward shift of the community of the southern Elbe valley was found and discussed as a possible consequence of warm winters of the last decades.

The Cretaceous of the Elbe valley in Saxony (Germany) - a review

In Central Europe one of the most important interchanges between the North Temperate Realm and the Tethyan Realm took place during the Cenomanian along the course of the Elbe Valley Geosuture that separates the Erzgebirges block (part of the Mid European island during the Cretaceous) from the Lusatian block (West Sudetic island: Scupin, 1937). Strata of the Lower Cretaceous and the basal portion of Lower Cenomanian are absent in the Elbe Valley Geosuture but a marine transgression in a NW-SE direction occupied a portion of this tract during the late Early Cenomanian and a second incursion from SE to NW occurred during the Late Cenomanian.

Using Environmental Isotopes 2H and 18O for Identification of Infiltration Processes in Floodplain Ecosystems of the River Elbe

We examined a floodplain area in the middle section of the river Elbe Valley with regard to hydrogeological and hydrological processes using isotopic methods. Over two years, river water and groundwater have been analysed for temporal and spatial chemical and isotopic (δ2H and δ18O) changes. By these methods we assessed the flow dynamics of the river-groundwater infiltration system. At low and mean river stages there is a general hydraulic gradient from the higher areas at the margin of the valley towards the floodplain. During floods river water infiltrates into the adjacent aquifer not primarily through the river banks but first through surface water inflow from north to south, via depressions and gullies from the back of the floodplain. The early stage of river water infiltration is characterized by a sharp decrease in conductivity and in concentrations of SO4 2- and Cl− in the hydraulically connected shallow aquifer. δ2H and δ18O values show a similar tendency. We observed a significant minimum in stable isotope ratios during the flood in March 1999. Using a simple mixing equation it was calculated that the groundwater in the upper, shallow aquifer consists of around 70% river water in the transition zone (well 13) during flooding.

Biological Flora of Central Europe: Ornithogalum angustifolium” nom. prov., Syn. p.p. O. orthophyllum ssp. kochii = O. kochii Parl., O. gussonei Ten.)

Summary The article deals with a diploid taxon of the Ornithogalum umbellatum -group, which in the past has been confused with O. tenuifolium , O. gussonii , O. orthophyllum and O. kochii in Central Europe. Reliable occurrences of this bulbous geophyte are known from the Elbe valley between Bohemia (Czech Republic) and North Germany. A detailed description of karyological, morphological and ecological characters of that critical taxon is given. The relevant literature about the O. umbellatum -group is reviewed.

Age, geodynamic setting, and mantle enrichment processes of a K-rich intrusion from the Meissen massif (northern Bohemian massif) and implications for related occurrences from the mid-European Hercynian

The plutonic complex of the Meissen massif (northern margin of the Bohemian massif) comprises dioritic to mainly monzonitic and granitic rocks. The diorite to monzonite intrusions show major and trace element patterns typical for shoshonitic series. The chemical signatures of less crustally contaminated diorites are similar to arc-related shoshonitic rocks derived from continental lithospheric mantle (CLM) sources previously enriched by subduction of altered oceanic crust. Laser step heating 40Ar/39Ar analyses on actinolitic to edenitic amphiboles from geographically different occurrences of the monzonitic intrusion yielded concordant plateau ages as well as total gas ages ranging from 329.1±1.4 to 330.4±1.4 Ma and from 330.4±2.1 to 330.6±1.8 Ma, respectively. These cooling ages are indistinguishable from sensitive highresolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) 238U/206Pb intrusion ages measured on magmatic zircon rims from the monzonite (Nasdala et al., submitted). This shows that the monzonite intrusion is probably not related temporally to active subduction because it postdates eclogites of the adjacent Saxonian Erzgebirge by approximately 20 Ma. The shoshonitic magmas intruded during strike-slip tectonism along the Elbe valley zone. The enrichment of their mantle sources may be of Upper Devonian/Lower Carboniferous age or older. Intrusions of shoshonitic to ultra-potassic (K-rich) rocks during the Upper Visean/Namurian are widespread in the Moldanubian zone. Based on similar ages and structural relationships a similar post-collisional setting to the Meissen shoshonitic rocks can be demonstrated. Most of these occurrences cut high-grade nappe units which were subducted during the Upper Devonian/Lower Carboniferous. In contrast to the Meissen massif, at least the ultra-potassic members of the Central and the South Bohemian batholiths were derived from CLM sources enriched by fluids or melts released from subducted oceanic crust and by greater portions of crustal material. Despite the similar post-collisional geodynamic setting of the K-rich intrusions, different enrichment processes generated mid-European Hercynian CLM sources with heterogeneous major and trace element and isotopic signatures.