Northeastern Germany Research Articles

Influence of gender and bruxism on the masseter muscle: A population-based magnetic resonance imaging study

This study aimed to (1) examine the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the masseter muscle in relation to bruxism and (2) investigate if there are gender-related differences in the masseter muscle in a population-based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study. The study included 720 subjects aged 30-89 years (391 women and 329 men) from the Study of Health in Pomerania, a cross-sectional population-based study assessing the prevalence and incidence of common population-relevant diseases and their risk factors in Northeastern Germany. The participants underwent both a whole-body MRI and a full oral examination. The CSAs of the masseter muscles on both sides were measured from MRI images. The presence or absence of awake and/or sleep grinding and clenching, unilateral chewing, and other parafunctional activities were obtained from the dental interview. Linear and ordinal logistic regression models were used to examine the associations between the CSAs of the masseter, bruxism, and gender. The frequency of bruxism and reports of muscle or joint pain were significantly higher in women. The analysis revealed that a larger masseter CSA was significantly associated with bruxism only in men. The larger CSA was manifested only in the higher frequency bruxers. Bruxism had heterogeneous effects on the masseter muscle between genders. Although a higher prevalence of bruxism was reported by women, the larger CSA of the masseter muscle was significantly higher in bruxing men but not in women. This study emphasizes the need for a gender-specific approach when evaluating the clinical implications of bruxism on the masseter muscle.

Practical aspects of morphological research in urban renewal projects

The small towns of North-Eastern Germany suffered great losses in historic buildings and economic dynamics during the Second World War and the subsequent decades of communist rule. Since 1990, these communities have suffered a major decrease in the number of inhabitants, resulting in a large number of buildings being empty. To adjust the urban structure to twenty-first century standards and regain economic vitality, both regional and local governments are supporting urban renewal projects. Sites inside medieval town centres are under pressure to amalgamate and be recreated as large-scale developer architecture or to fall into ultimate decay. As part of the study of medieval urban structures, a study of the site of the former Holy Spirit Hospice (Heiligengeist-Quarter) of Woldegk has been carried out. This paper shows how contextualization and a re-definition of the site, based on historic narratives developed by morphological research, inspired authorities and stakeholders to initiate a narrative-based development of the site. It demonstrates that urban renewal, based on historic narratives, creates wide public support for contemporary redevelopment in small urban communities. It further shows how morphological research is contributing to the establishment of relevant narratives.

Warriors from the south? Arrowheads from the Tollense Valley and Central Europe

Investigations in the Tollense Valley in north-eastern Germany have provided evidence of a large and violent conflict in the thirteenth century BC. Typological analysis of arrowheads from the valley (10 flint and 54 bronze specimens) and comparison with type distributions in Central Europe, presented here for the first time, emphasise the supra-regional nature of the conflict. While the flint arrowheads are typical for the local Nordic Bronze Age, the bronze arrowheads show a mixture of local and non-local forms, adding to the growing evidence for a clash between local groups and at least one incoming group from southern Central Europe.

Multidrug-resistant high-risk clonal Escherichia coli lineages occur along an antibiotic residue gradient in the Baltic Sea

The global spread of multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli threatens human, animal, and environmental health. Despite the recognition of water bodies as potential reservoirs, research on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and antibiotic residues in the Baltic Sea is limited. In this study, we examined the presence of ESBL-producing E. coli in surface water in northeastern Germany. We then conducted phenotypic and genotypic analyses of the strains, which encompassed AMR and heavy metal/metalloid tolerance, biofilm formation, and detailed plasmid examination. In addition, we used solid-phase extraction with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry to quantify antibiotic residues. Our analysis identified 30 ESBL-producing E. coli isolates, some of which were associated with clinically relevant high-risk clonal lineages. We detected antibiotic residues in the environmental samples, but the antibiotic concentrations were significantly lower compared to wastewater samples. These results suggest that the Baltic Sea surface water could serve as a reservoir for ESBL-producing E. coli and clinically relevant antibiotics.

Estimation of 100 m root zone soil moisture by downscaling 1 km soil water index with machine learning and multiple geodata

Root zone soil moisture (RZSM) is crucial for agricultural water management and land surface processes. The 1 km soil water index (SWI) dataset from Copernicus Global Land services, with eight fixed characteristic time lengths (T), requires root zone depth optimization (Topt) and is limited in use due to its low spatial resolution. To estimate RZSM at 100-m resolution, we integrate the depth specificity of SWI and employed random forest (RF) downscaling. Topographic synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and optical datasets were utilized to develop three RF models (RF1: SAR, RF2: optical, RF3: SAR + optical). At the DEMMIN experimental site in northeastern Germany, Topt (in days) varies from 20 to 60 for depths of 10 to 30 cm, increasing to 100 for 40–60 cm. RF3 outperformed other models with 1 km test data. Following residual correction, all high-resolution predictions exhibited strong spatial accuracy (R ≥ 0.94). Both products (1 km and 100 m) agreed well with observed RZSM during summer but overestimated in winter. Mean R between observed RZSM and 1 km (100 m; RF1, RF2, and RF3) SWI ranges from 0.74 (0.67, 0.76, and 0.68) to 0.90 (0.88, 0.81, and 0.82), with the lowest and highest R achieved at 10 cm and 30 cm depths, respectively. The average RMSE using 1 km (100 m; RF1, RF2, and RF3) SWI increased from 2.20 Vol.% (2.28, 2.28, and 2.35) at 30 cm to 3.40 Vol.% (3.50, 3.70, and 3.60) at 60 cm. These negligible accuracy differences underpin the potential of the proposed method to estimate RZSM for precise local applications, e.g., irrigation management.

Prevalence and risk factors of self-reported hearing loss, tinnitus, and dizziness in a population-based sample from rural northeastern Germany

A close anatomical and physiological relationship is known between the senses of hearing and balance, while an additional pathophysiological interaction is supposed. The mechanisms underlying this association are not yet fully understood, especially in individuals without a known specific otologic disorder. In particular, only scarce information on the combined occurrence of audiovestibular sensory impairment is available so far. Therefore, this study aims to provide further insight into the prevalence and co-prevalence of the audiovestibular symptoms hearing loss, tinnitus and dizziness. Additionally, the influence of potential risk factors from lifestyle habits as well as cardiovascular and metabolic conditions on the development of those symptoms is studied. Data was analyzed from 8134 individuals from the population-based Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP). SHIP pursues a broad and comprehensive examination program in chronologically separated cohorts with longitudinal follow-up. Cohorts are sampled from Western Pomerania, a rural region of north-eastern Germany. The study population represents a cross-sectional analysis from the cohorts SHIP-START (recruited 1997–2001) and SHIP-TREND (recruited 2008–2012), sampled for baseline investigations (SHIP-START-0 and SHIP-TREND-0) at the age of 20–79 years. Audiovestibular symptoms as outcome variables were assessed by structured questionnaires. Additionally, individuals were comprehensively characterized regarding modifiable lifestyle factors as well as cardiovascular and metabolic disorders, allowing the assessment of their role as exposure variables. We calculated a weighted prevalence of 14.2% for hearing loss, 9.7% for tinnitus, and 13.5% for dizziness in the population. Prevalence increased with age and differed among the sexes. A considerable share of 28.0% of the investigated individuals reported more than one symptom at once. The prevalence of hearing loss as well as tinnitus increased between the two cohorts. A moderate positive correlation was found between the occurrence of hearing loss and tinnitus (phi-coefficient 0.318). In multivariable regression analyses, education was identified as a significant protective factor while only smoking was significantly associated with all three symptoms. Furthermore, several cardiovascular risk factors contributed to both hearing loss and dizziness. In conclusion, audiovestibular symptoms are highly prevalent in the investigated population. A considerable but complex influence of risk factors points towards a relation with neuronal as well as cardiovascular disease processes. To clarify the underlying mechanisms, the interaction between the senses of hearing and balance as well as the mode of action of the risk factors should be evaluated in more detail in the future.

Assessing the Volatility of Daily Maximum Temperature across Germany between 1990 and 2022

Climate change causes a global rise in mean air temperature and an increased frequency of temperature extremes. Recent studies link sharp temperature changes between consecutive days to increased mortality, reduced economic growth, and negative effects on ecosystems. This study assesses the variability of the daily maximum air temperature between two consecutive days (i.e., temperature volatility) across Germany from 1990 to 2022. Using observation-based raster data of maximum daily temperature at 0.1° × 0.1° spatial resolution, we assess temperature volatility regarding: (1) magnitude, (2) seasonality, (3) directionality (day-to-day warming vs. cooling), and (4) trends. Further, we analyse land cover changes during the period and examine their correlation to extreme temperature volatility (Tve). The results show that Tve mostly occurred during spring and summer. The magnitude of Tve increased with distance to the coast north-west to south during all seasons and was highest during spring and summer (>10 °C). Overall, Tve was particularly associated with day-to-day cooling (in spring, summer, autumn), while in winter, >60% of days were associated with warming in north and central Germany. Less than 12% of Germany showed significant trends in median Tve associated with warming over the period. Significant trends included increases (>0.26 °C/year) and decreases (−0.09 °C/year) in extreme day-to-day warming during autumn and winter in northeastern Germany. In spring, the majority (>60%) of southern areas showed significant positive trends (up to 0.16 °C/year) in Tve associated with day-to-day cooling. During winter, summer, and autumn, trends in extreme day-to-day cooling were insignificant in over 80% of Germany. Within all land cover types, Tve predominantly varied between 6 °C and 9 °C. Changes in land cover, especially transforming coniferous forests for agricultural purposes, were accompanied by increasing Tve up to 0.49 °C. Understanding rapid temperature changes is crucial for climate change mitigation strategies and limiting the impacts on human health and on the environment.

TSO-DSO interface for Net Zero: the German case of 50Hertz and its DSO neighbour TEN Thüringer Energienetz*

As Germany advances towards its energy transition goals, the imperative to expand and restructure its power grid infrastructure becomes increasingly evident. The current infrastructure lacks the capacity to meet future demands, highlighting the pressing need for action. Escalating challenges related to system security and grid reliability underscore the critical importance of fostering close coordination between Distribution System Operators (DSOs) and Transmission System Operators (TSOs). Collaboration is particularly crucial in control areas such as for instance 50Hertz’s in north-eastern Germany, where efficient management of energy fluctuations is essential for the successful transition to high renewable energy usage. Regulatory strategies aimed at facilitating this transition must prioritize a strong collaboration between DSOs and TSOs necessary for stability, optimizing operations, and securing the network. This article is intended to illustrate how a regulatory framework for such TSO-DSO cooperation in north-eastern and eastern Germany for congestion management could be necessary, in accordance with the next grid development plans. Regulatory gaps associated with such interface will be identified and policy recommendations derived from them will address the challenges and opportunities linked to congestion management and the utilization of smart grid technologies.

Childhood maltreatment and risk of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease – Evidence of sex-specific associations in the general population

Background and aimsChildhood maltreatment (CM) is linked to self-reported liver disease in adulthood. However, specific diagnostic entities, e.g., metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) as the most frequent chronic liver disease, and sex-differences have previously not been considered. MethodsCross-sectional analyses were conducted in 4188 adults from a population-based cohort in Northeastern Germany after excluding individuals with excessive alcohol consumption, cirrhosis, or chronic viral hepatitis. CM-exposure was assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Liver-related outcomes included serologic liver enzymes, fibrosis-4 score (FIB-4) and, in 1863 subjects who underwent magnetic resonance imaging examination, liver fat content. Sex-stratified linear regression and logistic regression models predicting liver-related outcomes and risk for MASLD, respectively, from overall CTQ scores were adjusted for age, school education, alcohol consumption, and waist circumference. Exploratory analyses investigated effects of CTQ-subscales on liver-related outcomes and risk for MASLD. ResultsIn both sexes, overall CM-exposure was associated with higher levels of serum aspartate aminotransferase and FIB-4 score. In men, effects were mainly driven by physical abuse, and in women by emotional neglect. Only in men, overall CM-exposure (β = 0.70, 95%-CI 0.26–1.13, p = 0.002) and four CTQ-subscales were associated with greater liver fat content, and physical abuse (aOR = 1.22, 95%-CI 1.02–1.46, p = 0.034) and physical neglect (aOR = 1.25, 95%-CI 1.04–1.49, p = 0.015) were associated with higher risk for MASLD. ConclusionsThese results suggest sex differences in the association between CM and objective serum and imaging markers of MASLD in adulthood. For men especially, a history of CM-exposure may increase risk of developing MASLD in adulthood.

A millennium of arable land use – the long-term impact of tillage and water erosion on landscape-scale carbon dynamics

Abstract. In the last decades, soils and their agricultural management have received great scientific and political attention due to their potential to act as a sink of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). Agricultural management has strong potential to accelerate soil redistribution, and, therefore, it is questioned if soil redistribution processes affect this potential CO2 sink function. Most studies analysing the effect of soil redistribution upon soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics focus on water erosion and analyse only relatively small catchments and relatively short time spans of several years to decades. The aim of this study is to widen this perspective by including tillage erosion as another important driver of soil redistribution and by performing a model-based analysis in a 200 km2 sized arable region of northeastern Germany for the period since the conversion from forest to arable land (approx. 1000 years ago). The spatially explicit soil redistribution and carbon (C) turnover model SPEROS-C was applied to simulate lateral soil and SOC redistribution and SOC turnover. The model parameterisation uncertainty was estimated by simulating different realisations of the development of agricultural management over the past millennium. The results indicate that, in young moraine areas, which are relatively dry but have been intensively used for agriculture for centuries, SOC patterns and dynamics are substantially affected by tillage-induced soil redistribution processes. To understand the landscape-scale effect of these redistribution processes on SOC dynamics, it is essential to account for long-term changes following land conversion as typical soil-erosion-induced processes, e.g. dynamic replacement, only take place after former forest soils reach a new equilibrium following conversion. Overall, it was estimated that, after 1000 years of arable land use, SOC redistribution by tillage and water results in a current-day landscape-scale C sink of up to 0.66 ‰ yr−1 of the current SOC stocks.

Higher crop rotational diversity in more simplified agricultural landscapes in Northeastern Germany

ContextBoth crop rotational diversity and landscape diversity are important for ensuring resilient agricultural production and supporting biodiversity and ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes. However, the relationship between crop rotational diversity and landscape diversity is largely understudied.ObjectivesWe aim to assess how crop rotational diversity is spatially organised in relation to soil, climate, and landscape diversity at a regional scale in Brandenburg, Germany.MethodsWe used crop rotational richness, Shannon’s diversity and evenness indices per field per decade (i.e., crop rotational diversity) as a proxy for agricultural diversity and land use and land cover types and habitat types as proxies for landscape diversity. Soil and climate characteristics and geographical positions were used to identify potential drivers of the diversity facets. All spatial information was aggregated at 10 × 10 km resolution, and statistical associations were explored with interpretable machine learning methods.ResultsCrop rotational diversity was associated negatively with landscape diversity metrics and positively with soil quality and the proportion of agricultural land use area, even after accounting for the other variables.ConclusionOur study indicates a spatial trade-off between crop and landscape diversity (competition for space), and crop rotations are more diverse in more simplified landscapes that are used for agriculture with good quality of soil conditions. The respective strategies and targets should be tailored to the corresponding local and regional conditions for maintaining or enhancing both crop and landscape diversity jointly to gain their synergistic positive impacts on agricultural production and ecosystem management.

Apple Growth and Yield in Replant Soils Supplemented by Organic Soil Additives

Repeated apple cultivation in the same area leads to apple replant disease (ARD), which can probably be reduced by the use of organic supplements and selected rootstock/variety combinations. Soils at two conventionally and one organically farmed site in north-eastern Germany were tested for ARD in pot trials. In subsequent field trials, the effects of champost, microbially carbonised compost, and coniferous wood shavings piled up like a dam (‘Müncheberger Damm’ (M)-dam) and of rootstock/variety combinations were tested. On the organic site, only leonardite and champost were tested. The pot trials indicated for all sites that the soil is affected by ARD. After five years, the growth increase in trunks in the M-dam was 20–40% higher than in controls and other treatments, depending on the site. On one site, the yield over four years was a 15.7% increase for M-dam and also for champost compared to controls, on the other site, it was 11.7% and 3.0%, respectively. The M.9 rootstock with the Gala variety had a higher, but insignificant, yield compared to G.11/Gala by 6.7 or 2.6%, depending on the site. No difference in trunk growth or yield with Topaz was observed at the organic farmed site. Further research on M-dam and champost is supported, as both are promising in terms of yield.

Temporally dynamic carbon dioxide and methane emission factors for rewetted peatlands

Rewetting drained peatlands is recognized as a leading and effective natural solution to curb greenhouse gas emissions. However, rewetting creates novel ecosystems whose emission behaviors are not adequately captured by currently used emission factors. These emission factors are applied immediately after rewetting, thus do not reflect the temporal dynamics of greenhouse gas emissions during the period wherein there is a transition to a rewetted steady-state. Here, we provide long-term data showing a mismatch between actual emissions and default emission factors and revealing the temporal patterns of annual carbon dioxide and methane fluxes in a rewetted peatland site in northeastern Germany. We show that site-level annual emissions of carbon dioxide and methane approach the IPCC default emission factors and those suggested for the German national inventory report only between 13 to 16 years after rewetting. Over the entire study period, we observed a source-to-sink transition of annual carbon dioxide fluxes with a decreasing trend of −0.36 t CO2-C ha−1 yr−1 and a decrease in annual methane emissions of −23.6 kg CH4 ha−1 yr−1. Our results indicate that emission factors should represent the temporally dynamic nature of peatlands post-rewetting and consider the effect of site characteristics to better estimate associated annual emissions.

Inside or outside the house? On the spatial organisation of plant-related activities at the Late Bronze Age settlement of Dobbin 27, northern Germany

Abstract In northern Germany, crop diversity was much greater in the Late Bronze Age than in previous periods. To trace this development at a local scale, we conducted an archaeobotanical case study at the site of Dobbin 27, a rural settlement in north-eastern Germany dating to the Late Bronze Age. Charred seeds and fruits were recovered and the spatial distribution of these remains was analysed in order to understand the spatial organisation of plant-related activities at the site, principally plant processing. We discovered that the inhabitants processed cereals outside the house, in open areas of the settlement. Broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum) and barley (Hordeum vulgare) were the most common finds in the archaeobotanical samples; small proportions of pulses and wild fruits and nuts were also found. This shows that a wide range of plants was used by the prehistoric community at Dobbin 27. A regional comparison of the plant macro-remains record from Dobbin 27 with that from contemporary sites reveals both differences and similarities in crop choices and other aspects of the plant economy.

The link between farmers’ sowing date and herbicide management

This study presents an on-farm approach to investigate the impact of the sowing date on herbicide management in arable farming. Ten years of data (2012–2021) on the herbicide use and crop management practices of 4325 fields in north-eastern Germany were examined for winter barley, winter oilseed rape and winter wheat. We investigated whether the sowing date was related to the herbicide use intensity (described as Treatment Frequency Index, TFI) and mode of action (MoA) use (classified using the global HRAC classification).While the sowing of winter barley and winter oilseed rape took place over a short period of two weeks, sowing dates for winter wheat were spread over two months from the beginning of September to the end of October.Seventy-five percent of the winter barley fields were treated with HRAC group 2 herbicides and every second field was treated with herbicides in HRAC groups 15 and 3, respectively. Delayed autumn sowing of winter barley differing by 14 days decreased the in-crop use intensity of HRAC group 2 by up to 16%, for HRAC group 3 by up to 15% and for HRAC group 15 by up to 27%.In contrast, the herbicide management did not relate to the time of sowing in winter oilseed rape, except for HRAC groups 14 and 15.Ninety percent of the winter wheat fields were treated with HRAC group 2 herbicides and almost seventy-five percent with HRAC groups 15 herbicides, respectively. For winter wheat, our study provided evidence that delayed sowing dates in-mid October reduced the use intensity of HRAC group 2 by up to 41% and for HRAC 15 by up to 35%, respectively, compared with sowing at the beginning of September.With regard to the European-wide efforts to reduce chemical pesticide use by 50% by 2030, we conclude that cultural weed control with a sowing date delay may be highly effective at meeting this requirement. Additionally, delayed sowing dates have the potential to reduce the use intensity of MoA with a high resistance risk.

Serological and molecular detection as well as typing of Leptospira spp. in foxes, raccoons, and other wild carnivores in North-Eastern Germany, 2021–2022

Leptospirosis is a worldwide zoonosis caused by pathogenic Leptospira spp. While the latter are reported from various mammal hosts such as humans, dogs, or rodents, less is known about their presence in wild carnivores. We therefore investigated the presence of Leptospira spp. in foxes, raccoons, badgers, raccoon dogs, and martens in North-Eastern Germany. Kidney, urine, and blood specimens obtained from legally hunted or road-killed animals were tested by real-time PCR and by serogroup specific antibody detection for the presence of Leptospira spp. Additionally, kidney and urine specimens were tested by real-time PCR for the presence of Brucella spp. and Francisella tularensis, with all being negative for these two zoonotic pathogens. Leptospira spp. were detected by PCR in 12.6 % (n = 21/166) and serologically in 26.2 % (n = 53/202) of tissue and serum samples, respectively. Antibodies to 15 different serogroups were identified with Javanica (n = 25) and Bataviae (n = 12) being predominant. A high sero-prevalence of 34.0 % and 18.6 % in foxes and raccoons, respectively, and the presence of ST17 associated with human and animal leptospirosis indicates a reservoir and the zoonotic potential of these wild animals.

Reference Values and influencing factors of the Glenohumeral Subluxation Index - a study on 3004 participants.

The primary objective of this study was to examine the Glenohumeral subluxation index (GHSI) in a large general population cohort and to define reference values. Glenohumeral subluxation is important in the development and prediction of pathological states of the shoulder joint and in total shoulder arthroplasty. Therefore, another objective was to examine the influence of age, sex, BMI, body height and weight on GHSI. GHSI according to Walch was measured on bilateral MRI of 3004 participants of the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP, aged 21-90 years). SHIP drew a sample of the adult general population of Pomerania (Northeastern Germany). Reference values for GHSI were assessed by quantile regression models. Associations of sex, age and anthropometric markers with the GHSI were calculated by linear regression models. A reference range between 42% and 55% for men with a mean of 49% ±4% was defined, while the upper reference limit of women was 1% higher (mean 50% ±4%). Age was inversely associated with the GHSI in males (p˂0.001), while no significant association in females was observed (p=0.625). Body weight and body mass index (BMI) was positively associated (p˂0.001) without effect modification by sex. Heavy mechanical oscillations on the upper extremity showed no significant association with GHSI (p = 0.268). The reference values for GHSI were expanded to a range of 42% - 57% on MRI. Several associations between GHSI and anthropometric properties are present. According to these associations, adjusted formulas are provided to enable individual, patient specific diagnostics and therapy. Nevertheless, the clinical picture cannot be neglected.

Effects of habitat heterogeneity on bird communities in the forests of northeastern Germany

Habitat heterogeneity is a key factor for regulating biodiversity in temperate lowland forests. Specifically, stands associated with late forest development phases provide important habitat structures for many rare and threatened forest bird species. However, how forest stands that differ in their structural complexity, canopy conditions and tree species composition affect forest bird assemblages both at the local and landscape scale remains largely unclear. In a young moraine lake landscape of northeastern Germany, we assessed correlations of bird diversity and bird composition with stand properties. We used data from 48 transects (400 m) established in (1) unmanaged, closed-canopy, mature stands that were dominated by Fagus sylvatica (UDS), and (2) diverse managed, mixed coniferous stands with a mosaic of open and closed canopy patches (MCS). We found that bird communities of the UDS strongly differed from those in the MCS, with open habitat species being more frequent in the MCS. By contrast, differences in diversity measures were less distinct. Moreover, we identified nine indicator species for the UDS (Columba oenas, Cyanistes caeruleus, Muscicapa striata, Leiopicus medius, Certhia brachydactyla, Ficedula parva, Dryobates minor, Sturnus vulgaris, Ficedula hypoleuca) and seven indicator species for the MCS (Periparus ater, Pyrrhula pyrrhula, Regulus regulus, Prunella modularis, Lophophanus cristatus, Emberiza citronella, Anthus trivialis). Several famous ancient beech forest patches in Müritz National Park and the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve “Schorfheide-Chorin” were found to harbour the set of the UDS indicator species. The UDS support of bird coenosis is typical for old mature broadleaved forests and can be considered as an effective tool for bird conservation. Our results further indicate that the combination of unmanaged and managed stands associated with different habitat complexities would benefit forest bird assemblages at the landscape scale. Key words: forest specialist birds, bird conservation, non-managed forests, old-growth patches, Ficedula parva, Leiopicus medius, coniferous forest

A trainable object finder, selector and identifier for pollen, spores and other things: A step towards automated pollen recognition in lake sediments

Pollen records are the most important proxy for reconstructing past terrestrial vegetation. While new approaches for improved quantitative interpretation of pollen data have been developed over the last decades, the availability of pollen records remains mostly limited because pollen samples are still analysed manually, which is a time-consuming task and requires extensive training. Here, we present an approach for automated recognition of pollen and spores from lake sediments using deep convolutional neural networks and machine learning. The approach includes two stages. The detector first locates pollen and spores in the sample matrix, and the classifier then classifies these objects. We have trained the approach on two pollen datasets from two lakes in north-eastern Germany. So far, our approach is able to automatically recognise 10 pollen types and Lycopodium spores with high accuracy. As soon as more training data are available, more pollen and spore types can be added. The preparation of training data, the training of the neural networks and their application are accessible via a freely available, browser-based user interface called TOFSI.

Heavy metal residues in eggshells of Common Cranes (Grus grus) nesting in an agricultural region in north-eastern Germany

Urbanization, industrialization, and intensification of agriculture have led to considerable heavy metal pollution across the globe, harming our ecosystems. Concentrations of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), and lead (Pb) have been analysed in 249 eggshells collected between 2006 and 2021 from 83 female Common Cranes (Grus grus) nesting within north-eastern Germany. Information on the presence of trace elements in cranes from Europe and their potential adverse effects on the reproduction are largely missing. Only Cu and Pb were found to be present in eggshell samples. Levels of both metals did not exceed concentrations considered potentially toxic in birds and unhatched eggs did not contain higher metal concentrations compared to eggshell residues from hatched eggs. Statistical analysis revealed that trace element concentrations decreased significantly over the course of the study period. The ban of leaded gasoline in the early twenty-first century and strict limitations of heavy metal-based biocontrol products are likely responsible for this decrease over the years. However, as Cu levels gradually increase with increasing proportions of agricultural areas within the cranes’ home ranges, we suggest that considerable amounts of Cu originating from agricultural practises are still being released into the environment. We found no increase in metal concentrations in eggshells with increasing female age, suggesting that heavy metals do not accumulate in the circulatory systems of the adults over time. This study is the first to assess heavy metal contamination in Common Cranes and indicates the suitability of crane’s eggshells as bioindicator for monitoring environmental pollution.