Southern Lower Saxony Research Articles

Die Bleibelastung des niedersächsischen Trinkwassers verursacht durch Korrosion von Rohrleitungsmaterialien

The corrosion of drinking water pipe materials can release different elements into tap water. Especially important in this context is the heavy metal lead, which mainly leaches from the peripheral water distribution system. Lead is known to have numerous adverse effects especially to infants and children. The aim of this project was to assess the present state of drinking water contamination with lead in Lower Saxony and to promote the replacement of lead pipes. For this purpose a project was initiated comprising three parts. Firstly, a free examination of drinking water was offered in cooperation with local public health departments for private households with young women and families with children living in buildings constructed before 1974. Participants were asked to collect a cold tap water sample in their household after nocturnal stagnation and to complete a questionnaire. The collected samples were analysed by atomic absorption spectrometry for their lead concentration. Secondly, data from local public health departments on results of lead measurements, especially in buildings for the public, were collected and analysed. Finally, a working group 'lead replacement' consisting of representatives of all relevant parties (e.g., tenant and landlord associations, handicraft, building and health administration) was initiated. In the project in total 2,901 tap water samples from households were collected between the years 2005 and 2007. Of these, 7.5% had lead concentrations exceeding 10 microg/L (recommended limit of the World Health Organisation) and 3.3% had concentrations above the limit of the German drinking water ordinance (25 microg/L). There were remarkable regional differences in the frequency of tap water contamination. Multi-family houses were more frequently affected than single and double family houses. Additional data were collected in a preceding study in southern Lower Saxony. Of the 1 434 stagnation samples, 3.1% had lead concentrations greater than 10 microg/L and 0.6% had concentrations above the former limit of the German drinking water regulations of 40 microg/L.

Air humidity, soil moisture and soil chemistry as determinants of the herb layer composition in European beech forests

AbstractQuestion: What role does air humidity play as an environmental factor for the abundance and distribution of temperate woodland herbs?Location: Beech forests on calcareous soils in southern lower Saxony, central Germany.Methods: The abundance of woodland herb species and total herb cover were investigated in 60 plots with contrasting exposure, slope angle and relief type. On all plots, air humidity, air temperature, soil moisture, photosynthetically active radiation, pH (H2O) and concentration of salt‐exchangeable Ca, Mg and K were measured. Species‐environment relationships were analysed with multiple regression analysis and CCA.Results: Air humidity (RH), soil moisture and the concentration of exchangeable Ca and K, but not light, C/N ratio and the concentration of exchangeable Mg were identified as the most important abiotic factors influencing the cover of the most abundant plant species and total herb cover. RH varied substantially across the different forest floor site types and influenced species abundance independent of soil moisture. In several species (including Mercurialis perennis and Impatiens noli‐tangere), RH was found to be a key environmental factor. Other species such as Aegopodium podagraria and Lamiastrum galeobdolon depended more on elevated soil moisture, while RH was less important.Conclusions: This study showed that the distribution of widespread temperate woodland herb species depends on high air humidity, and that certain sensitive species do not occur at sites with reduced air humidity even though soil moisture is high. Thus, high air humidity and ample soil moisture are key abiotic factors in beech forests on calcareous soils. Shade level (PAR) was found to be of secondary importance.

Pregnancy, oral contraceptives and multiple sclerosis*

In a Finnish retrospective study of women with multiple sclerosis oral contraceptive usage and pregnancy followed the onset of disease and had no significant effect on the observed degree of disease disability; however patients who were pregnant prior to the onset of the disease and who also were currently taking oral contraceptives tended to exhibit higher degrees of disability than current pill users who had never been pregnant or who were pregnant only after disease onset. Younger women who were presently taking the pill appeared to be less disabled than nonusers but this association may simply indicate that women with high disability tended not to use oral contraceptives since they probably had less need for protection due to reduced sexual activity. Only 21% of the women with multiple sclerosis used oral contraceptives; in the general population 30% of the women used oral contraceptives. Multiple sclerosis patients also differed from the general population in regard to marital status and family size. For women with multiple sclerosis the observed number of women with single status was 24 and the expected number was 16.5 the observed number with divorce status was 13 compared to the expected number of 5.3 and the observed mean number of children was 1.63 compared to the expected mean number of 1.91. The data used in the analysis was based on 179 questionnaires and examinations obtained from an epidemiological survey of all 189 female multiple sclerosis cases in the Southern Lower Saxony area of Finland and on additional questionnaires obtained from 167 women drawn from a central data pool of multiple sclerosis patients. Tables included were 1) observed and expected frequency distribution of cases by marital status and by marital status and number of children 2) number and % distribution of cases by contraceptive use and by reason for oral contraceptive use; 3) mean degree of disability of oral contraceptive users and nonusers by disease duration and pregnancy history; and 4) number and mean and adjusted values of observed disability by pill use by pregnancy history and by duration of disease.

Habitat area but not habitat age determines wild bee richness in limestone quarries

Summary Within highly modified European landscapes, limestone quarries can act as important secondary habitats for a range of endangered wild bee species. However, the relative influence of quarry habitat area, habitat age and within‐habitat diversity on the conservation value of these secondary habitats is mainly unknown. We assessed species richness and abundance of wild bees by variable transect walks in 24 limestone quarries ranging in size from 0·01 to 21·2 ha. Species traits such as social status, resource specialization and nesting substrate were used to define functional guilds of bees. In total, 41% of all wild bee species known from southern Lower Saxony, Germany, were found in the studied quarries. Total species richness increased with habitat area but, in contrast to our expectations, not with habitat age, although we tested an age gradient of over 120 years. Solitary species were more strongly affected by decreasing habitat area than social species but response did not differ with respect to habitat age. Hierarchical partitioning analyses revealed that habitat area per se, within‐habitat diversity and sampling effort were of similar importance in explaining species richness patterns. Synthesis and applications. Even newly created limestone quarries provide an important secondary habitat for wild bees. Therefore, maintenance and management of secondary succession of these sites should be given high priority in species conservation plans. Landscape management schemes involving filling or flooding such quarries should be prevented.

Emergence Trap Studies on Biting Midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in Terrestrial Habitats in Southern Lower Saxony (Germany)

Adult Ceratopogonidae were sampled using emergence traps in four terrestrial habitats (1986–1989). The number of species (S) was low in the mesoxerophytic meadow (S = 8) and the hedgerow (S = 2), compared to the alder/willow forest (S = 12) and the oak/hornbeam forest (S = 14) studied. Annual emergence abundance of adults was usually higher in the two forest habitats (33 to 194.0 ind./m2/y) compared to the meadow (0.5 to 40.7 ind./m2/y) and the hedgerow (3.3 to 15.1 ind./m2/y). The two forest habitats were fairly similar with respect to species composition but differed in dominant species. Emergence of most species peaked in spring (April/May) and/or in summer (July/August) but Serromyia species emerged mainly in June.

Diagnostic problems of hyperthyroidism in the older age group (author's transl)

Seventy-seven patients aged more than 60 years from the iodine deficiency area of southern Lower Saxony with hyperthyroidism, diagnosed by assessment of thyroid parameters, showed a nonspecific disease picture with surprising frequency when compared with younger patients. Predominant characteristics were weight loss (86%), general weakness (78%), tachycardia (74%), reduced appetite (66%), exertional dyspnoea (60%), apathy, lack of initiative or depression (48%), and uncharacteristic abdominal complaints (20%). A goitre was not palpable in 30 patients (39%). Laboratory diagnosis was hampered by relative or absolute TBG deficiency and conversion inhibition in the form of a low-T3 syndrome as evidence of non-thyroidal changes in generalised disorders. Neither thyroxine nor triiodothyronine were increased in ten patients (13%). Only by additional routine estimation of the thyroxine-binding index (T3 in vitro test) as indicator of free binding capacity could the diagnosis be ascertained in these cases. The poor prognosis be ascertained in these cases. The poor prognosis of hyperthyroidism in the older age group necessitates generous use of specific diagnostic laboratory investigations in cases with suspicious symptoms.

Contribution of Diurnal and Nocturnal Pollinators to the Reproductive Success of the Orchid species Gymnadenia conopsea.

Many orchids depend on animals for pollination and attract pollinators with visual or olfactory cues either during the day, during the night, or both. The relative contribution of nocturnal versus diurnal pollinators to the reproductive success of orchids may differ [JENNERSTEN & MORSE 1991]. However, pollination by nocturnal insects is poorly investigated in temperate regions. This study compares pollination services of nocturnal and diumal pollinators to Gymnadenia conopsea. Gymnadenia conopsea (L.) R.Br. (Orchidaceae) is a rare perennial orchid occurring in open grasslands in Europe and Asia, preferably on calcareous soils. The flowers are arranged in a simple spike and vary from violet to pale pink. The orchid is strongly scented, attracting different species of diurnal and nocturnal Lepidopteran pollinators, which are rewarded by a copious amount of nectar from a long, slender spur [PROCTOR, YEO & LACK 1996]. In 2006, two calcareous grasslands near the city of Gottingen in Southern Lower Saxony, Germany, with large populations of G conopsea were selected for pollination-exclusion-experiments.

Patch Size and Landscape Effects on Pollinators and Seed Set of the Horseshoe Vetch, Hippocrepis comosa, in an Agricultural Landscape of Central Europe

Agricultural land use intensification has caused a considerable decline of once common semi-natural habitats leaving only small and isolated habitat remnants within a homogeneous landscape matrix. Populations of flowering plant species in these remaining habitat fragments are also declining and can not offer sufficient resources for potential pollinators. The loss of pollinators and consequential pollination limitation is especially severe for obligately out-crossing plant species. In this study, pollination and reproductive success of Hippocrepis comosa was examined. Hippocrepis comosa L is a self-incompatible, declining plant species occurring on fragmented remnants in semi-natural calcareous grassland habitats in an agricultural landscape in Southern Lower Saxony, Germany. Plant-pollinator interactions were analysed in small, medium, and large plant patches in 15 differently sized calcareous grassland fragments surrounded by landscape matrices of differing complexity. Flower visitors were observed during three 15-minute observations, pollen supplementation experiments were performed to test for pollination limitation, and fruits from the plant patches were collected to calculate seed set. Hippocrepis comosa showed evidence of pollination limitation because hand-pollinated flowers set more seeds per inflorescence than open-pollinated flowers and seed set was strongly reduced by decreased visitation rates. Pollinators were most abundant in large patches and in diverse landscapes. Visitation rate was not affected by patch size. Hence, in order to maintain plant-pollinator interactions in an agricultural landscape, conservation efforts should include the preservation of calcareous grasslands that can support sufficiently large patches of a plant species and offer ample rewards for pollinators and the establishment of a diverse agricultural landscape around the semi-natural habitats that will further enhance pollinator abundance.

Neoplasia in the Siberian weasel (Mustela sibirica): two case reports of fibrosarcoma and interstitial cell tumour

Two cases of neoplasia occurred in two adult Siberian weasels (Mustela sibirica) in a game reserve in southern Lower Saxony, Germany. The first case, a male weasel, showed an enlargement of the right testicle, which was surgically removed. The tumour was classified as an interstitial cell tumour. One year after surgery, the male weasel died by accident and revealed tumour lesions of uncertain histogenesis within the abdominal cavity and the spleen at necropsy. The second case, a female animal, became suspicious by a dermal mass in the upper left hind limb, which was also surgically excised. Pathological examinations revealed a fibrosarcoma that recurred twice after removal of the original mass. These two cases of neoplasia in the Siberian weasel are demonstrated with regard to clinical aspects and discussed on the basis of their pathomorphological features.

Bioenergy Village—Ecological and Social Aspects in Implementation of a Sustainability Project

In the project described here the electricity and heat supply of an entire German village has been changed from conventional to biomass energy sources in 2005. This lighthouse project, the first "bioenergy village" in Germany, has been initiated by a scientist team from the Universities of Göttingen, Kassel, and Berlin and was realized by the active participation of the population of the village Juehnde in Southern Lower Saxony (800 inhabitants). The ongoing ecological, economical, and social changes are analyzed to enable the transfer of the model to other interested villages in Germany and worldwide. The technical concept consists of three components: (1) An anaerobic digestion plant (supplied by energy crops and liquid manure) with a combined heat and power generator (CHP) producing electricity and heat energy, (2) a central heating plant fired by locally produced wood chips for additional heat demand during the winter, and (3) a hot water pipeline distributing the heat energy to the connected households. The history of the project, the social implementation, and the first results of the ecological and social changes in the village are reported.

Simplified planning regulations in Germany and the effects of landslides

In recent years, German laws pertaining to construction have been simplified with the goals of reducing administrative procedures and government expenditures. On the one hand, the new regulations are intended to simplify construction activities by the elimination of obstacles toward approval and by the simplification of governmental supervision procedures. On the other hand, a simplified approval process shifts the responsibility for compliance with building codes to the owners, consultants (architects, civil engineers, experts, etc.) and construction project managers. First experiences of damage to buildings show that streamlined construction approvals run the risk of neglecting basic geomorphologic and geologic fundamentals. Omissions are evident, which have led to failures at embankments and on building sites, causing considerable losses. The responsible administrations have reacted in different ways to the changed conditions, as far as they already are aware of the possible implications. In southern Lower Saxony State, the planning agencies have reacted to the growing responsibilities by attempting to determine at an early stage hazards in areas that are being developed. The practice aims to ensure that neither the planned construction activities nor the buildings themselves pose a threat for the residents. However, in the context of weighing these land-use decisions, it becomes apparent that in the future, administrative employees will have to be trained to foresee potential problems caused by the new regulations, while those affected by the decisions must receive advice on how to proceed. At the same time, latitudes and guidelines for dealing with geomorphologic hazards have to be defined.

Loss of soil organic matter upon ploughing under a loess soil after several years of conservation tillage

Restricting tillage to shallow-mixing operations as conducted in many conservation tillage systems occasionally causes problems such as compaction of the formerly ploughed layer or severe weed and slug infestation. To overcome these constraints, one moulboard ploughing operation is carried out and, subsequently, cultivation is shifted back to non-inverting shallow-mixing tillage. This study investigated the effect of one single ploughing action conducted after several years of conservation tillage on the amount of organic matter in the soil profile. It was hypothesized that soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil nitrogen (SN) stocks decrease very rapidly during the first few months after ploughing. The study was carried out in temperate climate on three adjacent fields with loess-derived soil (Stagnic Luvisol) located in southern Lower Saxony, Germany. The crop rotation included sugar beet ( Beta vulgaris L.), winter wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.), winter barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.), and white mustard ( Sinapis alba L.) as a catch crop. Conservation tillage started in 1992 on all fields and consisted of 30 cm deep non-inverting tillage combined with shallow-mixing (10 cm deep) operations. Mouldboard ploughing (30 cm deep) was conducted once in each field in August 1998–2000 prior to sowing of mustard. Thereafter, shallow conservation tillage (10 cm) was established. Soil samples were taken once before and at three dates (1–6 months, 7–9 months, 1.5–2.5 years) after ploughing and masses of SOC and SN were determined. After 7–9 years of conservation tillage, SOC and SN were concentrated in the top 10 cm layer of the soil. One ploughing operation resulted in a substantial loss of organic matter. At 0–30 cm soil depth, losses of 0.26 kg m −2 SOC and 0.046 kg m −2 SN occurred within 1–6 months after ploughing, accounting for 4 and 7% of the total initial masses, respectively. At the soil layer of 0–45 cm, these early losses were much lower (2% and 5% of the initial masses of SOC and SN per unit of soil area, respectively), caused by an increase of masses in the 30–45 cm depth. Further losses of SOC and SN from the 0–30 cm layer were small, while from the lower layer a second pronounced loss of organic matter occurred. After 1.5–2.5 years after ploughing, losses from the 0–45 cm depth accounted for 6% and 10% of the initial total mass of SOC and SN, respectively. In temperate climate, one ploughing operation after several years of conservation tillage obviously causes a partial loss of organic matter within a few weeks after ploughing.

Reconstruction of the colonization route from glacial refugium to the northern distribution range of the European butterfly Polyommatus coridon (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae)

ABSTRACTGenetic analyses are useful tools for reconstructing glacial distribution patterns and postglacial expansion corridors. However, little information is available about the latter. We reconstruct the expansion corridors of the butterfly Polyommatus coridon from its glacial refugium to the northern edge of its current distribution by comparing populations from southern Lower Saxony (central Germany) to other existing genetic data sets. The populations from Lower Saxony clearly belonged to a western lineage that expanded postglacially from the Adriatic‐Mediterranean region. They form part of a southern German group passing through the Burgundian Gap. In the southern German group, populations belong to a western subgroup. Therefore, expansion followed the Rhine valley and through Hesse, finally reaching southern Lower Saxony and western Thuringia in central Germany. Thus, we present a complete colonization route from the glacial refugium to the northern distribution range of P. coridon. Such data are useful for understanding the biogeographic structure and migration corridors for other mobile Mediterranean species.

Copper concentrations in tap water and possible effects on infant's health—Results of a study in Lower Saxony, Germany

Copper in drinking water has been associated with non-Indian childhood cirrhosis (NICC), a form of liver cirrhosis in childhood. This epidemiological study examines the exposure of infants to increased copper concentrations through drinking water from public water supplies in southern Lower Saxony, Germany, and whether this dietary copper intake causes liver damage in early childhood. In total, water samples from 1674 households with infants were tested for copper. The mean copper concentration was 0.18 mg/L in the 1619 collected stagnation samples and 0.11 mg/L in the 1660 random daytime samples. There were notable regional differences in copper values. In 10.3% of all sampled households a copper value of 0.5 mg/L or more was found. These families were requested to additionally collect 2 composite samples. An increased level of copper in the drinking water with copper concentrations at or above 0.8 mg/L in the composite samples and a defined minimum ingestion of tap water was followed by a recommendation of a pediatric examination. Fourteen infants were examined by a pediatrician and of these 11 received a blood serum analysis. None of the examined infants showed any signs of liver malfunction. From the results of the study, no indication of a hazard due to copper pipes connected to public water supplies could be found.

Involuntary hospitalisations in accordance with guardianship law during eight years tripled

REQUEST: In 1992 the guardianship law came into force. A study about involuntary hospitalisations in accordance with guardianship law between 1992 and 2000 in a small social-psychiatrically well supplied region of Southern Lower Saxony should be made. This study about hospitalisation and guardianship proceedings was made in the district courts of jurisdiction in the catchment area at the regional and the university hospital in Göttingen, including diagnosis, reason of hospitalisation and personal characteristics of patients. During study period a new guardianship law came into force, involuntary hospitalisations have doubled. Diagnostic and personal characteristics are described. A comparison: Hospitalisation in accordance with Mental Health law are more numerous and doubled during the last twelve years. Despite improved ambulant and in-hospital treatment involuntary hospitalisations considerably increased. Possible reasons are discussed: Better perception of necessity of in-hospital treatment, shorter but long-term unsuccessful in-hospital treatment, temptation because of the wording of the law sounds liberal, social demand of harder sanctions for unnormal behaviour. Psychiatrists, social workers and judges obviously support this social concurring behaviour or they are unable to prevent it.

Der Göttinger Leine-Graben im Paläogen (südliches Niedersachsen)

Der Göttinger Leine-Graben im Paläogen (südliches Niedersachsen)

First steps towards an interoperable GIS — an example from Southern Lower Saxony —

In geosciences the necessity of combining geological and geophysical information as well as applying tools for designing 3D geological and geophysical models is well accepted. Nevertheless, in most cases this demand is only put into practice by file transfer between the applications. The creation of a common 3D model is complicated by the inflexible handling of new and reinterpreted data and by changing applications, heterogeneous operating systems and/or hardware platforms. We present a new approach for a component based GIS which is coupled with an object oriented database management system. The original data, as well as the derived data and the 3D models, are stored in the extensible database. Geological and geophysical 3D modeling tools have direct access to the database via the Common Object Request Broker Architecture (COREA). By this means, we obtained both the integration of the software components and independence from changing software applications and changing platforms, finally resulting in an interoperable 3D GIS.

Integration of data constraints and potential field modelling — an example from southern lower saxony, Germany

Most of interpretational tasks in geophysics require an interdisciplinary knowledge and integration of information from comprehensive data bases. Towards this end a combination of different geophysical surveys employing seismics, gravity and magnetics, provides new insights into the structures and tectonic evolution of natural deposits together with geological and petrological studies. No doubt, any interdisciplinary approach is essential for numerical modelling of these structures and the processes acting on it. The interpretation of garvity and magnetics by 3D modelling requires data from other independent sources, due to the ambiguity of these methods.In close cooperation with geologists and computer scientists we are developing an object oriented model of the southern rim of the Northwest German Basin which consists of information from industry wells, stratigraphy and geophysical parameters (e.g. density and susceptibility). GOCAD is used for geometrical modelling purposes, IGMAS handels the interactive modifications of geophysical model parameters and geometry. Both modelling programs are supported by an object oriented data base system which will guarantee the consistency of data and models.Combined interpretations of the southern basin are presented and show, how the information from different geo-disciplines is visualized in order to ease the modelling process.

Cenozoic block rotation according to a conjugate shear system in central Europe — indications from palaeomagnetic measurements

Results of palaeomagnetic measurements in the middle Tertiary volcanic provinces of Siebengebirge and Westerwald (northeastern Rhenish Massif, Germany) indicate that block rotation of the northeastern Rhenish Massif of the order of 10° to 16° has occurred since the Late Oligocene. Contemporaneous subsidence in the Upper Rhine graben, Neuwied basin, and Lower Rhine basin and intensive faulting in the Hessian depression document a new period of intraplate tectonism in central Europe. In the Tertiary, presumably from the Eocene to the Miocene, the axis of maximum horizontal stress rotated from the NNE–SSW to the NNW–SSE and the NW–SE direction, respectively. The new stress conditions may be responsible for the development of a conjugate shear system in central Europe north of the Alps. A model of a conjugate shear system is presented: a sinistral divergent strike-slip fault extends SSW–NNE from the Upper Rhine graben to the north. The fault splits up into two branches in the area of the Hessian depression. A conjugate dextral wrench fault system develops from the Bavarian Pfahl zone (southeastern Germany) to the Rhenish Massif. About 200 km to the northeast, a parallel dextral strike-slip fault is known from the southern Lower Saxony basin to the north of the Osning zone and Harz mountains. The northeastern block of the Rhenish Massif was created between dextral strike-slip faults. The block began clockwise rotation presumably in the Late Oligocene due to small changes in direction of the maximum horizontal compressive stress from NNW to NW and contemporaneous extension of the western European crust to the southwest. It is assumed that the block rotation is responsible for the V-shaped opening of the Lower Rhenish basin, and anticlockwise micro-block rotation within the Hessian depression. Opening between the rotating and nonrotating crust along the recent Rhine river in the central part of the Rhenish Massif formed triangular transrotational basins (basin of Neuwied) due to movements of crustal blocks in the western Rhenish Massif bounded by WNW–ESE dextral faults. Fault-plane solutions from recent earthquakes in the Rhine system support the model of block rotation and related crustal movements. Due to rotation of the northeastern Rhenish Massif the continuation of the Upper Rhine graben development to the north is prevented.

Impact of external factors on the population dynamics of beech scale (Cryptococcus fagisuga) (Hom., Pseudococcidae) in beech (Fagus sylvatica) stands during the latency stage1

Abstract: Within a natural occurrence of beech on weathered lime stone in the hilly region of southern Lower Saxony, the infestation dynamics of Cryptococcus fagisuga as dependent on the flushing status of its host, Fagus sylvatica, were investigated from 1988 to 1995 during the latency stage.Employing subpopulations on microstands with different water supply and under different silvicultural treatment but with equally good nutritional status, the infestation dynamics of the scale were compared by means of a differential analysis. Independent of the year of observation, the microstand, and the silvicultural treatment, beeches with a bhd < 10 cm flushed quicker and showed a lesser degree of infestation than beeches of bhd 10–20 cm and > 20 cm. In almost all cases the beeches of the higher diameter classes on the strongly thinned plots were attacked markedly stronger than the corresponding ones on the moderately thinned plots.Increasing infestation was promoted by a decreasing flushing status on dry stands and by an increasing flushing status on moister stands. With heavier thinning or stronger self‐differentiation on the more humid stands, heavier infestation was promoted too by decreasing flushing status. The gradual transition was stopped when an equilibrium was reached comparable to the level of infestation of strongly thinned stands on dryer locations.