@misc{VesteLittmannKunnekeetal., author = {Veste, Maik and Littmann, Thomas and Kunneke, Anton and Du Toit, Ben and Seifert, Thomas}, title = {Windbreaks as part of climate-smart landscapes reduce evapotranspiration in vineyards, Western Cape Province, South Africa}, series = {Plant, Soil and Environment}, volume = {66}, journal = {Plant, Soil and Environment}, number = {3}, issn = {1214-1178}, doi = {10.17221/616/2019-PSE}, pages = {119 -- 127}, abstract = {Under the conditions of climate change in South Africa, ecological and technical measures are needed to reduce the water consumption of irrigated crops. Windbreak hedges are long-rated systems in agriculture that significantly reduce wind speed. Their possibilities to reduce evapotranspiration and water demand are being investigated at a vineyard in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. Detailed measurements of meteorological parameters relevant for the computation of reference and crop-specific evapotranspiration following the FAO 56 approaches within a vineyard in the Western Cape Province of South Africa have shown the beneficial effect of an existing hedgerow consisting of 6 m high poplars (Populus simonii (Carri{\`e}re) Wesm.). With reference to a control station in the open field, the mean wind speed in a position about 18 m from the hedgerow at canopy level (2 m) was reduced by 27.6\% over the entire year and by 39.2\% over the summer growing season. This effect leads to a parallel reduction of reference evapotranspiration of 15.5\% during the whole year and of 18.4\% over the growing season. When applying empirical crop-specific Kc values for well-irrigated grapes, the reduction of evapotranspiration is 18.8\% over the summer growth period. The introduced tree shelterbelts are a suitable eco-engineering approach to reduce water consumption and to enhance water saving in vineyards.}, language = {en} } @misc{PoradaBaderBerdugoetal., author = {Porada, Philipp and Bader, Maaike Y. and Berdugo, Monica B. and Colesie, Claudia and Ellis, Christopher J. and Giordani, Paolo and Herzschuh, Ulrike and Ma, Yunyao and Launiainen, Samuli and Nascimbene, Juri and Petersen, Imke and Raggio Qu{\´i}lez, Jos{\´e} and Rodr{\´i}guez-Caballero, Emilio and Rousk, Kathrin and Sancho, Leopoldo G. and Scheidegger, Christoph and Seitz, Steffen and Van Stan, John T. and Veste, Maik and Weber, Bettina and Weston, David J.}, title = {A research agenda for non-vascular photoautotrophs under climate change}, series = {New Phytologist}, volume = {237 (2023)}, journal = {New Phytologist}, number = {5}, issn = {0028-646X}, doi = {10.1111/nph.18631}, pages = {1495 -- 1504}, abstract = {Non-vascular photoautotrophs (NVP), including bryophytes, lichens, terrestrial algae, and cyanobacteria, are increasingly recognized as being essential to ecosystem functioning in many regions of the world. Current research suggests that climate change may pose a substantial threat to NVP, but it is highly uncertain to what extent this will affect the associated ecosystem functions and services. Here, we propose a research agenda to address this urgent question, focusing on physiological and ecological processes that link NVP to ecosystem functions while also taking into account the substantial taxonomic diversity across multiple ecosystem types. Accordingly, we developed a new categorization scheme, based on microclimatic gradients, which simplifies the high physiological and morphological diversity of NVP and worldwide distribution with respect to several broad habitat types. We found that habitat-specific ecosystem functions of NVP will likely be substantially affected by climate change, and more quantitative process understanding is required on (1) potential for acclimation (2) response to elevated CO2 (3) role of the microbiome and (4) feedback to (micro)climate. We suggest an integrative approach of innovative, multi-method laboratory and field experiments and eco-physiological modelling, for which sustained scientific collaboration on NVP research will be essential.}, language = {en} } @misc{OPUS4-32578, title = {Sustainability of Southern African Ecosystems under Global Change}, editor = {Maltitz, Graham P. von and Midgley, Guy F. and Veitch, Jennifer and Br{\"u}mmer, Christian and R{\"o}tter, Reimund P. and Viehberg, Finn A. and Veste, Maik}, edition = {1. Auflage}, publisher = {Spinger}, address = {Heidelberg}, isbn = {978-3-031-10947-8}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-031-10948-5}, pages = {XXXV, 973}, abstract = {This open access book about the sustainability of marine and terrestrial ecosystems in southern Africa provides a synthesis of the research program Science Partnerships for the Adaptation to Complex Earth System Processes (SPACES II, 2018-2022). It addresses the scientific, social, and economic issues related to climate change, its potential impacts on the various ecosystems, adaptations, and management interventions for enhancing systems resilience in Southern Africa. It is written by numerous scientists from African states and Germany and summarizes the latest research findings, which are of great relevance for a better understanding of climate change impacts, adaptations, and vulnerabilities as well as for developing management options and policy options to reduce the associated risks. This is crucial considering that the projected African population increase is exceptional. Furthermore, climate change is assumed to hit southern Africa extremely hard with a significant increase in extreme events and the frequency of severe droughts, heat waves, and flooding. Southern Africa hosts a high variety of ecosystems, which belongs to important biodiversity hotspots for unique flora and fauna. The surrounding oceans form, in turn, a bottle neck within the ocean's global thermohaline circulation, act as a still poorly understood carbon sink and source and play an important role for fisheries as they are highly productive. Considering these important aspects, the book is an important interdisciplinary contribution to the scientific literature and will find a wide readership. The book is aimed at students, teachers, and scientists in the fields of terrestrial and marine ecology, environmental, nature and landscape planning, agriculture, environmental and resource management, biodiversity, and nature conservation, as well as scientists and representatives in specialised authorities and associations, nature conservationists, and policy makers of related disciplines.}, language = {en} }