Rainfall partitioning and soil water dynamics along a tree species diversity gradient in a deciduous old-growth forest in Central Germany [Elektronische Ressource] / vorgelegt von Inga Krämer

GÖTTINGER ZENTRUM FÜR BIODIVERSITÄTSFORSCHUNG UND ÖKOLOGIE − GÖTTINGEN CENTRE FOR BIODIVERSITY AND ECOLOGY − Rainfall partitioning and soil water dynamics along a tree species diversity gradient in a deciduous old-growth forest in Central Germany Dissertation zur Erlangung des Doktorgrades der Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlichen Fakultäten der Georg-August-Universität Göttingen vorgelegt von Diplom Landschaftsökologin und MSc Environmental Sciences Inga Krämer aus Eckernförde Rostock, 2009/2010 Referent: Prof. Dr. Dirk Hölscher Korreferent: Prof. Dr. Wolfgang SchmidtTag der mündlichen Prüfung: 30.11.2009 There is no life without water. It is a treasure indispensable to all human activity. (European Water Charter, Strasbourg 1968) Contents 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Forests: biodiversity and ecohydrology 3 1.2 The hydrological cycle in a forest 4 1.3 Biodiversity research in forests 6 1.4 Umbrella project and study design 7 1.5 Study objectives and chapter outline 10 1.6 Refrnces 12 2 Rainfall partitioning along a tree diversity gradient in a deciduous old-growth forest in Central Germany 17 2.1 Abstrac 19 2.