To characterise the habitat preferences of ring ouzel (Turdus torquatus) and blackbird (T. merula) in Switzerland, we adopt species distribution modelling and predict the species’ spatial distribution. We model on two different scales to analyse in how far downscaling leads to a different set of predictors to describe the realised habitat best. While the models on macroscale (grid of one square kilometre) cover the entire country, we select a set of smaller plots for modelling on territory scale. Whereas ring ouzels occur in altitudes above 1’000 m a.s.l. only, blackbirds occur from the lowlands up to the timber line. The altitudinal range overlap of the two species is up to 400 m. Despite both species coexist on macroscale, a direct niche overlap on territory scale is rare. Small-scale differences in vegetation cover and structure seem to play a dominant role for habitat selection. On macroscale however, we observe a high dependency on climatic variables mainly representing the altitudinal range and the related forest structure preferred by the two species. Applying the models for climate change scenarios, we predict a decline of suitable habitat for the ring ouzel with a simultaneous median altitudinal shift of +440 m until 2070. In contrast, the blackbird is predicted to benefit from higher temperatures and expand its range to higher elevations. / Unter Verwendung von Habitatmodellen beschreiben wir die Habitatpräferenz von Amsel (Turdus merula) und Ringdrossel (T. torquatus) in der Schweiz. Mit Hilfe verschiedener Klimaszenarien prognostizieren wir zudem die künftige potentielle Verbreitung beider Arten. Zur Beschreibung eines eventuell auftretenden Skalensprungs, d.h. einer Änderung in der Beschreibungskraft der Variablen auf verschiedenen räumlichen Ebenen, erstellten wir Modelle auf zwei unterschiedlichen Skalen. Während das Modell auf Makroskala mit einer Maschenweite von einem Quadratkilometer die gesamte Schweiz abdeckt, erstellten wir zudem eine Auswahl an Untersuchungsgebieten auf Revierebene. Ringdrosseln zeigen ihren Verbreitungsschwerpunkt in der subalpinen Lage, während Amseln vornehmlich das Tiefland und die Tallagen besiedeln und nur vereinzelt in hohe Lagen vordringen. In einem Gürtel von ungefähr 400 Höhenmetern siedeln beide Arten parallel.Trotz dieses auf der Makroskala erkennbaren Überschneidungsbereiches konnten wir in unserer Untersuchung auf Revierebene, von einer Ausnahme abgesehen, keine Koexistenz beobachten. Kleinräumige Unterschiede in der Habitatstruktur, insbesondere in der Vegetationsbedeckung scheinen demnach für die Habitatselektion von maßgeblicher Bedeutung zu sein. Auf Makroebene hingegen wurde der Einfluss klimatischer Variablen deutlich, die neben der Höhenlage auch dort typische Vegetationsstrukturen widerspiegeln. Wie die Klimaszenarien zeigen, nehmen geeignete Ringdrosselhabitate bei steigenden Temperaturen ab und die Art weicht im Mittel um 440 m in höhere Lagen zurück. Für Amseln scheint sich eine zunehmende Erwärmung jedoch positiv auszuwirken, während das Verbreitungsgebiet im Tiefland beibehalten wird, dringt sie von den Tälern ausgehend zunehmend in höhere Lagen vor.

This thesis investigates the effect of scale on themorphology, mechanics and transmissivity of single rockfractures using both laboratory and in-situ experiments, aswell as numerical simulations. Using a laboratory 3D laserscanner, the surface topography of a large silicon-rubberfracture replica of size 1m x 1m, as well as the topography ofboth surfaces of several high-strength concrete fracturereplicas varying in size from 50mmx50mm to 200mm x 200mm, werescanned. A geodetic Total Station and an in-situ 3D laser radarwere also utilized to scan the surface topography of a largenatural road-cut rock face of size 20m x 15m in the field. Thisdigital characterization of the fracture samples was then usedto investigate the scale dependency of the three dimensionalmorphology of the fractures using a fractal approach. Thefractal parameters of the surface roughness of all fracturesamples, including the geometrical aperture of the concretefracture samples, were obtained using the Roughness-Lengthmethod. The results obtained from the fractal characterization ofthe surface roughness of the fracture samples show that bothfractal dimension, D, and amplitude parameter, A, for aself-affine surface are scale-dependent, heterogeneous andanisotropic, and their values generally decrease withincreasing size of the sample. However, this scale-dependencyis limited to a certain size—defined as the stationaritythreshold, where the surface roughness parameters of thefracture samples remain essentially constant beyond thisstationarity threshold. The surface roughness and thegeometrical aperture of the tested concrete fracture replicasin this study did not reach stationarity due to the structuralnon-stationarity of their surface at small scales. Although theaperture histogram of the fractures was almost independent ofthe sample size, below their stationarity threshold both theHurst exponent, Hb, and aperture proportionality constant, Gb,decrease on increasing the sample sizes. To investigate the scale effect on the mechanical propertiesof single rock fractures, several normal loading and directshear tests were performed on the concrete fracture replicassubjected to different normal stresses under Constant NormalLoad (CNL) conditions. The results showed that both normal andshear stiffnesses, as well as the shear strength parameters ofthe fracture samples, decrease on increasing the sample size.It was observed that the structural non-stationarity of surfaceroughness largely controls the contact areas and damage zoneson the fracture surfaces as related to the direction of theshearing. The aperture maps of the concrete fracture replicas ofvarying size and at different shear displacements, obtainedfrom numerical simulation of the aperture evolution duringshearing using their digitized surfaces, were used toinvestigate the effect of scale on the transmissivity of thesingle rock fractures. A FEM code was utilized to numericallysimulate the fluid flow though the single rock fractures ofvarying size. The results showed that flow rate not onlyincreases on increasing the sample size, but also significantlyincreases in the direction perpendicular to the shearing, dueto the anisotropic roughness of the fractures. <b>Key words:</b>Anisotropy, Aperture, Asperity degradation,Contact area, Finite Element Method (FEM), Flow analysis,Fractals, Fracture morphology, Heterogeneity,Stress-deformation, Surface roughness, Roughness-Length method,Scale dependency, Stationarity, Transmissivity, 3D laserscanner.

<p>This thesis investigates the effect of scale on themorphology, mechanics and transmissivity of single rockfractures using both laboratory and in-situ experiments, aswell as numerical simulations. Using a laboratory 3D laserscanner, the surface topography of a large silicon-rubberfracture replica of size 1m x 1m, as well as the topography ofboth surfaces of several high-strength concrete fracturereplicas varying in size from 50mmx50mm to 200mm x 200mm, werescanned. A geodetic Total Station and an in-situ 3D laser radarwere also utilized to scan the surface topography of a largenatural road-cut rock face of size 20m x 15m in the field. Thisdigital characterization of the fracture samples was then usedto investigate the scale dependency of the three dimensionalmorphology of the fractures using a fractal approach. Thefractal parameters of the surface roughness of all fracturesamples, including the geometrical aperture of the concretefracture samples, were obtained using the Roughness-Lengthmethod.</p><p>The results obtained from the fractal characterization ofthe surface roughness of the fracture samples show that bothfractal dimension, D, and amplitude parameter, A, for aself-affine surface are scale-dependent, heterogeneous andanisotropic, and their values generally decrease withincreasing size of the sample. However, this scale-dependencyis limited to a certain size—defined as the stationaritythreshold, where the surface roughness parameters of thefracture samples remain essentially constant beyond thisstationarity threshold. The surface roughness and thegeometrical aperture of the tested concrete fracture replicasin this study did not reach stationarity due to the structuralnon-stationarity of their surface at small scales. Although theaperture histogram of the fractures was almost independent ofthe sample size, below their stationarity threshold both theHurst exponent, Hb, and aperture proportionality constant, Gb,decrease on increasing the sample sizes.</p><p>To investigate the scale effect on the mechanical propertiesof single rock fractures, several normal loading and directshear tests were performed on the concrete fracture replicassubjected to different normal stresses under Constant NormalLoad (CNL) conditions. The results showed that both normal andshear stiffnesses, as well as the shear strength parameters ofthe fracture samples, decrease on increasing the sample size.It was observed that the structural non-stationarity of surfaceroughness largely controls the contact areas and damage zoneson the fracture surfaces as related to the direction of theshearing.</p><p>The aperture maps of the concrete fracture replicas ofvarying size and at different shear displacements, obtainedfrom numerical simulation of the aperture evolution duringshearing using their digitized surfaces, were used toinvestigate the effect of scale on the transmissivity of thesingle rock fractures. A FEM code was utilized to numericallysimulate the fluid flow though the single rock fractures ofvarying size. The results showed that flow rate not onlyincreases on increasing the sample size, but also significantlyincreases in the direction perpendicular to the shearing, dueto the anisotropic roughness of the fractures.</p><p><b>Key words:</b>Anisotropy, Aperture, Asperity degradation,Contact area, Finite Element Method (FEM), Flow analysis,Fractals, Fracture morphology, Heterogeneity,Stress-deformation, Surface roughness, Roughness-Length method,Scale dependency, Stationarity, Transmissivity, 3D laserscanner.</p>