Universiẗat, Diss., 2004--Kiel.

Den anadroma öringen i Östersjöns avrinningsområde uppnår inte tillfredsställande status och uppskattningsvis upprätthålls ungefär hälften av populationerna med kompensationsodling. En av dem är Dalälvens anadroma öring som numer har sitt reproduktionsområde vid Älvkarleby, ca 10 km uppströms älvmynningen till Östersjön. Där finns även ett vattenkraftverk som innebär ett definitivt vandringshinder för Dalälvens migrerande arter. Vid Älvkarleby bedriver SLU Aqua forskning på öring och lax, samt ansvarar för kompensationsodlingen av Dalälvens anadroma öring. Tack vare det långvariga kompensationsodlingsprogrammet finns långa tidsserier innehållandes populationsdynamiska och strukturella data om populationen i Dalälven. I denna studie beskrivs långtidstrender i detta data, och med hjälp av statistiska metoder identifieras potentiella påverkansfaktorer. Resultaten visar att studieperioden kännetecknas av kraftiga populationsdynamiska fluktuationer, och temperatur identifierades som en stark påverkansfaktor. / Anadromous trout populations in the Baltic Sea area are in a less than optimal state and about half of the populations are maintained by hatchery-reared trout. One of the populations spawns near Älvkarleby of river Dalälven, about 10 km upstream of the estuary in the Baltic Sea. A hydroelectric dam located in the same area blocks the routes of migratory species. SLU Aqua operates the cultivation of trout native to river Dalälven and conducts research at the research center in Älvkarleby. Owing to the long-term cultivation in river Dalälven, long time-series containing population-specific data is available. Based on the collected data, this study describes long-term trends in the trout population native to river Dalälven and tries to identify potential factors effecting these by using statistical methods. The results show that the study period is characterized by large fluctuations in population dynamics, and that temperature is a major influencing factor.

In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde der Beutebezug von Iltissen unter populationsbiologischen und ethologischen Gesichtspunkten untersucht. Grundlage für die Hypothese bildete die Analyse von SCHRÖPFER et al. (2000) wonach sich für die Iltisstrecke des ausgewählten Gebietes (Gut Leye, Niedersachsen) eine auffällige Korrelation zur Wildkaninchenstrecke gleicher Herkunft ergab. Die der Iltisstrecke zugrunde liegende Populationsdynamik konnte beschrieben werden durch positive Faktoren im Sinne einer Zunahme der Iltisstrecke über Geburten und Einwanderung gebietsfremder Iltisse, sowie negative Faktoren, die eine Abnahme der Iltisstrecke über Mortalität und Abwanderung von Iltissen aus dem Gebiet heraus beinhalten. Als Maß für die Güte der Näherungsgleichung konnte eine Prognosegleichung für die Iltisstrecke formuliert werden, die um das dynamische Gleichgewicht von Iltis- zu Wildkaninchenstrecke oszillierte. Die Analyse des Futterwahlverhaltens von Iltissen diente der Überprüfung einer engen Beutetierbindung aus verhaltenbiologischer Sicht. Durch Fütterung mit einer Hauptfutterkomponente während der Aufzucht bis zum Ende des dritten Lebensmonats sollte bei juvenilen Iltissen eine Futterpräferenz ausgebildet werden: beim ersten Wurf (1,3 Tiere) für Taube, beim zweiten Wurf (3,3 Tiere) für Rinderherz. In vier Experimenten zum täglichen Futterwahlverhalten zwischen der potentiellen Prägungskomponente und jeweils einer anderen bekannten oder unbekannten Fleischsorte wiesen sowohl die subadulten als auch die adulten Tiere eine deutliche Präferenz für die Hauptfutterkomponente auf. Damit konnte ein Zusammenhang der Populationsdynamik des Iltis mit einer während der frühen Ontogenese erworbenen Nahrungspräferenz hergeleitet werden.

I Sverige finns många rödlistade arter vilka hotas av utrotning i olika utsträckning. Det finns även flera exempel där skydds- och bevarandeåtgärder utförts och som framgångsrikt bidragit till en stabilisering av arten. Vitryggig hackspett är en art i akut behov av kraftiga insatser för att Sverige ska kunna få en livskraftig stam. Två åtgärdsprogram har hittills tagits fram med just detta mål, ett för perioden 2005–2008 och ett som gäller från 2017–2021. Ett flertal åtgärder föreslås i programmen, främst med fokus på återupprättande av lämpliga habitat för vitryggen. 2020 blev ett lyckat år för arten men dess hotstatus kvarstår. Frågan är varför de åtgärder som utförs inte har gett det önskade resultatet? Det största problemet är just bristen på lämpliga habitat. De områden som finns är inte av tillräckligt hög kvalitet och kan därför inte hysa populationer stora nog för att hackspetten inte ska dö ut. Nationellt hade troligtvis en population på runt 200 – 300 par utgjort en tillräckligt stor grupp för att undvika ett utdöende. Som det ser ut nu är den svenska stammen uppdelad i ett antal delpopulationer. Om dessa grupper vore sammanlänkade genom att individer hade möjlighet att röra sig mellan områden i en så kallad metapopulation hade överlevnadschanserna ökat ytterligare. Både den norska, finska och ryska stammen är stabilare än den svenska och en förhoppning finns om att alla dessa populationer i framtiden ska kunna utgöra en mer storskalig metapopulation. För att detta ska ske krävs i första hand bättre habitatbiotoper som dessutom innehåller de vedlevande insekter som främst utgör hackspettens föda. Det är osäkert om de arter vitryggen livnär sig på finns i tillräckligt stor utsträckning i de svenska skogarna. Det krävs storskaliga restaureringsåtgärder av lövskog för att främja både de vedlevande insekterna och hackspetten. Trädslag som asp, björk och al behöver gynnas genom skötselåtgärder och produktionen av död ved, främst stående, måste stimuleras för att snabbare få fram tillräckliga volymer. Om inte dessa åtgärder vidtas har den vitryggiga hackspetten knappast en framtid i de svenska skogarna.

The population dynamics and demography of Daphnia galeata was analysed in a five year study in the biomanipulated Bautzen Reservoir. Samples were taken two times a week during the period May-July in the pelagic zone of this highly eutrophic water. Major bottom-up and top-down factors were determined during the study period and analysed with regard to their influence on Daphnia dynamics and life history. Field data on fecundity and population structure of D. galeata were combined with results from life table and growth experiments performed under approximately in situ conditions to gain insight into the mechanisms leading to a midsummer decline of this cladoceran species which dominates the zooplankton community in Bautzen Reservoir. Two main patterns of Daphnia dynamics emerged: In years without a midsummer decline the population increased slowly in spring, starting from low densities. High water transparency was observed already during the build-up of the population of D. galeata. Despite considerable fluctuations, Daphnia abundance remained on a high level throughout summer. In years with a midsummer decline the population started from relatively high densities in early May and more than doubled during one week. Peak densities were reached before the clear-water stage emerged. At the end of this period the population declined to low values which lasted for the rest of the summer. Fecundity of the Population of D. galeata declined, whereas the mean egg volume increased at the beginning of the clear-water stage as a result of declining food levels. The size at maturity (SAM) remained high during this period. Additionally, juvenile growth was reduced and the age at maturity was retarded. Survival probability was low for those daphnids born shortly before or during the clear-water stage compared to those born later. It can be concluded from these results that recruitment to adult stages is strongly reduced during the clear-water stage. The end of this period is marked by an alternation in generations. Only at that time can SAM be reduced because the new generation of adults matures at a smaller size, carrying small eggs. A high impact of non-predatory adult mortality can be expected when the population is dominated by a strong peak-cohort during the clear-water stage according to recruitment patterns during the build-up of the population. The most drastic decline both of Daphnia abundance and SAM was observed in those years when the biomass of juvenile fish exceeded 20 kg ha-1 at the end of the clear-water stage. Due to gape-size limitation juvenile fish mainly feed on juvenile daphnids during this period and thus, they reinforce bottom-up effects on the Daphnia population. When fish change their size selection towards adult daphnids at the time when the new generation takes over, this seems to represent the worst case for the Daphnia population. Consequently, the timing between bottom-up effects and the feeding pressure of juvenile fish determines the extent of the decline. - (This manuscript is also available - in the form of a book - from Shaker Verlag GmbH, Postfach 101818, 52018 Aachen, Germany world-wide web address: http://www.shaker.de, electronic-mail address: info@shaker.de. It has been posted on the web sites of Dresden University of Technology with the permission of the publisher)

Die Gattung Daphnia nimmt eine zentrale Position im pelagischen Nahrungsnetz vieler Standgewässern (Seen, Talsperren) ein. Aufgrund hoher Filtrierleistungen sind Daphnien für das integrierte Gewässermanagement, z.B. im Rahmen einer Nahrungskettenmanipulation (Biomanipulation), von großem Interesse. Ihre relativ einfache Kultivierbarkeit machte sie außerdem zu einen weit verbreiteten Modellorganismus limnologischer Grundlagenforschung. Das Ziel dieser Arbeit besteht darin, ein umfassendes Modellsystem für die Gattung Daphnia zu entwickeln, das wesentliche Kenntnisse der Ökologie von Daphnia miteinander verknüpft, um eine Vernetzung des Wissens zu realisieren. Bestehende Modellansätze konnten diese Aufgabe nur unzureichend erfüllen, weil sie in der Regel einem "Problem-orientierten Ansatz" folgen und somit sehr unterschiedliche inhaltliche Ausrichtungen und verschiedene Modellstrukturen aufweisen. Eine Kopplung bzw. ein direkter Vergleich dieser Modelle ist deshalb in der Regel schwierig. Dieses Modellsystem wurde entwickelt, um ein Instrument zur Synthese des vorhandenen Prozesswissens bereitzustellen, und nicht, um ein spezifisches, abgegrenztes Problem zu bearbeiten; es steht somit diametral zu existierenden Ansätzen. Aus diesem Grunde wird der gewählte Ansatz als ein "Spezies-orientierter Ansatz" bezeichnet. Drei Eigenschaften charakterisieren diesen Ansatz. (i) Das Modellsystem umfasst mehrere hierarchische Ebenen biologischer Organisation, wobei der Schwerpunkt auf den Ebenen des Individuums und der Population liegt. Interaktionen zwischen diesen Organisationsebenen sind ausgeprägt und in Feld- und Laborstudien gut belegt, in existierenden Modellen aber noch unzureichend miteinander verknüpft. (ii) Da eine quantitative Interpretation der Ergebnisse beabsichtigt ist, wurden die Modellausgaben einer umfangreichen Validation an unabhängigen und bereits publizierten Daten unterzogen. (iii) Das Modellsystem zeichnet sich durch einen geschachtelten Aufbau aus (nested design), wodurch eine einfache Erweiterbarkeit des Modells oder auch die separate Anwendung bestimmter Modellkomponenten gewährleistet ist. / The scope of this thesis was to develop a comprehensive model system of the genus Daphnia, a key organism in the pelagic food web of lakes and reservoirs and a widely used model organism in experimental and theoretical ecology. Although its central role in applied and basic research in aquatic ecology is obvious, there are still fundamental problems in modelling the observed dynamics of Daphnia (for details see chapter 2). Therefore, a basic motivation of this work was to use scientific results obtained in independently conducted research for developing a model that brings these results into context. Instead of following a "problem-oriented" paradigm applicable to a single, well defined problem or scientific hypothesis, the underlying concept of the emerging model system was considered to be "species-oriented". Thus, various relevant processes are included into the framework in order to simulate the dynamics of daphnids displayed on different levels of biological organization. To facilitate its application to various problems in ecological research on the genus Daphnia, the model system fulfills the following three important properties: (1) model outputs are thoroughly validated on experimental data in order to guarantee sound quantitative outputs of the model system (2) the system spans over different levels of biological organization with special emphasis laid upon the individual level and the population level (3) the model´s architecture follows a nested design with a defined individual level model that is integrated into a population level model The whole model system is able to describe an individual´s development over time on basis of physiological properties of the organism and, furthermore, how these individual level processes interact with the dynamics on the population level. Due to its nested design, applications of separate submodels (e.g. the individual-level model) are possible.

Die Gattung Daphnia nimmt eine zentrale Position im pelagischen Nahrungsnetz vieler Standgewässern (Seen, Talsperren) ein. Aufgrund hoher Filtrierleistungen sind Daphnien für das integrierte Gewässermanagement, z.B. im Rahmen einer Nahrungskettenmanipulation (Biomanipulation), von großem Interesse. Ihre relativ einfache Kultivierbarkeit machte sie außerdem zu einen weit verbreiteten Modellorganismus limnologischer Grundlagenforschung. Das Ziel dieser Arbeit besteht darin, ein umfassendes Modellsystem für die Gattung Daphnia zu entwickeln, das wesentliche Kenntnisse der Ökologie von Daphnia miteinander verknüpft, um eine Vernetzung des Wissens zu realisieren. Bestehende Modellansätze konnten diese Aufgabe nur unzureichend erfüllen, weil sie in der Regel einem "Problem-orientierten Ansatz" folgen und somit sehr unterschiedliche inhaltliche Ausrichtungen und verschiedene Modellstrukturen aufweisen. Eine Kopplung bzw. ein direkter Vergleich dieser Modelle ist deshalb in der Regel schwierig. Dieses Modellsystem wurde entwickelt, um ein Instrument zur Synthese des vorhandenen Prozesswissens bereitzustellen, und nicht, um ein spezifisches, abgegrenztes Problem zu bearbeiten; es steht somit diametral zu existierenden Ansätzen. Aus diesem Grunde wird der gewählte Ansatz als ein "Spezies-orientierter Ansatz" bezeichnet. Drei Eigenschaften charakterisieren diesen Ansatz. (i) Das Modellsystem umfasst mehrere hierarchische Ebenen biologischer Organisation, wobei der Schwerpunkt auf den Ebenen des Individuums und der Population liegt. Interaktionen zwischen diesen Organisationsebenen sind ausgeprägt und in Feld- und Laborstudien gut belegt, in existierenden Modellen aber noch unzureichend miteinander verknüpft. (ii) Da eine quantitative Interpretation der Ergebnisse beabsichtigt ist, wurden die Modellausgaben einer umfangreichen Validation an unabhängigen und bereits publizierten Daten unterzogen. (iii) Das Modellsystem zeichnet sich durch einen geschachtelten Aufbau aus (nested design), wodurch eine einfache Erweiterbarkeit des Modells oder auch die separate Anwendung bestimmter Modellkomponenten gewährleistet ist. / The scope of this thesis was to develop a comprehensive model system of the genus Daphnia, a key organism in the pelagic food web of lakes and reservoirs and a widely used model organism in experimental and theoretical ecology. Although its central role in applied and basic research in aquatic ecology is obvious, there are still fundamental problems in modelling the observed dynamics of Daphnia (for details see chapter 2). Therefore, a basic motivation of this work was to use scientific results obtained in independently conducted research for developing a model that brings these results into context. Instead of following a "problem-oriented" paradigm applicable to a single, well defined problem or scientific hypothesis, the underlying concept of the emerging model system was considered to be "species-oriented". Thus, various relevant processes are included into the framework in order to simulate the dynamics of daphnids displayed on different levels of biological organization. To facilitate its application to various problems in ecological research on the genus Daphnia, the model system fulfills the following three important properties: (1) model outputs are thoroughly validated on experimental data in order to guarantee sound quantitative outputs of the model system (2) the system spans over different levels of biological organization with special emphasis laid upon the individual level and the population level (3) the model´s architecture follows a nested design with a defined individual level model that is integrated into a population level model The whole model system is able to describe an individual´s development over time on basis of physiological properties of the organism and, furthermore, how these individual level processes interact with the dynamics on the population level. Due to its nested design, applications of separate submodels (e.g. the individual-level model) are possible.

The population dynamics and demography of Daphnia galeata was analysed in a five year study in the biomanipulated Bautzen Reservoir. Samples were taken two times a week during the period May-July in the pelagic zone of this highly eutrophic water. Major bottom-up and top-down factors were determined during the study period and analysed with regard to their influence on Daphnia dynamics and life history. Field data on fecundity and population structure of D. galeata were combined with results from life table and growth experiments performed under approximately in situ conditions to gain insight into the mechanisms leading to a midsummer decline of this cladoceran species which dominates the zooplankton community in Bautzen Reservoir. Two main patterns of Daphnia dynamics emerged: In years without a midsummer decline the population increased slowly in spring, starting from low densities. High water transparency was observed already during the build-up of the population of D. galeata. Despite considerable fluctuations, Daphnia abundance remained on a high level throughout summer. In years with a midsummer decline the population started from relatively high densities in early May and more than doubled during one week. Peak densities were reached before the clear-water stage emerged. At the end of this period the population declined to low values which lasted for the rest of the summer. Fecundity of the Population of D. galeata declined, whereas the mean egg volume increased at the beginning of the clear-water stage as a result of declining food levels. The size at maturity (SAM) remained high during this period. Additionally, juvenile growth was reduced and the age at maturity was retarded. Survival probability was low for those daphnids born shortly before or during the clear-water stage compared to those born later. It can be concluded from these results that recruitment to adult stages is strongly reduced during the clear-water stage. The end of this period is marked by an alternation in generations. Only at that time can SAM be reduced because the new generation of adults matures at a smaller size, carrying small eggs. A high impact of non-predatory adult mortality can be expected when the population is dominated by a strong peak-cohort during the clear-water stage according to recruitment patterns during the build-up of the population. The most drastic decline both of Daphnia abundance and SAM was observed in those years when the biomass of juvenile fish exceeded 20 kg ha-1 at the end of the clear-water stage. Due to gape-size limitation juvenile fish mainly feed on juvenile daphnids during this period and thus, they reinforce bottom-up effects on the Daphnia population. When fish change their size selection towards adult daphnids at the time when the new generation takes over, this seems to represent the worst case for the Daphnia population. Consequently, the timing between bottom-up effects and the feeding pressure of juvenile fish determines the extent of the decline. - (This manuscript is also available - in the form of a book - from Shaker Verlag GmbH, Postfach 101818, 52018 Aachen, Germany world-wide web address: http://www.shaker.de, electronic-mail address: info@shaker.de. It has been posted on the web sites of Dresden University of Technology with the permission of the publisher)

The global amphibian population is rapidly declining. Although many threats that affect amphibians are known, there are many contributing factors which are not fully understood. For adult amphibians, the largest part of the mortality comes from predation. We know of many predators which prey upon amphibians, but to what extent they affect the populations has not been subject to much investigation. Neither has the effects of specific taxa or species of predators. Birds are reputed amphibian-eaters, and they often occur in the same habitats. Both birds and amphibians often select for wetlands and other water bodies with high biodiversity, that often support a high diversity and/or density of birds as well as amphibians. The fact that a prey might flourish in an area that one of its strongest predators also inhabits might seem controversial. Especially when taking into account that it is often the density of predators that best explains the population growth of prey species. In this review, I investigate what effects large amounts of birds might have on amphibian populations as a result of their predation on adults. I consider how the effects might differ with high vs low densities of both prey and predator, and whether an eventual effect might impact the survival of a metapopulation differently depending on its size and spatial distribution. As an example of a habitat where both bird and amphibian species occur in large numbers, I use Trönninge ängar - a bird conservation area just outside the city of Halmstad, where populations of both amphibians and birds have been increasing over the last years. My results show that high densities of predatory birds in such communities could potentially cause declines in amphibian populations, but that this impact is softened when the population is more widely distributed in the area. There are also possibilities that birds do not only affect amphibians by predation, but also might facilitate their distribution by reducing other predators. Thus, bird predation in itself might not be a sufficient predictor for their effect on amphibian populations, as the relationship might be more complex than simple predator-prey interactions.

A population is never constant, but changes over time, and a connection is often found in population changes between predator and prey. A population increase in one can affect the other species positively or negatively. An increase in wood voles (Clehtrinomys glareolus) and field voles (Microtus agrestis) provides more food for the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), which in turn gets a better chance to reproduce. When the fox then increases in number, the vole decreases because the fox hunts and eats more food. Cycles are formed in the ups and downs of the populations which are followed. The purpose of this study is to see if a large vole population increases the fox's reproductive success in subsequent years and if a cycle interval with displacement between voles and foxes exists with a clear interval. Grimsö Research Station has contributed its data on the populations from the year 1973 until the year 2023. Lotka-Volterra's equations for predator-prey interactions were used and to see if a clear cycle interval between the populations existed. The result shows that the Lotka-Volterra equation does not give any clear shifts between the peaks and valleys of the populations as we thought before the test. In contrast, an autocorrelation analysis shows that the fox appears to follow the typical pattern of population cycles while the vole does not. A cross-correlation strengthens the result as the result is highest at a minimal time shift. A non-parametric correlation analysis finally shows that the correlation is strongly positive but not significant. / En population är aldrig konstant utan förändras över tid och ofta återfinns ett samband i populationsförändringar mellan predator och bytesdjur. En populationsökning hos den ena kan påverka den andra arten positivt eller negativt. En ökning av skogssork (Clehtrionomys glareolus) och åkersork (Microtus agrestis) ger mer mat åt rödräven (Vulpes vulpes) som i sin tur får bättre chans att reproducera sig. När räven då ökar i antal så minskar sorken eftersom räven jagar och äter mer mat. Det bildas då cykler i populationernas upp- och nedgångar som följs åt. Syftet med denna studie är att se om en stor sorkpopulation ökar rävens reproduktionsframgång efterföljande år samt om ett cykelintervall med förskjutning mellan sork och räv finns med tydligt intervall. Grimsö Forskningsstation har bidragit med data på populationerna från år 1973 fram till år 2023. Lotka-Volterras ekvationer för predator-prey interaktioner användes för att se om ett tydligt cykelintervall mellan populationerna fanns. Resultatet visar på att Lotka-Volterras ekvation inte ger några tydliga förskjutningar mellan populationernas toppar och dalar som vi trodde inför testet. Däremot visar en autokorrelationsanalys att räven ser ut att följa det typiska mönstret för populationscykler medan sorken inte gör det. En korskorrelation stärker resultatet då resultatet är högst vid minimal tidsförskjutning. En icke-parametrisk korrelationsanalys visar slutligen att korrelationen är starkt positiv men att den inte är signifikant.