GRK 1565:  Complex Terrain and Ecological Heterogeneity (TERRECO): Evaluating Ecosystem Services in Production versus Water Yield and Water Quality in Mountainous Landscapes

• Subject Area: Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine
• Term: from 2009 to 2013
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 88758029

COMPLEX TERRAIN refers to irregular surface properties of the earth that influence gradients in climate, transfer of materials, soils properties, selection of organisms, and via human preferences, the patterning of land use. Complex terrain of mountainous areas represents circa 20 percent of the Earth’s terrestrial surface; and such regions provide fresh water to at least half of humankind. Most major river systems originate here, and their resources are often associated with socio-economic competition and political disputes (Mountain Agenda 1998, IGBP 1997). Mountainous regions play an important role in the natural resource support of economies in Germany and Korea. There is a need to quantitatively understand the ecosystem services derived in regions of complex terrain, the process regulation occurring to maintain those services, and the sensitivities of ecosystem services to changes in climate and land use.
The goals of the International Research Training Group, thus, focus on building a bridge between spatial patterns of ecosystem performance in complex terrain and derived ecosystem services critical for human well-being. A coordinated assessment framework will be developed for landscape to regional scale applications to quantify trade-offs, and determine how shifts in climate, land use and social response to global change pressures influence ecosystem services.
Within TERRECO, the abiotic and biotic studies of hydrology and water yield, agricultural and forest production, production-related biodiversity, soil processes and water quality in complex terrain are merged. In addition, the socioeconomic background of current land use is analysed within the framework of changing social-ecological systems. On this basis, a number of scenarios shall be identified that describe potential future change. The trade-offs related to more intensive land use with respect to agriculture versus quantity and quality of water obtained from these regions are evaluated and new tools for understanding and managing such areas will be provided.

• DFG Programme: International Research Training Groups
• International Connection: South Korea
• Applicant Institution: Universität Bayreuth
• IRTG-Partner Institution: Kangwon National University Korea
• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. John Tenhunen
• Participating Researchers: Professor Dr. Thomas Foken; Professor Dr. Gerhard Gebauer; Professor Dr. Bernd Huwe; Professor Dr. Thomas Koellner; Professor Dr. Yakov Kuzyakov; Professor Dr. Egbert Matzner; Professor Dr. Detlef Müller-Mahn; Professor Dr. Stefan Peiffer; Professor Dr. Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter
• Cooperation Partners: Professor Dr. Taeseok Ahn; Professor Dr. Bomchul Kim; Professor Dr. Kyongha Kim; Professor Joon-Soon Kim; Professor Dr. Chongbum Lee; Professor Dr. Jong-Hwan Lim; Professor Dr. Yong-Sik Ok, Ph.D.; Dr. Ji-Hyung Park; Professor Dr. Chan-Ryul Park; Professor Dr. Jae E Yang
• IRTG-Partner: Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Sinkyu Kang