Agrarian Ecosystems

Agrarian ecosystems cover more than half the surface area of Germany and thus decisively shape the landscape.

As production sites for human food, they have, on the one hand, undergone considerable landscape modification and their ability to function depends on anthropogenic energy inputs (mechanical work and highly heterogenous chemical input, e.g. mineral fertilizer, liquid manure, pesticides, etc.) and outputs (biomass withdrawal, discharge of substances via the soil into the groundwater). On the other hand, they are tied in with elementary biological processes and the natural balance.

Their great significance to humans and surrounding ecosystems, e.g. via the water balance, calls for the observation of manifold chemical loading processes.

The following sampling areas were chosen to represent agrarian ecosystems.

Sampling area