SeeWandel-Climate
“SeeWandel-Climate: Modelling the consequences of climate change and neobiota for Lake Constance” aims to provide updated predictions of the consequences of climate change – including the effects of invasive species – on the Lake Constance ecosystem and its sustainable use. To this end, practice-oriented models are being developed for authorities, organisations (IGKB, IBKF) and the public. The results will be made available to various target groups.
Sub-projects
The project work in SeeWandel-Climate is organised in 9 sub-projects. Modelling work is central, with the aim of being able to predict complex consequences of factors such as climate change and invasive species as well as their interaction for the Lake Constance ecosystem and its use. The necessary provision of robust parameters and findings for the development of such predictive model systems is carried out by various teams of researchers.
Research community
Overview about the project structure and organisation
Project management SeeWandel-Climate
Project leader
(PL)
P. Spaak (PL)
Deputy project leader
(DPL)
H. Hetzenauer (DPL)
Project coordination (PC) & administration (PA)
J. Alexander (PC) | A. Maniglia (PA)
Chairs of the thematic working groups (TG)
Chair TG Water level dynamics & littoral: M. Wessels, deputy D. Straile
Chair TG Interaction within the food web: M. Moest, deputy A. Brinker
Chair TG Importance of the quagga mussel: J. Santos, deputy P. Spaak
Chair TG Model-based predictions: U. Lang, M. Schmid
Steering committee (extended project management)
Project management, sub-project leads, IGKB & IBKF representatives, associated project partner institutions
Advisory board
Science representatives
Practice representatives:
IGKB (Bavaria, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Austria, Switzerland), IBKF, CIPEL, CIPAIS
Representative of the lead partner institution Eawag
Thematic working groups
+ read more
mehr erfahren
Thematic groups (TG) promote the exchange between researchers and others directly and indirectly involved in the project. They facilitate the ongoing transfer of knowledge and results between research, practice and the international commissions at Lake Constance. A central project objective is the implementation of current environmental issues in modelling approaches to predict the consequences for lake ecosystems and their sustainable use. To ensure the integration and consolidation of research work for its implementation, modelling expertise is closely integrated in all TGs. The diverse expertise of the people working in the TGs enables the competent handling of complex issues, for example with regard to the interaction of neobiota, climate change and their consequences for Lake Constance and its utilisation. Furthermore, the continuous flow of information to practitioners, authorities and water protection institutions is improved. This ensures that experts and decision-makers in water management, administration and politics have prompt access to information and can derive sustainable management measures for Lake Constance based on scientifically sound findings.
& littoral
the food web
quagga mussel
predictions
& littoral
the food web
quagga mussel
predictions
Using an ecosystem-based approach, the influence of environmental changes on the biotic communities and food webs in the near-shore area (littoral) of Lake Constance as well as the further consequences on the food webs in the open water zone will be analysed lake-wide for the first time. Based on the new data collected in “SeeWandel-Climate” on changes in aquatic plant communities and their associated biocoenoses over the course of the year, and including data on the effects of the spread of invasive species in the littoral and the expected decline in nutrients due to the quagga mussel, models are being developed that enable an assessment of the changes in the near-shore area of the lake. The impact assessment enables the development of adaptation strategies on the part of water management and thus contributes to the long-term protection of the ecological functions of the littoral and the preservation of cultural monuments in the shallow water zone of Lake Constance.
& littoral
the food web
quagga mussel
predictions
Environmental changes (e.g. climate change, invasive species) have a severe impact on the food webs and ecosystem functions of large and deep lakes. This can lead to an impairment of the availability of food sources for various groups of organisms, including fish (spatial and temporal decoupling). As part of “SeeWandel-Climate”, the effects of environmental changes (e.g. increase in water temperature, warmer winters, invasive species) on various key species and groups of organisms and their temporal occurrence over the course of the year are analysed. The combination of the knowledge gained with reliable future forecasts enables the derivation of necessary and effective options for action on the part of water and fisheries management, which can contribute to the protection of species such as whitefish.
& littoral
the food web
quagga mussel
predictions
Quagga mussels were first detected in Lake Constance in 2016 and have since spread to the deepest parts of the lake. Quagga mussels are now recognised as a problem for lakes in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Research on the quagga mussel is being continued in “SeeWandel-Climate”. Of central importance is the investigation of the resilience of the quagga mussel to various stress scenarios and the analysis of the genetic mechanisms underlying this adaptability. In addition, the monitoring of the distribution of the quagga mussel in Lake Constance will be continued. The aim is to make predictions regarding the development of the quagga mussel population in a changing Lake Constance, taking into account various climate scenarios, and to estimate the effects on the Lake Constance ecosystem. The latter are of interest to a number of water users who are confronted with the consequences of quagga mussels in their daily work (e.g. operators of drinking water and wastewater plants and thermal utilisation, fishermen). The collaboration with researchers from the Great Lakes Center (Buffalo State - The State University of New York) enables an exchange on the findings in connection with the quagga mussel invasion in European lakes and the North American Great Lakes as well as their respective courses and effects.
& littoral
the food web
quagga mussel
predictions
Based on available parameters, long-term data and new data collected as part of “SeeWandel-Climate”, optimal, meaningful and process-oriented modelling is carried out to predict the consequences of relevant environmental issues (climate change, nutrient ratios, spread of invasive species) for the Lake Constance ecosystem and its use. To generate realistic meteorological time series with high temporal resolution, climate projections from global climate models are used and integrated into the local reference area. Furthermore, the effects of micropollutants are analysed using the example of PFOS, so that future developments can be estimated based on the current data situation. Researchers from the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich are providing extensive data sets from twelve Bavarian lakes for the parameterisation of the models. Additions will already be implemented in the existing model and information system “BodenseeOnline” during the project period so that experts can benefit from the optimisations and further developments at an early stage. The aim is to develop widely applicable models that can also be used in other lakes. The results obtained through modelling contribute to the development of adaptation strategies on the part of water management and water users in order to be able to react to environmental changes.
Water level dynamics & littoral
read more
Using an ecosystem-based approach, the influence of environmental changes on the biotic communities and food webs in the near-shore area (littoral) of Lake Constance as well as the further consequences on the food webs in the open water zone will be analysed lake-wide for the first time. Based on the new data collected in “SeeWandel-Climate” on changes in aquatic plant communities and their associated biocoenoses over the course of the year, and including data on the effects of the spread of invasive species in the littoral and the expected decline in nutrients due to the quagga mussel, models are being developed that enable an assessment of the changes in the near-shore area of the lake. The impact assessment enables the development of adaptation strategies on the part of water management and thus contributes to the long-term protection of the ecological functions of the littoral and the preservation of cultural monuments in the shallow water zone of Lake Constance.
Interaction within the food web
read more
Environmental changes (e.g. climate change, invasive species) have a severe impact on the food webs and ecosystem functions of large and deep lakes. This can lead to an impairment of the availability of food sources for various groups of organisms, including fish (spatial and temporal decoupling). As part of “SeeWandel-Climate”, the effects of environmental changes (e.g. increase in water temperature, warmer winters, invasive species) on various key species and groups of organisms and their temporal occurrence over the course of the year are analysed. The combination of the knowledge gained with reliable future forecasts enables the derivation of necessary and effective options for action on the part of water and fisheries management, which can contribute to the protection of species such as whitefish.
Importance of the quagga mussel
read more
Quagga mussels were first detected in Lake Constance in 2016 and have since spread to the deepest parts of the lake. Quagga mussels are now recognised as a problem for lakes in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Research on the quagga mussel is being continued in “SeeWandel-Climate”. Of central importance is the investigation of the resilience of the quagga mussel to various stress scenarios and the analysis of the genetic mechanisms underlying this adaptability. In addition, the monitoring of the distribution of the quagga mussel in Lake Constance will be continued. The aim is to make predictions regarding the development of the quagga mussel population in a changing Lake Constance, taking into account various climate scenarios, and to estimate the effects on the Lake Constance ecosystem. The latter are of interest to a number of water users who are confronted with the consequences of quagga mussels in their daily work (e.g. operators of drinking water and wastewater plants and thermal utilisation, fishermen).
The collaboration with researchers from the Great Lakes Center (Buffalo State – The State University of New York) enables an exchange on the findings in connection with the quagga mussel invasion in European lakes and the North American Great Lakes as well as their respective courses and effects.
Model-based predictions
read more
Based on available parameters, long-term data and new data collected as part of “SeeWandel-Climate”, optimal, meaningful and process-oriented modelling is carried out to predict the consequences of relevant environmental issues (climate change, nutrient ratios, spread of invasive species) for the Lake Constance ecosystem and its use. To generate realistic meteorological time series with high temporal resolution, climate projections from global climate models are used and integrated into the local reference area. Furthermore, the effects of micropollutants are analysed using the example of PFOS, so that future developments can be estimated based on the current data situation. Researchers from the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich are providing extensive data sets from twelve Bavarian lakes for the parameterisation of the models.
Additions will already be implemented in the existing model and information system “BodenseeOnline” during the project period so that experts can benefit from the optimisations and further developments at an early stage. The aim is to develop widely applicable models that can also be used in other lakes. The results obtained through modelling contribute to the development of adaptation strategies on the part of water management and water users in order to be able to react to environmental changes.
Relevanz & Kontext
Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industrys standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book.
