Beobachtungen zu Quellen im Pfälzerwald – Was sagt uns die Quellschüttungsmenge über den Zustand der Quellen im Klimawandel?

Observations on springs in the Palatinate Forest – What does the amount of spring discharge tell us about the state of springs in a changing climate? // The forest and open land springs in the Palatinate Forest region have been mapped and sampled since 1995, in some cases at great scientific expense (FIEDLER-WEIDMANN & HAHN 1996; SCHINDLER 2005; WINTER & SCHINDLER 2012). Researchers can draw on these extensive data sets and show changes in these valuable island biotopes. This applies in particular to changes in spring water levels. While a decline in these was still difficult to detect until 2022, this changed with work from 2023 onwards, where statistically very clear declines were detected compared to older surveys before and around the turn of the millennium. This also jeopardises the biotic communities of these particularly populated biotopes through reduced biotope areas and increases the urgency for protective measures for spring biotopes.