Eurasian lynx populations in Western Europe: What prospects for the next 50 years?

Persistence of viable populations may be uncertain for large carnivore species, especially for those established in human-dominated landscapes. Here, we studied the Eurasian lynx in Western Europe established in the Upper Rhine metapopulation (i.e., Jura, Vosges-Palatinian and Black Forest populations) and in the Alpine population. These populations are currently considered as endangered or critically endangered due to high anthropogenic mortality and isolation. We assessed lynx persistence over a 50-year time horizon by implementing a spatially-explicit individual-based model while accounting for road mortality and habitat selection. For the Alpine and Jura populations, forecasts showed a steady growth rapidly reaching a stabilization phase with high resident female occupancy, and a positive growth for the newly re-established Vosges-Palatinian population. Moreover, this population showed a difference in female occupancy between the northern part, where a recent reintroduction program was conducted in the Palatinate Forest, and the southern part. Only the group of individuals in the Black Forest had an irregular growth probably due to the small number of only male lynx at start of the simulation and poor connectivity to surrounding populations. Exchanges of individuals between populations were limited, and the Jura population played the role of a crossroad. Persistence of lynx in Western Europe seems likely on a large scale over the next 50 years. However, lynx persistence in the southern part of the Vosges-Palatinian population and in the Black Forest appears challenging without long-term conservation management.

The Minnesinger Winli – a Search for Historical Traces Der Sänger Winli – eine historische Spurensuche

Among the minnesingers of the manuscript C not yet identified is Winli, who has been handed down there under this name with eight songs, a leich and a miniature. Research into the history of the nobility in the region between the Black Forest and the Upper Neckar, however, reveals a trace that could lead to the poet: The coincidence of time, name and coat of arms bring him close to a certain Otwin von Hochmössingen, knight in the entourage of the Swabian counts of Sulz. Zu den bisher nicht identifizierten Sängern der Handschrift C gehört Winli, der unter diesem Namen dort mit acht Liedern, einem Leich und einer Miniatur überliefert ist. Adelsgeschichtliche Forschungen in der Region zwischen Schwarzwald und oberem Neckar zeigen jedoch eine Spur, die zu dem Dichter führen könnte: Die Gleichheit von Zeit, Namen und Wappen bringen ihn einem Otwin von Hochmössingen nahe, Ritter im Gefolge der schwäbischen Grafen von Sulz.

Luminescence dating of the last glaciation maximum in the southern Black Forest, Germany: Preliminary results

<p>During the last glaciation maximum, an ice cap and its more than 20 kilometres-long outlet glaciers covered the highest summit of the Black Forest, the Feldberg (1493 m above sea-level), and the surrounding region (Hofmann et al., 2020). This event is tentatively correlated with the global last glacial maximum (at ca. 22-19 ka). However, this hypothesis has never been tested by applying up-to-date geochronological techniques to glacial deposits or landforms. Due to the lack of significant topographic control, the climate probably mainly controlled the mass balance of the ice cap. Dating its last maximum extent may thus have important implications for the reconstruction of atmospheric circulations patterns during the Pleistocene. A last glaciation maximum out of phase with the Alps would strengthen the hypothesis that a meridional atmospheric circulation prevailed over Europe during the last glaciation maximum in the Alps (at ca. 25 ka).</p><p>We aim at filling this gap by re-investigating a well-preserved multi-ridged terminal moraine complex several kilometres north-west of the Feldberg. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, this landform is undisputedly assigned to the last glaciation maximum. As units of sorted sediments occur in two sections on one ridge of the terminal moraine complex, luminescence dating was deemed a suitable technique to infer the age of the landform.</p><p>Luminescence dating was applied to both feldspar and quartz for suitable comparison, as these dosimeters have different drawbacks. Since quartz from crystalline source areas often shows no or only a relatively weak luminescence signal, we anticipated that this also applies to the sampled sediments from the crystalline part of the Black Forest. Optically-stimulated luminescence (OSL) measurements revealed a bright signal in quartz as well as equivalent doses in the order of 200 Gy considerably below the saturation level. We did not observe any obvious signs for partial bleaching, but this possibility has to be confirmed via further OSL measurements, since the sampled sediments were not transported over large distances. Component analysis will also be performed.</p><p>Infrared-stimulated luminescence (IRSL) measurements on feldspar revealed higher preliminary luminescence ages. It is expected that anomalous fading and partial bleaching will be two major future challenges. To overcome the first problem, post-infrared IRSL dating will be applied. As resetting of this signal is more difficult when compared to IRSL and OSL signals, problems associated with incomplete bleaching may arise in future work.</p><p>Our preliminary quartz OSL ages tentatively suggest that the last glaciation maximum in the southern Black Forest preceded the last glaciation maxima in other formerly glaciated uplands in Central Europe and the global last glacial maximum. This result needs to be evaluated by luminescence dating of other ice-marginal landforms correlative with the last glaciation maximum. Other geochronological techniques, such as <sup>10</sup>Be cosmic-ray exposure dating, will also be applied to reveal their age.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Reference</strong></p><p>Hofmann, F. M., Rauscher, F., McCreary, W., Bischoff, J.-P., and Preusser, F.: Revisiting Late Pleistocene glacier dynamics north-west of the Feldberg, southern Black Forest, Germany, E&G Quaternary Science Journal, 69, 61–87, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-69-61-2020, 2020.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>