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Abstract:
The main focus of the TERENO Northeastern German Lowland Observatory (TERENO-Northeast) is the regional impact of Global
Change. Since 2011, the observatory has recorded changes in the geo-, hydro-, bio- and atmosphere at six main study sites.
The year 2018, particularly in northeast Germany, was record-breaking in regard to dryness and heat. The mean temperature in
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern was 2 °C above the long-term average and precipitation was very low at 440 mm (normally around
600 mm). The extreme summer of 2018 was a special opportunity for TERENO-Northeast to measure the regional effects of climate
change. One of the consequences was the large number of forest fires, with one major fire destroying around 400 hectares. Other
extreme reactions of the ecosystems were shown in TERENO-Northeast. For example, for the first time since its rewetting, Polder
Zarnekov fell dry, with unpredictable consequences for the greenhouse gas exchanges. The forest ecosystems of Müritz National
Park, on the other hand, survived the extreme summer surprisingly well, partly because the months before the drought were relatively
damp. The research activities of TERENO-Northeast form an important basis to develop realistic options for improved adaptation
strategies to the ongoing global change with its particular region-specific effects and challenges.
