Randecker Maar research station
The Randecker Maar research station is a scientific station for long-term observation of bird migration ; it is also used to study insect migration and forest ecology. It is located in the Randecker Maar , a former volcanic vent in the Swabian Alb on the Ochsenwang district and is run by the association of the same name on a voluntary basis.
Long-term monitoring on the Randecker Maar is one of the longest and most consistent ornithological monitoring programs in Europe today. Questions going beyond the monitoring were raised within the framework of special programs, e.g. B. on the reverse train , on speed measurements and on mixed sociability of birds and on other issues.
history
From 1961 to 1966 a group of ornithologists around Wulf Gatter observed birds migrating on various passes and mountains in the Swabian Alb south of Kirchheim and discovered in 1966 the importance of the Randecker Maar for small bird migration. The advantages over the other observation sites quickly became clear in other respects: from 1966 to 1968, but especially in 1969, large contiguous periods of migration could be recorded, which made quantitative statements about the migration of a number of species possible. The planning of the train observations was based on these findings: Full departure periods have been recorded since 1970.
The station has existed since 1970. This year, migratory birds were recorded for the first time. From 1988 onwards, observations were made from mid-August to the beginning of November, as detailed investigations of the data evaluated so far suggested that around 90% of bird migration took place during this period.
job
The station was managed only on a part-time basis, and many of the observers work in monitoring in their free time.
The aim of the observations at the Randecker Maar was initially to gain insights into the seasonal processes of the hardly explored visible bird migration over the southwestern German inland. The collected results quickly arose numerous questions, e. B. the height of migration, the weather dependency and the social behavior of the migrating birds. They suggested the continuation of the project so that a long-term program emerged from it.
Migratory bird monitoring
A small team of ornithologists and entomologists work on the Randecker Maar from late August to early November from daybreak to late afternoon to record the birds and insects migrating south.
Insect migration
At the Randecker Maar, an attempt was made to record migrating insects under standardized conditions at the same time as bird migration. The consideration of both groups of animals brought various advantages: The peak of the bird migration falls in the early morning and occasionally in the evening. The highlight of the insect migration, on the other hand, takes place in the warm hours of the day.
society
The Randecker Maar eV research station is a private scientific institution financed by donations. The association publishes a number of books in which the results from the data obtained have been published.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Gate 2000, Chapter 1.
Coordinates: 48 ° 34 ′ 7 ″ N , 9 ° 31 ′ 22 ″ E