Geschichte der Erde und des Lebens

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Dynamische Entwicklung des Lebens nach der Kohle

Nature conservation in the post‐mine landscape of Wanninchen: Dynamic development of life after the brown coal production In “Sielmann's Natural Landscape Wanninchen”, located in the Lower Lusatia in the south of Brandenburg, a post‐mine landscape rich in structures and species has evolved since the end of ignite production. Many extremely rare plants, insects, amphibians and birds find their habitats in huge sand dunes, small water bodies and lakes. Dwarf Everlasting, the digger wasp Bembix rostrata, the European Green Toad, the Common Crane, and the Wolf are among the most typical attractions. Constant changes of the landscape and of the species composition are caused by natural succession. In addition, new and unexpected structures emerge sometimes when parts of the landscape subside. The good collaboration of several stakeholders and the land ownership of the Heinz Sielmann Foundation have ensured a high priority for nature conservation in all restorative measures. So a sustainable development of tourism is enhanced as well. There are diverse offerings of nature experiences and environmental education. Because the access to big parts of the landscape is denied under the mining law and associated with danger, there is a high potential for wilderness development without further human influences. However, in some areas the preservation of valuable open‐land habitats is worth considering, as they are destroyed in our intensively used cultural landscape.     

Die Hyle des Lebens

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Der Brennstoff des Lebens

Ohne ZusammenfassungAberdeen (Schottland), 1929.Ins Deutsche übertragen und ergänzt von Dr.A. Gottschalk-Stettin.     

Das Präkambrium. Die Wiege des Lebens

The Precambrian is the cradle of life. With a time span of about 4 Billion years it represents the largest part of earth history. Life changed the planet during the Precambrian by a lot of interactions with plate tectonics and raised into better qualities. A special milestone was the release of free oxygen by the stromatolithes at about 2.5 Billion years. An extreme bottleneck for the evolution of life was the Snowball Earth representing the freezing of the entire earth surface and the covering by an ice sheet. Plate tectonic processes were responsible for the melting of the ice sheet. In the aftermath of that glaciation the rapid radiation of the first complex higher life forms begun. These were represented by the so‐called Ediacara Biota, which occurred in the time span of about 630 and 543 Million years before today. The Ediacara Biota are unique in the evolution of life and existed in a close interaction with a leather‐like biomat at the sea‐floor which provided stability, hide and food. Among the Ediacara Biota the first primitive arthropods, the molluscs and the anthozoans occurred. In addition, in the fossil record are reported a lot of mystic life forms without a good or any classification. The Ediacara Biota represent the critical evolutionary step to pave the way for the explosion‐like radiation of life during the Cambrian that started at 542 Million years before present.