Climate Change in the Lehstenbach Region

Abstract

The Waldstein region with the Lehstenbach catchment is located in the northwestern part of the horseshoe-shaped Fichtelgebirge mountains in northeastern Bavaria (Germany). The present climate is described by Foken (2003), Foken and Liiers (2003) and Gerstberger et al. (this Vol.). Due to the dramatic changes in the global climate over the past 20–30 years (IPCC 2001), investigations of temperature and precipitation trends are also of special interest for ecosystem research. While temperature trends in Germany are more or less uniform, large regional differences in precipitation trends were observed. An increase is assumed for southern Bavaria (BayFORKLIM 1999), while in Sax-onia (only 50–100 km NE of the Fichtelgebirge) a significant decrease was found (Küchler 2003). Because the Waldstein region is located between these two areas and the region, moving from west to east, experiences a change from maritime to continental climate, investigations of climate change are of special interest. Some of these changes, like the reduced number of days with snow cover, are even visible to the non-specialist. In the following text, the investigations by Foken (2003) of climate change in the Fichtelgebirge and upper Eger River valley focus on the Lehstenbach catchment and are supplemented by recent investigations of trends in spring precipitation and winter snow cover.