Assessing the competition dynamics of fast growing neophytic trees using a combined dendroecological and ecophysiological approach. A pilot study in Southern Switzerland.

Available languages: English

Switzerland is characterised by mountains. Many settlements therefore need protection against landslides and erosion. Plants are often used to stabilise slopes, in addition to wooden and concrete constructions. A new experimental device, developed by SLF technicians, will assist scientists to quantify the stabilising effects of plants.

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In this complementary research project we want to find out about the ecological, evolutionary and genetic components of adaption to microhabitats and future climate change of the dwarf willow Salix herbacea, in the mountains around Davos (Switzerland).

Available languages: English

Das Projekt "Biodiversität und Raumentwicklung" untersucht Zusammenhänge zwischen Biodiversität und Raumentwicklung auf Landschaftsebene. Dafür analysieren wir Daten des Schweizer Mittelands im Allgemeinen sowie der Kantone Aargau und Luzern im Speziellen für möglichst verschiedene Organismengruppen und unterschiedliche Aspekte der Biodiversität. Die Resultate werden kartographisch dargestellt und können zur Visualisierung von Szenarien der Landschaftsentwicklung eingesetzt werden.

Available languages: German

L'obiettivo del progetto è di investigare la fauna e la flora associata ai vigneti, definire i fattori geografici, ambientali e gestionali che determinano le diverse componenti della biodiversità, valutare l’influenza del paesaggio circostante e infine quantificare il valore ecologico dei vigneti attraverso confronto con altri ambienti naturali.

Available languages: Italian

FireLess II is an innovative wireless sensor network developed by EnvEve SA and WSL in collaboration with the University of Turin allowing the acquisition of real time data for monitoring fuel parameters such as litter and humus moisture in specific forest stands.

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At the WSL in Bellinzona we started developing a new monoplotting interface with the aim of offering an intuitive platform for georeferencing and orthorectifying ordinary individual photographs in order to produce georeferenced vector data by drawing them directly on the pictures and exchanging them with traditional GIS-Systems.

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Termites are important components of most soil invertebrate communities in the tropics and are considered ecosystem engineers that alter the flow of energy and nutrients through terrestrial ecosystems. Because of their wide occurrence, extensive research has focused on termite social structure, geographical distribution, and behavior. However, considerably less research has been conducted on how these insects affect ecosystem properties within savanna ecosystems. We investigate the impact of termites and their interactions with large herbivores in the Serengeti ecosystem.

Available languages: English

The Nutrient Network (NutNet) is a grassroots research effort to address these questions within a coordinated research network comprised of more than 40 grassland sites worldwide. We are interested in how general our current understanding of productivity-diversity relationships is, to what extent plant production and diversity are co-limited by multiple nutrients in herbaceous-dominated communities and under what conditions grazers or fertilization control plant biomass, diversity, and composition.

Available languages: English

Grubbing by wild boars incorporates the forest floor into the mineral soil, which could significantly alter forest soil properties (physical, chemical and biological). This could not only affect carbon (C) and nutrient fluxes and stores, but also forest productivity and stand regeneration. The objectives of this study are be to assess how wild boar grubbing effects soil physical (soil bulk density, pH), chemical and biological (microbial biomass, composition) properties in deciduous forest stands as well a how they affect stand regeneration and understory development.

Available languages: English