The potential of plants to migrate to habitats which are more favourable under changed conditions plays a key role in assessing the impacts of climate change on terrestrial ecosystems. A new, spatially explicit, physiologically mechanistic, and efficient forest succession model was developed in order to study the potential of trees to invade, migrate and get extinct under current and possibly changed future climate.

Forests of the Central Rocky Mountains are of value for nature conservation and biodiversity maintenance. Developing a spatially explicit forest succession model upon a sound physiological basis is important to assist management and to further science of these crucial forests.

Only 150 years ago, Swiss forests were markedly affected by agro-forestal uses. In many places leaf litter was collected for different reasons. By experimental removing of the leaf litter, we examine the ecological consequences of this forest use and we evaluate it's potential as a new tool for nature conservation in forests.

Available languages: German English

In a changing environment, the analysis of how forest ecosystems may react under scenarios involving changing climatic conditions is of major importance. This project wants to evaluate the influence of expected climatic changes (precepitation and temperature regimes) on trees and the state of our forests.

Available languages: English

Im Wallis weisen die Waldföhren seit Jahrzehnten eine erhöhte Sterberate auf. Dafür wächst vermehrt die Flaumeiche. Wissenschafter der WSL haben die komplexen Ursachen des Waldföhrensterbens entschlüsselt.

Available languages: German

The assessment of the crown transparency of trees is a key component of long-term monitoring programmes of forest health. The aim of this project was to examine long-term needle retention of Pinus sylvestris. The data was related to growth information from the trees, and the data used in a modelling study of needle retention - growth - climate relationships.

Available languages: English

Welche Faktoren tragen bei Windwürfen massgeblich zu den Schäden bei? In welchen Fällen wäre das Ausmass der Schäden kleiner? Landesweite repräsentative Datenerhebungen zu Lothar-Sturmschäden und zu den betroffenen Waldbeständen sollen Antworten auf diese Fragen liefern.

Available languages: German

Meteorological factors and regional climate changes play an important part in the long-term forest ecosystem research (LWF). In order to document these climate changes and to understand the dynamics in the ecosystems, site-specific meteorological data is required.

Available languages: German English French

Since two decades an increase of defoliation has been observed in forest trees. There are suggestions that the water budget is a critical factor affecting needle and leaf loss. A water budget model is used to investigate the relationships between water budget and defoliation.

Available languages: German English

The fine roots of forest trees are the actual interface between the soil solution and plants. What is the influence of environmental changes on the rooted area of forest trees and the condition of mycorrhizas?

Available languages: German English