Long-range transport of tropospheric ozone and its pollutant precursors has been identified in southern Switzerland. The aims of this project were to assess the extent of ozone-induced foliar injuries in the most highly exposed forests and to confirm the cause of injury by controlled exposures.

Available languages: English

Halocarbon exposure can result in degradation of photosynthetic pigments in trees and affect xenobiotic metabolism in plants. The aim of this project was to determine the levels of trichloroacetate in needles of conifer species in Swiss forests and to compare these with levels in other European forests.

Available languages: English

Since 1993 Prunus serotina showed symptoms typical of ozone injury at many sites in southern Ticino. The aims of this project were to confirm that this foliar injury is caused by ozone and to determine the ozone concentrations that induce the injury.

Available languages: English

Special focus of the Integrated Monitoring of Air Pollution Effects on Ecosystems is to improve the understanding about the effects of sulphur and nitrogen inputs into ecosystems. The research methods are intensive and are carried out within ecosystems in small hydrologically delineated catchments.

Available languages: English

The better understanding of the processes driving the dynamics of forest ecosystems requires the documentation of the constantly interacting compartments and fluxes of the biogeochemical cycle. Scientists study two fluxes (deposition of nutrients through precipitation and litterfall) and two compartments (foliage and ground vegetation).

Available languages: German English

Can hourly and daily changes of the circumference of tree stems be used as indicators of tree condition? Can they be used to find the effects of weather and soil water availability on tree growth and vitality? Can the information be used to explain past tree increment? What are the interactions between neighbour trees?

Available languages: German English

The Sanasilva Inventory has been carried out in its current form since 1985. Its aim is to monitor the health of the Swiss forest using crown and tree parameters as indicators of forest condition. The name of the inventory has changed subsequently with the change in assessment methods.

Available languages: German English French

The mission of LWF is to improve our understanding of how natural and anthropogenic stresses affect forests in the long term, and which risks for humans are involved. Consequently, we need to gain a more profound knowledge of the cause-effect relationships in the forest ecosystem and the underlying processes.

Available languages: German English French

Scientists investigate the reactions of fine roots of spruce and poplar to enhanced heavy metal contents in the soil. They measure growth and architecture of newly derived fine roots of these trees and investigate mycorrhizas of birches in order to localise and quantify the heavy metals on a subcellular level.

Available languages: English