Research Activities

Strategy for the management of dead wood and veteran trees in Swiss forests

The maintenance of biodiversity is a key issue of sustainable forest management in Switzerland. In particular, dead and old trees play in important role for thousands of forest-dwelling species. In managed forests, large dead and very old trees, which are most important for dead-wood dependent species are often lacking. Consequently, in order to be sustainable the Swiss forest management needs a strategy for the maintenance of dead wood and veteran trees. I am searching for answers to questions such as: Which dead wood and old tree management techniques are most suitable for different regions of Switzerland? Are there regions of special concern for the maintenance of dead-wood species?

Traces of Picoides tridactylus	veteran Tree	Sorbus aucuparia

Maintenance of saproxylic species in Switzerland

Species depending on dead wood and very old trees are called saproxylic species. Many of them are endangered in most parts of central Europe, including Switzerland. The main reason is intensive forest management in production-oriented forests. In addition, dead trees and harvesting remnants are becoming a focus for a rapidly increasing demand for wood energy. A conflict between this renewable energy source and the habitat demand of saproxylic species may be a probable consequence. For these reasons, I am interested in questions such as: How much dead wood would be enough for species depending on this substrate? How should old-growth patches and dead wood be distributed in the forest landscape?

Oudemansiella mucida	Ramaria sp	Lucanus cervus

Research in protected forest areas

Protected forest areas can give important insights in the functioning of natural forests. Since no harvesting occurs in forest reserves, many aspects of forest dynamics can be monitored and quantified over time. I am particularly interested in the quantitative and qualitative evolution of dead wood and habitat trees. Other aspects I am concerned with are the decay processes of standing and lying dead trees.

• Forschung in Naturwaldreservaten (only in german)
• Dynamik von Totholz und xylobionten Insekten in Waldreservaten (only in german)
  
  

Pinus cembra	tree cavity	Cordulegaster sp.

Internet-platform: Supporting forest practice with the management of veteran trees and dead wood

The encouragement of veteran trees and dead wood is a main focus of the Federal Office of Environment in its endeavours to maintain forest biodiversity. Of late several initiatives concerning this topic have been taken at cantonal and local levels. However, in practice many questions are still open and there is a lack of information exchange.
The purpose of this internet-platform is to facilitate communication and exchange of information between practitioners, scientists and politicians in the field of veteran trees and dead wood management. The platform gives explanations about sense and importance of old trees and deadwood management, issues examples out of forest practice as well as national and international scientific and technical literature, and supports forest practitioners in the process of decision making. It provides links to continuative documents, collects FAQ's and offers a synthesis of today's knowledge drawn from literature. Link: www.totholz.ch