In the global carbon budget, carbon can be drawn down from the atmosphere by silicate weathering and by the burial of organic carbon in anoxic environments such as the deep sea. In this project we study how organic carbon is transferred to, and transported in mountain streams.

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 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 

Mit dem Projekt "Monitoring Flankierende Massnahmen Umwelt" (MFM-U) untersucht die Schweiz die Umwelt-Auswirkungen des Landverkehrsabkommens mit der EU sowie die Umwelt-Auswirkungen der flankierenden Massnahmen. Im diesem Teilprojekt stehen die Auswirkungen auf den Wald im Vordergrund. Als Indikator dient der Elementgehalt von Fichtenadeln.

Available languages: German 

In a unique CO2 enrichment study experiment – the Swiss Canopy Project - led by the Institute of Botany, University of Basel (Prof. Körner) we are measuring DOM fluxes. A 100 year-old mixed broadleaf forest is exposed to elevated CO2 with the help of a crane. The added CO2 is depleted in 13C as compared to normal air, allowing to trace assimilated CO2 through the tree and soil system and to gain insight into soil C cycling.

Available languages: English 

Swiss forests are exposed to changing environmental conditions. The consequences of air pollution and climate change on the forest are important questions which the Long-term Forest Ecosystem Research Programme LWF seeks to answer.

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Ce projet-cadre englobe les recherches effectuées sur le site Erlenhöhe dans la vallée d'Alptal (canton de Schwyz, Suisse centrale). Il consiste principalement en une expérience d'addition d'azote (N) dans laquelle les effets des dépôts de N sur un écosytème forestier subalpin sont étudiés.

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Le but de ce projet est d'étudier l'effet d'une concentration accrue en CO2 sur la disponibilité en éléments nutritifs dans le sol, particulièrement en azote. La nutrition minérale des arbres devient-elle un facteur plus limitant quand ceux-ci ont de plus en plus de CO2 à disposition?

Available languages: German  English  French