In diesem Projekt wird die Wirksamkeit eines Keyline-Systems bezüglich seines Wasserrückhalts für Trockenheitsituationen untersucht. Dafür werden auf einer Landwirtschaftsparzelle umfassende (Drohnen-basierte und in-situ) Bodenfeuchtemessungen durchgeführt.
DeepDrought examines how deep root water uptake helps plants mitigate drought, especially as deep soil droughts increase with climate change. Using SVAT models, the project analyzes deep soil water availability and aligns TWD and WUE as drought stress measures to assess plant responses.
In der Zentralschweiz wird das nutzbare Waldholzpotenzial unter Berücksichtigung von Erschliessung, Ernteverfahren und Wirtschaftlichkeit untersucht, um Grundlagen für eine nachhaltige und tragfähige Waldbewirtschaftung zu schaffen.
A project to understand and model the processes of subglacial lake drainage and filling cycles in Antarctica.
Exploring the legal barriers to introducing non-native tree species and provenances across Europe.
At Pfynwald forest site, L- and C-band microwave radiometers measure natural microwave emissions from the forest canopy to detect changes in water content and structural properties. These enhance the understanding of ecophysiological processes and support the calibration and validation of remote sensing data.
Das Ziel dieses Projektes ist die Entwicklung von eDNA-basierten Werkzeugen zur Erkennung von Waldschädlingen unter Einsatz innovativer molekularer Technologien.
A recently discovered process of airborne snow metamorphism (ASM) affects the storage of isotope climate signals in ice sheets and the energy and mass balance of polar regions.
Überarbeitung NaiS-Anforderungsprofil Lawinen
Wir erforschen die Rolle der Hybridisierung bei der Anpassung an das Klima anhand des Weisseichen-Artenkomplexes als Modellsystem und legen dabei einen besonderen Fokus auf Österreich und Südosteuropa.
The project SoilDroughtCH aims to establish a comprehensive Swiss-wide soil drought monitoring system. We will build four new MeteoSwiss soil moisture stations at SwissSPOT sites to link grassland-focused MeteoSwiss stations with forest-focused SwissSPOT stations.
Rheinblick2027 investigates the effects of climate change on the Rhine River discharge based on the latest state-of-the-art.
The aim of this project is to compare northern and southern hemispheres temperature histories over the past millennium using tree-ring anatomy data.
The CompEHX project aims to understand the occurrence, development, and temporal changes of compound extremes in ecological and hydrological systems, with a particular focus on mountain regions.
In the project Forest3DTwin, we want to build a prototype for the open storage of measured 3D forest plot data with reference data and are convinced that this can be established at WSL in the long term.
TAMERS will assess the role of information flow and trust between scientists and practitioners, and develop recommendations for communicating assisted migration strategies at a European scale.
The project aims to comprehensively assess the quality and health of forest ecosystems using advanced remote sensing technology based on multiple source remote sensing data.
Extremely high river water temperatures introduce thermal stress to aquatic species and reduce the thermal cooling efficiency of power plants, in particular if they persist over time. Despite the potentially severe impacts of such river heatwaves, there exists limited understanding of their occurrence, drivers, future changes, and impacts. The objective of this project is to fill this research gap and improve our understanding of riverine heatwaves in the Alps and Europe.
Entwicklung eines Prototyps für die Typisierung und Charakterisierung von Landschaften auf Basis von physischen und wahrgenommenen Merkmalen. Der Prototyp wird in den Kantonen Zug, Waadt und Graubünden entwickelt mit dem Ziel, mittelfristig auf die ganze Schweiz anwendbar zu sein.
Durch den Waldbrand von Bitsch (17. Juli 2023) wurden rund 100 ha Wald in einem Gebiet mit sehr hohem Wilddruck zerstört. Angesichts der stark eingeschränkten natürlichen Verjüngung infolge von Wildverbiss ist die Frage, ob bzw. wo und wie rasch sich im Waldgebiet wieder junge Bäume etablieren.
This project aims to identify the occurrence, hydro-climatic drivers and future changes of synchronous forest fires in Europe.
In the VPDrought project, canopy reflectance and temperature are continuously measured on selected trees using point sensors, providing high temporal resolution data that serve as early stress indicators and reference points for validating remote sensing observations.
During periods of low water availability, trees differently modulate C and H2O fluxes to balance photosynthesis, growth, and other metabolic activities. However, we still do not know how increased vapor pressure deficit (VPD) and reduced soil water availability periods affect whole-tree hydraulics.
Pilze sind für das Funktionieren der Ökosysteme zentral. Trotzdem wurden Pilze beim Schutz der biologischen Vielfalt bisher vernachlässigt. Dieses Projekt leistet einen Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Vielfalt der Pilze in Europa und verbessert so die Grundlagen für deren Schutz.
The main objective of SnowInflow is to reduce errors in inflow forecasts for hydropower producers during the critical snowmelt period. SLF will contribute with improved physics-based snow models and associated data assimilation schemes.
2-tägiger Kurs zum Sammeln und Bestimmen von saprophytischen Aphyllophorales
Practical tips and exercises with Mirko Bischofberger
A workshop for operations leaders from the 4RI, ETH Zurich, and EPFL, focused on non-research AI tools, to assess challenges and opportunities, harmonize usage and license governance for synergies, and exchange security and safety best practices.
1975 pflanzten die WSL und das SLF in einem gemeinsamen Projekt 92'000 Bäume am Stillberg im Dischmatal bei Davos – 2025 jährt sich diese Pflanzung zum 50. Mal
Maria J. Santos will present her work on understanding patterns and processes in biodiversity-dependent social-ecological systems
Old-growth forests, ancient forests and forest reserves are attractive and rewarding outdoor laboratories to study diverse topics in forest ecology. This summer school offers scientific training for Master and PhD students interested in old-growth forests. It is organized by the Swiss-Ukrainian research cooperation for primeval forest structures and biodiversity.
Participate in an immersive serious game session, to explore in a live interactive context what trade-offs and synergies exist between the need for new green energy infrastructure, and biodiversity conservation.
We are pleased to announce the 35th European Dendroecological Fieldweek, will take place from August 29 to September 5 2025. This event will be held in the town of Son (Spain) at the heart of the Catalan Pyrenees, within the Alt Pirineu Natural Park, a unique reserve showcasing the natural and cultural heritage of the Pyrenees.
From 2007 to 2022, mycologists of the Greater Zürich Area have met once a year in a one-day symposium termed 'Zürich Mycology Symposium'. The goal of the symposium was the scientific exchange and the networking among this community and the location and the organizers of the symposium alternated between the participating institutions i.e. ETH Zürich, University of Zürich, Agroscope Reckenholz, Agroscope Wädenswil and WSL Birmensdorf
Anniversary Workshop 40 years Sanasilva and 30 years LWF
Der Workshop ist ein Forum für die Präsentation und Diskussion von Forschungsergebnissen zu einem Netzwerk von 11 Orient-Buchenbeständen in Frankreich, Deutschland und der Schweiz.
Mit diesem Kurs können die Beteiligten ihr Wissen über die Grundlagen der angewandten Naturschutzgenetik erweitern oder aktualisieren. Ziel ist es, Wissenslücken zu schliessen, das Potenzial und die Grenzen einzuschätzen, Missverständnisse zu vermeiden und den Grundstein für zukünftige Schweizer Naturschutzgenetik-Projekte zu legen.
In recent years, the availability of Earth observation data from satellites has increased dramatically, allowing for systematic and global monitoring of Earth's surface processes at an unprecedented scale.
The Western US’s massive forests face unprecedented wildfire and insect disturbances, while the society experiences a critical affordable housing crisis. Forest restoration treatments are proposed to mitigate overstocked forest conditions, with the utilization of restoration wood for mass timber construction offering a potential solution to housing affordability. However, the forestry sector confronts two major obstacles: the high cost of restoration hindering essential forest management, and a shrinking, aging workforce, especially in forestry-dependent rural areas, leading to labor shortages.
Festival der Natur 2025: Gemeinsam Biodiversität entdecken!
Einblick in die Entwicklung von FlorID, und anschliessende Feldbegehung mit Tipps für das sichere Anwenden der App.
For several decades now, the invasive ascomycete fungus Hymenoscyphus fraxineus has caused a serious, steady population decline of common ash (Fraxinus excelsior) across Europe. This decline in ash populations in Sweden caused the species to become Red-listed in 2010, and since 2015 its status has only worsened to become critically endangered.
Flechten begegnet man auf Schritt und Tritt - vom Vorgarten bis auf die höchsten Berggipfel. Sie sind gute Indikatoren, beispielsweise zur Bestimmung der Luftgüte. Dieser Kurs gibt Einblick in die Biologie, Ökologie und die Bestimmung von Flechten. Anhand von ausgewählten Flechten werden die wichtigsten Merkmale zur Bestimmung von Flechten eingeführt. Wir werden auf Flechtenpirsch gehen, das gesammelte Material unter dem Binokular anschauen und mithilfe von Fachliteratur bestimmen.
As a drought-sensitive species, European beech is thought to be particularly vulnerable to climate change (Leuschner, 2020) and increasing temperatures and rain-free days in Switzerland and Europe. The drought in 2018 has led to significant dieback in Switzerland (Frei et al., 2022) and models estimate large reductions in population growth rate in the coming decades in Europe (Martinez del Castillo et al., 2022). However, there is evidence that some beech individuals or populations may be more drought tolerant (Kurath et al., 2024). Characterizing the spatial distribution of genomic variation underlying beech resistance to drier and hotter climates will be key to determine where and under what conditions beech forests will persist in Europe.
Biodiversity is more than an abstract concept—it can be experienced! Science journalist Atlant Bieri makes it tangible through sight, smell, and touch. In his talk, he’ll share how he communicates biodiversity to a broad audience.
Seed masts in temperate forests create resource pulses that ripple through ecosystems, affecting rodents, predators, and even insectivorous birds like the ground-nesting, migratory wood warbler. How do these fluctuations shape songbird populations—and what does climate change mean for them?
The workshop will bring together the WSL community engaged in alpine biodiversity research and monitoring programs to identify new opportunities and directions for research on global change impacts in mountain environments.
In diesem Workshop werden die Ergebnisse einer Tabletop-Übung zum Thema extreme Trockenheit, die zuvor mit Mitgliedern des Schweizer Bevölkerungsschutzes durchgeführt wurde, aus der Perspektive des Versicherungssektors und seiner Bedürfnisse analysiert.
The upcoming *DACH Permafrost Conference* will take place at SLF Davos. This annual meeting provides an important platform to promote direct exchange between scientists working in polar and mountain permafrost regions with the aim of exploiting synergies and jointly developing methodological approaches.
Together with the rise of computational power, numerical weather prediction (NWP) models can be applied at hectometric and sub-hectometric grid spacings over mountainous terrain. Given the fine horizontal grid spacing, major topography features are resolved realistically in the model, which allows us to simulate mountain boundary layer processes such as orographically-induced gravity waves and thermally-induced flows explicitly.
Die Tabletop-Übung «Drought» verfolgt das Ziel, die Tauglichkeit des Schweizer Bevölkerungsschutzes zur Bewältigung von mehrjährigen Trockenheitsereignissen zu überprüfen. Dabei werden Mitglieder der Bevölkerungsschutz-Partnerorganisationen hypothetischen, aber realistischen extremen Dürreszenarien ausgesetzt, die vom WSL-Programm Extremes und dem Center for Security Studies der ETH Zürich entwickelt wurden. Dies ermöglicht die Überprüfung der aktuellen Strukturen, Prozesse und Ressourcen im Hinblick auf zukünftige Extremereignisse. Die Teilnahme ist nur auf Einladung möglich.
