Geschichte

Text in bold refers to installations in use or measurements currently running.
 

1876

Beginning of standard meteorological records at Davos (MeteoSwiss). The measurements are located 2 km from the Seehornwald Davos site.

1985

Selection of the Seehornwald Davos research site for the Swiss project NRP14+ and start of the setup by R. Häsler et al.

1986-1988

Start of measurements at the Seehornwald Davos research site within the frame of NRP14+ with focus on forest decline:

  • Set up of the 35 m measurement tower and the 25 m steel frame around two trees.

  • Air chemistry monitoring (e.g. O3, NO, NO2, SO2) by W. Graber, later continued by NABEL.

  • Fine particular matter deposition (Zn, Pb, Cd) by Gehrig, EMPA

  • Microclimate profile through canopy by ETH

  • Wet and throughfall deposition by Klöti et al., EAFV. Restarted by A. Thimonier and M. Schmitt, WSL in 2009. (EAFV is the former name of the WSL).

  • Tree property measurements in a 0.25 ha plot (stem diameter, tree height, etc.). Restarted by M. Dobbertin, WSL in 2007.

  • Soil property measurements by Schindler (NABO) and Häsler et al. (EAFV).

  • Litterfall by P. Lüscher.

  • Continuous gas exchange measurement of branches by R. Häsler et al. (EAFV).

  • Fog sampling and chemical analyses by H. Turner, EAFV.

 

1991

 

Start of continuous atmospheric NO, NO2, and O3 measurements within the Swiss national air pollution monitoring network (NABEL)

1995

First attempts to measure the CO2 exchange with eddy covariance (EC) by R. Häsler and J. Böhm (WSL)

1996

Installation of CO2 and microclimate profile on the 35 m tower by R. Häsler and J. Böhm (WSL)

1997

Installation of automatic point dendrometer by R. Häsler, K. Herzog, and R. Zweifel (WSL)

1997

Installation of Granier-type sap flow needles by R. Häsler, K. Herzog, and R. Zweifel (WSL)

1997

Eddy covariance equipment reaches its full functionality at Davos by R. Häsler and J. Böhm (WSL)

2004

Restart of growth, tree height, and stem diameter measurements by M. Dobbertin (WSL)

2005

Closed-path system of eddy covariance was replaced by an open-path system

2006

Removal of the 25 m steel frame around two trees (NFP14+)

2006

Maintenance of eddy covariance, CO2 and microclimate profiles is transfered from R. Häsler (WSL) to W. Eugster and N. Buchmann et al. (ETHZ). Site becomes a core site of Swiss FluxNet.

2006

An area of 25 x 70 m (1750 m2) within the NE-part of the footprint of the EC site was harvested at the end of October 2006.

2006

Installation of manual and automatic circumference bands by M. Dobbertin and R. Zweifel (WSL)

2006

Partial replacement of the original type of point dendrometers (LVTD, Agricultural Electronics Corporation, USA) by a less temperature sensitive type (ZB06/ZN12-T-WP, Natkon, Switzerland).

2006-2009

 

Integration of the site into the UN/ECE-ICP Forest Long-term forest monitoring network (LWF, WSL):

  • Annual crown condition assessment (2006)

  • LAI measurements (hemispherical photos, Licor LAI 2000) by A. Thimonier and M. Schmitt, WSL (2006)

  • Bi-annual forest health monitoring (2007)

  • Vegetation assessment every 2-4 years (2008)

  • Soil parameters by S. Zimmermann (2008)

  • Additional soil water conditions sensors by P. Waldner, E. Graf Pannatier (2008 and 2009)

  • Additional litterfall sampling (Swiss ICP-Forest Level II plot equipment)

 

2007

Radiation measurement below canopy by T. Jonas (SLF/WSL)

2008-2009

Heavy truck traffic through the Seehornwald Davos research site due to construction work on a nearby avalanch protection for the railway line of the Rhätische Bahn.

2008

Stem and soil respiration measurements by S. Etzold et al. (ETHZ)

2009

Continuous stem CO2 measurements by S. Etzold (ETHZ) and R. Zweifel (WSL)

2010

New 10 year contracts with the land owners of the Seehornwald Davos research site

2011-2013

Construction work of the Hotel Stilli Davos start in July 2011 (at the edge of the footprint of the eddy tower)

2011

Data acquisition system renewed and modernised. Research cabin and site cleaned from leavings of old scientific projects, P. Plüss (ETHZ), T. Baur (ETHZ), W. Eugster (ETHZ), M. Häni (ETHZ), R. Zweifel (WSL). 23-25 August 2011.

2011

Installation of additional stem CO2 sensors, M. Häni (ETHZ), R. Zweifel (WSL). 25 August 2011.

2012

Research site Seehornwald Davos joins TREENET - The biological drought and growth indicator network

2013

Research site goes ICOS - Integrated Carbon Observation System

SNF, ETHZ, WSL and EMPA fund first ICOS Switzerland budget period 2013-2017 including the sites Seehornwald Davos (Ecosystem station) and Jungfraujoch (Atmosphere station)

2014

Research site gets an additional 5 m buffer zone around the core area. Opening up new possibilities for research partners to establish projects

2014

Renewed contracts with land owners of the Seehornwald Davos research site

2015

Start of the upgrade to ICOS class 1 standards. Greenhouse gas measurements (CO2, H2O, CH4 and N2O) using the eddy covariance technique (measured and maintained by ETH Zurich), meteorology (by EMPA/NABEL), and measurements of tree width, stem CO2 exchange as well as leaf area index, biomass, N losses etc. (by WSL Birmensdorf/LWF/TreeNet)

2016

Half a dozen trees were felled and their biomass fractions analysed (needles, branches, stem), dead wood was quantified and all the data were combined to obtain a detailed biomass inventory of the site, which will be used to cross-validate the flux measurements (ICOS)

2016

Hemispherical photos to estimate ‒ together with leaf area samples ‒ the leaf area index (LAI) of the forest vegetation (ICOS).

2016

Development and installation of first, automated soil GHG flux measurement chambers by P. Meier et al (ETH/ICOS)

2017

Development and installation of a valve switching system for eddy measurements and the storage and chamber measurements of CO2, CH4 and N2O. New infrastructure allows for two independent gas analysers and also the measurement of two different systems (chambers and EC) with one single analyser by P. Meier et al (ETH/ICOS)

2017

SNF funds second Swiss ICOS budget period 2017-2021

2018

60 soil profils down to a depth of 1 m dug and analysed by S. Zimmermann et al (WSL/ICOS)

2019

ICOS CLASS 1 Label for the research station Seehornwald Davos CH-DAV.

2020

Finializing the setup of ICOS requested biomass sampling design (new and enlarged vegetation measurement plots: 20 SP-plots and 4 CP-plots)

2020

SNF and SERI fund ICOS Switzerland Phase 3 (2021-2025)

2020

Spectacular helicopter operation by the Davos Forestry Service (video 1, video 2)