
Forest Dynamics
Main menu
Head a.i.: Dr. Thomas Wohlgemuth
The Research Unit explores the functional significance of forest diversity with respect to the ecology of managed and unmanaged forests. In order to assess the future development of forests in Switzerland and other temperate and mountainous regions, the Unit pursues a threefold research agenda:
- it performs basic research on forest diversity and its influence i) on forest dynamics, i.e. successional processes including tree growth, mortality and regeneration, and ii) on ecosystem goods and services;
- it studies the disturbance agents such as storms, avalanches, fires and insects with respect to their occurrences and their impact on forest dynamics, as well as the importance of forest diversity to resist disturbance;
- it investigates the impact of management operations on forest structure and development to improve sustainable forest management.
Based on the research outcomes, the Unit develops recommendations for best practice to sustain or improve forest products and services such as production of timber and other forest goods (e.g. mushrooms), catchment value, water quality, protection against natural hazards and pests, conservation and recreation. The infrastructure of the Research Unit includes extensive networks of forest study plots and laboratories for insects and fungi analysis.
The Unit has partners both within WSL and the wider scientific community. Stakeholders are mainly the forest services, forest owners and federal agencies.
Research groups
FURTHER INFORMATION
Publications
Puchi, P.F.; Khomik, M.; Frigo, D.; Arain, M.A.; Fonti, P.; Von Arx, G.; Castagneri, D., 2023: Revealing how intra- and inter-annual variability of carbon uptake (GPP) affects wood cell biomass in an eastern white pine forest. Environmental Research Letters, 18, 2: 024027 (11 pp.). doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/acb2df
Wang, Y.; Liu, X.; Treydte, K.; Zhang, Z.; Kang, H.; Zeng, X.; Xu, G.; Wu, Q.; Kang, S., 2023: Permafrost degradation alters the environmental signals recorded in tree-ring lignin methoxy group δ2H in Northeastern China. Science of the Total Environment, 860: 160519 (10 pp.). doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160519
McFadden, I.R.; Sendek, A.; Brosse, M.; Bach, P.M.; Baity‐Jesi, M.; Bolliger, J.; Bollmann, K.; Brockerhoff, E.G.; Donati, G.; Gebert, F.; Ghosh, S.; Ho, H.; Khaliq, I.; Lever, J.J.; Logar, I.; Moor, H.; Odermatt, D.; Pellissier, L.; De Queiroz, L.J.; ... Narwani, A., 2023: Linking human impacts to community processes in terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems. Ecology Letters, 26, 2: 203-218. doi: 10.1111/ele.14153
Lu, Q.; Liu, X.; Treydte, K.; Greule, M.; Wieland, A.; Liu, J.; Zhao, L.; Zhang, Y.; Kang, H.; Zhang, L.; Zeng, X.; Keppler, F.; Chen, Z.; Xing, X., 2023: Altitude-specific differences in tree-ring δ2H records of wood lignin methoxy in the Qinling mountains, central China. Quaternary Science Reviews, 300: 107895 (14 pp.). doi: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2022.107895
Frey, B.; Moser, B.; Tytgat, B.; Zimmermann, S.; Alberti, J.; Biederman, L.A.; Borer, E.T.; Broadbent, A.A.D.; Caldeira, M.C.; Davies, K.F.; Eisenhauer, N.; Eskelinen, A.; Fay, P.A.; Hagedorn, F.; Hautier, Y.; MacDougall, A.S.; McCulley, R.L.; Moore, J.L.; Nepel, M.; ... Risch, A.C., 2023: Long-term N-addition alters the community structure of functionally important N-cycling soil microorganisms across global grasslands. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 176: 108887 (11 pp.). doi: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2022.108887
Showing only the newest 5 publications
Staff
Forest Dynamics
interim Head of Research Unit, Member of Directors Board | |
Visiting scientist | |
Scientific staff member |
Ecophysiology
Groupleader, Senior Scientist | |
Postdoc | |
Visiting scientist | |
temporary employee | |
Scientific staff member | |
Technical staff member | |
Visiting scientist | |
PhD student guest | |
Visiting scientist | |
Master student | |
Technical staff member | |
Senior Scientist | |
Master student | |
Civil service employee | |
PhD student guest | |
Software engineer | |
Visiting scientist | |
Scientific staff member | |
PhD student guest | |
PhD student with Scholarshiop | |
Scientific staff member |
Plant regeneration ecology
interim Groupleader | |
Guest | |
Scientific staff member | |
Master student | |
Technical staff member | |
Master student | |
PhD student guest | |
lab technician | |
Scientific staff member | |
Visiting scientist | |
Software engineer |
Dendrosciences
Groupleader | |
PhD student | |
Trainee | |
Visiting scientist | |
Trainee | |
Scientific staff member | |
Master student | |
Senior Scientist | |
Scientific staff member | |
Senior Scientist | |
Visiting scientist | |
Technical staff member | |
Senior Scientist | |
PhD student guest | |
Civil service employee | |
Scientific staff member | |
PhD student guest | |
Scientific staff member | |
Visiting scientist | |
PhD student guest | |
Technical staff member | |
Visiting scientist | |
Visiting scientist | |
Technical staff member | |
Scientific staff member | |
Visiting scientist | |
Bachelor student | |
Visiting scientist | |
Senior Scientist | |
Master student | |
Technical staff member | |
Visiting scientist | |
PhD student guest | |
PhD student guest |
LWF I
Prog. SwissForestLab
Scientific staff member |
Ecosystem Ecology
Groupleader | |
Scientific staff member | |
Visiting scientist | |
Project Manager | |
Visiting scientist | |
Scientific staff member | |
PhD student guest | |
temporary employee | |
Postdoc | |
Scientific staff member | |
temporary employee | |
Technical staff member | |
Visiting scientist | |
Scientific staff member | |
Data Scientist / System Engineer | |
Temporary employee / Scientific staff member | |
Visiting scientist | |
Technical staff member | |
scientific staff member | |
temporary employee | |
Scientific staff member | |
Scientific staff member | |
Postdoc | |
Administrativer Fachspezialist | |
PhD student guest | |
Postdoc | |
Visiting scientist | |
Technical staff member | |
Visiting scientist | |
PhD student | |
Aushilfe SNF | |
Temporary employee | |
Senior Scientist | |
Visiting scientist | |
temporary employee | |
Scientific staff member, Senior Scientist | |
Technical staff member | |
PhD student guest | |
PhD student | |
Temporary employee | |
Visiting scientist | |
Aushilfe SNF | |
Mitarbeiterin Feldaufnahmen | |
Technical staff member | |
GIS specialist | |
Software engineer | |
Scientific staff member | |
Scientific staff member | |
PhD student | |
temporary employee | |
Scientific assistant | |
Technical staff member |
Master thesis
Open Master thesis in the group Mycorrhiza, Research Unit Forest Dynamics
Seasonal and spatial genetic patterns of a natural population of Burgundy truffles (Tuber aestivum)
Further information (PDF)
Population dynamics in 16 natural Burgundy truffle sites
Further information (PDF)
Development of mycorrhiza colonization of inoculated trees in a Burgundy truffle plantation (Tuber aestivum)
Further information (PDF)
Small-scale distribution of individuals and mating types of the widespread mycorrhizal fungus Cenococcum geophilum
Further information (PDF)
Where are the fathers? Small-scale distribution of individuals and mating types of Burgundy truffles (Tuber aestivum) in natural truffle locations
Further information (PDF)
Is the population structure of the widespread mycorrhizal fungus Cenococcum geophilum influenced by the water availability in the soil and the genetics of the host plant?
Further information (PDF)