Main menu

WSL Home About WSL Organisation Research UnitsLand Change Science

Land Change Science

Main menu

Landscapes change over time, shaped by natural processes, such as erosion and succession, and anthropogenic influences, such as agricultural or forestry activity, construction activity - in short: land use. Our research unit investigates this interplay of ecological and anthropogenic influences and its impact on landscape development.

The landscape level shows how sustainably society deals with natural resources - we use this for comprehensive analyses.

Our research and development activities are aimed at the national and international research community. It is equally important to us to carry out relevant research for the general public and to support public administration in fulfilling its tasks.

Research groups

Land Change Science

Topics

Energy and landscape

The Federal Government's Energy Strategy 2050 envisages the phasing-out of nuclear power and increased use of renewable energies. We identify possible...

Urban Development: Making Economical Use of the Land

The configuration and spread of villages and cities affect biodiversity and people's quality of life. We analyse settlement development and its...

Landscape Ecology

Species and ecosystems are influenced by spatial patterns. We study the interactions and influence of landscape change.

Land Use

Land use affects ecosystems and their services. We study how land use changes and develop scenarios for the future.

Landscape Development and Monitoring

We use monitoring programmes to document and quantify how our landscapes change.

Species diversity

We research the diversity of plants and animals, especially in the forests and mountains, and examine the factors that affect species composition.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Projects

Spectral screening for the early detection of a highly invasive beetle in Switzerland

The emergence of visible tree-stress symptoms caused by the emerald ash borer occurs only several years after its arrival and are hard to tell apart from those caused by soil drought. Here, we investigate the potential of reflectance spectroscopy as an early-warning screening tool.

LED-Arthropoda

Das Projekt quantifiziert Auswirkungen von künstlichem Nachtlicht auf Bodenarthropoden (bodenbewohnende Gliederfüsser). Die Ergebnisse ermöglichen es, Herausforderungen im Zusammenhang mit der Aussenbeleuchtung und deren Einflüsse auf die Nachtbiodiversität zu entschärfen.

Reallabor Jurapark

Forschende des ETH-Bereichs bauen gemeinsam mit Akteuren des Juraparks Aargau ein Reallabor der nachhaltigen Entwicklung auf. Zu verschiedenen Themen werden konkrete Projekte lanciert und umgesetzt.

Social-ecological networks

We investigate the interactions between ecological and social networks of urban green areas and derive a fully operationalized social-ecological network based on individual, empirically validated social and ecological networks as a basis to evaluate transformation pathways related to biodiversity.

FlorID - a user-friendly tool to identify Swiss plants from images and coordinates

In collaboration with Info Flora, we develop a web platform and an identification module for the popular FlorApp to make available the capacity of an artificial intelligence to accurately identify Swiss plant species from images and coordinates.

Visitor flow management

An agent-based visitor flow management tool that allows for mitigating the conflict between outdoor recreation and biodiversity conservation will be developed for two riverine environments (lower Wigger valley and upper Glatt valley).

Opportunities for biodiversity in sustainable cities, the Urban Living Lab in Viererfeld Bern

Urbanisation is a main driver of biodiversity and ecological change, but how the process affects biodiversity is not well understood. This project on urban ecology monitors the impact of urbanisation and establishes an Urban Living Lab (ULL) for sustainable city development.

ALANex

ALANeX is an inter- and transdisciplinary project that integrates benefits of LED technology and practitioner's experiences to develop future lighting transformation pathways and guide-lines for LED outdoor lighting systems based on sound scientific evidence. To do so, we bring together light engine

SOLID - SOiL Information for species Distribution modelling

In this project, we are investigating the extent to which the spatial predictability of forest plant species and fungi can be improved by using high-resolution soil maps. In addition, we analyse how climate change affects the distribution of different species and what role soil plays in this.

Habitat Map Switzerland

The demand for the Swiss Habitat Map is very high. In order to meet the needs of the various users and to maintain usability, it is important that the habitat map is continuously maintained and improved.

Further Development of Land-use Planning in the Age of Digitalisation "SILAR"

In times of advancing digitization, this hinders progress by preventing systematic standardizations of land-use regulations. These are necessary for integrating land-use planning into simulations of land-use change for larger regions and, thus, overcoming the drawbacks of using traditional 2-D land-use plans to regulate the three-dimensional built environment.

Forest Resource Dynamic Monitoring

The joint project between Switzerland, Laos, Malaysia and China aims to research and develop the key technologies for forest resources dynamic monitoring and forest volume estimation based on ALS and other related remote sensing technologies.

Adhoris

We will provide an overview where and how high resolution, kilometer scale, climate data can provide new insights from climate change impact models. To do so, we will use a set of climate impact models across several sectors, ranging from dynamic vegetation, to hydrology, or biodiversity models.

Remote sensing data for fire danger rating

Provide a simplified Swiss-wide forest fire-related characterization of forest fuel types and calculate and analyse drought and fire-related remote sensing indices derived from multispectral Landsat and Sentinel-2 data.

4°C+ oder mehr: Landschaften im Klimawandel

Mittels qualitativer und quantitativer Modellierungen werden Szenarien der Landschaftsveränderung unter Klimawandel für die Jahre 2050 und 2100 entworfen und in Bildern und einer Video-Animation visualisiert.

Exper-net: Experimental Network Ecology and Restoration

We are conducting a series of experiments, from plant-hummingbird network manipulations to germination trials, to inform landscape restoration.

Lebensraumkarte historisch

In diesem Projekt wird untersucht, ob es möglich ist, die Kartierung der aktuellen Verteilung der Lebensräume durch die Kartierung der historischen Situation für die Jahre 1950, 1980 und 2000 zu ergänzen, d.h. eine Periode mit zunehmender Landnutzungsintensität und abnehmender Biodiversität.

EMERGE - Extreme droughts in mountain regions

EMERGE will investigate the impacts of historic megadroughts on water fluxes and ecosystems in mountain regions, and use this knowledge to develop stress-test scenarios for a possible future megadrought in the Swiss Alps.

Sentinel-2 vegetation height models

The aim of the project is to generate annual vegetation height models for Switzerland based on satellite imagery from Sentinel-2. Within the framework of the Swiss NFI, a workflow will be implemented and the accuracy of the resulting products will be estimated.

Blue-green conservation design

This project contributes to the Blue Green Biodiversity Research Initiative - an Eawag-WSL collaboration focusing on Biodiversity at the interface of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.

ICOS-2: Integrated Carbon Observation System in Switzerland, Phase 2017-2021

Die Forschungsstation Seehornwald Davos wurde in den 80er-Jahren von der WSL initiiert und ist damit eine der ältesten permanent betriebenen Wald-Vegetations-Forschungsstationen in der Schweiz.

A range-wide transplant experiment using participatory science and genomic prediction

Regeneration assessment in open forest areas

An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle UAV equipped with a LiDAR sensor will be used to test its potential for regeneration structure assessments in mountain forests. The project aims to combine terrestrial regeneration mapping with LiDAR-based information to assess size, density and location of regeneration.

Night Light

Die Versuche leisten einen Beitrag zum Verständnis des Effektes von Lichtverschmutzung auf die Natur. Der wissenschaftliche Versuch über die Auswirkungen verschiedener Lampeneigenschaften (Lichtfarbe, Gehäusedesign, Intensität) soll helfen, Nachtlicht nachhaltiger zu gestalten.

Copernicus Land Monitoring 2021-2025

Das vom BAFU finanzierte Projekt verfolgt die laufenden Entwicklungen im Bereich Copernicus Land Monitoring Services aktiv. Dies umfasst den wissenschaftlichen und technischen Support im Bereich Landbedeckung / Landnutzung auf schweizerischer und europäischer Ebene.

Mikroklimatische Veränderungen beeinflussen Artenvielfalt

Wie wirkt sich die Klimaerwärmung auf die Artenvielfalt in der Schweiz aus? Die Veränderungen des bodennahen Mikroklimas liefern neue Einsichten.

Soil protection in road projects

The project assesses the impacts of national road construction projects on soils, evaluates best-practice examples of mitigation measures, and develops soil protection strategies for road projects in cooperation with the stakeholders.

Remote sensing-based national forest damage assessment system

In the FNEWs project, a national remote sensing-based monitoring system for forest damage is being set up for Germany. In the WSL's work package the potentials of Sentinel-1 C-band data are analysed, demonstrated and operational procedures are designed.

Feedbacks between Biodiversity and Climate

Despite being an essential element of the biodiversity and climate change crisis, the feedback between biodiversity and climate remains an understudied subject in biodiversity and climate science. The project FeedBaCks will focus on this important interaction between the two disciplines.

CHELSA

CHELSA (Climatologies at high resolution for the earth's land surface areas) is a very high resolution (30 arc sec, ~1km) global climate data set currently hosted by the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL.

Noise and Greenspaces

Can people in urban regions recover from stress in green spaces or is there too much noise? Researchers from WSL and Empa explore the audio-visual requirements green spaces have to meet to enable noise-exposed people to recover from stress.

TM Wrapper

We develop a R package for the easier applicability of the forest landscape model TreeMig.

Biodiversity policy evaluation

This project is motivated by the repeated statement of OECD that biodiversity policy is a weak point in Swiss environmental policy. We will use up-front text retrieval methods to evaluate implementation of biodiversity-related policies in Switzerland.

Global blue-green richness differences

This project contributes to the Blue Green Biodiversity Research Initiative - an Eawag-WSL collaboration focusing on Biodiversity at the interface of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.

COMECO

The proposed project will focus on floristic data from Switzerland as a pilot system to study the benefits of combining machine learning techniques with spatially explicit ecological and morphological meta information to identify species identities from pictures.

LABES 2: Continuation of landscape monitoring Switzerland 2020/21

After further refining the concept, WSL and FOEN will work together on updating the landscape monitoring. An expanded set of indicators for landscape perception and satellite-based new indicators for the physical landscape are the new elements of the monitoring. Despite the new and expanded indicators, comparability with past surveys is ensured.

Urban Trees

We assess the state of knowledge about the importance of trees in cities for biodiversity and ecosystem services. Future research needs are defined with a specific focus on the city Zurich.

Nationwide shrub forest distribution maps based on remote sensing

Information on the distribution of shrub forest is of broad interest. The aim of this project is a robust workflow to produce an up-to-date, nationwide and high-resolution distribution map of the two dominant shrub forest species in the Alpine region based on remote sensing.

Waldwahrnehmung mit allen Sinnen

Attraktivität von Wäldern wird meistens anhand von visuellen Merkmalen bestimmt. Waldwahrnehmung basiert aber nicht nur auf visuellen Eindrücken - alle Sinne spielen eine Rolle. In diesem Projekt wird die Waldwahrnehmung von Waldbesuchenden mit allen Sinnen, insbesondere des Gehörsinns, erfasst.

DeSeFoM

Evaluating Spatial Planning Practices with Digital Plan Data

In DIGIPLAN we will analyze and compare the digitization of planning data in European countries, including the scope, organization, financing as well as the current and potential future uses of digital planning.

Acclimation and environmental memory

Which are the main mechanisms conveying adaptation on the organ and whole tree level, how fast does acclimation occur and how long is an acclimation potential sustained?

Oriental beech (Fagus orientalis) for assisted migration?

We assess the drought response of European and oriental across different life stages by taking advantage of existing Oriental beech plantations in France, Germany and Switzerland.

SlimForest

We aim at providing the link between the belowground water regime, related to the triggering of shallow landslides, and aboveground structural properties of forests as well as between ground truth and remote sensing data in view of up-scaling from the local to the regional and supra-regional scale.

ClimEx

Climatic extremes such as droughts, heat waves, and late frost events, are predicted to increase with ongoing climate change and are therefore of primary concern for environmental research. We will develop such data on extreme climatic events on a global scale from 1950-2100.

Expert Survey "Challenges Landscape"

10 Jahre nach der Ersterhebung werden erneut Expertinnen und Experten in der Schweiz dazu befragt, was Ihrer Meinung nach die künftigen Herausforderungen der Landschaftsentwicklung darstellen.

Adaptive dynamics - Combining a mathematical framework with complex landscape scenarios

Adaptive Dynamics is a mathematical framework that has been developed to capture how the phenotypic distribution of biological populations is shaped by ecological interactions together with environmental variability.

Tree species map of Switzerland

Despite the technical developments in the remote sensing sector that have emerged recently, data collection, efficient processing and especially storage of big data, and classifications over large areas are still insufficient.

Habitat Map of Switzerland

Spatially explicit distribution of habitats in Switzerland

Nightscapes 2019

Wir untersuchen die relativen Auswirkungen verschiedener spektraler LED-Strassenleuchten und bedarfsorientierter Beleuchtungssysteme auf acht Insekten- und Fledermaus-Artengruppen.

Mehrzweckspeicher als Zukunftsmodell?

Obwohl die Schweiz über reichlich Wasser verfügt, kann es zukünftig lokal zu Engpässen kommen. Mehrzweckspeicher stellen eine Möglichkeit dar, um auf zukünftige Wasserknappheit zu reagieren. Dieses Projekt untersucht die Chancen und Risiken einer gemeinsamen Bewirtschaftung.

Storm damage indication map

Remote sensing methods allow a rapid, wide-area and objective overview of the forest damage after a storm event.

Give and take: how much water does soil retain for trees?

Establishing an inventory of soil water availability to trees in Swiss forest soils. This is done by means of model-based analysis of the water balances at 16 long-term monitoring sites in Switzerland, representing various geographical locations, soil and vegetation types.

FutureWeb

FutureWeb will integrate predictive biogeography, geography, biostatistics and trophic web ecology to derive an ensemble of scenarios of the impact of global change on multi-trophic vertebrate biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and the provision of ecosystem services in Europe.

Simulating dynamics and spread of vegetation and interacting species

The spatio-temporal DGVM LPJ-GM is extended with modules for dynamics and spread of interacting species and tested in case studies with different interactors

Waldlabor Zürich

Das Waldlabor Zürich ist ein erlebnisorientierter Bildungs- und Forschungsort, es ist das erste Waldlabor der Schweiz. Im Zentrum steht der vom Menschen beeinflusste Wald, der "Kulturwald" mit verschiedenen Formen der Waldpflege und -bewirtschaftung, der Leistungen der Waldeigentümer und der Bedeutu

Drought 2018 - TreeNet meets Sentinel2

TreeNet permanently measures growth and tree water deficit (TWD) of about 250 tree individuals in forests all over Switzerland with so-called point dendrometers. TWD has shown to be a reasonable biological indicator for drought stress and quantifies the amount of missing water a tree needs to reach full saturation. In combination with spectral anomalies of satellite-based indices (e.g., NDWI from Sentinel2ab) between 2018 and a reference period we test whether we can find a close link between the two drought stress indicators.

What is Sustainable Intensification?

Sustainable Intensification of agriculture (SI) is advocated by both, scientists and policy makers, as a solution for the dilemma between the need to increase agricultural production and the need to reduce the environmental burden which intensification historically entailed.

FORClimateS

The project aims to aggregate and synthesize existing information on different spatial and temporal scales to provide decision-makers with relevant and robust information on short- and long-term risks for forests and forest functions and on adaptation strategies under different climate futures

Global Distribution Patterns of Plants

In this project we use historic climate, phylogeny, functional data and a processed based simulation model to explain how eco-evolutionary processes have led to the contemporary biodiversity patterns.

Spezialfälle und Fruchtfolgeflächen

Können Böden unter Gewächshäusern, in Gewässerräumen etc. auch ins kantonale Inventar an Fruchtfolgeflächen aufgenommen werden?

WebSnow

Integration of Webcam data for deriving Snow cover and snow depth from Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2 and Pléiades data

Joint models in biodiversity modeling

This project aims to evaluate advantages and potential pitfalls of JSDMs in biodiversity modeling

Automatisierte Erfassung invasiver Neophyten an Autobahnen

Highways are important corridors for the spread of invasive species. In this project, an automated detection and mapping of invasive alien plant species based on artificial intelligence (Deep Learning) and computer vision was developed and applied on highways of the Swiss Central Plateau.

Photoperiod and ciracian clocks - effects on adaptation and acclimation

Do evolutionary constraints on photoperiod and circadian clocks hinder adaptation and acclimation of plants to climate change? With this project, we will provide the mechanistic basis and a conceptual framework to understand how climatic and daylight/photoperiod cues jointly affects tree functioning.

Potential of integrated landscape management for renewable energy projects

Recent research results show that the widespread resistance to renewable energy projects is mainly due to a lack of comprehensive planning. How can the potential of integrated landscape management be used for the production of renewable energy?

Fledermaus-Flugkorridore

Wie erreichen Fledermäuse aus ihren Quartieren ihre Jagdlebensräume? Wir modellieren die Korridore im GIS!

Power Density Switzerland

"Power Density" describes the relationship between energy carrier, area and time. Renewable energies and particularly biomass require much larger area to produce energy compared to fossil fuels. This study helps identify where and to what extent which type of bioenergy could be used.

Can all agriculture in Europe changed to organic production?

What happens when all agriculture in Europe is changed to organic production? This project investigates how the transition to organic production can be made and at a truly European scale combining 11 universities and 15- multi actors from 9 EU countries and 3 associated countries.

CLIMASTEPPE - Solutions for climate-smart land use in the dry steppes of Russia

In the CLIMASTEPPE project, we will investigate with partners from Russia, Germany, Slovakia how to optimise the land use of Russian steppe under changing climate conditions.

Grundlagen Lebensraumkarte Schweiz

Im Projekt werden bereits vorhandene und in Entstehung befindliche Geodatensätze für ihr Potential zur Erstellung einer Lebensraumkarte (nach Delarze, Gonseth, Eggenberg & Vust 2015) für die Schweiz evaluiert. Ein erste Prototyp wird erstellt.

SpeedMind

The SpeedMind project will focuses on floristic data from Switzerland as a pilot system to set up and study the benefits of data-mining and machine learning techniques for facilitating biodiversity assessments.

The Megafauna project

This projects uses a non-invasive environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding approach to assess the biodiversity of marine vertebrates in 200 sites to ultimately identify possible refugia for marine megafauna.

DEForScen

Current plastic response of plants to climate change may be reflected by tree health. We investigate tree health data collected on ca. 6000 plots across Europe since the 1980s to figure out whether changes and trends in defoliation permit to identify species-specific response to climate change.

Filling the land use gap

Mapping grassland management intensity in Switzerland with high spatial and temporal resolution satellite imagery

Landschaftsbeobachtungsprogramm Schweiz LABES

Ziel dieses Projektes ist, das LABES Monitoring-Instrument, das zwischen 2009 und 2017 entwickelt wurde, bis 2020 konzeptionell zu überprüfen.

Conceptual evaluation of the Swiss landscape monitoring program 2018-2020

What are the qualities of the Swiss landscape? How do people assess the state of the landscape? These are the kinds of questions being taken up by the Landscape Monitoring program (LABES) launched in 2008. This project evaluates the program for relevance and use of up-front technology.

Hydro-CH2018: Multiple use of reservoirs

This synthesis work aims at identifying the potential of reservoirs (such as natural and artificial lakes, storage dams and other reservoirs) to mitigate future drought situations both at the national (Swiss) scale, but also for specific case study areas.

Chamois genetics

In this project, we will sample populations of R. rupicapra across the alpine massif and genotype them using RAD-sequencing. We will investigate the historical and contemporary factors shaping genetic variation within and among populations.

Redevelopment of the single tree growth model Massimo

Massimo ist ein Distanz- und Positions- unabhängiges Einzelbaum Wachstumsmodell, basierend auf dem Netz des Schweizerischen Landesforstinventars. Die Module für Wachstum, Mortalität, Störungen und Bewirtschaftung basieren auf empirische Modelle die mit Daten des LFI angepasst wurden.

HYDRO-CH2018 "Forhycs-Ice"

In the project FORHYCS-ICE, ("Forest, Glacier and Hydrology Change in Switzerland"), we aim at providing the first holistic simulations of climate impacts (CH2018 scenarios) on water resources, glaciers and forests.

PleiAlps - Deriving 3D forest parameters from Pléiades imagery

Mountain forests provide a wide range services. To quantify these services provided, information about the 3D forest structure is essential. PleiAlps will lead to a deeper understanding of the requirements for generating an Alpine wide high detail forest map from satellite stereo-imagery.

ENERGYSCAPE

This project focuses thus on assessing public judgments of the landscape effects stimulated by a mix of renewable energy systems in Swiss landscapes.

Tree species migration in DGVMs

Combining very efficient methods for simulation of seed dispersal and for local vegetation dynamics allows for large scale spatiotemporal vegetation dynamics simulations in DGVMs

Future consumption of prime cropland

Land use scenarios suggest that prime cropland, according to the sectorial plan of cropland protection, may come under even greater urbanisation pressure in some cantons in the following period of comprehensive plans.

Pan3D - Nationwide 3D data from historical aerial imagery

In this project we use historical, panchromatic imagery to process a nation wide (Switzerland) high resolution vegetation height model (VHM). This extends the time series of information about the forest structure in Switzerland an thus opens up a whole range of new research possibilities.

MOOC Landscape Ecology

This is the first comprehensive, interactive MOOC in Landscape Ecology. The core principles of Landscape Ecology are taught through video lectures, quizzes and interactive simulations. In Applied Case Studies leading experts from different continents give the students a global learning experience.

Remote sensing Uholka-Shyrokyi Luh

In order to quantify the vegetation in its 3D structure and to be able to model the topography of the surveyed area, a LiDAR aerial survey will be carried out during spring of 2017.

Energy wood potential in the Ukrainian Carpathians

The Ukraine only covers half of its energy demand with own resources. This project determines how wood resp. energy wood in areas with high forest cover can be used more efficiently, and which economic and ecological consequences will arise.

Geschichte der Feuchtgebiete in der Schweiz seit 1700

Die Entwicklung und Rezeption der Feuchtgebiete von 1700 bis heute wird geschichtlich aufgearbeitet sowie ab 1850 bis 2010 rekonstruiert.

GaSM - The General Allele Simulation Model

To get a better understanding of the processes of diversification, we are developing GaSM (General Allele Simulation Model) which infers biodiversity patterns from historical range dynamics taking into account eco-evolutionary feedbacks.

Plant-insect trophic networks

This project investigates the ecological mechanisms shaping interactions between plants and insect herbivores along elevation gradients in the Alps to allow more realistic forecasts of community responses to global changes.

Tools for integrating planning in land change models

The overall objective of this project is to reduce the technical gap between spatial planning and land change science. Specifically, this project aims to develop tools and methods to translate data and features from strategic spatial planning into inputs for land change models. We focus on two obser

Assessment of strategic spatial plan making and plan implementation processes

The overall objective of this project is to develop an analytical framework grounded in an analysis of strategic spatial planning processes, i.e. plan making and plan implementation. Cities worldwide are increasingly engaging in strategic spatial planning processes to address economic, social and en

Evaluation of strategic spatial plans

The overall objective of this project is to contribute to the scholarship on plan evaluation. Current evaluation studies focus on plan performance and planning process performance, rather than actual material outcomes that are of pertinent interest to land-change science. Specifically, the project r

Spatial planning and cropland protection

Deep agricultural soils are a vital resource. Spatial planning must protect them. The project examines the various instruments of European countries.

Vegetation height model NFI

For Switzerland, a national vegetation elevation model was calculated and updated on an ongoing basis. The ADS80 images routinely captured by swisstopo form the basis for the image matching workflow for deriving a 3D model of the landscape.

Countrywide Tree Type Mapping from Remote Sensing Surveys

Regularly updated information on the state, change and distribution of tree types (broadleaved and coniferous tree) is essential for forest related studies. The first data set consists of ADS80 aerial imagery. The follow-up product is currently being optimized using Sentinel satellite data.

GenTree

GenTree aims at providing the European forestry sector with better knowledge, methods and tools for optimizing the management and sustainable use of forest genetic resources in Europe in the context of climate change and continuously evolving demands for forest products and services.

Shiny Server

The R package "Shiny" offers a simple web application framework for R. Within this internal project we use a dedicated Shiny server to evaluate the capability of web-based Shiny applications for existing work processes and projects at WSL.

SImulating REcreationists’ MOvements

Wir entwickeln ein Agenten basiertes Modell zur Simulation der linearen Fortbewegung zu und in Naherholungsgebieten in suburbanen Gemeinden. Das Modell berücksichtigt neben den Wegeigenschaften auch landschaftliche Qualitäten und die Bedürfnisse verschiedener Langsamverkehrsnutzer.

ClimSens - Climate Sensitivity of plants and animals in Switzerland

This project assesses the sensitivity of (mostly) plant and animal species to expected climatic changes.

STACCATO

STACCATO is a BiodivERsA project carried out in collaboration with 10 European Institutions and investigates direct effects of climate and land-use change on biodiversity, as well as indirect effects on ecosystem services.

CONCUR - From Plan to land change

The project will analyze and clarify how planning and policy affect land change in urban regions. Whereas planning has a long tradition as a means to guiding spatial development, planning is only rudimentarily considered in land-change science. We will develop a theoretical model and then assess its applicability for land change modelling in the test regions of Zurich, Bucharest, and Austin, TX.

Beurteilung von Schutzwäldern mittels Fernerkundung

Ziel dieses LFI-Projektes ist es, Methoden der Fernerkundung zur Beurteilung der aktuellen Schutzwirkung und Verjüngung von Schutzwäldern zu entwickeln. Im Fokus stehen die Möglichkeiten von terrestrischem (TLS) und flugzeuggestütztem Lasesscanning (ALS).

Wildfire, insect attack and windthrow in mountain forests are on the rise again

Eine internationale Gruppe von Forschern zeigt, dass zunehmende Fläche und Holzvorräte in Bergwäldern in den letzten 150 Jahren zu mehr natürlichen Störungen wie Waldbrand geführt haben.

FORHYCS

A hydrological model is coupled to a forest model to better assess the influence of changing drivers to forests and the hydrological cycle

Future prospects for renewable energy

The production of renewable energy is a landscape service of growing importance and great political relevance. However, the expansion of renewable energies is causing various conflicts with competing landscape services.

Landscape impacts of renewable energy production

The project aims to gain insight into the population's attitudes towards the impact of renewable energy production on landscape quality. Particularly, the role of connotations attached to respective landscape changes will be investigated.

Götterbäume in der Südschweiz

Götterbäume breiten sich derzeit rasant in den milden Lagen der Südschweiz aus und werfen vor allem im Schutzwald grosse Fragen auf: Als kurzlebige Pionierbaumart mit gebietsweise hohem Kernfäulebefall können sie zu einer Destabilisierung beitragen, die waldbaulich schwer zu korrigieren ist.

MOUNTROOT

The project MOUNTROOT aims at comparing structure-function relationship in roots of two dominant herb species of pasture-woodlands in response to simulated climate change, and to integrate these below-ground insights with above-ground responses to a whole-plant framework.

Forest dynamics in Switzerland - pattern, driving forces and ecological implications

Aim of the project is the reconstruction of forest changes in Switzerland (since 1840) and Canton of Zurich (since 1667) to study forest dynamics and search for transition processes.

NFP 68: Controlling urban sprawl to limit soil consumption (SPROIL)

The project aims at examining the political, planning and socio-economic factors, the so-called drivers, which have been determining urban sprawl since the 1950s. The identified drivers will be used in spatially explicit predictive models.

Local Growth Management

The implementation of local growth management measures seems to have reached its limits. Recent popular referendums at the national and cantonal levels have demonstrated the need for countermeasures.

Landnutzungskonflikte - ein Vergleich von Fällen in der Schweiz und in Rumänien

Das Projekt untersuchte, welche Faktoren zum erfolgreichen Lösen von Landnutzungskonflikten beitragen und wie sich die Konfliktlösung in der Schweiz von derjenigen in Rumänien unterscheidet.

Forest inventory on enterprise level

With a smart combination of data collected with terrestrial methods and remote sensing forest inventories shall become more efficient and practice oriented to serve the needs of a multifunctional forest management.

Bulgarische Bergwälder

In large uncultivated forests in Bulgaria, the SLF is investigating the potential reaction of mountain woodland to climate change.

FORECOM Forest cover changes in mountainous regions

In the Polish-Swiss joint research project Forecom we will analyze historical forest cover changes and their drivers in the Carpatians and Alps. We will develop scenarios of potential future forest cover changes and assess the impact of past and future changes on key ecosystem services.

Measuring and Limiting Urban Sprawl

The sprawling, contourless growth of settlements not only has negative ecological, economic and social effects, it also contradicts the principle of sustainability. There is therefore an urgent need for action.

Disentangling truffle ecology

We study the complex biotic and abiotic ecology and the population genetics of the Burgundy truffle (Tuber aestivum) in Switzerland and the German pre-Alps, with particular emphasis on the ecological and climatological drivers for the productivity and phenology of this most valuable truffle species.

Biodiversität und Raumentwicklung

Das Projekt «Biodiversität und Raumentwicklung» hat Zusammenhänge zwischen Biodiversität und Raumentwicklung auf Landschaftsebene untersucht. Die Resultate sind kartographisch dargestellt und können zur Visualisierung von Szenarien der Landschaftsentwicklung eingesetzt werden.

Landscape and the location decision

The main objective of this project is to analyze the significance of landscape characteristics and landscape quality for the choice of residential location. The impact of different landscape variables on apartment rental prices is estimated using a comprehensive hedonic property value model. The econometric estimation of landscape values can contribute to informed decision making of the involved agents and to an increased awareness of the locational factor landscape.

Below-canopy climate

Microclimate is a key factor influencing regeneration in forests. Particularly available light, water supply and temperature determine the success or failure of certain tree species. How will future climate change influence below-canopy microclimate and tree regeneration?

Revision of the Red List of fern and vascular plants

The accessory study of the revision of the red list of fern and vascular plants aims to evaluate the practicability of using statistical methods as a tool for revisions and quality control of red lists.

Copernicus Land Monitoring

This project funding is done by FOEN in order to observe actively the ongoing developments within Copernicus Land Monitoring Services. It encompasses the collaboration in working groups like EAGLE, assistance in EIONET meetings or expertise in international land cover / land use topics.

CORINE Switzerland

Switzerland participates in the pan-European program CORINE to map land cover/ land use (CLC). WSL supports the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) in the production of the national data (CLC-CH 2000, CLC-CH 2006, CLC-CH 2012).

HELM

HELM initiates a move that will make European land monitoring more productive by increasing the alignment of national and sub-national land monitoring endeavours and by enabling their integration to a coherent European data system. HELM receives funding through the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Commission.

The need for high resolution

The goal of this project is to provide current and scenario climate grids of resolutions adequate for ecological studies and applications.

Snow Depth Mapping

Information on large scale snow depths is still mainly based on interpolated point measurements. New developments in sensor – and software technology for digital photogrammetry in the last two decades offer new possibilities to derive high resolution, digital surface models (DSM) even over snow covered high-alpine regions.

Nearby Outdoor Recreation

This project has the goal to develop a GIS-based model to forecast which near-by areas local inhabitants in Switzerland preferably use in their leisure time for outdoor recreation.

Genetic Variation

Die Klimerwärmung dürfte den Wald auf vielen Standorten unter Stress setzen. Wir untersuchen, ob die genetische Variation der Waldbäume es ihnen erlaubt, sich an den Klimawandel anzupassen. Wir fokussieren dabei auf die drei häufigsten Baumarten in Schweizer Wäldern, die Fichte, die Tanne und die Buche.

Conflicting landscape services

The objective of this study was to create a methodological framework to detect geographical hot-spots of conflicting landscape services before they erupt into land use conflicts.

Raumkonzept Schweiz

Auf Basis von Expertenbefragungen wurden verschiedene Entwicklungsoptionen für die Landschaftsräume der Schweiz formuliert. Die Entwicklungen wurden anschliessend in Zusammenarbeit mit der Zürcher Hochschule der Künste visualisiert und dienten als Diskussionsgrundlage im Rahmen der Erarbeitung des Raumkonzepts Schweiz.

Dezentrale Besiedlung

Am Beispiel der Region Surselva (GR) untersuchen WissenschafterInnen die ökonomischen, sozialen und ökologischen Folgen einer Aufgabe dezentraler Siedlungsstrukturen. Sie diskutieren, mit welchen Strategien und Konzepten sich die Zukunft peripherer ländlicher Räume gestalten lässt.

Erholungsnutzung im periurbanen Raum

Durch Zunahme der Freizeit steigt der Druck auf Naherholungsräume im periurbanen Raum. Um Nutzungskonflikte zu vermindern, braucht es Informationen zu Nachfrage, Potential und Intensität der Raumnutzung. Wissenschafter ermitteln deshalb Kriterien, die das Naherholungsverhalten bestimmen und entwickeln Naherholungsmodell.

Impact of leaf litter collecting in forests

Only 150 years ago, Swiss forests were markedly affected by agro-forestal uses. In many places leaf litter was collected for different reasons. By experimental removing of the leaf litter, we examine the ecological consequences of this forest use and we evaluate it's potential as a new tool for nature conservation in forests.

Waldausdehnung

Ziel des Projektes ist es, zu verbesserten Grundlagen für die politische Lenkung der Waldflächenzunahme im Schweizer Berggebiet beizutragen.

TreeMig

A spatio-temporal forest modelled has been developed to simulate forest dynamics and species migration under a changing climate.

Management of dry meadows

One option to regulate the management of dry meadows is signing a contract with farmers. It has become evident that not all farmers are willing to sign such contracts in spite of the possibility to earn some extra money. The question was why some farmers refuse to sign.

Quality wood production

The WSL initiated together with other institutions a research program aiming at high quality chestnut timber by minimizing the costs and improving the functional features and the stability of the coppice stands.

Akzeptanz von Grossraubtieren

Grossraubtiere breiten sich in der Schweiz wieder aus. Die Einwanderung von Wolf und Bär oder die Luchsumsiedlung stossen aber in Teilen der Bevölkerung auf Widerstand. Um die Akzeptanz von Raubtieren langfristig zu fördern, braucht es wissenschaftliche Grundlagen über das Verhältnis der Bevölkerung zu diesen Tierarten.

Acceptance of nature conservation measures

Nature and landscape conservation issues have a high priority since an intact landscape is considered as important for tourism and well-being. On the local level however, there is a fair amount of contradiciting views. In this research, processes that positively or negatively influence acceptance have been investigated.

DEMalpine

We investigate the advantages and disadvantages of different remote sensing based technologies to generate such terrain models for high alpin regions.

Show all

Publications

Selecteded Publications

Wang, Z.; Ginzler, C.; Eben, B.; Rehush, N.; Waser, L.T., 2022: Assessing changes in mountain treeline ecotones over 30 years using CNNs and historical aerial images. Remote Sensing, 14, 9: 2135 (22 pp.). doi: 10.3390/rs14092135

Waser, L.T.; Rüetschi, M.; Psomas, A.; Small, D.; Rehush, N., 2021: Mapping dominant leaf type based on combined Sentinel-1/-2 data – Challenges for mountainous countries. ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, 180: 209-226. doi: 10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2021.08.017

Rüetschi, M.; Weber, D.; Koch, T.L.; Waser, L.T.; Small, D.; Ginzler, C., 2021: Countrywide mapping of shrub forest using multi-sensor data and bias correction techniques. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, 105: 102613 (10 pp.). doi: 10.1016/j.jag.2021.102613

Kükenbrink, D.; Gardi, O.; Morsdorf, F.; Thürig, E.; Schellenberger, A.; Mathys, L., 2021: Above-ground biomass references for urban trees from terrestrial laser scanning data. Annals of Botany, 128, 6: 709-724. doi: 10.1093/aob/mcab002

Kienast, F.; Walters, G.; Bürgi, M., 2021: Landscape ecology reaching out. Landscape Ecology, 36: 2189-2198. doi: 10.1007/s10980-021-01301-y

Schmid, F.B.; Kienast, F.; Hersperger, A.M., 2021: The compliance of land-use planning with strategic spatial planning–insights from Zurich, Switzerland. European Planning Studies, 29, 7: 1231-1250. doi: 10.1080/09654313.2020.1840522

Bolliger, J.; Hennet, T.; Wermelinger, B.; Bösch, R.; Pazur, R.; Blum, S.; Haller, J.; Obrist, M.K., 2022: Traffic-regulated street lights to reduce impacts of light pollution: good news for nocturnal insects and bats?. TransportEcology.info, (5 pp.).

Brun, P.; Violle, C.; Mouillot, D.; Mouquet, N.; Enquist, B.J.; Munoz, F.; Münkemüller, T.; Ostling, A.; Zimmermann, N.E.; Thuiller, W., 2022: Plant community impact on productivity: trait diversity or key(stone) species effects?. Ecology Letters, 25, 4: 913-925. doi: 10.1111/ele.13968

Liao, Z.; Chen, Y.; Pan, K.; Dakhil, M.A.; Lin, K.; Tian, X.; Zhang, F.; Wu, X.; Pandey, B.; Wang, B.; Zimmermann, N.E.; Zhang, L.; Nobis, M.P., 2022: Current climate overrides past climate change in explaining multi-site beta diversity of Lauraceae species in China. Forest Ecosystems, 9: 100018 (14 pp.). doi: 10.1016/j.fecs.2022.100018

Zani, D.; Lehsten, V.; Lischke, H., 2022: Tree migration in the dynamic, global vegetation model LPJ-GM 1.1: efficient uncertainty assessment and improved dispersal kernels of European trees. Geoscientific Model Development, 15, 12: 4913-4940. doi: 10.5194/gmd-15-4913-2022

Zellweger, F.; Flack-Prain, S.; Footring, J.; Wilebore, B.; Willis, K.J., 2022: Carbon storage and sequestration rates of trees inside and outside forests in Great Britain. Environmental Research Letters, 17, 7: 074004 (12 pp.). doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/ac74d5

Complete lists within the groups

Staff