Head: Dr. Peter Bebi

Mountain ecosystems are characterized by harsh environmental conditions. These include often long lasting snow cover, short growing seasons and topographically related disturbances such as avalanches, rockfall or landslides.Mountain ecosystems and inhabiting animal and plant species are generally well adapted to these conditions. However, they may react sensitively to changes of climate, land-use and disturbance regimes. Activities of the group focus on mountain ecosystems above and below the treeline (mountain forest, alpine ecosystems) and represent links between ecosystem research of WSL and snow and avalanche topics of the SLF in Davos.

Topics

Protection forest

We are investigating how forests can provide the most effective protection against natural hazards.

Mountain Forests and Forest Lines

SLF researchers are investigating the conditions causing the forest line to shift.

Plant ecology and biodiversity

We are investigating the interrelationships between climate change, snow and Alpine vegetation.

Soil stability

Vegetation can stabilise the soil. We are investigating the impact of plants and their mycorrhizal fungi on soil stability.

Infrastructure

Stillberg afforestation research

At Stillberg, we study the growth of trees at the treeline and the interaction between the trees, snowpack and avalanches. While the principal focus...

Soil stability field site

The vegetation can stabilize soils. Bioengineering relies on nature, and especially on plants, for large-scale area protection.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Projects

Schützen gut strukturierte und gepflegte Wälder besser?

Waldwirkungen gegen flachgründige Rutschungen praxistauglich zu erfassen ist nach wie vor ungelöst. Das Beispiel "Sachseln" deutet darauf hin, dass gut strukturierte Wälder Hänge besser stabilisieren. Darauf aufbauend werden Interaktive Karten zur Anfälligkeit von Wäldern auf Rutschungen erstellt.

Improving knowledge of decomposition processes in mountain soils

SLF researchers are not drinking tea for scientific purposes, but burying it in the ground. Within the framework of an international project, scientists are investigating how tea decomposes in mountain soils. Their aim is to improve our understanding of the CO2 cycle.

Drifting snow and turbulent flow

How does the snow saltation reacts to the unsteady wind forcing is still poorly understood. In our cold wind tunnel we investigate the dynamics of the drifting snow as well as its interaction with the turbulent boundary layer flow.

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.

GLORIA

Within the framework of a major international project, the SLF is investigating the changes that occur in the plant kingdom over a period of decades on eight mountain summits in the Swiss National Park.

The protective function of beech forests

This study shows how in the southwestern Alps fire-damaged beech forests provide protection against rockfalls.

SOSTANAH

Heavy rainstorms with shallow landslides and soil erosion often cause substantial damage in Switzerland. This project within the framework of the National Research Programm NRP 68 "Soil as a Resource" aims to quantify the stabilysing effects of vegetation and micorrhizal fungi on slope stability.

REVENUES

Vegetation acts as a reinforcement for slopes due to the penetration of roots into the ground. The aim of this EU-project within the framework of a Marie Curie Action IAPP is to contribute to a sophisticated software for the prediction of three-dimensional numerical analysis of slope stabilized with vegetation.

EPIC

Snow avalanche interaction with forests is evaluated in three mountains ranges of the world: the Andes (Chile), the Himalayas (Nepal) and the Alps (Switzerland). We aim at better integrating forest effects in existing avalanche dynamics models for risk analyses, as well as deducing adapted strategies for forest management in different mountain ecosystems.

GTREE

We investigate seedling emergence and survival of Norway spruce and European larch at treeline in an experiment at Stillberg near Davos.

Bulgarische Bergwälder

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

Snow fungi

In the Dischma valley, 92,000 larch, Swiss pine and mountain pine were planted in a systematic pattern in 1975. A survey conducted after 30 years has shown that snow fungi are severely impairing the rejuvenation of the Swiss pine at the upper limit of the tree line.

Stillberg enzyme activities

Climate change will particularly influence species distribution and the structure and function of sensitive ecosystems at the treeline. In an interdisciplinary experiment carried out at Stillberg Davos we will investigate how soil warming and enhanced CO2 concentrations will affect the ectomycorrhizal community structure and extracellular enzyme activities in the soil and at mycorrhizal roots.

Forest and climate

An expansion of forested zones could bring about a warming of the atmosphere at higher altitudes.

Forests and type of avalanche

A study shows how powder avalanches and wet-snow avalanches have widely differing impacts on trees in avalanche-protection forests.

Summit Flora

The stronger global warming is, the greater the increase in the number of plant species on mountain tops. This was the main finding of a study published in the journal Nature.

Mountland

The goal of ‹Mountland› is to investigate the sensitivity of the provision of mountain ecosystem services to both climatic and land-use changes and to suggest policies and governance structures for mitigating the impact of such changes and enhancing sustainable management practices.

Biodiversity and Soil Stability

Machine-graded ski pistes are often subject to erosion in steep terrain above treeline, and a species-rich vegetation may play a key role in preventing erosion. A research project of the WSL and the University of Basel investigates therefore the relationship between plant diversity and soil stability parameters (aggregate stability and surface erosion) at disturbed high alpine sites.

Winter tourism

How many hectares of ski pistes are covered with artificial snow in the Alps? How much water do modern snow-making facilities need? How important is snow reliability for ski resorts? How does the ski piste preparation affect the biodiversity and soil stability?

Waldausdehnung

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

Alpine treelines in a CO2-rich and warm world

Concentrations of atmospheric CO2 and temperatures will strongly increase during the next century. We are investigating how these climatic changes will affect plant growth, biodiversity, and the cycling of carbon and nutrients in temperature sensitive ecosystems at the alpine treeline.

Ingenieurbiologie

Mangelndes Pflanzenwachstum im Lebendverbau lässt sich kurzfristig mit Hilfe von Dünger und synthetischen Klebstoffen verhindern. Langfristig ist dieses Vorgehen allerdings ungeeignet. Die Zugabe von Mykorrhizapilzen wäre eine elegante Lösung des Problems. Doch welche Pflanzen-Pilz-Kombinationen fördern die Wirkung von Lebendverbau-Massnahmen am besten?

Kunstschnee

In den nächsten Jahrzehnten wird laut Klimaprognosen die Untergrenze für schneesichere Skigebiete von 1200 auf 1500 m ü. M. ansteigen. In der Folge dürfte die Zahl der Beschneiungsanlagen und der Einsatz chemischer Zusätze bei der Beschneiung weiter zunehmen. Was hat das für Auswirkungen auf die alpine Vegetation?

Tundra Experiment

Temperature in Arctic and alpine regions have increased more rapidly than in other regions. How do tundra ecosystems respond to that climate warming? The SLF is contributing to an international research network that studies at over 40 locations worldwide how cold adapted plants respond to warmer temperatures.

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Staff

Mountain Ecosystems

Dr. Peter Bebi	teamleader
Natalie Brozová	PhD student
Dr. Alejandro Casteller	visiting scientist
Nathalie Chardon	PhD student guest
Dr. Esther Frei	scientific staff member
Dr. Frank Graf	scientific staff member
Dr. Aino Kulonen	PhD student guest
Claudia Kurzböck	master student
Thomas Planzer	trainee
Dr. Christian Rixen	senior scientist
Kevin Schöngrundner	civil service employee
Ana Stritih	PhD student guest
Jonathan von Oppen	trainee
Dr. Sonja Wipf	scientific staff member
Alina Wittwer	bachelor student
Adrian Zaugg	temporary employee

Student opportunities

Please contact the team members, if you are interested in writing your Bachelor's/Master's thesis or doing an internship in team Mountain Ecosystems in Davos.

WSL websites

waldwissen.net

Knowhow for forestry experts and all others interested in the forest

whiterisk.ch

Avalanche knowledge and prevention, e-learning an tour planning

lfi.ch

Swiss National Forest Inventory NFI - a forest information service

natural-hazards.ch

Warnings on natural hazards by Swiss federal authorities

envidat.ch

Access to environmental monitoring and research data

slf.ch

WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF in Davos

Main menu

Mountain Ecosystems

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Topics

Protection forest

Mountain Forests and Forest Lines

Plant ecology and biodiversity

Soil stability

Infrastructure

Stillberg afforestation research

Soil stability field site

FURTHER INFORMATION

Projects

Schützen gut strukturierte und gepflegte Wälder besser?

Improving knowledge of decomposition processes in mountain soils

Drifting snow and turbulent flow

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

GLORIA

The protective function of beech forests

SOSTANAH

REVENUES

EPIC

GTREE

Bulgarische Bergwälder

Snow fungi

Stillberg enzyme activities

Forest and climate

Forests and type of avalanche

Summit Flora

Mountland

Biodiversity and Soil Stability

Winter tourism

Waldausdehnung

Alpine treelines in a CO2-rich and warm world

Ingenieurbiologie

Kunstschnee

Tundra Experiment

Staff

Mountain Ecosystems

Student opportunities

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Soil stability