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Ecosystem services

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Ecosystems fulfil important functions which are also beneficial to humans. We examine how biodiversity affects the functions and services of ecosystems and what the consequences of changes in biodiversity are.

The services an ecosystem provides "for humans", are called ecosystem services. Ecosystems fulfil a range of important functions. They produce biomass, filter and store water, ensure the pollination of plants, and convert and break down organic and inorganic substances, thereby maintaining the fertility of soils.

Many of these processes are directly beneficial to humans. Forests and wetlands store CO₂, we benefit from drinking water filtered by forest soils, we can harvest fruit and vegetables thanks to pollination by insects, and enjoy fresh air and relaxation in forests. The forest also protects us from floods and natural hazards like rockfall and avalanches.

People shape ecosystems

Humans not only benefit, they also influence ecosystems: land use and climate change have profound effects on ecosystem functions and services, as biodiversity is important for the stability of ecosystems. Intensive land use reduces biodiversity and can have a negative impact on important ecosystem services, such as crop pollination or natural control of pests.

We examine how biodiversity affects the functions and services of ecosystems. In our work, we consider changes in land use, natural disturbances and climatic change. Using statistical models, we predict future developments of ecosystems and study whether ecosystem services will be affected.

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Research groups

Publications

Humann-Guilleminot, S.; Boch, S.; Martínez-De León, G.; Lessard-Therrien, M.; Hayoz-Andrey, A.; Serres-Hänni, A.; Humbert, J.Y., 2023: Experimental extensification of mountain grasslands restores plant species richness but not species composition in the mid-term. Journal of Applied Ecology, 60, 3: 530-540. doi: 10.1111/1365-2664.14344

Storch, F.; Boch, S.; Gossner, M.M.; Feldhaar, H.; Ammer, C.; Schall, P.; Polle, A.; Kroiher, F.; Müller, J.; Bauhus, J., 2023: Linking structure and species richness to support forest biodiversity monitoring at large scales. Annals of Forest Science, 80: 3 (17 pp.). doi: 10.1186/s13595-022-01169-1

Bergauer, M.; Dembicz, I.; Boch, S.; Willner, W.; Babbi, M.; Blank-Pachlatko, J.; Catalano, C.; Cykowska-Marzencka, B.; Gehler, J.; Guarino, R.; Keller, S.; Moysiyenko, I.; Vynokurov, D.; Widmer, S.; Dengler, J., 2022: Scale-dependent patterns and drivers of vascular plant, bryophyte and lichen diversity in dry grasslands of the Swiss inneralpine valleys. Alpine Botany, 132: 195-209. doi: 10.1007/s00035-022-00285-y

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Projects

HeatFrost: Wie beeinflussen wärmere Winter die Frosthärte zukünftiger Baumarten?

Sind potenziell zukunftsfähige Arten, die hitze- und trockentolerant sind, auch genug frosttolerant? Wir untersuchen, wie sich wärmere Winter auf die Frosthärte verschiedener, aktuell als zukunftsfähig eingestufter Baumarten auswirken.

Plants and People in Urban Green Space (PAPPUS)

The PAPPUS project aims to understand how decision makers influence the choice of plant assemblages and their management in different types of urban green spaces, and how their decisions in turn influence ecological and human benefits in a context of climate change and urban intensification.

PhytOakmeter

In this DFG-SNSF Research Unit, we are investigating whether ectomycorrhizal fungal species that interact with oak are adapted to their local environment and whether ectomycorrhizae contribute to the acclimation of oak to changing environmental conditions.

Plant-consumer interactions in a warmer world

Plant enemies, such as herbivores and fungal pathogens can strongly affect plant communities, biodiversity, and ecosystem functioning. However, their impact might be altered by climate change. This project aims to find out how plant-consumer interactions will change in a warmer world.

StillbergDAT

This ETH-Domain ORD Program Contribute Project aims at curating and uploading the existing data of the European Long-term treeline Ecosystem Research (eLTER) site Stillberg, Switzerland, was established in to national and international ORD platforms (EnviDat, DEIMS-SDR).

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.

Effects of forest attributes on biodiversity

This project investigates the biotic communities and food webs between ground vegetation and tree canopies, contributing to a better understanding of the three-dimensional relationship between forest structure and physiology, biodiversity, and ecosystem functions.

Forest disturbances induce soil carbon losses

Disturbances of forest ecosystems by storms and dieback following drought and insect infestation are increasing with ongoing climatic changes. We study the magnitude of C losses following disturbances by combining field studies, modelling, and a meta-analysis.

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

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.

Acceptance of management and policy options for resilient forests (ABePo)

The project examines in two case study regions (Canton Berne and Canton Aargau) forest owners' acceptance of various forest management and policy options concerning increasing extreme disturbances in the forest.

SUPERB

SUPERB compiles, and brings to large-scale application, existing practical and scientific knowledge on successful forest and forest landscape restoration. WSL will lead the WP "Governance and Society" and care about the monitoring societal demands regarding forest restoration.

Resiliente Fliessgewässer

Im Projekt "Resiliente Fliessgewässer: Refugien - Vernetzung - Trittsteine " (2022-2026) steht die Untersuchung zur Förderung von resilienten Habitaten und Lebensgemeinschaften durch die Schaffung und Erhaltung von Refugien, Trittsteinen und Vernetzung unter Sicherstellung des Hochwasserschutzes im

MULTIBEF: Effects of multiple-stressors on B-EF relationships at multiple scales

With the MULTIBEF project, we aim at taking a holistic view to the study of B-EF relationships, and to investigate climate-change effects on complex B-EF relationships. To this end, we will take advantage of particular freshwater ecosystems tightly linked to forests: water-filled tree holes!

ExtremeThaw

In this ambitious project, we study ecological effects of permafrost thaw in the Swiss Alps.

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.

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.

BugNet - a global research network

The aim of BugNet is to better understand the impact of invertebrate herbivores and fungal pathogens on plant communities and ecosystems. To do so we coordinate surveys on consumers and plant communities, and invertebrate herbivore and fungal exclusion experiments in many part of the world.

ONEforest

ONEforest develops a multi-criteria planning system for strategic decision makers from forestry, politics and industry and provides information regarding potential social, ecologic and ecologic and economic impacts of alternative forest management options in a medium to long-term perspective.

Species interactions in beaver engineered habitats

The overarching goal of this project is to assess how habitat heterogeneity caused by beaver engineering influences the diversity, strength and nature of interactions within and between aquatic and terrestrial communities, and how changes in species assemblages relate to ecosystem processes.

Functional ecology of alpine meadows

The ongoing climate change has caused changes in the species composition of alpine meadows. Complementing the vegetation surveys realized in the GLORIA initiative, this project investigates the functional responses above- and belowground to abiotic drivers in alpine forb and grass species.

Enhancing residents' understanding of blue-green biodiversity through participatory interventions

The project investigates, to what extent residents' interactive involvement in river restoration planning enhances their understanding of biodiversity in local river areas as well as their sense of ownership, and which consequences this has on their support for local river restorations.

Blue-Green Cyanobacteria: Diversity, Toxins and alpine Tourism

We will assess the cyanobacterial Tintenstrich species richness and community composition as an important part of biodiversity colonizing semiaquatic rock surfaces, characterize their cyanotoxin and secondary metabolite profiles and evaluate the risk of cyanotoxin pollution of alpinwater resources

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.

Global change effects on food webs

Food-web structure is likely affected by global change with consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. In this project we study changes in food webs and nutrient fluxes in response to global change drivers in aquatic, terrestrial and interconnected habitats.

SCC II - REACT

Species-specific reactions of temperate European forest trees to a changing environment. A project related to the Swiss Canopy Crane II (SCC II) site near Basel and the network TreeNet.

Abisko Long-Term Ecological Research ALTER

Setting up the ALTER experiment in Abisko, Sweden for non-destructive in situ monitoring of belowground vegetation and microbial dynamics.

GRADCATCH - Using natural environmental GRADients to decipher the adaptation of soil microbial Communities to climATe CHange

GRADCATCH will assess how soil microbial abundance, diversity, activity and functions change along four natural gradients

Invasiveness of T. fortunei in the forests of southern Switzerland

The invasion of ecosystems by non-native species is one of the largest threats for biodiversity and ecosystem functioning worldwide. To control the spread of non-native plants, it is crucial to understand by which mechanisms they outperform native vegetation. Yet, despite the considerable applied re

Polytunnel Greenhouse Experiment

Das Projekt untersucht, wie gut zukunftsfähige Baumarten während der Verjüngungsphase in einem Klima mit wärmeren Wintern und heiss-trockenen Sommermonaten wachsen, wie sie sich gegenseitig beeinflussen und welche Auswirkungen ihre Präsenz auf den Boden und die darin lebenden Organismen hat.

New basics for the forest management planning of staged forests

Based on forest roads, forest structures and ecosystem services to be provided, this project will develop new basics for the separation of management and operation units as a planning basis for mountain and permanent forests.

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.

BioDetect

We are developing tools for the ecology and evolution communities using cutting edge technology to help analyse large amounts of ecological data and enable evidence-based decision making for ecosystem services and conservation.

How will changes in the phenology of species affect the biodiversity of lakes and their surrounding watersheds?

As part of the Blue-Green Biodiversity Research Initiative (Eawag-WSL funded by ETH), we study differences in the effect of global environmental change on the phenology of primary production in lakes and their surrounding watersheds using remote sensing techniques.

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.

Impacts of climate change induced extreme windthrow events on forest management and economy of European forest enterprises (ExWiFE)

An increase of extreme environmental disturbances is expected, which is for different reasons a big challenge for forest stakeholders on the operating-, strategic-, financial- and environmental level. Using diverse methods, we aim to describe the complexity of the current problem.

Recipes for Biocities

Basierend auf bestehendem Wissen und der Zusammenarbeit zwischen verschiedenen Partnern im In- und Ausland entwickeln wir eine Vision für nachhaltige Städte der Zukunft, in denen urbane Wälder eine zentral Rolle spielen

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.

Let's talk about Better Gardens

Let's talk about Better Gardens hat zum Ziel, die Ergebnisse des gleichnamigen Forschungsprojekts einer breiten Öffentlichkeit zu vermitteln und einfache und effektive Methoden zur Förderung der Biodiversität in städtischen Quartieren zu entwickeln.

Let's Talk about Better Gardens

In diesem Umsetzungsprojekt vermitteln wir die Ergebnisse eines Forschungsprojektes über den Zusammenhang von Bewirtschaftungsformen von städtischen Gärten, Biodiversität und Wohlbefinden an die Bevölkerung und entwickeln einfache Methoden, um Biodiversität in Nachbarschaften zu fördern.

NOVOMULTI

This project will test novel rapid assessment methods for capturing fine-scale variation in multitrophic interactions within a bird-insect-plant food web.

High-resolution soil maps for the Swiss forest

In this project we model high-resolution soil maps with different soil properties such as pH or texture for the entire Swiss forest.

DEFENDASH

Ash is currently suffering from Ash dieback ADB and a new threat, the Emerald Ash Borer EAB, is spreading towards Central Europe. The project aims at understanding the milti-trophic interactions between different ash genotypes, ADB, EAB and its natural enemies under different climatic conditions.

Soil organic matter dynamics under drought

DRYSOM assesses soil organic matter (SOM) to drought in a long-term irrigation experiment (Pfynwald). Responses range from a suppressed processing through microbial and faunal communities, decreases in carbon inputs from trees into soils, to shifts in soil carbon storage.

Biodiversitätsrelevante Fehlanreize

Der Artenrückgang in der Schweiz ist alarmierend. Aber noch immer existieren verschiedenste Geldflüsse, Vergünstigungen und finanzielle Anreize die Biodiversität direkt oder indirekt schädigen. Solche Fehlanreize müssen eliminiert oder umgelenkt werden. Dazu braucht es eine Übersicht.

European Forest Research Initiative (EuFoRIa)

This is a working group with members from all over Europe carrying out research in primeval forest and forest reserves. The main goal of the group is to explore possibilities to join forces, enhance the visibility and exploit the potential of the existing long-term monitoring plots in primeval forests and forest reserves of Europe.

Optimized forest planning

An optimization model will be developed in the frame of this project to determine the optimal segregation of management strategies that can best fulfill the diverse services.

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.

WaMos3

The aim of WaMos is to investigate the relationship of the Swiss population to the forest. In WaMos3, important aspects of the last household survey are replicated and the survey instrument is further developed in terms of content and methodology.

Effects of unbalanced winter-spring warming

Saplings of an evergreen and a deciduous tree species are treated with various levels of defoliation (to change the C-resource availability) and unbalanced winter-spring warming, to study the effects of unbalanced winter-spring warming on spring phenology and its C-resource related mechanisms.

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.

Biomass decomposition of Douglas fir

The influence of the Douglas fir on ecological processes in the forest has not yet been sufficiently studied. The aim of the cooperation project (HAFL, WSL, University of Göttingen) is to create the scientific basis for an evaluation of Douglas fir cultivation with regard to biomass degradation and functional biodiversity.

Hanfpalme: Auswirkungen der Invasion im Wald

Die chinesische Hanfpalme, auch als Tessiner Palme bekannt, ist eine invasive Art der Schwarzen Liste, die sich in den Wäldern südlich der Alpen stark ausbreitet. Sie bildet lokal geschlossene Formationen, in denen die Ökosystemleistungen des Waldes beeinträchtigt werden könnten. Ziel des Projekts ist es, ein Bild der Situationsentwicklung zu vermitteln.

Mal dell'inchiostro del castagno

Lo scopo di questo progetto è quello di determinare l'effetto dei cambiamanti climatici sulla diffusione e l'incidenza del mal dell''inchiostro del castagno al sud delle Alpi della Svizzera.

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

ISOWEB

Our objective is to develop a protocol to analyse food webs in deadwood using compound-specific stable isotope analyses. The applicability to track changes in foodwebs between tree species and different management types along deadwood decomposition will be tested using data from a large experiment.

Energy flux through ecological networks

One of the main drivers of the ongoing loss of biodiversity and the provisioning of important ecosystem functions is nutrient enrichment due to increased fertilizer use in agriculture and fossil fuel combustion. In this project we aim to assess energy fluxes through ecological food webs as an independent measure of ecosystem functioning on an island system in lakes in northern Sweden.

Insect biomass development

We investigate the development of insect abundance trends in Switzerland during the last 30 years.

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.

Integrating nature conservation in to forest policy at the sub-national level (INCFoP-sub)

Integrating nature conservation in forest policy is a challenge, especially on sub-national levels. We investigate how the potential effectiveness of policies hinges on actor constellations and the role of science.

Drought duration effects

The present study will analyze the within-tree distribution of C, N, and P reserves in trees treated with different drought duration and frequency, to investigate the C, N and P reserves in relation to recovery ability and mortality following repeated drought events with various drought duration.

The role of mycorrhizae in soil carbon storage of mountain ecosystems

This research project focuses on the role of mycorrhizae in the turnover of soil organic carbon in mountain ecosystems. It estimates the potential release of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere resulting from changes in above and belowground communities.

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.

MoGLI – modelling woody species in NFI

The main goal of MoGLI is to project the potential distribution of the most common Swiss woody species across the entire forested area of Switzerland.

Carbon storage and ungulate browsing

The joint effects of drought tolerance and herbivory is determined by analysing the extent to which water use efficiency and C storage of Abies alba saplings are influenced by genetic factors and ungulate browsing.

Host-mistletoe relationships

The project focuses on the host-mistletoe relationship in relation to changes in the growth environment of the host, and the underlying physiological mechanisms.

Biodiversity and multifunctionality

Multi-BEF investigates the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functions, by testing the contribution of different assemblages of soil species on litter decomposition, nutrient cycling, and plant performance.

FuncNet

We study effects of land-use in grasslands and forests on functional plant-insect networks and consequences for ecosystem processes

BioVeins - Connectivity of Urban Green Infrastructure: The Living Veins of a Healthy City

As part of the European ERA Net BiodivERsA program, the project BioVEINS aims at investigating the effects of the local an landscape features of urban green spaces on seven taxonomic groups in seven European cities.

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.

Einfluss des Klimawandels auf das Mikrobiom von Böden und Seen (CLIMARCTIC)

Wir untersuchen den Einfluss des Klimawandels auf die Biodiversität und Funktion arktischer terrestrischer Mikrobiome, insbesondere deren Ökosystemprozesse. Mit diesen Daten lassen sich die Rolle der arktischen Ökosysteme unter sich verändernden Umweltbedingungen besser vorhersagen.

Restoration of species rich grasslands

Restoration of species rich grasslands from species poor agricultural sites was successful in several projects and studies. However, the existing vegetation including the roots and the nutrient enriched topsoil had to be removed in most of the successful examples. The impact of such radical disturbances on soil organisms and soil functions has not yet been assessed. Our study aims on shedding more light into these aspects.

Indikatoren zur Prognose der Ökosystemleistungen des Schweizer Waldes mit LFI-Daten

Mit diesem Projekt werden Methoden entwickelt um Ökosystemleistungen des schweizer Waldes auf regionaler und nationaler Ebene abzuschätzen. Dazu berechnen wir eine Reihe von bekannten Indikatoren zur Waldnutzung, Biodiversität, Schutzleistung und CO2-Speicherung aufgrund von im schweizerischen Lande

Drought effects on reproductive phenology and the underlying physiological mechanisms in pine trees

We use a long-term precipitation manipulation experiment in mature Pinus sylvestris forests and a natural precipitation gradient from 840 mm to 290 mm/year with Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica, to study the "Drought effects on reproductive phenology and the physiological mechanisms of pine trees".

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.

Assessing tree stem structures using terrestrial LiDAR

The objective of this project is to develop an approach for assessing the ecological value of a tree stem using terrestrial laser scanning (TLS).

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.

How ungulates move nutrients

Ungulates can move nutrients over long distances. In this project we study the importance of such nutrient movements for soil diversity and soil processes across the landscape in collaboration with Joseph Bump (University of Minnesota).

Healthy Alps

Across the Alps, land-use is changing rapidly. The project investigates the consequences of this change for alpine agricultural landscape, focusing on ecosystem services, biodiversity, and effects on human health and wellbeing, as well as their possible interrelations.

Landscape-scale biodiversity

Biological diversity has a huge potential to preserve and support agricultural ecosystem services. This project analyses the impact of agricultural and environmental policies on biodiversity and ecosystem services of agricultural production systems.

BetterGardens: Biodiversität, Bodenqualität und soziale Aspekte von Stadtgärten

Ziel der Studie ist es, die Bedeutung städtischer Gärten für die Biodiversität, die Ökosystemprozesse und -dienstleistungen und die Lebensqualität der Bürger besser zu verstehen.

Strategies for better gardens

Urban gardens experience increasing social and ecological importance, yet, there are only few studies about it. This project investigates the value of urban gardening for social benefit, biodiversity and soil quality.

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.

chestnut blight

The introduced chestnut blight fungus Cryphonectria parasitica causes severe damage to chestnut forests and orchards across Europe. We investigate the biology and epidemiology of the disease and provide the scientific basis for biological control.

Evolutionary traits

Elevated heavy metal concentrations in the soil are a frequent consequence of past or ongoing industrial activities. The principal objective in this project is to characterize mechanistic aspects of metal accumulation and tolerance and relate it to the genetic structure of populations of Biscutella laevigata. The expected results should provide innovative insights on evolutionary processes of metal tolerance.

MICRO

Microscopical changes in cells and tissues in response to various environmental stress factors are investigated in trees to develop diagnosis tools and understand the mechanistic link between stress and injury.

AVE

The main aim of this SNF-supported SINERGIA project is to characterize adaptive genetic diversity associated with environmental heterogeneity in natural populations of related plant species and to experimentally test the adaptive value of candidate loci under ecologically relevant environmental conditions

WaMos 2

The aim of the research project WaMos 2 is to assess the attitudes of the population towards forest and wood related topics. In doing so, the project revisits and builds upon work that was done in 1997. The results of WaMos 2 will serve as a basis for forest related policy, and the forest- and environment-related reporting of FOEN.

Tree regeneration after windthrow

Wind disturbance is the main natural driver of forest stand dynamics in Central and Northern Europe. On the basis of a large sample of windthrow gaps, this project aimed to quantify natural tree regeneration after wind disturbance, and to identify factors influencing tree regeneration dynamics.

Exclosure Experiment

Trophic interactions of herbivores of different body sizes are assessed using exclosures in different vegetation types in grassland ecosystems of the Swiss National Park. The focus is on changes in plant, root and microbial biomass and nutrient content (nitrogen and phosphorus) as well as on the composition of plant and microbial communities over the course of several growing seasons.

ENHANCE M4

Enhancing ecosystem quality (e.g. through intervention or defragmentation) is relevant for society and economy. Which ecosystem enhancement contributes best to perceived quality of life and is economically most beneficial?

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.

Swissfire

Swissfire is the new forest fire database of Switzerland, which has been developed in a joint effort by WSL and FOEN (Federal Office for the Environment). Now all information on forest fires is being collected in one central data base, which is an optimal tool for forest fire management.

Windthrow fauna

After the devestating windstorms in 1990 (Vivian) and 1999 (Lothar) investigations were started to monitor the development and succession of the insect fauna on cleared and uncleared windthrow areas, relative to control treatments in the intact forest. Until now, insects have been sampled during 7 (Vivian) and 4 (Lothar) years.

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