Forest management and forest functions

Forests are used in many ways and by many people, which can generate different expectations and conflicts of use. We investigate how silvicultural but also political measures affect forest services such as timber yield, natural hazard protection, biodiversity or recreational activities - today, but also in an increasingly warmer climate.

We answer questions about how to make forests fit for the future: Are there “climate-smart forestry” solutions to help forests adapt to the future climate? Which type of forest management can protect biodiversity at the same time? How can we use our forests in the most soil-friendly way possible? How can the needs of people, forest management and nature be reconciled? We have been working on these questions for over a hundred years.

Since the foundation of WSL, one of our tasks has been to observe, inventory and study the availability of wood resources. Today, our research on forest resources aims to provide the data basis for sustainable management.

Our decades of data series from yield and forest reserve research form the basis for a wide range of modelling, informatics and forecasting tools, which are also internationally respected and applied. We can model a wide range of scenarios on climate, market mechanisms and the availability of forest products, all of which contribute to the sustainable management of Swiss forests.