Dr. Peter Brang

Fonction

Ressources et gestion forestières

Dynamique des peuplements et sylviculture

Contact

peter.brang(at)wslto make life hard for spam bots.ch

+41 44 739 24 86+41 44 739 24 86

Institut fédéral de recherches sur la forêt, la neige et le paysage WSL
Zürcherstrasse 111
8903 Birmensdorf

Site

Birmensdorf Bi HP D 60

Peter Brang passed away 7 July 2022.

Condolences

Education

1985: dipl. Forsting. ETH Zürich

1995: Dr. sc. nat. ETH Zürich

Research interests

I am interested in forest dynamics and forest management, in particular:

the influence of climatic changes on forests
forest dynamics as influenced by natural disturbances
mountain forest ecology, in particular regeneration ecology
silviculture, including silvicultural strategies to cope with climate change

With my research, I aim to provide a scientific foundation for sustainable forest management, with adequate consideration given to ecological, economic and social aspects.

Main activities

Leader of the research programme Forests and climate change
Leader of several research projects (see below)
Extension and publication activities
Board member of the Mountain Forest Tending Group

FURTHER INFORMATION

Projects

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.

Integration of biodiversity conservation and forest management

The publication "How to balance biodiversity conservation and forest management - a tour across Europe" written by more than 70 scientific and professional experts from 50 Institutions and 20 different countries explores how to best integrate biodiversity conservation in forest management

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

Primeval forest structures and biodiversity: A Swiss-Ukrainian research cooperation

The primeval forests of the Carpathians, which are similar to many forests in Switzerland with regards to tree species composition and growth conditions, are therefore of high interest to WSL as research and reference objects.

Beech dominance

Beech forests provide important ecosystem services. In the primeval forest of Uholka-Shyrokyi Luh, 97% of the tree layer is composed of beech. The reasons for this extremely pronounced dominance are examined in this project.

Forest structure in the spruce-fir-beech primeval forest of Chornohora

In order to invest in the infrastructure and basis for future research in the area of forest dynamics, new permanent plots will be established in mountainous mixed primeval forests with spruce, fir and beech.

Monitoring natural forest reserves in Switzerland

We offer scientific support for monitoring natural forest reserves through the "Research and effectiveness controlling in Swiss forest reserves" partnership project of the WSL, ETH and FOEN.

Integrating Species Mixtures in Tree Growth Functions for Forest Development Models in Switzerland

The project advances the understanding of the effects of species mixtures on tree growth under a broad range of environmental conditions in Switzerland, and it prepares this knowledge for further development of forest scenario models.

Species Mixture Effects on Tree Growth

Harvesting intensity

An optimal management of mountain forests is economically viable, maintains and ensures the protection against natural hazards, creates good conditions for regeneration and maintains stand increment in the long-term at high levels. These requirements pose complex optimization tasks for managers.

Impact of browsing

Tree regeneration is part of the normal diet of ungulates species such as roe and red deer and chamois. Silver fir and sycamore maple are particularly preferred tree species for ungulate browsing, but also silvicultural important tree species. Analyses of data from long-term surveys in indicator areas are used to determine whether and how ungulate browsing affect the structure of regeneration in the long term, i.e. the size distribution of the tree species.

Nadelbäume und Trockenheit

Sehr starke waldbauliche Eingriffe im Gebirgswald können kurzfristig ökonomisch vorteilhaft sein. Langfristig könnten sie aber die Waldverjüngung verzögern und den Holzuwachs vermindern. Ob solche nachteiligen Auswirkungen auftreten und wie gross sie allenfalls sind, wird mit retrospektiven ertragskundlichen und dendroökologischen Erhebungen in Gebirgswäldern abgeschätzt.

Dynamics of dead wood and saproxylic insects

Dead wood is a vital prerequisite for a quarter of all organisms living in a forest. The future intensification of forest management will pose a threat to many wood inhabiting (saproxylic) insect species. In forest reserves the formation and decay process of dead wood is quantified and the importance of micro-habitats for saproxylic beetles is investigated.

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.

Young growth tending

Each year, about 50 Millions CHF are invested in tending interventions in Swiss forestry. In a field experiment of 7.3 ha size, we study how four tending variants affect tree species richness and stem quality in the long term. Particular interest is given to the question how minority species present in mixed stands can be maintained against the highly competitive beech.

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Publications WSL

Scientific publication article peer reviewed

Petrovska, R.; Bugmann, H.; Hobi, M.L.; Ghosh, S.; Brang, P., 2022: Survival time and mortality rate of regeneration in the deep shade of a primeval beech forest. European Journal of Forest Research, 141: 43-58. doi: 10.1007/s10342-021-01427-3

Stillhard, J.; Hobi, M.L.; Brang, P.; Brändli, U.; Korol, M.; Pokynchereda, V.; Abegg, M., 2022: Structural changes in a primeval beech forest at the landscape scale. Forest Ecology and Management, 504: 119836 (12 pp.). doi: 10.1016/j.foreco.2021.119836

Alizoti, P.; Bastien, J.; Chakraborty, D.; Klisz, M.M.; Kroon, J.; Neophytou, C.; Schueler, S.; Van Loo, M.; Westergren, M.; Konnert, M.; Andonovski, V.; Andreassen, K.; Brang, P.; Brus, R.; Cvjetković, B.; Đodan, M.; Fernández, M.; Frýdl, J.; Karlsson, B.; ... Tsvetkov, I., 2022: Non-native forest tree species in Europe: the question of seed origin in afforestation. Forests, 13, 2: 273 (22 pp.). doi: 10.3390/f13020273

Nikolova, P.S.; Geyer, J.; Brang, P.; Cherubini, P.; Zimmermann, S.; Gärtner, H., 2021: Changes in root-shoot allometric relations in alpine Norway spruce trees after strip cutting. Frontiers in Plant Science, 12: 703674 (14 pp.). doi: 10.3389/fpls.2021.703674

Petrovska, R.; Brang, P.; Gessler, A.; Bugmann, H.; Hobi, M.L., 2021: Grow slowly, persist, dominate—Explaining beech dominance in a primeval forest. Ecology and Evolution, 11, 15: 10077-10089. doi: 10.1002/ece3.7800

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Further scientific publications

Ferretti, M.; Brang, P.; Fischer, C.; Forrester, D.; Hägeli, M.; Schweier, J.; Thürig, E., 2021: Research Unit Forest Resources and Management. In: Ferretti, M.; Fischer, C.; Gessler, A. (eds), 2021: Towards an advanced inventorying and monitoring system for the Swiss forest. Towards an advanced inventorying and monitoring system for the Swiss forest, Birmensdorf. 29-30.

Waldinventur 2017 im Naturerlebnispark Sihlwald

Der Sihlwald ist einer der grössten zusammenhängenden Buchenwälder im schweizerischen Mittelland. Im Jahr 2000 wurde die Holznutzung eingestellt. Auf einer Fläche von 1098 ha steht der Wald seit 2007 als Naturwaldreservat und seit 2008 als kantonales Natur- und Landschaftsschutzgebiet (SVO Sihlwald) unter strengem Schutz.

WSL Berichte 93

2020

Télécharger

Fink, C.; Brang, P.; Schwierz, C., 2020: Ein Blick in die Zukunft "Der Sihlwald hat eine privilegierte Lage". In: 2020: Sihlwald. Wild und schön. Zürich, AS Verlag. 166-170.

Brang, P., 2019: Bergwälder auf dem Weg zu neuer Wildnis. In: Ebner, F. (eds), 2019: Ich möchte meine Berge sehen. Von der Vielfalt und Schönheit der Alpen. Bern, Haupt. 117-145.

Konnert, M.; Alizoti, P.; Bastien, J.; Chakraborty, D.; Cvjetkovic, B.; Klisz, M.; Kroon, J.; Mason, B.; Neophytou, C.; Schueler, S.; Van Loo, M.; Westergren, M.; Andonovski, V.; Andreassen, K.; Brang, P.; Brus, R.; Đodan, M.; Fernández, M.; Frýdl, J.; ... Tsvetkov, I., 2018: European provenance recommendations for selected non-native tree species. WG2 Report. 53 p.

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Magazine article and brochures

Brang, P.; Streit, K.; Zweifel, R.; Coulin, D., 2022: Der Klimawandel fegt durch den Wald. Wir Holzbauer: das Verbandsmagazin von Holzbau Schweiz, 18-21.

Stillhard, J.; Abegg, M.; Brang, P.; Hobi, M., 2022: Entwicklung im Buchenurwald Uholka-Schyrokyi Luh über 9 Jahre. Bündnerwald, 75, 1: 18-21.

Brang, P.; Wüthrich, M.; Streit, K., 2021: Testpflanzungen im Kanton Zürich. Zürcher Wald, 53, 3: 18-19.

Brang, P.; Erhardt, E.; Frehner, M.; Huber, B.; Rutishauser, U., 2021: Eine App für die Baumartenwahl im Klimawandel. Zürcher Wald, 53, 3: 14-17.

Brang, P.; Erhardt, E.; Frehner, M.; Huber, B.; Rutishauser, U., 2020: Eine App für die Baumartenwahl im Klimawandel. Wald und Holz, 101, 11: 13-15.

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