ExtremeThaw

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

Species invasiveness in the Anthropocene

The project aims at understanding the physiological traits driving the competitive strength of the non-native windmill palm in insubric forests. The work takes place in 6 sites in Spain, France and Switzerland.

Detecting temperature thresholds for photosynthesis and understanding how they are controlled by long-term acclimation to soil drought

We evaluate the potential of thermal imaging with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to detect drought stress in Pinus sylvestris in a long-term irrigation experiment in the Pfyn forest in Valais (southern Switzerland).

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.

Drivers and consequences of drought-induced hydraulic dysfunctions and mortality under global warming

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.

Polytunnel Greenhouse Experiment

The project examines how warmer winters and hot-dry summers affect the growth of potential future tree species during the advanced regeneration stage and how this response is modulated by soil properties and soil biotic communities.

Impact of tree species interactions on tree water relations under a warmer and drier climate

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?

PFF2020

Our main objective is the installation of a long-term Plant Physiological Facility for online determination of gas exchange and isotope fractionations at WSL in the 2020s.

Reconnaître les dendro-microhabitats: visite virtuelle immersive d'une forêt

Les dendro-microhabitats sont importants pour la biodiversité en forêt. Ce projet élabore un nouvel outil destiné aux gestionnaires forestiers, afin de les aider à identifier les dendro-microhabitats et connaître leurs rôles écologiques.

Root endophytic fungi and their contribution to arctic and alpine climate change feedback

Arctic and Alpine vegetation dynamics under climate change can exert a lasting impact on belowground processes and ultimately on world's largest carbon stocks. This long-term field manipulation investigates the functional significance of plant interactions with species-specific endophytic fungi.

Wie beeinflussen die Wechselwirkungen zwischen den Arten die langfristigen Auswirkungen von Hitze und Trockenheit

Ziel des Projektes ist es, die physiologischen Prozesse zu bewerten, durch die sich Bäume in einem sich ändernden Klima anpassen und miteinander interagieren, die Folgen dieser dynamischen Prozesse für die physiologischen Reaktionen der Bäume auf klimatische Belastungen zu bestimmen und unser Verständnis dieser Auswirkungen auf langfristige Verschiebungen im internen Kohlenstoff- und Wasserkreislauf der Bäume zu verbessern.

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.

Forests under stress

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.

Dynamik von Totholz und xylobionten Insekten in Waldreservaten

Totholz ist Lebensgrundlage für rund einen Viertel aller Organismen im Wald. Die künftig wahrscheinliche Intensivierung der Holzwirtschaft wird viele holzbewohnende Insekten noch stärker gefährden. In diesem Projekt werden in Waldreservaten die Entstehung und der Abbau von Totholz quantifiziert, die Abhängigkeit von Insekten von Totholz untersucht und Mindestwerte für das Totholzangebot abgeleitet.

Mountland

Das Forschungsprojekt "Mountland" untersucht die möglichen Auswirkungen von potentiellen zukünftigen Klima- und Landnutzungsänderungen auf Ökosystemleistungen in Berggebieten. Das Projekt kombiniert in einem integrativen Vorgehen natur-, sozial- und politikwissenschaftlichen Methoden kombinieren, um Grundlagen für die Entwicklung von nachhaltigen Management- und Politikalternativen zu schaffen.

Irrigation Experiment Pfynwald

Drought-induced forest decline will gain in importance as the frequency and severity of drought events are expected to increase in the context of climate change. To understand how chronic drought affects tree growth, we study mature Scots pine in an irrigation experiment in an inner-Alpine dry valley since 2003.