Brang Peter

Monitoring Naturwaldreservate Schweiz
Monitoring of Swiss Natural Forest Reserves


Project Number: CH-3769
Project Type: Permanent/Monitoring_Project
Project Duration: 01/31/1978 - 12/31/2025
Funding Source: BAFU , ETH ,
Project Leader: Dr. Peter Brang
Research program leader
Forest resources and management
WSL
Zürcherstrasse 111
8903 Birmensdorf

http://www.wsl.ch

related to this project.
for which the project has a relevance.


Research Areas:
Monitoring

Disciplines:
engineering sciences
forestry

Keywords:
Natural forest reserves, monitoring, forest structure, forest dynamics, biodiversity, sample inventory, Switzerland, Aletschwald

Abstract:
In this long-term project, we study Swiss forest reserves based on a nationwide consistent concept. It is intended to give federal authorities a basis for policy controlling in the field of forest reserves and to enhance the understanding of forest succession without human intervention. The monitoring encompasses forest structure and tree characteristics which are important as habitats for organisms. It combines surveys on some 95 ha of core areas of 0.1 to 3.3 ha size with an inventory on some 1700 sampling plots, similar to those used in the Swiss National Forest Inventory. The monitoring takes place in 14 forest reserves with intensive observation and in about 30 reserves with extensive observation. Those reserves which have been observed for 20 to 50 years by ETH play an important role in the reserve network. The monitoring will provide information about forest and habitat structures for wide-spread phyto-sociological communities.

Leading questions:
  • What are the characteristics of forest dynamics in reserves in comparison to managed forests, in particular with respect to tree regeneration, competition, ageing, mortality as well as emergence and decay of dead wood?
  • To what degree do habitats important for many organisms such as veteran trees, snags, hollows and dead wood occur more frequently in natural forest reserves than in managed forests?
  • What are the main drivers of forest dynamics in unmanaged forests?

    URL: http://www.waldreservate.ch

    Publications:



    Last update: 8/15/23
    Source of data: ProClim- Research InfoSystem (1993-2024)
    Update the data of project: CH-3769

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