WSL

In recent decades, forest biodiversity has declined almost everywhere in Europe, yet at the same time the public's expectations of the forest environment have grown. Consequently, many forest owners in Europe now use forests in a way that combines timber production with other demands of society. A recently published book on this subject summarises experiences on how to balance forestry and biodiversity conservation.

Light, flexible and highly resilient net barriers against debris flows and hillslope debris flows have only been around for a few years. Where could they be deployed and how should they be designed and dimensioned? A new WSL report, funded by the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) and Federal Roads Office (FEDRO), discusses experiences with the new safety nets and is intended as a decision-making aid for authorities, project managers and engineers.

How do Swiss beeches respond to extreme drought? To answer this question, researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) studied 75 National Forest Inventory (NFI) sample plots during and after the dry summer of 2018. Reduced growth and an abundance of prematurely discoloured leaves and thinned crowns provided clear evidence of a loss of vitality in many of the beeches examined. However, most of the trees recovered the following year, when the weather was wetter and less hot.

Climate change is placing many tree species under increasing drought stress. The question, therefore, is where they can thrive in the future. The Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), 20 cantonal forest offices and a host of forestry enterprises are joining forces to create a network of experimental plantations to investigate the climate tolerance of 18 tree species.

Please do not disturb: After forest fires, bark beetle infestations and other disurbances, the affected forests should not be cleared. Researchers report this in the journal Nature Communications.

In ten percent of forests in central Europe, trees lost some or all of their leaves too early in the dry summer of 2018. This is shown by calculations and satellite image analyses of the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL. Central and eastern Germany along with the Czech Republic were the most severely affected. Since it was less hot and dry in the mountains, Swiss forests suffered less damage.