Mountain forest

In order to preserve stone pine forests as diverse habitats at the transition to the alpine zone under future climate conditions, the WSL Research Institute has been examining ways of promoting the Swiss stone pine in mountain forests for over 50 years.

Climate change will alter the tree species composition in the alps and the spruce will lose its high percentage in the long run. Are the Bavarian Alps still a possible area for the retreat of the spruce?

How does the sycamore respond to climate change? Because it is difficult to see the delineation of the annual rings, research into this is limited. A technique for measuring sycamore drilling core samples makes it possible to carry out a dendroecological analysis.

In the Swiss Alps there are many uniform spruce stands which, in the medium term, offer less resistance to natural hazards. How far is it possible to transform these spruce stands into non-uniform "mountain selection forests"?

Artificially established stands originating from afforestations tend to become uniform and thus vulnerable to pests, snow pressure and strong wind. That's why in afforestations it is advantageous to establish groups already at the time of planting.