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Annual Report of the sw· ,ss Federal Institute f or Forest Snow and L andscape , Research

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Research for People and

the l:.,nv1ro11111e11t

The main areas of research at the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) focus on the use, management and protection ofter- restrial habitats and the management of natural hazards. WSL aims to provide expert opinions and recommendations for ensuring the sustainable use of the Swiss landscape. In doing so WSL takes into consideration people's economic and social needs with which sustain- ability stands or falls. WSL's research activities are mainly concerned with mountainous regions and built-up areas.

WSL employs around 400 people in Birmensdorf, Davos, Bellinzona, Lau- sanne and Sion. It is a federal research institute affiliated to the Board of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology.

I mp, ess11111

Respo11s1b1lity for tins ed1tio11:

Dr. Mano F. Brogg1, Director WSL Idea: Da111el Sclmyder, Dr. R11th I andolt Ed1t111g: Dawe/ Sclmyder

Tra11slatmn: Dr. Sr/via D111gwall Coord111at1011: Peter Henseler

l'lwtography m "Faces behind the research":

Andre Roth.

Des1g11: \¥/rid & Frey (Zurich) Prod11ctwn: Wild & J--rey (Z1mc/1), P11b/1cat1011s WSL

Photo acknowledgements:

WS/.: pages Sa, 6, 7, 9, 11, 1 5, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, 27;

Comet l'hoto AG: page 3;

Hemric/, Haller (Swiss Nat1011al !'ark):

page Sb;

GeoBmgg AG: page 13;

Doc11phot/l:.. Ammon: page 16.

C1tat10n:

Swiss Federal /nstrt11te for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (ed) 1999: The Year 1998. A111111. Re/1ort Swiss Fed. 111st. I-or.

S11ow Landsc. Res. 36 pp. Available from:

Bibliothek WSL Ziircherstrasse 111 CH-890 3 13,rmensdorf I-ax 01 739 22 1.5 l:,-mail: /nbliothek@wsl.cl1

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Contents

Welcome to WSL

At a Glance

Good Advice is not Expensive Getting the Right Balance Scrutinising Avalanches A Natural Park in Birmensdorf Research Linked by Cables

The Wasps that Emerge from the Beetles Taking Research to the People

A Future for Lichens

The Main 1-ows

The Avalanches that Come Down in Summer

The Forests are not Dying -They are under Long-Term Threat Nets for the Big Boulders

Avalanche Warning Switzerland 2000 Forests for Future Generations

What Should the Future of Switzerland's Landscape Be?

The Forest after the Storm

Playing with Fire in the Interests of Science

Do Forest Trees Spurn Additional Carbon Dioxide?

Taking the Poison out of the Soil

Facts and Figures

Governing Board and Commissions Organisational Structure

I-aces beh111d the Research Finances and Personnel

Research does not just happen, it re- Outlook quires work. People have to do it. 400

women and men work for WSL. In- More about WSL deed, they make WSL what it is. They

research, observe, develop, plan, pro- gramme, analyse, measure, calculate, compare, advise, photograph, write, in- form, produce, repair, drive, clean, cook, cultivate and harvest. Nine of them are introduced in this Annual Report, for once as private individuals.

They were randomly selected by drawing lots, and they are representative of all those who do research at WSL and make it possible.

3

5 5 6 6 6 7 7 7

9 10 13 14 16 19 20 23 24 27

29 30 32 35 36

A111111al Report WSL 1998 1

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Welcome to WSL

Dr. Mario I-. Broggi, Director

What were WSL's main activities in 1998? This Annual Report provides you with information about a selection of our achievements. I should like to men- tion two of these in particular. First, there was the Sanasilva 1997 Report, the product of 15 years' research on forest damage. In it we and SAEFL (Swiss Agency for the Environment, Forests and Landscape) present our official finding that the forests are not dying, but that excessively high depositions of pol- lutants pose a long-term threat. Second- ly, we completed the evaluation of the 2nd National Forest Inventory. This means that we now have, for the first time, a body of scientifically sound data about the development of the Swiss forests. This is a treasure trove whose yields can be used for many different purposes.

In 1998 we drew up a strategic plan for the years 2000 to 2003 and devel- oped a new "mission statement" for WSL. Our ultimate goal is to promote sustainable landscape use. We want to provide politicians and the public with expert opinions and help in decision- making. Research at WSL is separated into two main areas: "The use, manage- ment and protection of terrestrial habi- tats" and "The management of natural hazards".

In order to meet our set goals, we took some important steps in 1998.

Thus roughly half our research will, from now on, be performed within inte- grated research programmes. We have created a new organisational structure for WSL, which has been in force since 1st January 1999. We are working on promoting the application and commu- nication of our research findings, and we are cooperating more extensively with research partners and customers. It is the staff, however, who are our most impor- tant resource. A total number of around 400 women and men work at WSL in Birmensdorf, Davos, Bellinzona, Lau- sanne and Sion. It is their expertise that gives WSL its strength. We would like to reinforce this expertise in specific ways and to continue to offer our staff excel- lent working conditions. I am looking forward to further fruitful collaboration with an outstanding team.

A111111al Report \VS/ /998 3

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At a Glance

Good Advice is not Expensive

When Swiss foresters noticed that an in- creasing number of oak-trees were dying in 1998, they asked WSL's Forest Insect and Disease Survey (FIDS) for advice.

The experts concluded that probably some disturbances in the water supply had lowered the resistance of the oaks.

Many similar examples could be given.

If a tree gets a disease, if its leaves already start to change colour in summer, or if a tree dies for some unexplained reason, then you can contact the experts at FIDS. In 1998 alone, they dealt with over 400 such enquiries.

Contact:

Dr. Roland Engesser,

Forest and Environmental Protection, Birmensdorf, Tel. 01-739 23 88, E-mail: engesser@wsl.ch

A case for the WIS/_ experts: Dead oak-tree hra11ches reach up to the sky.

Getting the Right Balance

Studies of the long-term development of vegetation in the Swiss National Park generated considerable media attention in 1998. WSL was able to show, on the basis of observations recorded over the past 80 years, that the average popula- tion density of the red deer ( 6 to 9 ani- mals per 100 hectares) had actually ac- celerated forest regeneration. Even the maximum population density observed in the Park (24 animals per 100 hectares) appeared to increase the diversity of plant species in the alpine meadows. It remains to be seen to what extent these findings apply in other regions. What they have certainly shown, however, is that it is a one-sided view to maintain that red deer are just destroying the for- est or preventing it regenerate.

Contact:

Dr. Martin Schiltz, Biodiversity,

Birmensdorf, Tel. 01-739 25 26, E-mail: schuetz@wsl.ch

A /w/mlatHm de11s1ty of 6 to 9 red deer per I 00 hectares accelerated forest rege11erat1011 111

the Swiss Natumal /'ark by a factor of four.

A111111al Re/1ort WISL 1998 5

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Scrutinising Avalanches

In March 1998, the SLF, a branch of WSL, officially opened an avalanche re- search station in the Vallee de la Sionne in the Canton of Valais. It is the first of its kind in the Alps. Over the next five to ten years, researchers from Switzerland and other European countries want to record ,walanche movements and mea- sure the forces involved. The Research Station has been financed by the Board of the Swiss Federal Institutes of Tech- nology, various federal departments and the Canton of Vala is.

Contact:

rrani;ois Dufour, Branch station, Sion, Tel. 027-324 03 89, E-mail: dufour@slf.ch

Auala11c/Je Rcsearc/J Station, Vallee de la S101111e: Vanous 111eas11ring mst1111ncnts and constmctio11s stand i11 tbe 111idst of tbe 2. I' kdometre long a11ala11cbe co111se.

6 A11111111/ Re/JOrt WSt / 998

A Natural Park in Birmensdorf

WSL takes sustainability, ecology and biodiversity seriously, even on its own doorstep. For years it has been upgrad- ing its grounds in Birmensdorf by imple- menting selected ecological measures. At the beginning of December 1998 it was awarded the certificate "Natural Park of Swiss Business" by the Swiss Foundation for Nature and the Economy. WSL's employees have also benefited from the upgrading of their surroundings. The grounds have gained a great deal more value as a place for rest and recuperation through the creation of a variety of habitats.

Contact:

Anton Burkart, Experimental Garden, Birmensdorf, Tel. 01-739 23 62, E-mail: burkart@wsl.ch

Tbc IO bee tares of gro1111ds aro1111d WSL 111

Bir111cnsdorf /Jr<H11de l'al11able habitats for 111a11y species of a111111als and pla11ts.

Research Linked by Cables

Without modern information techno- logy, research on the environment and sustainability would be unthinkable. In 1998 WSL installed a generic cabling system to transport voice and data so as to be equipped to deal with continually increasing quantities of data. With this cabling system it is possible to transmit 1 GBit of data per second. The institute in Davos has had the use of a generic cabling system since the end of 1996, when it moved into its new facilities.

Contact:

Dr. Markus Sonderegger, Information Technology, Birmensdorf, Tel. 01-739 24 97, E-mail: sonderegger@wsl.ch

Not ii J>ile of s/>ilghe/11, /mt a well-ordered 1ietwork. The genenc cab/mg syste111 allows huge q11a11t1t1es of data to be tra11sported.

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The Wasps that Emerge from the Beetles

In spruce trees that have been attacked and killed by bark beetles, numerous na- tural enemies, so-called antagonists, of bark beetles develop. What predatory or parasitic insect species appear? What effect do they have? How long do they stay in the tree trunks? WSL has, over the past few years, been examining sections of such tree trunks in the labo- ratory. The most frequent inhabitants are small wasps, two to three milli- metres long, that are parasitic on the spruce bark beetle. The study will be completed in the year 2000. Preliminary findings were published in 1998.

Contact:

Dr. Beat Wermelinger,

Forest and Environment Protection, Birmensdorf, Tel. 01-739 22 58, E-mail: wermelinger@wsl.ch

T1111e to emerge: a parasitic wasp, about l 111,ll1111etrcs lo11g, with the lo/Jcly 11a111c of To1111colna seit11cn, has 111st left the bark beetle III winch it deuclopcd.

Taking Research to the People

On 25th September 1998, WSL and the Canton of Ticino opened a travelling exhibition entitled "Ozone and Forest Trees", organised with the help of Penn- state University (USA) and the Uni- versity of Pisa (Italy). Attractive posters provided information about the findings of an open-air experiment that WSL had carried out in the south of Ticino as part of the Long-term Forest Ecosystem Re- search Program (LFTER). This experi- ment furnished proof, for the first time in Europe, that ozone, which is an aggressive gas, severely damages various kinds of forest trees. The exhibition is

A Future for Lichens

What has happened to the lungwort (Lo- baria p11!111011aria) is happening to other lichens roo: In recent years they have been severely affected by air pollution and changes in their habitats. So it is not surprising that the lungwort is a threat- ened species on Switzerland's Central Plateau. In 1998 WSL decided to take action. So-called vegetative propagules of lungwort were placed on previously uninhabited trees in a forest managed commercially. This should encourage new lichen to grow. However, it will take time as lungwort, when young, develops extremely slowly. It takes 2 being shown at schools and shopping years for it to grow just one millimetre.

centres. Schools receive an additional information brochure.

Contact:

Dr. Paolo Cherubini, Forest Ecosystems and Ecological Risks, Birmensdorf, Tel. 01-739 22 78, E-mail: cherubini@wsl.ch

"Ozo11c a11d rorest Trees" - a11 attractwc cxlnlntm11 111tc11ded to help the 1mbl,c 111 T1c1110 1111dersta11d a co111plcx lo/11c bettrr.

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Contact:

PD Dr. Christoph Scheidegger, Biodiversity,

Birmensdorf, Tel. 01-739 24 39, E-mail: scheidegger@wsl.ch

Thr /1111gwort 1s a sy111/not1c co111b111at1011 of a f1111g11s a11d a11 algae. A, t1/1c,al /Jr0/Ja- gat1011 should g11ara11tee 1/s s11rv11•al 011 Sw1tzerla11d's Ce11tral Platea11.

A111111al Report W'S! 199S 7

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The Avalanches that Come Down in Summer

Debris flows regularly cause severe damage in the Alps. Jointly with the Swiss Federal Insti- tutes of Technology ( ETH Zurich and EPFL Lausanne), WSL studied these natural events between 1995 and 1998. The aim was to estimate the danger better and to limit the extent of potential damage.

Clm111111erbac/1 near Davos: The de/,r,s flow 011 15 t/J August I 998 brought dozv11 tens of thousands of cu!J1c metres of stones and earth 111to t/Je valley.

Tracki11g debris flows

15th August, 1998 in Davos. Heavy rain accompanied a thunderstorm over the catchment area of the stream "Chum- merbach ". A slurry of water, mud and stones flowed down the torrent channel, covering several hectares of meadow- land and submerging the cantonal road and the Davos-Tiefencastel railway line.

Little known to date

Debris flows or mudflows are the names given to mixtures that have features in common with floods, earthslips and rockfall. They are also known as stone avalanches since they flow like snow avalanches. Unlike snow avalanches, however, little is yet known about debris flows. It is important for us to know more about them as they regularly cause considerable damage.

WSL and the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology (ETH Zurich and EPFL Lausanne) undertook a joint research project between 1995 and 1998 to answer the following questions: Why do debris flows take place? How do they flow? How can they be simulated by computer? What are the processes of deposition?

Computer models developed

WSL researchers reproduced debris flows in the laboratory. They discovered that the large stones at the front of the debris flows play a significant role in damaging the stream-beds and the banks. The more fluid part behind this front transports smaller stones and mud.

The flow of a debris flow was also simu- lated using a recently developed compu-

ter model. In addition, WSL set up ob- servation stations in two mountain streams in the Alps. These will allow researchers, for the first time in Switzer- land, to measure the velocities of debris flows precisely, to record their flow depths and the quantities of material in- volved. These recordings can then be used to verify the laboratory tests and computer models.

The Swiss Federal Institute of Tech- nology in Lausanne (EPFL) developed computer models of the formation and deposition of debris flows. And the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH) observed in the labora- tory how debris flows form in steep channels. These studies have demon- strated that, in the initial and final phases of a debris flow, both the water conditions and the soil mechanical characteristics of the transported mate- rial play an important role.

This joint study between WSL and the Swiss Federal Institutes of Techno- logy in Zurich and Lausanne has helped to advance debris flow research. Further joint projects are planned. They will im- prove future hazard assessment and help to limit the extent of damage.

Contact:

Dr. Dieter Rickenmann,

Water, Soil and Rock Movements, Birmensdorf, Tel. 01-739 24 42, E-mail: dieter.rickenmann@wsl.ch, http://www. wsl .ch/hazards/

hydro/hydro.htm

A11111wl Repmt \\'SI 1998 9

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The Forests are not Dying - They are under Long-Term Threat

WSL and the Swiss Agen- cy for the Environment, Forests and Landscape (SAEFL) publicised the results of 15 years' research on forest dam-

age at the end of May 1998. The main conclu-

sions were that the Swiss forests are not dying but they are endangered by the long- term effects of pollution.

Emissions of airborne pollutants must, there- fore, be further reduced.

Sa11as1/va Report / 997

"The forests are dying" was a lament frequently heard in the mid eighties in Switzerland and elsewhere. Stated first at the conferences of specialists and dis- cussed in scientific journals, it was quickly taken up by the media, parlia- ment and the general public. There were very real reasons for this concern. In what was then Czechoslovakia, whole forests had died within a short space of time - as a result of air pollution.

Moreover, acid rain was a topic of dis- cussion in Europe at the time and a de- cline in silver fir had been noted. When Swiss scientists and foresters looked carefully at the trees, they noticed that some had thin crowns. It seemed to be just a matter of years before the forest disappeared completely. Quick action was needed. And politicians did take im- mediate steps: they began to enforce

I II about 90 percc111 of Swiss forests tbe i111ematio11ally recog11iscd en/lea/

loads for 1111roge11 are exceeded (d11111 i11 kilogrnms J!er bee/are a11d year accordmg lo Rilm1 / 996).

10 A111111al RcJ!ort WSJ / 991/

the "Clean Air Regulations" and deci- ded on measures that led to consider- able reductions in air pollution over the following years.

A few years later it became obvious that the forests were not about to die. Scientific research findings supplanted speculations, and expert opinions took the place of emotions. WSL played a decisive role in this process and was accordingly subjected to considerable criticism.

Mortality rate normal

In May 1998 WSL and the Swiss Agen- cy for the Environment, Forests and Landscape (SAEFL) issued a joint state- ment that was intended to officially close the discussion about whether forests were dying. They said that the forests were not dying. And they are still not.

Since 1985 only 0.4% of trees have died annually. This mortality rate is consid- ered normal. The proportion of trees whose crowns have thinned by more than a quarter has clearly risen - from 8% to 17%. Scientists today, however, believe that the symptom "crown defo- liation" has only limited value as an indicator of a tree's state of health. The quantity of leaves or needles on a tree depends on its living conditions. Defo- liation does not necessarily increase con- tinually, and even trees with extensive defoliation can recover. Nevertheless, scientists assume that an increase in defoliation is an indicator of added stress.

It is not yet clear what the sources of this stress are. Possible causes are, among other things, the increasing age

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of the trees, aridity, the severe storm

"Vivian" in 1990, and air pollution.

Evidence of a relationship between air pollution and crown defoliation has not been found. This contrasts with what was assumed in the mid eighties.

Reduce contaminant deposition still further

Can the file on the Swiss forests and pollution now be closed? Are the Swiss forests in good shape? The answer is no.

Even if it cannot be shown that air pollution affects crown defoliation, air pollution might still be harming forests. Current deposition levels of acids and nitrogen are so high that the soil in the forest floor is becoming increasingly acidic and nutrients are being washed out. In forest floors that are naturally acidic such changes can take place within decades, whereas in calcareous soils they may take centuries. Possible outcomes are nutrient imbalances, less stable trees and trees that are increas- ingly sensitive to drought. Thus forests are under threat in the long-term. WSL and SAEFL are therefore calling for further reductions in the deposition of pollutants so that the so-called critical loads set internationally are no longer exceeded.

Of course, many questions remain open and are currently being investiga- ted. Thus, WSL is, within the framework of the Swiss Government's Long-term Forest Ecosystem Research programme, analysing and observing selected areas of forest in order to find out more about the influence of air pollution and climate change on the forest. Politics and society should not wait for final proof. The risk

Th,• Sunss /i>r£'st 1s alil!c. O11/y 011£' 0111 of 2 'iO trees dies £'ac/J y£'ar. /11 the /011g-ter111, /}()1/Jl!Ul'r, th£' forest 1s £'11d1111g£'red by pol/11tw11.

has been identified. The "precautionary principle" dictates that measures should be taken to reduce air pollution still further. Such measures will benefit both forests and people.

Contact:

Dr. Peter Brang, Forest

Ecosystems and Ecological Risks, Birmensdorf, Tel. 01-739 24 86, E-mail: peter.brang@wsl.ch

Sanasilva Report 1997

WSL and SAEFL present their conclu- sions, in around 100 pages, from 15 years of research on damage to forests.

The publication (in German, with sum- maries in French and Italian) costs CHF 21 and can be ordered from:

F. Fliick-Wirth, Buchhandlung, CH-9053 Teufen, Fax 071-333 16 64.

E-mail: flueck-teufen@dm.krinfo.ch A leaflet outlining the Report's most important conclusions is available in French and German from:

Bibliothek WSL, Ziircherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Fax 01-739 22 15, E-mail: bibliothek@wsl.ch

A11111111/ Re/iOrl W'SL 1998 11

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Nets for the Big Boulders

Where the woods cannot suffi- ciently protect settlements and transport routes against rock- fall, structural systems have to

do the job. A Swiss Industrial company and WSL undertook a joint project and significantly

Protectio11 aga111st rockfall

Setting: the Risleten limestone quarry near Beckenried in Canton Nidwalden.

The boulder dangles from a cable crane.

With a clatter the cable car starts moving. The boulder accelerates down improved the effectiveness of the steep slope, breaks away from its wire-net rockfall barriers. support and plunges into the net. For a fraction of a second it is a case of force against force. Then the boulder's fall is curbed and it is thrown backwards against the slope. There it falls to the ground and lies still. Dust hovers in the

tests WSL gained an abundance of scien- tific information about rockfall. And it developed a method of determining the force involved in curbing the fall of rocks.

A new testing site is planned

How will the project continue? A host of research questions still await answers.

Together with industrial partners, WSL is planning to set up testing facilities in a closed-down quarry near Walensee. This

air. should enable further gains in scientific

1 tins test, a rock with a z,eloc1ty of 11early 'JO km/h shoots 111!0 the w1re-11et rockfall 11-r1er. After 0.4 seco11ds its fall has bee11 impletely stopped (picture -1). 0.6 seco11ds

fer 1t 1s ly111g 011 the gro1111d (fnct11re 'i}.

The test that WSL and its industrial knowledge, which can then be fed into partner have jointly carried out was a

success. Within 0.5 seconds the rockfall barrier reduced an energy of about 2000 kilojoules. Put another way: the boulder, which weighed 5.6 metric tons and which was falling at 97 kilometres per hour (27 metres per second), was stopped within a braking path of nine metres.

Leading technologically

Even just ten years ago a test involving such high energy would have been unthinkable because the structures used at that time could only absorb a maxi- mum energy of 230 kilojoules. It was mainly in the years 1996 to 1998 that great advances were made in dealing with much higher energies. In a Com- mission for Technology and Innovation (KTI) project, WSL, together with an industrial partner, developed the wire- net rockfall barriers further. Today, these can reduce energies of over 2000 kilojoules. This means they are more efficient and also more economic than the older systems. They are also cheaper to maintain. The Swiss industrial partner has been able to play a leading role worldwide with this product. During the

the development of even more sophisti- cated rockfall barriers. These tests are intended above all to test the computer models used in calculating the dimen- sions of the barriers. Such models are currently being developed at WSL.

The testing site near Walensee will serve another purpose as well. In the near future, the Federal, Cantonal and Communal authorities will have to replace many of the old systems. Addi- tional ones will also have to be built.

The Federal Government therefore de- cided in Autumn 1998 to introduce a code for all new constructions designed to protect against rockfall. This code will be similar to that used with ava- lanche barriers. WSL will carry out the necessary tests on behalf of the Federal Commission of Experts on Avalanches and Rockfall (EKLS).

Contact:

Werner Gerber,

Water, Soil and Rock Movements, Birmensdorf, Tel. 01-739 24 69, E-mail: werner.gerber@wsl.ch

A111111al Re/wrt \VS/. 1998 13

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Avalanche Warning Switzerland 2000

Better safety tha11ks to 11ew products In 1998 the Swiss

Federal Institute for

Snow and Avalanche Within the framework of the project Research (SLF) "Avalanche Warning CH-2000", SLF in Davos further im- has been thoroughly modernising its proved its avalanche avalanche warning service. Thanks to in-

warning service. tensive research and the use of modern

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sensor and information technologies, it has been possible to continually improve the spatial and temporal resolution of avalanche forecasts. New services and customer-friendly products have helped to increase avalanche safety in the Alps and to prevent accidents.

Regional Information

There is a considerable need for regional and up-to-date avalanche information.

Since December l 1998, SLF has been issuing a regional avalanche bulletin for Central Switzerland daily (see illustra- tion). It provides the user with easy access to information about snow, wea- ther and avalanche conditions presented in the form of easily understood graphics and symbols. SLF already introduced an avalanche bulletin for the North and Central Grisons in the winter of 1997/98, and regional avalanche bulletins for Ober- and Unterwallis will be tested in the winter of 1998/99. The regional avalanche bulletins are compiled in dose collaboration with the local and regional

avalanche experts and the Swiss Me-

teorological Institute.

National avalanche forecasts

The SLF already set an important mile stone in the winter of 1997/98 when the form and contents of the well-known National Avalanche Bulletin were thoroughly revised. The Bulletin's fore- casts are now updated and issued on a daily basis. The changes have been very positively received by users according to a recent survey. The National Avalanche Bulletin is published by all the important media and can also be accessed via the Internet:

( http://www. wsl .ch/sl f/a va lanche/

avalanche.html),

Fax (157 33 871), Telephone No. 187 and Teletext (page 197).

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Early warning

In 1998, the SLF developed, in coopera- tion with the Swiss Meteorological In- stitute, an early warning system entitled

"Snow and Avalanche Danger". This should enable catastrophic situations, such as those in 1975 and 1984, to be detected early enough for appropriate steps to be taken. It was launched at the beginning of 1999. With the help of mo- dern forecasting tools, extreme situat- ions can be detected 72 hours before they happen. This means that the Cantonal and regional authorities can be given sufficient warning to take precautions, such as closing off areas and organising evacuations, so that the extent of poten- tial harm can be kept to a minimum.

Snow sports enthusiasts surf the Internet

For several years now the SLF has been providing useful information about warning devices and about snow and avalanches in its WWW pages. With just a simple click of the mouse, you can easily get hold of up-to-date avalanche bulletins and additional information, e.g. maps showing snow altitudes, new snow and snow conditions. Since publi- cation started, these pages have been visited every winter over half a million times. For the winter of 1998/99, the SLF created a new web service called

"Swiss-Snow". Here snow sports enthu- siasts can find information - updated daily - about snow altitudes, tempera- tures and winds in different regions of the Swiss Alps. "Swiss-Snow" was hon- oured with the "Best Of Europe" Award by Europe Online at the end of 1998.

lfrnwte s11ow a11d weather stat1011s prnuide rm/me 111(or111at1011 for assessmg aualanche da11ger.

Training is important

With its project "Avalanche Warning CH-2000", the SLF intends to continue to optimise the quality of its products and information-providing services.

New regional bulletins will be intro- duced in collaboration with the regional authorities, and the online service will be expanded. Training and information transfer will, in the future, be of great significance. If accident prevention is to be successful, snow sports enthusiasts must become familiar with the ava- lanche bulletins. They must learn how to interpret them correctly and adjust their

behaviour accordingly. Moreover, snow sports enthusiasts need to be encouraged to take more individual responsibility and to learn how to better assess the dangers and risks involved in outdoor pursuits.

Contact:

Dr. Tom Russi, Avalanche Warning and Risk Management,

SLF Davos, Tel. 081-417 01 51, E-mail: russi@slf.ch,

http://www. wsl .ch/slf/a valanche/

avalanche.html

A111111al Report WIS! 1998 15

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Forests for Future Generations

How are Swiss forests developing?

WSL completed the evaluation of the Second National Forest Inventory in 1998.

I II S1111tzerla11d t/Jerc are, per i11/Ja/,i- t1111t. 1111 aueragc 600 square metres of

easdy accessi/1/e 111oodla11d. 1-uture gc•11cr11/Hms s/Jould also he 11/J/e to 111/.:e 11dv1111tage of t/Je 11111/t1t11de of 11111vs 111 1tJliic/J tin: forest cm1trilmtes

to our quality of life.

16 A111111,1' Report WSL I <J<JS

lllve11tory of Swiss Forests

It is Sunday afternoon and the Meier family are going for a walk in the woods with grandparents, pram and dog. On Tuesday evening the carpenter delivers the new dining table. Made of solid beech from the Swiss woods, it can seat eight people. Lena and Markus Meier have been looking forward to it arriving.

Three weeks later, the Meier family are driving south. Along the way, they marvel at the steep slopes with their pro- tection forests high above the valley.

We tend to take the forests for gran- ted. But will Lena and Markus Meier's children be able to enjoy them and benefit from their facilities when they are grown up? And what about their children? And their grandchildren? Put scientifically: is the development of the Swiss forests really sustainable?

It is our duty to ensure sustainability The Swiss Forestry Regulations expli- citly state that Swiss forests should develop sustainably. Forests should continue in future to protect residential areas and traffic routes from floods, avalanches, rockfall and earthslips. They should go on providing us with wood as a raw material, acting as a habitat for uncountable varieties of animals and plants, and offering people space for recreation. At the 199 3 Conference of European Ministers in Helsinki, Switzerland further committed herself to guaranteeing the sustainable develop- ment of her forests.

Through various surveys, investi- gations and observations, SAEFL, the Swiss Agency for the Environment, Forests and Landscape, has been trying to obtain the most exact picture possible of the state and development of the Swiss

forest. The greater part of the data needed for this was provided by the Second National Forest Inventory that WSL compiled between 1993 and 1995.

The evaluation of this inventory was completed in 1998. By comparing it with the First National Forest Inventory, it was, for the first time, possible to make firm statements about how the Swiss forests are developing.

Forested areas are on the Increase The overall picture is predominantly positive (see illustration). Stocktaking shows that, for example, forested areas in Switzerland increased between 1985 and 1995. The forest has expanded most in mountainous regions, i.e. in places where the land is no longer cultivated.

Today, 30 percent of the total surface of Switzerland is covered by forest. If only the surface area where forests could potentially grow naturally is considered, the percentage would go up to 41 %.

Around 10 million cubic metres of wood grow in Swiss forests every year, i.e. one wooden cube with sides 68 centimetres long per second. Since less wood is harvested than actually grows, the quan- tity of standing wood has increased by 8 percent. This underuse has had conse- quences: the proportion of young forest has decreased, so that today it covers just 60% of the area that would be needed for sustainable wood pro- duction.

How have the condition and the composition of the forest changed? At high altitudes the proportion of trees with clearly noticeable damage has in- creased slightly, while at lower altitude it has remained the same. The most frequent causes of damage are wood har- vesting, rockfall and wind. The positive

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Validation of Sustainability in the Swiss Forest by Means of NFI Indicators Criteria and indicators

1. Forest resources

Forest area, forest strncture Growing stock

Carbon storage

2. Health and vltallty

Damage to trees and stands Stand stability

Unregulated fellings Damage by grazmg Damage by game

3. Wood production Growth/removals Costs of harvest/yield Accessi/nlity Age composition

Pro{Jortion of regeneration area P la 1111 ing/ex {JI oita tion

State Changes in 1993-95 last 10 years

++ ++

+ +

++ ++

++ ++

D D D D D

V

V

+

"7

Criteria and indicators State Changes in

1993-95 last 10 years

4. Biological diversity n +

Proportion conifer: decid11011s trees + Proportion of exotic tree species Cl

N11mber of tree species +

Proportion of natural regeneration + ++

Stand density

Proportion of dead trees + 9

Proportion of old-growth forests + +

Disturbance of special sites Co11str11ct1011 of forest roads

5. Protective functions

Current effectiveness + +

Damage, stability Tree species, rege11eratio11

Accessibility + +

C11/tivat1011

6. Other functions + +.

Accessible forest area per capita +

S11itability for recreation +

+.

+ positive - negative c indifferent 1111cha11ged , not assessed i11 NFll or comparison with NFI2 impossible • slight change only

and negative effects on the protection forests cancel each other out. Living conditions for many birds, insects, fungi and mosses have improved as the quantity of dead wood lying around in the forests has increased. The number of large trees, the so-called old growth, has also risen. In the young growth on the Central Plateau, the proportion of deci- duous trees has gone up. If anything, the woods are becoming more natural.

Many forests today, however, are denser than they were ten years ago - to the disadvantage of those species of plants and animals that like warmth and light.

In conclusion, the development of Swiss forests between 1988 and 1998 was mostly positive. The signs are that the grandchildren of Lena and Markus Meier will still be able to make use of

what the forests have to offer. This does not, however, mean that the sustainable development of the forest is guaranteed.

Damage to trees and insufficiently sta- ble protection forests are matters of great concern. So too are the high depositions of pollutants that pose long- term risks for the forest (see page 10).

Contact:

Dr. Peter Brassel, Landscape Inventories,

Birmensdorf, Tel. 01-739 22 38, E-mail: brassel@wsl.ch

Urs-Beat Brandli Landscape Inventories,

Birmensdorf, Tel. 01-739 23 43, E-mail: braendli@wsl.ch

Second National Forest Inventory

Between 1993 and 1995 WSL employees visited 6,600 randomly chosen sites in the Swiss forests, measured 70,000 trees and described the conditions they found.

Aerial photographs were used to study a total of 165,000 sites. The full report of the Second National Forest Inventory is due to be published in Spring 1999 in German, French and Italian. The book is available at a price of CHF 98.- from Verlag Paul Haupt, Bern,

Tel. 031-301 23 45,

E-Mail: buchhandlung@haupt.ch, Internet: www.haupt.ch.

SAEFL provides a commentary on the implications of the Second National Forest Inventory for forestry policies which can be obtained from:

EDMZ, 3000 Bern, order no. 310.346e.

A111111al Re/)()rt \Y/SL 1998 17

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What Should the Future of Switzerland's Landscape Be?

Successful planning of the potential develop-

ment of a landscape requires the participation of the local population.

WWW on the internet provides an Ideal means of communication. WSL accordingly developed several such WWW-pack-

ages In 1998.

UNESCO-Bwsphere Resen·es 111 Sw1tzerlm1d http :l/1u1u1u.1usl. chi/a 11d/eu,,/ 11 t 1,,n/b1osphaerel

Modellrng l'otentral Fm1111stic B1od1uers1ty

111 S1U1tzerla11d with an Expert System http:!!1Uw1U.wsl.chlland/euol11t1<J11//no1110d!

The Ret11m of Predators - 1'11b/1c l'ercept1<J11 of a Wrldemess l'/Je110111e11011 http:!!1U1U1u.wsl.chlla11d/euo/11t10nlf,redatorl

l--11t11re Landscape Deuelo/m1e11t 111 Mo11nta111 Regums /Jttf,:llwww.wsl.chllandleuo/11t1<J11!e110/11t1011./Jt111l

The \\'lWW as a future workshop

With its project "The WWW as a future workshop", WSL in 1998 managed to convey landscape scenarios visually and to transmit them to users' experiential horizons. In this way, individuals could be personally confronted with rather ab- stract processes such as "climate change",

"return of predators to the wild" and

"life in a biosphere region". The WWW- packages designed by the WSL team fulfil the important functions of modern communication instruments of provid- ing information and enabling consul- tation and participation.

Information

The development of a landscape is often complex and of supraregional impor- tance. In such a situation it not only makes little sense to let the people con- cerned take part directly, but it is also hardly possible. By using suitable scen- arios, visuals and offering information platforms, however, a dialogue can be started between the planners and the po- pulation. WSL created three such WWW-packages in 1998 concerning:

"Biosphere regions", "Climate change - vegetation change?" and "Modelling potential faunistic biodiversity m Switzerland".

(, ,i ,,, l ~.--<!aal Q .&11)

,~~

- --

_.., _...,_

.

.,_

-~ ....

r~ ..._ ~b ,,.._.,,,...,_, . .-... 11 ...,...~

Clr111ate Change - Vegetation Change?

/Jttp:llwww.wsl.ch!/and/euol11t1011/k/1111aa111111atuml

Consultation

How should a landscape develop from the point of view of the people who live there? What do they want and need?

Interviews and experiments can provide answers co these questions. WSL has investigated the themes "Future devel- opment of landscapes in mountainous regions" and "The return of predators".

The corresponding WWW-packages summarise the initial research findings from in-depth interviews. The users can give their opinions and find out what others think about these developments.

Participation

This involves the direct participation of the local population in planning.

WSL researchers have initiated and followed up such participation processes in various local communities. The aim is to get inhabitants to think about their everyday landscapes, to exchange visions and ideas, and to help shape the landscapes. A WWW-package for local communities containing appro- priate guidelines is in preparation.

Contact:

PD Dr. Felix Kienast, Landscape Dynamics

and Management, Birmensdorf, Tel. 01-739 23 66,

E-mail: kienast@wsl.ch

Iris Heller-Kellenberger, Landscape Dynamics

and Management, Birmensdorf, Tel. 01-739 25 24,

E-mail: heller@wsl.ch

A111111al Report WSL / 998 19

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The Forest after the Storm

Russian natural forests as open-air laboratories WSL has been cooperat-

ing since 1993 with the Ural State Forest Engineering Academy on a project investigating wlndthrow forest areas In the Urals. The studies in the Russian taiga complement the research being done in Switzerland. Initial findings were described in 1998.

20 A111111al Report WSL I 998

WSL had, in fact, a unique opportunity twice. The first time was in February 1990 when Vivian, the storm of the century, swept over Switzerland and snapped many forest trees in two like matchsticks. Whole mountainsides were devastated. For those affected it was a catastrophe. The second opportunity came in 1991 when the Ural State Forest Engineering Academy in Russia's Yekaterinburg asked WSL to cooperate on a project. One possible topic was a study of the extensive areas of forest in the Ural where storms had blown down many trees.

Learning from nature

These storm-damaged areas provide researchers with a great opportunity to observe how a new forest emerges and how plants and animals react to the changes in light and in nutritional conditions. Moreover, it is possible to compare those areas where the fallen trees have been left lying with those

Yo1111g S1/,r,na,1 (11" 111 <1 stor111-da111agcd ,,rea

111 the Ce11tral Urals. As 1/ 110w rece1ues more ltg'1t, tis growth has accelerated.

which have been cleared. Such com- parisons provide a basis for making recommendations to foresters. WSL took up the challenge: for eight years now 20 windthrow areas in the Swiss Alps have been observed with the support of the cantons and the Swiss Agency for the Environment, Forests and Landscape. Since 1993 WSL and re- searchers from Yekaterinburg have been working jointly on studying storm- damaged forests in the Urals that have not been managed for a long time. This work has been supported by the Pots- dam Institute for Climate Impact Re- search, the Russian Ministry of Edu- cation and, since 1997, by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooper- ation and the Swiss National Science Foundation.

The pros and cons of clearing

WSL has already published many of the findings from the investigations of the Swiss windthrow areas. In 1998 prelimi- nary results from the Ural study were presented. They confirm that the way in which windthrow is tackled is crucial for reforestation. If the wood is left lying, then most of the forest regeneration widespread in these natural forests remains. If, on the other hand, the areas are cleared, then harvesting the wood may destroy a large part of the upcoming generation while at the same time encouraging pioneer species. At all the sites the numbers of herb and shrub species, of wood-decomposing fungi and of wood-occupying insect have increas- ed significantly.

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Ill ]1111e I 993 a t/11111derstor111 destroyed tins pme a11d spruce forest 111 the Urals. Smee the11 Russian and Swiss researchers luwe been st11dyi11g how a new forest grows.

Has there been more windthrow in the Urals recently than there was in the past because of climate change? Resear- chers did not detect such a trend in their analyses of over 300 storms, even though the mean monthly temperature has risen by one or two degrees over the past 100 years.

Further results should be published in 1999. The experts from Birmensdorf and Yekaterinburg have established close and cooperative relationships over the past seven years. Roughly 200 people have so far contributed in some form to the joint investigations.

As new research partnerships are established, the number of participants will increase.

Contact:

Dr. Reinhard Liissig,

Forest Resources and Management, Birmensdorf, Tel. 01-739 23 89, E-mail: laessig@wsl.ch

A111111al Report WSL I 998 21.

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(25)

Playing with Fire in the Interests of Science

How do forest fires affect plants, animals, the soil

A U111q11e Experimellt i11 T1ci110

and air? WSL's Sotto- Forest fires are frequent south of the stazione Sud delle Alpi Alps in Switzerland. In 1998 alone, a set a small section of year that was not particularly dry, more forest on fire in March than 100 fires were counted. Arson was 1998 in order to obtain often involved. This was certainly the new answers to these case on 28th March 1998 when part of questions. the woods above San Antonino near Bellinzona caught fire. On this occasion, however, the arsonists had genuine motives: the fire had been started by researchers from WSL's Sottostazione Sud delle Alpi in Bellinzona. They want- ed to find out how forest fires affect plants, animals, the soil and air. Scien- tists still know very little about these effects as it is normally not possible to compare the state of a forest before and after a fire or to take measurements during the fire. The fire experiment on 28th March allowed such data to be collected for the first time in Switzer- land. The experiment was part of the European research project "Prome- theus" and 16 research groups partici- pated. They came from WSL, EMPA Diibendorf, the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH), the Uni- versities of Bern, Basel and Freiburg i.

Brsg. and were helped by the Swiss Army.

The quantity of leaf litter on one section of the site was doubled, which increased the intensity of the fire. This

- In the litter layer, the temperature during the fire was 250 to 400°C for the area with less litter, and 350 to 650°C for the added litter variant. At a soil depth of 2.5 centimetres a temperature of only 35°C was recorded. Soil seems, there- fore, to be a good insulator against heat.

- The quantities of insects, spiders and myriapods trapped in the burnt area before and after the fire were roughly the same.

- The fire had most effect on shrubs and small trees. Larger trees, on the other hand, were scarcely damaged as the fire was confined to the surface. They deve- loped normal crowns in the same year.

These provided shade which meant that the composition of the herbaceous layer remained more or less unchanged.

- After the fire, considerably more run- off water flowed down the slope, and the quantity was proportional to the inten- sity of the fire. Unlike the neighbouring areas where there had been no fire, soil material was washed away from the fire site. This implies that the danger of erosion increases after a fire.

Further findings are due out soon.

The results should make it possible, among other things, to predict the erosion potential and the ecological consequences of forest fires.

The (tre 1s eat111g its way thrnugh the leaf litter. The te111/1erat111 e 111

the litter reaches 11/) to 6\"0°C.

imitates a situation that can anse 10 Contact:

/-or the f,rst t1111e III Su11t::;er/a11d sc1e11t1sts ca11 take 111eas11re111e11ts d11r111g a forest (,re.

forests that are no longer actively Marco Conedera, Sottostazione

managed. Sud delle Alpi, Bellinzona,

Tel. 091-821 52 31, The danger of erosion is increasing E-mail: conedera@wsl.ch The large quantities of data collected

are still being evaluated. Preliminary findings are:

A111111al Report W'SL /998 23

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Do Forest Trees Spurn Additional Carbon Dioxide?

How do higher con- centrations of carbon

dioxide in the air and larger depositions of nitrogen affect forest trees? An experiment carried out by WSL and other research Inst~

tutions supplied some answers that were, In part, surprising.

Fxperimenting with model mini-forests

If people start to consume significantly more sugar and fat, their weight will normally increase. Does something similar happen to forest trees when they receive more carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen? This question has preoccupied scientists for years. After all, carbon dioxide levels in the air are continually rising and depositions of nitrogen in the forest are increasing.

Forests in open-top chambers

Numerous experiments have been per- formed with plants and young trees cultivated in pots, but it is unclear to what extent these results apply to whole forests. A forest is made up not just of groups of individual trees, but consists of a multitude of living organisms which mutually influence each other. This is why scientists talk about the forest as an ecosystem. In 1994 WSL, in collabor- ation with numerous other research institutes cooperating under the pro-

height in cm

275 250 - -225 200 175 150 125 100 75 50 25

con1rol elevated Increased both CO2 and N CO, only N only increased

24 A111111al Rc/wrt WSL 1998

gramme "European Cooperation in the Field of Scientific and Technical Re- search" (COST) began a comprehensive experiment. For the first time in Europe it was planned to investigate, under the most natural conditions possible, the effects of increased atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and larger nitro- gen depositions on model forest eco- systems. In these model ecosystems, the trees compete for water, nutrition, space and light just as they would do in their natural environment. Researchers, therefore, planted 16 open-top chambers with model mini-forests in the grounds at WSL. Each chamber was divided into two halves: the first contained acidic soil low in nutrients, while the other half contained calcareous soil rich in nutrients. The model mini-forests on each half were both made up of eight spruce and eight beech trees, the most common tree species in Swiss forests, plus some typical herbaceous plants for the ground vegetation.

The mini-forests were treated in four different ways: The control forests grew in the normal air of the surroundings without increased nitrogen depositions.

For the second treatment, the concen- tration of carbon dioxide in the air was doubled (as is forecast to happen in the middle of the 21st century). In the third

S/1rnce ste111, after (our vears of gmwth 111 the o/1c11-top cha111hers. 011 the far nght are the trees t/Jat were cxfiosed to do11/Jled CO2 co11ce11/ratw11s a11d 111creased 111troge11 depo s1tio11s. These t1e:es wae 11111<h larger tlw11 t/Josc 111 th£' co11trol group (far left), a11d (I/so bigger 1/Ja11 those trees that had ra,•wed ,111-

/y cme tre(l/111e11t (e/euated CO2 senmd gro11fi (mm the left. or add1tw11t1/ 11itmge11, third fro111 the left). U11/ike the sprnce, t/Je beech- trees (110/ ,/mum) res/nmdcd 011/y :,;lightly to t/Je CO2 1111d 11itroge11 tre(l/111e11ts.

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treatment, additional nitrogen was in- troduced through irrigation, while in the fourth both the carbon dioxide and the nitrogen were increased.

Not a CO2 sink

The model ecosystems were studied continuously for four years. Finally, in

The experiment was carried out within the framework of the European research programme "The influence of elevated CO2 levels, climate change and air pollution on tree physiology (ICAT) ".

Participants included, besides WSL, the Universities of Berne, Basie, Neuchatel and Geneva, the ETH Zurich and the the autumn of 1998, the time was ripe. Paul Scherrer Institute, as well as various The researchers came equipped with institutes abroad. The Board of the Swiss secateurs and saws to harvest needles, Federal Institutes of Technology and the leaves, twigs, stems, and roots and to

take soil samples. The analyses, expert evaluations and discussions of the findings will still take some time.

Nevertheless, it is already possible to draw some conclusions:

- Doubling the CO2 concentration led to only a slight increase in growth in the model mini-forest. This implies that the additional carbon dioxide was not absorbed to a great extent. Thus the hope that forests, by acting as a so-called CO2 sink, could "remove" the excess carbon dioxide produced by humans is misguided.

- The beech and spruce trees reacted differently to the treatments. Doubling CO2 and raising the level of nitrogen did indeed stimulate the growth of the spruce. The beech trees, on the other hand, scarcely reacted. On the acidic soil that was low in nutrients, beech trees actually grew less well under doubled CO2 concentrations than under normal conditions. Spruce, therefore, was the winner of this "biodiversity compe- tition" under conditions with elevated CO2 and increased nitrogen deposition. This finding surprised scientists who had, if anything, expected the opposite.

Federal Office for Education and Science provided financial support. For the first time in Europe social scientists took part in this kind of natural science study. They observed the collaboration between the different disciplines and investigated how people reacted to such experiments and findings, as well as the problems involved in drafting appropriate legis- lation. Evaluation of their findings is still in progress.

Contact:

Dr. Ji.irg Bucher,

Forest and Environment Protection, Birmensdorf, Tel. 01-739 22 73, E-mail: bucher@wsl.ch

The model 1111111-(orests were planted 111

these 16 open-top c/Jambers.

State of one model m1111-(orest (om years after pla11t111g (last year of the expenme11t). The beech-trees are growmg m11c/J better 011 the calcareous so,/ (ng/Jt /Jal() than 011 t/Je ac1d1c soil (left /Jal(). The spruce trees, 011 the nt/Jer hand, are hardly respo11d111g tu the d1((ere11t sod compos1t1011s.

A111111al Report WISL 1998 25

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