Institution
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research
Facility•Birmensdorf, Switzerland•
About: Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research is a facility organization based out in Birmensdorf, Switzerland. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Climate change & Soil water. The organization has 1256 authors who have published 3222 publications receiving 161639 citations. The organization is also known as: WSL.
Topics: Climate change, Soil water, Geology, Biodiversity, Environmental science
Papers published on a yearly basis
Papers
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TL;DR: The results indicate that deglacierizing basins could make important contributions to national energy supplies in several countries, particularly in High Mountain Asia.
Abstract: Climate change is causing widespread glacier retreat1, and much attention is devoted to negative impacts such as diminishing water resources2, shifts in runoff seasonality3, and increases in cryosphere-related hazards4. Here we focus on a different aspect, and explore the water-storage and hydropower potential of areas that are expected to become ice-free during the course of this century. For roughly 185,000 sites that are glacierized at present, we predict the potentially emerging reservoir storage volume and hydropower potential. Using a climate-driven glacier-evolution model5 and topographical analysis6, we estimate a theoretical maximal total storage and hydropower potential of 875 ± 260 cubic kilometres and 1,355 ± 515 terawatt-hours per year, respectively (95% confidence intervals). A first-order suitability assessment that takes into account environmental, technical and economic factors identifies roughly 40 per cent of this potential (355 ± 105 cubic kilometres and 533 ± 200 terawatt-hours per year) as possibly being suitable for realization. Three quarters of the potential storage volume is expected to become ice-free by 2050, and the storage volume would be enough to retain about half of the annual runoff leaving the investigated sites. Although local impacts would need to be assessed on a case-by-case basis, the results indicate that deglacierizing basins could make important contributions to national energy supplies in several countries, particularly in High Mountain Asia. Glacierized regions that are projected to become ice-free in this century could provide substantial water storage and hydroelectric power, according to this worldwide theoretical assessment.
78 citations
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TL;DR: The recovery of vegetation in the authors' naturally regenerating bog was beneficial for the carbon sequestration after the relatively short period of 20 yr, and air temperature and vegetation index were the two main determinants of ecosystem respiration and gross photosynthesis at light saturation.
Abstract: Carbon dioxide and methane (CH4) fluxes were measured in a cutover bog of the Jura Mountains (France) together with biotic and abiotic variables for two entire vegetation periods in order to compare the carbon balance of the bog at three stages of regeneration Among all factors, air temperature and vegetation index (including leaf area of vascular plants, bryophyte density and bryophyte desiccation) were the two main determinants of ecosystem respiration and gross photosynthesis at light saturation During 2004 and 2005, the vegetated plots acted as carbon sinks Net carbon exchange ranged between 67 and 166 g C m(-2) yr(-1) for the Eriophorum-dominated plots and between 93 and 183 g C m(-2) yr(-1) for the Sphagnum-dominated plots The bare peat plots represented a net carbon source (between -19 and -32 g C m(-2) yr(-1)) Methane fluxes accounted for a very small part of the total carbon efflux (< 2%) The recovery of vegetation in our naturally regenerating bog was beneficial for the carbon sequestration after the relatively short period of 20 yr
78 citations
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TL;DR: In this paper, an adapted system of clustered afforestation (in German: Rottenpflanzung) has been developed and tested, where three to six small collectives were arranged in such a distance that they would merge into a larger tree "cluster" after a few decades.
78 citations
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TL;DR: In this article, the effects of a changed snow density have so far not been explicitly tested and the results suggest that changes in snow density, which have been largely neglected in the global change discussion until now, can cause significant changes in soil and vegetation processes.
Abstract: Snow properties such as snow density will likely change in a warmer climate. Changes in depth and extent of snow cover have been shown to affect soil nutrient dynamics and plant growth; however, effects of a changed snow density have so far not been explicitly tested. We altered snow properties (especially depth and density according to those found on ski runs) and investigated effects on soil temperatures, soil nitrogen mineralization, plant phenology, and productivity. A denser, thinner snow cover led to reduced soil insulation and lower soil temperatures, which consequently increased net N mineralization. A denser snow cover furthermore resulted in a delay in plant phenology of up to five weeks after melt-out. The results suggest that changes in snow density, which have been largely neglected in the global change discussion until now, can cause significant changes in soil and vegetation processes.
78 citations
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University of Alcalá1, University of Granada2, University of Mississippi3, University of California, Berkeley4, University of Washington5, University of Maine6, Natural Resources Canada7, Australian National University8, University of Padua9, University of Alberta10, University of Turin11, United States Forest Service12, University of Würzburg13, Laval University14, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research15, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences16
TL;DR: The most frequent response variables were tree regeneration, ground cover, and deadwood characteristics as mentioned in this paper, and replication of salvaged stands rarely exceeded 10 occurrences per year after a single disturbance event.
Abstract: Wildfires, insect outbreaks, and windstorms are increasingly common forest disturbances. Post-disturbance management often involves salvage logging, i.e., the felling and removal of the affected trees; however, this practice may represent an additional disturbance with effects on ecosystem processes and services. We developed a systematic map to provide an overview of the primary studies on this topic and created a database with information on the characteristics of the retrieved publications, including information on stands, disturbance, intervention, measured outcomes, and study design. Of 4341 retrieved publications, 90 were retained in the systematic map. These publications represented 49 studies, predominantly from North America and Europe. Salvage logging after wildfire was addressed more frequently than after insect outbreaks or windstorms. Most studies addressed logging after a single disturbance event, and replication of salvaged stands rarely exceeded 10. The most frequent response variables were tree regeneration, ground cover, and deadwood characteristics. This document aims to help managers find the most relevant primary studies on the ecological effects of salvage logging. It also aims to identify and discuss clusters and gaps in the body of evidence, relevant for scientists who aim to synthesize previous work or identify questions for future studies.
78 citations
Authors
Showing all 1333 results
Name | H-index | Papers | Citations |
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Peter H. Verburg | 107 | 464 | 34254 |
Bernhard Schmid | 103 | 460 | 46419 |
Christian Körner | 103 | 376 | 39637 |
André S. H. Prévôt | 90 | 511 | 38599 |
Fortunat Joos | 87 | 276 | 36951 |
Niklaus E. Zimmermann | 80 | 277 | 39364 |
Robert Huber | 78 | 311 | 25131 |
David Frank | 78 | 186 | 18624 |
Jan Esper | 75 | 254 | 19280 |
James W. Kirchner | 73 | 238 | 21958 |
David B. Roy | 70 | 250 | 26241 |
Emmanuel Frossard | 68 | 356 | 15281 |
Derek Eamus | 67 | 285 | 17317 |
Benjamin Poulter | 66 | 255 | 22519 |
Ulf Büntgen | 65 | 316 | 15876 |