Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research

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.

Migration in spruce bark beetles (Ips typographus L.) and the efficiency of pheromone traps.

Abstract: Mark-release-recapture experiments with both newly emerged and flight experienced Ips typographus L. were performed in a pine forest near Prague. Three concentric trap circles around the release site with a radius of 5 m, 200 m and 500 m, and intertrap distances of 6 m, 16 m and. maximally, 40 m, were installed with the intention of collecting all dispersing bark beetles ready to respond to pheromone lures. The results show that even without wind and no potential host trees in the surroundings, only about one-third (35.4%) of the emerging beetles in an infested site can be eliminated locally with phermomone traps. At least 12.2% of the emerging beetles (25.7% of the recaptures), perform an adaptive migration flight, which brings them beyond the range of local pheromone traps. The estimated proportion of emigrants can rise over 50%, if most of the freshly emerged beetles that have never been recaptured are assumed to have left the experimental area. Electroantennograms recorded in the laboratory at different times after emergence indicate that the delayed response to aggregation pheromones in migrating bark beetles is not the result of a delayed maturation of the antennal receptor cells, but obviously governed by the central nervous system. The notion of precopulatory migration in 25–50% of the individuals in an I. typographus population can explain why pheromone traps can never eliminate all emerging beetles, and why so many bark beetles can be collected far away from any breeding sites.

Decadal ecosystem response to an anomalous melt season in a polar desert in Antarctica

Abstract: Amplified climate change in polar regions is significantly altering regional ecosystems, yet there are few long-term records documenting these responses. The McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV) cold desert ecosystem is the largest ice-free area of Antarctica, comprising soils, glaciers, meltwater streams and permanently ice-covered lakes. Multi-decadal records indicate that the MDV exhibited a distinct ecosystem response to an uncharacteristic austral summer and ensuing climatic shift. A decadal summer cooling phase ended in 2002 with intense glacial melt (‘flood year’)—a step-change in water availability triggering distinct changes in the ecosystem. Before 2002, the ecosystem exhibited synchronous behaviour: declining stream flow, decreasing lake levels, thickening lake ice cover, decreasing primary production in lakes and streams, and diminishing soil secondary production. Since 2002, summer air temperatures and solar flux have been relatively consistent, leading to lake level rise, lake ice thinning and elevated stream flow. Biological responses varied; one stream cyanobacterial mat type immediately increased production, but another stream mat type, soil invertebrates and lake primary productivity responded asynchronously a few years after 2002. This ecosystem response to a climatic anomaly demonstrates differential biological community responses to substantial perturbations, and the mediation of biological responses to climate change by changes in physical ecosystem properties. The McMurdo Dry Valleys is the largest ice-free ecosystem in Antarctica. Here, the varied community responses to an anomalous melt season are documented.

Soil nutrients influence growth response of temperate tree species to drought

Abstract: Summary Soil properties can buffer forest response to global climate change. However, it is unclear how soil characteristics, water availability and their interactions can affect drought response of trees. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of soil nutrients and physical soil properties on the growth sensitivity of Fagus sylvatica, Quercus spp., Fraxinus excelsior, Abies alba, Picea abies and Pinus sylvestris to drought in Central Europe. Yearly growth data from increment cores were obtained from 538 trees and combined with forest inventory and soil data at 52 sites covering a large gradient of water availability and C/N ratios in soil. Linear mixed-effects models were used to assess the species-specific growth responses to climate and soil properties for the period 1957–2006. The growth of the species was further projected across the full range of C/N and water availability observed at 1029 sites where soil and species cover-abundance data were available. Temperature, water and nutrient availability (C/N) were the most important factors for tree growth. Drought and low nutrient availability significantly reduced the growth of beech, ash, fir and spruce along the gradient. In contrast, the growth of pine and oak was little reduced on poor and dry sites, hence showing their competitive advantage over nutrient-demanding species under such conditions. The growth of ash and pine was enhanced at sites with high species abundance, whereas an opposite response was found for spruce. No clear relationships between growth and species abundance were found for beech, oak and fir. Synthesis. Our results suggest that assessing tree responses to climate change without considering simultaneously soil properties and climate may be misleading since soil nutrients can influence growth response of trees to drought. A detailed analysis of the influence of the soil characteristics on growth responses of trees is necessary to understand the sensitivity of tree species to global climate change.