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Institution

Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research

FacilityBirmensdorf, 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.


Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A range of evidence supports a positive terrestrial carbon sink in response to iCO2, albeit with uncertain magnitude and strong suggestion of a role for additional agents of global change.
Abstract: Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration ([CO2 ]) is increasing, which increases leaf-scale photosynthesis and intrinsic water-use efficiency. These direct responses have the potential to increase plant growth, vegetation biomass, and soil organic matter; transferring carbon from the atmosphere into terrestrial ecosystems (a carbon sink). A substantial global terrestrial carbon sink would slow the rate of [CO2 ] increase and thus climate change. However, ecosystem CO2 responses are complex or confounded by concurrent changes in multiple agents of global change and evidence for a [CO2 ]-driven terrestrial carbon sink can appear contradictory. Here we synthesize theory and broad, multidisciplinary evidence for the effects of increasing [CO2 ] (iCO2 ) on the global terrestrial carbon sink. Evidence suggests a substantial increase in global photosynthesis since pre-industrial times. Established theory, supported by experiments, indicates that iCO2 is likely responsible for about half of the increase. Global carbon budgeting, atmospheric data, and forest inventories indicate a historical carbon sink, and these apparent iCO2 responses are high in comparison to experiments and predictions from theory. Plant mortality and soil carbon iCO2 responses are highly uncertain. In conclusion, a range of evidence supports a positive terrestrial carbon sink in response to iCO2 , albeit with uncertain magnitude and strong suggestion of a role for additional agents of global change.

234 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors focus on the impact of model complexity on the energy-budget components of a snow energy-model and evaluate different albedo parameterizations for different snowpack states (in winter and spring).
Abstract: Many snow models have been developed for various applications such as hydrology, global atmospheric circulation models and avalanche forecasting. The degree of complexity of these models is highly variable, ranging from simple index methods to multi-layer models that simulate snow-cover stratigraphy and texture. In the framework of the Snow Model Intercomparison Project (SnowMIP), 23 models were compared using observed meteorological parameters from two mountainous alpine sites.The analysis here focuses on validation of snow energy-budget simulations. Albedo and snow surface tem- perature observations allow identification of the more realistic simulations and quantifi- cation of errors for two components of the energy budget: the net short- and longwave radiation. In particular, the different albedo parameterizations are evaluated for different snowpack states (in winter and spring). Analysis of results during the melting period allows an investigation of the different ways of partitioning the energy fluxes and reveals the complex feedbacks which occur when simulating the snow energy budget. Particular attention is paid to the impact of model complexity on the energy-budget components. The model complexity has a major role for the net longwave radiation calculation, whereas the albedo parameterization is the most significant factor explaining the accu- racy of the net shortwave radiation simulation.

233 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The results support the thesis that I. typographus fulfils the majority of criteria for a keystone species, particularly that of maintenance of biodiversity in forests, and suggest that logging in recent gaps in medium aged mixed montane stands should aim at retention of a part of the dead wood.
Abstract: The influence of natural disturbance on biodiversity is poorly known in the intensively cultivated landscape of Europe. As an example of insect disturbance we studied effects of gaps generated by outbreaks of the spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus) on biodiversity in the area of the National Park “Bavarian Forest” and compared them with openings (e.g. meadows) created by humans in these forests. Insects were sampled using flight interception traps across twelve ecotones between edges of closed forest, six bark beetle gaps and six meadows. The diversity and species density of true bugs and of bees/wasps increased significantly from the closed stand to the edge, and continued to increase inside the openings at interior and exterior edges. Species density in saproxylic beetles also increased significantly from closed forest to opening, but only across ecotones including bark beetle gaps. Similarly, the number of critically endangered saproxylic beetles increased significantly in bark beetle gaps. Using indicator species analysis a total of 60 species were identified as possessing a statistically significant value indicating preference for one of the habitat types along the ecotones: 29 of them preferred gaps, 24 preferred meadows, three were characteristic for edges of meadows, three for edges of bark beetle gaps, but only one was typical of closed forest. Most of our results support the thesis that I. typographus fulfils the majority of criteria for a keystone species, particularly that of maintenance of biodiversity in forests. Our results emphasize the value for the study and conservation of insect diversity of the policy of non-interference with natural processes pursued in some protected areas. As a recommendation to forest management for increasing insect diversity even in commercial forest, we suggest that logging in recent gaps in medium aged mixed montane stands should aim at retention of a part of the dead wood. Planting should be avoided, to lengthen the important phase of sunlit conditions.

232 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
Maria Dornelas1, Laura H. Antão1, Laura H. Antão2, Faye Moyes1  +283 moreInstitutions (130)
TL;DR: The BioTIME database contains raw data on species identities and abundances in ecological assemblages through time to enable users to calculate temporal trends in biodiversity within and amongst assemblage using a broad range of metrics.
Abstract: Motivation: The BioTIME database contains raw data on species identities and abundances in ecological assemblages through time. These data enable users to calculate temporal trends in biodiversity within and amongst assemblages using a broad range of metrics. BioTIME is being developed as a community-led open-source database of biodiversity time series. Our goal is to accelerate and facilitate quantitative analysis of temporal patterns of biodiversity in the Anthropocene.Main types of variables included: The database contains 8,777,413 species abundance records, from assemblages consistently sampled for a minimum of 2 years, which need not necessarily be consecutive. In addition, the database contains metadata relating to sampling methodology and contextual information about each record.Spatial location and grain: BioTIME is a global database of 547,161 unique sampling locations spanning the marine, freshwater and terrestrial realms. Grain size varies across datasets from 0.0000000158 km(2) (158 cm(2)) to 100 km(2) (1,000,000,000,000 cm(2)).Time period and grainBio: TIME records span from 1874 to 2016. The minimal temporal grain across all datasets in BioTIME is a year.Major taxa and level of measurement: BioTIME includes data from 44,440 species across the plant and animal kingdoms, ranging from plants, plankton and terrestrial invertebrates to small and large vertebrates.

231 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Using field data from 1949–1995 and previously undescribed statistical techniques, it is shown that Y. pestis prevalence in gerbils increases with warmer springs and wetter summers, and threat of outbreaks may be increasing where humans live in close contact with rodents and fleas harboring endemic plague.
Abstract: The bacterium Yersinia pestis causes bubonic plague. In Central Asia, where human plague is still reported regularly, the bacterium is common in natural populations of great gerbils. By using field data from 1949–1995 and previously undescribed statistical techniques, we show that Y. pestis prevalence in gerbils increases with warmer springs and wetter summers: A 1°C increase in spring is predicted to lead to a >50% increase in prevalence. Climatic conditions favoring plague apparently existed in this region at the onset of the Black Death as well as when the most recent plague pandemic arose in the same region, and they are expected to continue or become more favorable as a result of climate change. Threats of outbreaks may thus be increasing where humans live in close contact with rodents and fleas (or other wildlife) harboring endemic plague.

230 citations


Authors

Showing all 1333 results

NameH-indexPapersCitations
Peter H. Verburg10746434254
Bernhard Schmid10346046419
Christian Körner10337639637
André S. H. Prévôt9051138599
Fortunat Joos8727636951
Niklaus E. Zimmermann8027739364
Robert Huber7831125131
David Frank7818618624
Jan Esper7525419280
James W. Kirchner7323821958
David B. Roy7025026241
Emmanuel Frossard6835615281
Derek Eamus6728517317
Benjamin Poulter6625522519
Ulf Büntgen6531615876
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Performance
Metrics
No. of papers from the Institution in previous years
YearPapers
2023111
2022173
2021395
2020327
2019269
2018281