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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.


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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The sPlot database as mentioned in this paper contains 1,121,244 vegetation plots, which comprise 23,586,216 records of plant species and their relative cover or abundance in plots collected worldwide between 1885 and 2015.
Abstract: Aims :Vegetation-plot records provide information on the presence and cover or abundance of plants co-occurring in the same community. Vegetation-plot data are spread across research groups, environmental agencies and biodiversity research centers and, thus, are rarely accessible at continental or global scales. Here we present the sPlot database, which collates vegetation plots worldwide to allow for the exploration of global patterns in taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity at the plant community level. Results: sPlot version 2.1 contains records from 1,121,244 vegetation plots, which comprise 23,586,216 records of plant species and their relative cover or abundance in plots collected worldwide between 1885 and 2015. We complemented the information for each plot by retrieving climate and soil conditions and the biogeographic context (e.g., biomes) from external sources, and by calculating community-weighted means and variances of traits using gap-filled data from the global plant trait database TRY. Moreover, we created a phylogenetic tree for 50,167 out of the 54,519 species identified in the plots. We present the first maps of global patterns of community richness and community-weighted means of key traits. Conclusions: The availability of vegetation plot data in sPlot offers new avenues for vegetation analysis at the global scale.

160 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
14 Feb 2008-Nature
TL;DR: It is shown, from a multi-factor analysis of European forest measurements, how interactions with site productivity and environment imply a much smaller NEP response to N deposition, implying a net sequestration near 470 kg C per kg N of total deposition.
Abstract: Arising from: F. Magnani et al. , 849–851 (2007)10.1038/nature05847 ; Magnani et al. reply Magnani et al.1 present a very strong correlation between mean lifetime net ecosystem production (NEP, defined as the net rate of carbon (C) accumulation in ecosystems2) and wet nitrogen (N) deposition. For their data in the range 4.9–9.8 kg N ha-1 yr-1, on which the correlation largely depends, the response is approximately 725 kg C per kg N in wet deposition. According to the authors, the maximum N wet deposition level of 9.8 kg N ha-1 yr-1 is equivalent to a total deposition of 15 kg N ha-1yr-1, implying a net sequestration near 470 kg C per kg N of total deposition. We question the ecological plausibility of the relationship and show, from a multi-factor analysis of European forest measurements, how interactions with site productivity and environment imply a much smaller NEP response to N deposition.

160 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors reviewed the ecological characteristics and current management and utilisation of European mountain forests, and identified areas in which research is needed in order to successfully manage forests for future societal needs.

160 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors analyzed species richness, diversity and community composition of 63 bird species with reference to major urban environmental gradients at 96 sampling points in three Swiss cities and selected the best explanatory models from candidate models following information theory, and their respective predictions were averaged based on AICc-weights.

160 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Without a clear understanding of the xylem formation process, it is not possible to comprehend how annual growth rings and typical wood structures are formed, recording normal seasonal variations of the environment as well as extreme climatic events.
Abstract: Wood is of crucial importance for man and biosphere. In this mini review, we present the fundamental processes involved in tree-ring formation and intra-annual dynamics of cambial activity, along with the influences of the environmental factors. During wood formation, new xylem cells produced by the cambium are undergoing profound transformations, passing through successive differentiation stages, which enable them to perform their functions in trees. Xylem cell formation can be divided in five major phases: (1) the division of a cambial mother cell that creates a new cell; (2) the enlargement of this newly formed cell; (3) the deposition of its secondary wall; (4) the lignification of its cell wall; and finally, (5) its programmed cell death. In most regions of the world cambial activity follows a seasonal cycle. At the beginning of the growing season, when temperature increases, the cambium resumes activity, producing new xylem cells. These cells are disposed along radial files, and start their differentiation program according to their birth date, creating typical developmental strips in the forming xylem. The width of these strips smoothly changes along the growing season. Finally, when climatic conditions deteriorate (temperature or water availability in particular), cambial activity stops, soon followed by cell enlargement, and later on by secondary wall deposition. Without a clear understanding of the xylem formation process, it is not possible to comprehend how annual growth rings and typical wood structures are formed, recording normal seasonal variations of the environment as well as extreme climatic events.

160 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