TY - JOUR A1 - Rigling, Andreas A1 - Elkin, Ché A1 - Dobbertin, Matthias A1 - Eilmann, Britta A1 - Giuggiola, Arnaud A1 - Wohlgemuth, Thomas A1 - Bugmann, Harald T1 - Wald und Klimawandel in der inneralpinen Trockenregion Visp JF - Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Forstwesen N2 - Der Temperaturanstieg der vergangenen Jahrzehnte war in Gebirgsregionen besonders ausgeprägt. Sollte sich dieser Temperaturtrend im 21. Jahrhundert fortsetzen, dann dürf-ten sich auch die Häufigkeit und Intensität von Niederschlä-gen und Trockenperioden verändern, was die Waldwirtschaft vor grosse Herausforderungen stellen wird. Trockenheit ist ein entscheidender Faktor für die Waldökosysteme der inner-alpinen Täler, wo seit Jahren trockenheitsbedingtes Baum-sterben festgestellt wird. Der vorliegende Beitrag hat zum Ziel, die Sensitivität der verschiedenen Waldökosysteme ge-genüber Klimawandel und alternative, teilweise extreme Bewirtschaftungsvarianten in der Region Visp zu testen. Me-thodische Ansätze wie Monitoring, Feldexperimente und dy-namische Modellierung wurden kombiniert, und es wurden verschiedene Ökosystemleistungen berücksichtigt, so Holz-produktion, Schutz vor Naturgefahren, Kohlenstoffspeiche-rung und Aspekte der Biodiversität. Die Resultate deuten da-rauf hin, dass auf den Trockenstandorten der Tieflagen die einheimischen Baumarten an ihre physiologischen Grenzen stossen und längerfristig über alternative Baumarten nach-gedacht werden sollte. In den mittleren Lagen dürften Tro-ckenheit und Schadinsekten wie die Borkenkäfer die zukünf-tige Waldentwicklung steuern. In den Hochlagen hingegen werden sich die Wälder ausdehnen und besser wachsen als heute. Alle untersuchten Ökosystemleistungen werden ge-bietsweise starken Veränderungen unterworfen sein. Die dis-kutierten Bewirtschaftungsvarianten scheinen dazu geeignet, die Wasserverfügbarkeit der Bestände, hauptsächlich in tief-eren Lagen, zu erhöhen und dadurch die Widerstandskraft der Bäume gegenüber Trockenperioden vorübergehend zu stärken. Es ist aber davon ausgehen, dass nur verhältnismäs-sig starke Eingriffe wesentliche Effekte erzielen können. Die Verknüpfung von Umweltmonitoring, Feldexperimenten und Modellierung unter Miteinbezug von Ökosystemleistungen ist vielversprechend, da sie eine differenzierte Abschätzung des zukünftigen Landschaftswandels und seiner Effekte auf die Waldleistungen ermöglicht. Y1 - 2012 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3188/szf.2012.0481 SN - 2235-1469 (Online) SN - 0036-7818 (Print) VL - 163 IS - 12 SP - 481 EP - 492 PB - Schweizerischer Forstverein CY - Zürich ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Weber, Pascale A1 - Rigling, Andreas A1 - Eilmann, Britta A1 - Mayer, Phillip A1 - Wohlgemuth, Thomas A1 - Dobbertin, Matthias T1 - Verjüngung und Konkurrenz der Flaumeiche im Wallis JF - Informationsblatt Wald Y1 - 2008 SN - 1661-5859 (Online) SN - 1424-5701 (Print) SN - 1661-5832 (Print) IS - 22 SP - 1 EP - 3 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Eilmann, Britta A1 - Dobbertin, Matthias A1 - Rigling, Andreas T1 - Growth response of Scots pine with different crown transparency status to drought release JF - Annals of Forest Science Y1 - 2013 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13595-013-0310-z SN - 1286-4560 (Print) SN - 1297-966X (Online) VL - 70 IS - 7 SP - 685 EP - 693 PB - Springer CY - Cham ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Rigling, Andreas A1 - Bigler, Christof A1 - Eilmann, Britta A1 - Feldmeyer-Christe, Elisabeth A1 - Gimmi, Urs A1 - Ginzler, Christian A1 - Graf, Ulrich A1 - Mayer, Phillip A1 - Vacchiano, Giorgio A1 - Weber, Pascal A1 - Wohlgemuth, Thomas A1 - zweifel, Roman A1 - Dobbertin, Matthias T1 - Driving factors of a vegetation shift from Scots pine to pubescent oak in dry Alpine forests JF - Global Change Biology N2 - An increasing number of studies have reported on forest declines and vegetation shifts triggered by drought. In the Swiss Rhone valley (Valais), one of the driest inner-Alpine regions, the species composition in low elevation forests is changing: The sub-boreal Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) dominating the dry forests is showing high mortality rates. Concurrently the sub-Mediterranean pubescent oak (Quercus pubescens Willd.) has locally increased in abundance. However, it remains unclear whether this local change in species composition is part of a larger-scale vegetation shift. To study variability in mortality and regeneration in these dry forests we analysed data from the Swiss national forest inventory (NFI) on a regular grid between 1983 and 2003, and combined it with annual mortality data from a monitoring site. Pine mortality was found to be highest at low elevation (below 1000 m a.s.l.). Annual variation in pine mortality was correlated with a drought index computed for the summer months prior to observed tree death. A generalized linear mixed-effects model indicated for the NFI data increased pine mortality on dryer sites with high stand competition, particularly for small-diameter trees. Pine regeneration was low in comparison to its occurrence in the overstorey, whereas oak regeneration was comparably abundant. Although both species regenerated well at dry sites, pine regeneration was favoured at cooler sites at higher altitude and oak regeneration was more frequent at warmer sites, indicating a higher adaptation potential of oaks under future warming. Our results thus suggest that an extended shift in species composition is actually occurring in the pine forests in the Valais. The main driving factors are found to be climatic variability, particularly drought, and variability in stand structure and topography. Thus, pine forests at low elevations are developing into oak forests with unknown consequences for these ecosystems and their goods and services. Y1 - 2012 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12038 SN - 1354-1013 (Print) SN - 1365-2486 (Online) VL - 19 IS - 1 SP - 229 EP - 240 PB - Wiley-Blackwell CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dobbertin, Matthias A1 - Eilmann, Britta A1 - Bleuler, Peter A1 - Giuggiola, Arnaud A1 - Graf Pannatier, Elisabeth A1 - Landolt, Werner A1 - Schleppi, Patrick A1 - Rigling, Andreas T1 - Effect of irrigation on needle morphology, shoot and stem growth in a drought-exposed Pinus sylvestris forest JF - Tree Physiology N2 - In Valais, Switzerland, Scots pines (Pinus sylvestris L.) are declining, mainly following drought. To assess the impact of drought on tree growth and survival, an irrigation experiment was initiated in 2003 in a mature pine forest, approximately doubling the annual precipitation. Tree crown transparency (lack of foliage) and leaf area index (LAI) were annually assessed. Seven irrigated and six control trees were felled in 2006, and needles, stem discs and branches were taken for growth analysis. Irrigation in 2004 and 2005, both with below-average precipitation, increased needle size, area and mass, stem growth and, with a 1-year delay, shoot length. This led to a relative decrease in tree crown transparency (−14%) and to an increase in stand LAI (+20%). Irrigation increased needle length by 70%, shoot length by 100% and ring width by 120%, regardless of crown transparency. Crown transparency correlated positively with mean needle size, shoot length and ring width and negatively with specific leaf area. Trees with high crown transparency (low growth, short needles) experienced similar increases in needle mass and growth with irrigation than trees with low transparency (high growth, long needles), indicating that seemingly declining trees were able to ‘recover’ when water supply became sufficient. A simple drought index before and during the irrigation explained most of the variation found in the parameters for both irrigated and control trees. Y1 - 2010 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/treephys/tpp123 SN - 1758-4469 (Online) SN - 0829-318X (Print) VL - 30 IS - 3 SP - 346 EP - 360 PB - Oxford University Press CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Rigling, Andreas A1 - Eilmann, Britta A1 - Koechli, Roger A1 - Dobbertin, Matthias T1 - Mistletoe-induced crown degradation in Scots pine in a xeric environment N2 - Increasing Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) mortality has been recently observed in the dry inner valleys of the European Alps. Besides drought, infection with pine mistletoe (Viscum album ssp. austriacum) seems to play an important role in the mortality dynamics of Scots pines, but how mistletoes promote pine decline remains unclear. To verify whether pine mistletoe infection weakens the host via crown degradation, as observed for dwarf mistletoes, we studied the negative effects of pine mistletoe infestation on the photosynthetic tissues and branch growth of pairs of infested and non-infested branches. Pine mistletoe infection leads to crown degradation in its host by reducing the length, the radial increment, the ramification, the needle length and the number of needle years of the infested branches. This massive loss in photosynthetic tissue results in a reduction in primary production and a subsequent decrease in carbohydrate availability. The significant reduction in needle length due to mistletoe infection is an indication for a lower water and nutrient availability in infested branches. Thus, mistletoe infection might lead to a decrease in the availability of water and carbohydrates, the two most important growth factors, which are already shortened due to the chronic drought situation in the area. Therefore, pine mistletoe increases the risk of drought-induced mortality of its host when growing in a xeric environment. Y1 - 2010 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/treephys/tpq038 SN - 1758-4469 (Online) SN - 0829-318X (Print) VL - 30 IS - 7 SP - 845 EP - 832 PB - Oxford University Press CY - Oxford ER -