Item: GLOBAL CHANGE IMPACTS ON AVALANCHE PROTECTIVE FORESTS—CURRENT KNOWLEDGE AND FUTURE RESEARCH DIRECTIONS
-
-
Title: GLOBAL CHANGE IMPACTS ON AVALANCHE PROTECTIVE FORESTS—CURRENT KNOWLEDGE AND FUTURE RESEARCH DIRECTIONS
Proceedings: International Snow Science Workshop 2024, Tromsø, Norway
Authors:
- Michaela Teich [ Department of Natural Hazards, Austrian Research Centre for Forests (BFW), Innsbruck, Austria ]
- Ana Stritih [ TUM School of Life Sciences, Department of Life Science Systems, Chair of Ecosystem Dynamics and Forest Management, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany ]
- Alessandra Bottero [ WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Davos, Switzerland ] [ Climate Change, Extremes and Natural Hazards in Alpine Regions Research Centre CERC, Davos, Switzerland ]
- Christine Moos [ Bern University of Applied Sciences, BFH-HAFL, Zollikofen, Switzerland ]
Date: 2024-09-23
Abstract: Protective forests provide an indispensable ecosystem service by protecting people and infrastructure against natural hazards and, therefore, serve a vital role in managing associated risks. Forests growing in avalanche terrain can inhibit avalanche formation by stabilizing the snowpack and significantly decelerate or stop small to medium size avalanches that have released within forests or closely above the treeline. However, forests are increasingly affected by global change, including climate change, more frequent and severe natural disturbances, and shifts in land-use, affecting the long-term and sustainable provision of their protective services. To improve our understanding of the various impacts that global change has on avalanche protective forests, we summarized the current knowledge based on a systematic literature review following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) method. This resulted in 36 peer-reviewed, English publications, which specifically addressed changes in forests’ protective effects against snow avalanches under global change. The geographic distribution of the studies’ locations reflects the long tradition and institutional embedding of protective forest management in the European Alps. Overall, most of the reviewed studies report at least partly negative impacts of global change on the protective effects of forests against snow avalanches, especially under exacerbating climate change scenarios. A decline in forest growing stock due to more frequent and severe disturbances, drought-related mortality or growth decrease, as well as due to land-use change or intensive management is expected to reduce the protective effect in the long-term. However, climate change-related growth increases at high elevations, re-/afforestation as well as post-disturbance legacies can positively affect avalanche protective forests. Most of the reviewed studies were case studies using indicators of forest structure, while quantitative hazard and risk assessments were less common. Studies often used forest simulation models or process-based avalanche models, but never combined the two. More empirical studies and monitoring efforts, consistent indicators across different case studies as well as modeling approaches linking forest structure to hazard and risk are needed for a better understanding of changes in avalanche protective forests to support a proactive and sustainable management of these extremely valuable Nature-based Solutions under global change.
Object ID: ISSW2024_O4.1.pdf
Language of Article: English
Presenter(s): Michaela Teich
Keywords: protective forest, Nature-based Solution, snow avalanche, climate change, natural disturbance, land-use change
Page Number(s): 553 - 561
-