Research Projects

Abstract

The rapid pace and intensity of climate change has already left a notable signature on the world's forests. There is increasing concern that forests will not be able to keep pace with both direct changes in temperature and indirect influences via altered disturbance regimes, leading to marked loss of forest functions and forest economy over the coming century. To avoid lags in future forest function, society needs a better understanding of what future forests will look like and how they will function. A common approach to predict the effects of climate change is based on the concept of “climate analogues”. Thermophilic forest communities that occur on warm southward facing areas are widely distributed and common in the mountains of temperate Europe and serve as a climate change analogue for climate-sensitive mesophilic beech dominated forests across the temperate zone. However, despite their widespread occurrence and potential expansion under climate change, including their importance for future forest functions (e.g. wood production, biodiversity, and carbon storage), they have received almost no attention in the literature with regard to basic demography (i.e. regeneration, growth, and mortality), disturbance processes, and resilience to drought and disturbance. This project will provide a fundamental understanding of thermophilic forest structure, dynamics, and function, thereby filling a critical piece of the puzzle for better understanding the future of European forests under a warmer future. The proposed research will be split into three interlinked work packages focused on 1) structure (biomass), dynamics, and disturbance processes; 2) rates and drivers of demography; and 3) dendroclimatology. Study sites will expand an established network of well-replicated sites in unmanaged thermophilic forests in southeastern Europe. The breadth and depth of the proposed research will be accomplished by bilateral cooperation of two research institutions, the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CULS) and the University of Ljubljana (UL). The output will yield much needed insight into future forest functions (e.g. bio-economy, carbon storage, and biodiversity) and potential management guidelines given predicted increases in thermophilic forests under climate change.

The phases of the project and their realization 

• Sample processing – previously collected samples
• Fieldwork and data collection
• Methods development and image acquisition
• Sample measurements and laboratory analysis
• Disturbance histories reconstruction
• Growth trends and biomass dynamics analysis

Citations for bibliographic records

• link to Sicirs