Description: While considerable uncertainties are associated with the understanding of the earth's climate system, General Circulation Models (GCMs) commonly predict future widespread temperature increases into the next century. Impacts of the recent warming have been recognized for both abiotic (e.g., permafrost melting) and biotic (e.g., spring greening) systems. Forests represent an important biosphere component, as they contain about 90Prozent of the living terrestrial biomass, significantly regulate the land-atmosphere flux of water vapor, and are of considerable economic importance to society. However, even without consideration of feedbacks, warming impacts on ecosystem functioning in general and forests in particular, are difficult to predict due to their great complexity. In this project we will study the influence of a warming climate on tree-growth. To reach this objective, we have selected a study location (Lötschental Valley in the Central Swiss Alps) that offers a 1000 meter elevational gradient within a confined geographical region. The Lötschental offers both north and south facing slopes that are forested from the valley bottom (ca.1300 m asl) to treeline (ca.2300 m asl) with inter-mixed evergreen spruce (Picea abies) and deciduous larch (Larix decidua) trees. The temperature change along this transect (ca. 4 C) roughly corresponds with that projected for the year 2100 based on GCMs. As effects from warming may involve non-linear and subtle shifts in growing season length and cellular activity, significant emphasis will be placed on temporally highly-resolved (intra-seasonal) field measurements including: i) weekly collection of microcore samples, ii) hourly dendrometer measurements, iii) weekly phenological observations, and iv) in-situ meteorological measurements. Data will provide 'snapshots' of how trees grow and form annual rings at the cellular level and allow us to understand exactly how long cells spend in their various life stages. Details about the timing and duration of tracheid growth for different growing seasons (2007 - 2010) and as a function of elevation, will allow determination of climatic influences upon growing season length and growth rates for two major tree species. Our results will be used to help calibrate models of tree growth and will allow better prediction of how trees will respond to the future projected warming.
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Tags: Fichte ? Hirsch ? Jahresring ? Messgerät ? Baum ? Wasserdampf ? Schweiz ? Globales Klimamodell ? Temperatur ? Topographie ? Prognose ? Wirkung ? Brunnen ? Globale Erwärmung ? Dosis ? Ackerfläche ? Bewässerung ? Geographie ? Klimamodell ? Studie ? Vegetationsperiode ? Boden ? Wirkung ? Alpen ? Messung ? REACH ? Klimasystem ? Atmosphäre ? Biomasse ? Biosphäre ? Daten ? Permafrost ? in situ ? Klima ? Klimawandel ? Ökosystem ? Produktivität ? Wald ? Tal ? Gebiet ? Hang ? Wasser ? Zelle ? Schmelzen ? JAHRESZEITLICH ? NOERDLICH ? Art [Spezies] ? PROJEKT ? DAUER ? ERFASSUNG ? Pflanzenwachstum ? ERGEBNIS ? FORMBLAETTER ? FUNKTION ? RAU ? STANDORT ? HILF ? SUEDLICH ? ABHOLEN ? BAEUME ? Schmelzbad ? BESTANDTEIL ? Temperaturerhöhung ? WICHTIG ? AUSGEWAEHLT ? Wachstum [biologisch] ? Kalibrierung ? LAND ? OEKONOMISCH ? BETRACHTUNG ? NEU ? PROBE ?
License: Creative Commons Namensnennung-keine Bearbeitung-Nichtkommerziell 4.0
Language: Englisch/English
Last harvest: 16.07.2026 00:18
Time ranges: 2009-03-01 - 2012-08-31
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