Revitalized Riparian Forests - Dynamics and Resilience in the Context of Multifunctionality
Riparian forest ecosystems are azonal plant communities that can be characterized as ecotones between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Their significance for ecological diversity and the provision of a variety of ecosystem services is immense: they contribute to climate regulation through their cooling effect on the environment and the filtering of UV radiation; in urban areas, they protect against pollution and mitigate flood peaks. Additionally, they provide crucial habitats for countless species of flora and fauna and serve as spaces for recreation for the population. Despite their apparent naturalness, riparian forests are among the most anthropogenically influenced and altered ecosystems in Central Europe due to long-term intensive use. Groundwater depletion, river channelization, and drainage for land reclamation have nearly eliminated the natural dynamics of softwood and hardwood floodplains. The designation as a nature reserve by the BayStMELF in 2020 aims to facilitate a more natural development, using the example of the riparian forest along the middle Isar river between Landshut and northern Munich.
The interdisciplinary research project A-DUR aims to enhance understanding of the consequences of intensive forestry use and recreational activities, as well as opportunities for the restoration and revitalization of riparian forest systems. Five sub-projects cover questions ranging from ecological to social and health science topics.
Sub-project 02: Forest Dynamics and Carbon Sequestration is conducted at the Chair of Forest and Agroforestry Systems in collaboration with the Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences. Through the spatial assessment of various forest structures and dynamics using Mobile Laser Scanning (MLS), existing inventory data, light measurements, and retrospective analysis methods, relationships between carbon sequestration and forest dynamics, land use history, species composition, and forest structure will be examined. This will enable the derivation of management recommendations and their transferability to comparable ecosystems.
Contact:
Duration:
2024-2027
Funding:
Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)