Private

FS 3.191

Management of post-disturbance mountain forest recovery

Details

Full Title
FS 3.191: Forest recovery after disturbance: Challenges and opportunities for the management of mountain forests
Scheduled
TBA
Location
TBA
Convener
Alessandra Bottero
Co-Conveners
Harald Bugmann, Dominik Kulakowski, Miroslav Svoboda, Euan Bowditch, Marco Mina,
Assigned to Synthesis Workshop
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Thematic Focus
Adaptation, Biodiversity, ES-Forests, Sustainable Development
Keywords
Experiments, Forest tree regeneration, Global change, Modelling, Observations

Description

Climate change, extreme climatic events, and increasing natural disturbances can stress and disrupt ecological processes in mountain forests. For instance, widespread bark beetle outbreaks in the Alps have highlighted the vulnerability of these forests, which in turn can threaten key ecosystem services, such as their protective functions against natural hazards. To maintain protective effects over time, effective management and the promotion of tree regeneration are essential–not only for fostering ecological resilience but also for ensuring forest stability and the sustained delivery of essential ecosystem services in mountain regions. While disturbances present challenges for forest managers, they may also offer opportunities to better understand ecosystem recovery processes. Disturbance legacies, such as deadwood, can support regeneration, promote biodiversity, and sustain ecosystem services during recovery. Proactively leveraging these legacies through targeted post-disturbance management strategies can strengthen forest resilience and stability under uncertain future conditions. This session will focus on how post-disturbance management can facilitate forest recovery, particularly by supporting ecosystem services and biodiversity under uncertain future conditions. We invite contributions that explore innovative management approaches, practical tools, and scientific insights to guide decision-makers in promoting resilient mountain forest ecosystems in the face of climate change and increasing natural disturbances.

Submitted Abstracts

ID: 3.8611

Forest stand characteristics and salvage logging strategies affect the dynamics of post-windthrow vegetation trajectories

Carlotta Grande
Candotti, Anna; Stein, Miriam; Alberti, Giorgio; Lingua, Emanuele; Tomelleri, Enrico

Abstract/Description

The increasing frequency and intensity of windthrow events pose significant ecological, economic, and social challenges. A notable example
is storm Vaia (2018), which devastated over 42,500 ha of forest across Trentino Alto Adige, Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Lombardy,
and, to a lesser extent, Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta, with an estimated 16.5 million m³ of fallen trees. Understanding post-disturbance
forest recovery is crucial for guiding management strategies that promote resilient restoration. This study examines post-Vaia
vegetation dynamics by integrating earth observation data and field monitoring to assess regeneration trajectories. During summer
2021, field data were collected from 32 transects in affected areas of South Tyrol using a standardized protocol. The survey covered
edge forest structure, dead wood presence, and ground cover. To assess vegetation dynamics remotely, we used the Normalized Difference
Vegetation Index (NDVI) from Sentinel-2 (2016-2024) and land surface temperature (LST) from ECOSTRESS (2018-2024). Time series
analysis grouped sites based on similar recovery trajectories. Additional data from field surveys, topography, climate, and salvage
logging were integrated into a Multifactorial Analysis (MFA) to explain observed temporal patterns. The analysis identified three distinct
recovery trajectories, primarily influenced by topography, temperature, and precipitation. The pronounced seasonality in two recovery
groups suggested successional stages dominated by grasses and herbs, with limited tree regeneration, indicating slow forest recovery.
Although harvesting strategies are often guided by topography, different methods affect soil conditions and subsequent vegetation
growth. While NDVI and LST effectively captured broad recovery trends, they had limitations in detecting species-specific regeneration
and site diversity, underscoring the need for supplementary data. Our findings highlight the importance of integrating earth observations
with ground-based surveys to assess post-windthrow recovery and inform forest management. Understanding how stand characteristics
and salvage logging influence regeneration is key to optimizing intervention strategies in mountain forests. These insights support
decision-making for resilient forest restoration. Future research should expand monitoring efforts to neighbouring regions and incorporate
species-specific analyses to refine post-disturbance management.

ID: 3.10431

Dynamics of natural regeneration following the 2006 windstorm in the mountain forests of the Slovenian Alps

Aleš Poljanec
Trifković, Vasilije; Bončina, Andrej; Sever, Kristina; Nève Repe, Andreja; Klopčič, Matija

Abstract/Description

Natural disturbances play a major role in the dynamics of forest structure and composition. For close-to-nature silviculture understanding the resilience to and recovery after devastating natural disturbances is crucial. In 2006 a severe windstorm damaged 160 ha of mature pure secondary Picea abies stands in the Julian Alps growing in sites with the potential natural forest vegetation of Fagus sylvatica, Picea abies and Abies alba with admixture of some minor tree species. On the 125 ha of totally damaged forest a systematic grid of 81 permanent plots (size of each 4 × 4 m; grid 100 × 200 m) was established for a long-term monitoring of tree species regeneration dynamics (i.e. regeneration density, tree species composition, height structure, and browsing damage). Four consecutive inventories of natural regeneration were conducted between 2008 and 2025. To identify predictors of occurrence and abundance of natural regeneration the Tobit censored regression model were developed, the independent variables being various site and stand parameters (i. e. inclination, microrelief, soil type, canopy closure, distance to stand edge). In the observed period significant changes in the abundance of natural regeneration and its tree species composition are evident. The proportion of Norway spruce in natural regeneration has declined, while the proportion of light-demanding broadleaved tree species (Acer pseudoplatanus and Sorbus aucuparia) has increased. Browsing pressure, particularly on Abies alba and Sorbus aucuparia, negative affected regeneration dynamics. Our findings provide an insight into forest recovery after a large-scale high-severity disturbance and have direct implications for close-to-nature and multipurpose forest management of mountain forests. The study was partially funded by the JeloviZA, SOILOurInvisibleAlly and MOSAIC projects.

ID: 3.11023

Ecology, floristic-vegetational features and future perspectives of spruce forests affected by Ips typographus: insights from the Southern Alps

Riccardo Panza
Giupponi, Luca; Bisaglia, Beatrice; Pedrali, Davide; Alberto, Alex; Sala, Stefano; Giorgi, Annamaria

Abstract/Description

The Horizon-funded MountResilience project supports mountain areas to improve their adaptation to climate change, addressing regional needs with a multilevel engagement and co-creation process. As part of this initiative, we focused on a pressing issue for mountain forest management: the increasing impact of climate-driven natural disturbances. In recent years, extensive outbreaks of the bark beetle (Ips typographus) have severely impacted spruce (Picea abies) forests in the Southern Alps, yet their ecological consequences remain insufficiently explored. This study investigates the distribution, ecological, and floristic-vegetational characteristics of forests recently affected by the bark beetle in the upper Oglio River basin (Northern Italy) and applies a MaxEnt model to predict severe insect infestations in the coming decades. Findings reveal that affected spruce forests are confined to the sub-montane and montane belts (below 1,600 m a.s.l.), with 85% of them occurring in areas receiving high annual solar radiation (>3,500 MJ m⁻²). The predictive model for bark beetle susceptibility demonstrated high accuracy (AUC = 0.91) and identified the mean temperature of the dry winter quarter as the dominant predictor (80.1% contribution), with temperatures between -2.5 and 2.5 °C being particularly conducive to the pest. By 2080, the model forecasts that over 58% of the current spruce forests in the study area will be highly susceptible (probability > 0.7) to severe bark beetle attacks. Floristic-vegetational and ecological analyses of 11 beetle-affected sites suggest that future forest communities will be more thermophilic and significantly distinct from pre-disturbance conditions, both floristically and structurally. Additionally, the dense presence of standing dead spruce trees seems to accelerate plant succession, promoting the establishment of mature forest communities in a shorter timeframe. Recent outbreaks in the Southern Alps pose a significant challenge and are widely regarded as a threat. However, they also provide an opportunity to enhance our understanding of natural disturbances, ecological processes, and biodiversity conservation. This knowledge could inform updated management strategies for Alpine forests in response to the environmental changes of this century.

ID: 3.11249

Bark Beetle Outbreaks in Slovenia Over the Last 30 Years: Patterns, Drivers, and Management Strategies

Andreja Nève Repe
de Groot, Maarten; Kolšek, Marija; Poljanec, Aleš

Abstract/Description

Extensive outbreaks of native spruce bark beetles (Curculionidae: Scolytinae) have affected coniferous forests throughout Europe. Spruce bark beetle outbreaks have significantly impacted Slovenian forests as well over the past 30 years, with increasing frequency in the last decade where 11.672.070 m³ was salvage logged due to spruce bark beetles. The Alpine region has been recently particularly affected by climate changes, facing severe ecological and economic consequences. European spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus L.) outbreaks cause significant changes in landscape structure, reduce carbon storage, increase wildfire risk, accelerate soil erosion, alter water cycles, increase risk for invasive species, impact forest-based economies, and diminish the aesthetic and recreational value of forests. The management of bark beetles including preventive measures, proper response to outbreaks, and the restoration of damaged forests is therefore of crucial importance. This study analyses the spatial and temporal dynamics of outbreaks in Slovenia from 1995 to 2024. We present the research done in previous years verifying a combination of biotic and abiotic factors that precede an outbreak. Key environmental drivers, such as altitude, precipitation changes, and host tree composition and prior abiotic disturbance are shown to affect the probability of bark beetle outbreaks. The findings reveal a clear shift in outbreak patterns, with infestations spreading into higher elevations and drier regions, increasing the vulnerability of mountain forests. Integrated forest pest management approaches to mitigate future risks, emphasizing the importance of mixed-species stands, early detection systems, and climate-resilient forestry practices will be discussed. Effective bark beetle management requires a combination of prevention, suppression, and restoration strategies. Prevention focuses on altering forest conditions to reduce susceptibility, suppression targets existing infestations to limit further spread, and restoration aims to re-establish ecological integrity and resilience. An integrated approach combining all three strategies is essential for formulating a sustainable and adaptive management policy. This research provides information for sustainable forest protection in mountainous regions under accelerating environmental change.

ID: 3.11834

Narratives and practices for climate change adaptation in a forest dieback context. Case study of the Doller Valley in the mid-mountain massif of Vosges (Haut-Rhin, France).

Sandrine Allain
Girard, Marc

Abstract/Description

The Doller Valley (Vosges massif, France) forests have experimented drastic landscape changes in the recent years due to tree diebacks and bark beetles’ attacks. These concrete manifestations of climate change, although multifactorial, have become structuring events and impacted both forest management practices as well as people’s expectations about the forest. For some, wood production is no longer necessarily the main objective and maintaining a forested landscape providing diverse ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration or recreation becomes just as important. Like expectations, silvicultural practices are also changing. The region, and particularly the mid-mountain massif of Vosges, have a tradition of natural regeneration but foresters are now experimenting a wider range of management practices considering that the adaptive potential of local stands is put into question. At the same time, planting and the use of Southerner species, although largely encouraged and subsidized at national level, has low hindsight. Therefore, the nature and level of interventions foresters implement vary, while they are constrained by the capacity of other key actors of the forest sector – nurseries, cooperatives, forest workers – to integrate these new demands. We implemented transdisciplinary research involving ethnographic methods, socio-ecological system analyses, participatory workshops, and surveys among forest owners and managers, in order to gain more insights into the way forest stakeholders adapt to climate change in this context. Our enquiry is twofold: a first level of analysis is about the narratives of social-ecological adaptation; a second level of analysis is that of forest renewal practices. We expect to map out a diversity of narratives and question the values and social relations to the forest they embed. Because narratives hold a socio-technical dimension, we will also put to light the different management practices aimed at ensuring forest renewal, with a special emphasis on how forest managers elaborate and legitimize their strategies. We expect to produce a picture of the socio-technical and socio-ecological underpinnings of forest renewal dynamics in a vulnerable forest area, and show the interplay of ideological and empirical changes about mid-mountain forests.

ID: 3.12734

Optimizing post-bark beetle disturbance management in mountain forests to promote biodiversity and natural tree regeneration under climate change

Theresa Banzer
Bugmann, Harald; Garbarino, Matteo; Lingua, Emanuele; Marangon, Davide; Marzano, Raffaella; Mina, Marco; Bottero, Alessandra

Abstract/Description

The European spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus) has caused considerable damage in many Norway spruce (Picea abies) forests in recent years, due to the dry and warm conditions that have prevailed. As at least at low elevations in Europe, the climate becomes increasingly unfavorable for spruce and the pressure from bark beetles rises, these forests are becoming more vulnerable, posing ecological challenges even in previously unaffected regions at higher elevations.
With a rising number of beetles and the difficulty of controlling large outbreaks (i.e., mitigating the damage), effective post-disturbance forest management is becoming essential. There are clear benefits of promptly removing affected trees during the early stage of a bark beetle infestation. Still, there is only a limited understanding of the potential ecological advantages and ecosystem service implications of leaving beetle-killed trees in beetle-disturbed areas.
Our research in spruce-dominated mountain forests in the Swiss and Italian Alps focuses on these challenges. We are examining the short- to medium-term impacts of post-bark beetle interventions on biodiversity potential and natural tree regeneration by analyzing site, forest, and tree characteristics. We distinguish post-disturbance management strategies such as no intervention, partial removal of bark beetle-killed trees with/without release of deadwood on the ground, and salvage logging, and include undisturbed control sites for comparison. At the conference, we will present preliminary results, following the field data collection season in summer 2025.
Given the likelihood of increasing frequency and severity of bark beetle disturbance in mountain forests, understanding their impacts and providing practical insights for sustainable forest management is essential. To effectively address these ecological challenges, efforts should focus on conserving forest biodiversity, enhancing ecosystem resilience, and promoting sustainable forest management under a changing climate.

ID: 3.12800

Mapping the impacts of multiple disturbances on protection forests in the Italian Alps

Emilio Dorigatti
Mina, Marco; Sonnenschein, Ruth

Abstract/Description

Forest disturbance regimes are changing across Europe, increasingly impacting the services provided by these ecosystems. In the Alps, key services like protection are increasingly threatened by natural disturbances. Information on the distribution and impacts of recent disturbances on protection forests is needed to inform effective post-disturbance management interventions but is often not available at the required level of detail. Here, we chose the province of South Tyrol (Italian Alps), a mountainous region where forests were recently disturbed by wind, snow and bark beetle to: i) map recent disturbances in the region and analyze their spatial patterns and interactions, and ii) to quantify the loss of forest protective effects, including areas where protection is still provided by dead trees but will be lost in the near future.

We derived forest disturbance maps for the years 2019-2023 by analyzing Sentinel-2 time-series. Then, we used multi-source predictors including spectral and patch characteristics, and a supervised machine learning classifier to attribute disturbed areas to different agents (wind, snow, bark beetle). We assessed the correlations among disturbance agents and evaluated their impact on direct and indirect protection forests. Finally, we performed a pixel-based classification to map standing dead trees in disturbed areas providing residual protective effects.

Our results show that disturbances affected around 6% of forests in our study region, with wind and snow having similar impacts and bark beetle causing larger damages. Bark beetle-disturbed areas had a higher correlation with snow-damaged areas than with wind-damaged areas. Compared to the other disturbance agents, bark beetle affected protection forests the most. Around 22% of the disturbed protection forests are still providing a certain degree of protection due to standing dead trees.

We provide here the first detailed map of recent disturbances for the province of South Tyrol. Additionally, by identifying areas where the protective effect is entirely lost and areas at risk of losing their protective effects soon, our mapping products can be used as a practical tool to guide decision-makers in prioritizing management interventions to support post-disturbance mountain forest recovery.

ID: 3.12871

Tree base and standing snag: the other forest microhabitat contributor to consider in the dead wood management strategy

Patrick Saccone
Wild, Jan; Brůna, Josef; Macek, Martin; Kopecký, Martin

Abstract/Description

Large forest disturbances from insect outbreaks are a major concern in the context of global changes. The preservation of countless forest ecosystem services, especially in mountain areas, depends a lot on the post-disturbance management strategies. It has been shown in mountain spruce forests that, even if clustered, natural regeneration is high enough to discard the sowing/transplanting option to favor forest recovery. However, the mechanisms that shape this clustering remains underexplored. On the one hand, dead wood such as lying logs, debris or stump is commonly assumed to support natural regeneration providing herbaceous competition free microhabitats. However, field observations tend to lower down the regenerative role of these seedlings due to their extremely slow growth. On the other hand, tree base, as the area surrounding standing trunks are very specific microhabitats of the forest floor susceptible to shape the regeneration clustering. Here, we hypothesized that the microclimate of these tree bases, and in particular the tree wells associated with irregular snow cover could be a major driver of the regeneration spatial distribution. We tested this hypothesis using a high-resolution monitoring of the microclimate and regeneration dynamics in the natural coniferous forests in the Šumava Mts., Czech Republic. In particular, we explored the correlation between the non-growing season microclimate regimes and regeneration survival. Moreover, as such microclimatic configurations can be associated with living trees as well as with standing dead trunks, we compared the different types of stands and assessed the relevance of dead trunks preservation as post-disturbance management strategy.

ID: 3.12904

Resilience and Regeneration: Forest recovery after fire in the Almora district of the Indian Himalaya

Aditi Mishra
Sekar, K Chandra; Jugran, Harshit Pant

Abstract/Description

Forests in the mountains, especially the Indian Himalayan region face extreme threat due to fire. Uncontrolled wildfires threaten biodiversity, soil stability, and local livelihoods. Limited and controlled fire have been beneficial for the forests growth, whereas uncontrolled fire can severely damage the forest. Forest fire has become a global environmental threat. Forest fire regimes are changing as a result of changing climatic conditions. There have been uncertainties in the response of ecosystem to the increased wildfire activity in combination with global increases in temperature, drought, and extreme weather.

This study examines the impact of forest fires on mountain forests, particularly in the fire-sensitive regions of the Almora district situated in the Indian Himalayas. By comparing vegetation in burnt and unburnt areas, this research aims to assess recovery patterns and ecological shifts following fire disturbances. A comparative vegetation analysis was conducted in fire-affected and control sites in Almora district, Uttarakhand. Using a stratified sampling approach, vegetation surveys were conducted across different altitudinal gradients. Vegetation structure, species composition, regeneration patterns, and biodiversity indices were examined to evaluate differences between fire-affected and unaffected areas. Additionally, preliminary observations were made regarding potential changes in soil conditions post-fire.

Initial findings suggest distinct differences in species composition between burnt and unburnt sites. Some fire-adapted species like Pinus roxburghii displayed rapid regeneration, while others like Quercus leucotrichophra showed delayed recovery. Fire appears to influence vegetation dynamics, with certain species benefiting from post-fire conditions. Frequent and high-intensity fires may disrupt long-term forest recovery. The study also highlights the potential benefits of controlled burns in promoting ecological balance and preventing extreme wildfire events.

These findings emphasize the importance of an integrated fire management approach that considers both conservation and risk mitigation. Incorporating traditional ecological knowledge and controlled burning practices could enhance forest resilience while reducing the risks posed by uncontrolled fires. Understanding fire’s ecological role is essential for developing sustainable strategies that support biodiversity while safeguarding mountain forest ecosystems.

ID: 3.12927

Post-fire regeneration patterns in the European Alps

Nicolò Anselmetto
Marangon, Davide; Mantero, Giulia; Berger, Frederic; Kobal, Milan; Krasovskiy, Andrey; Michaud, Marie-Pierre; Moos, Christine; Pesenti, Timoté; Taccaliti, Flavio; Teich, Michaela; Garbarino, Matteo; Marzano, Raffaella; Lingua, Emanuele

Abstract/Description

Changes in climate and land use are altering wildfire regimes globally, with mountainous regions such as the European Alps being particularly affected due to declining land management and increasing fire-prone conditions. Longer dry periods, land abandonment, and increase in continuous forest cover lead to larger and more severe wildfires in these areas.
This study investigates post-fire forest regeneration dynamics throughout the entire Alpine Space, and specifically aims to (i) investigate the drivers and dynamics of short- and medium-term (1–15 years) post-fire regeneration following mixed- and high-severity wildfires and (ii) assess the potential impact of post-fire recovery dynamics on the protective functions of coniferous and mixed forests in the Alps.ù
We surveyed 18 sites in Austria, France, Italy, Slovenia, and Switzerland that had been affected by wildfires 1 to 25 years prior to data collection. At each site, we assessed the density, species composition, and structure of post-fire forest regeneration, as well as ground cover and the occurrence of deadwood. Key drivers of regeneration were evaluated. In particular, we included time since the disturbance, fire severity, as obtained from a recent forest disturbance map for the Alps, and topographic and climatic predictors derived from global datasets.
Our study provides a valuable overview of post-fire forest regeneration dynamics across the Alps, highlighting both similarities between sites and site-specific dynamics of forest recovery. Preliminary results reveal the interplay between fire severity, species composition, and site-specific conditions in shaping regeneration patterns. Forests that serve as natural barriers against rockfall, avalanches, and landslides may experience altered and/or delayed functionality if regeneration fails and there are shifts toward a less resistant and resilient structure and composition. This study can provide recommendations for land managers and decision makers, emphasizing the importance of targeted restoration planning to maintain protective forest functions in the face of increasing wildfire risk.

ID: 3.12950

Post-disturbance forest recovery varies with climate and disturbance gradients in the European Alps

Lisa Mandl
Stritih, Ana; Seidl, Rupert; Senf, Cornelius

Abstract/Description

As climate change accelerates, understanding how climate variability influences post-disturbance recovery is essential. Outside the Alps, warmer and drier conditions often impair recovery. However, in alpine environments, these conditions can act as both stressors and facilitators, necessitating further investigation. While warming may alleviate thermal constraints, increasing climate extremes could hinder recovery in ways that remain poorly understood. To address this gap, our study focuses on two key questions: 1) How does post-disturbance recovery – defined as the percentage of disturbances that recover within 10 years – vary across spatial and environmental gradients in the Alps? 2) What is the impact of post-disturbance atmospheric aridity on recovery success? Specifically, does an increase in vapor pressure deficit (VPD) anomalies hinder or facilitate recovery in temperature-limited but mostly not water-limited alpine systems? Earth observation (EO) data enables large-scale, spatially explicit ecosystem research, essential for sustaining ecosystem services and guiding conservation. However, EO-based assessments face challenges in capturing fine-scale recovery processes, particularly in the Alps, where disturbances are small and heterogeneous. To address these challenges and bridge knowledge gaps on climate-driven recovery patterns, we integrated multi-decadal Sentinel-2, Landsat, and CHELSA climate data into a pan-Alpine data cube, spanning 1986–2023. Using synthetic spectral unmixing, we derived fractional tree cover estimates to generate ecologically meaningful recovery metrics. Recovery was analyzed along environmental gradients, including topography, disturbance characteristics, and post-disturbance meteorological conditions, with a particular focus on VPD anomalies. Our findings reveal substantial spatial variation, with recovery rates within 10 years ranging from 31% to 68%, depending on elevation, disturbance severity, and post-disturbance climate. VPD emerges as a key driver with divergent effects: at high elevations, higher VPD correlates with faster regrowth, whereas in drier, low-elevation regions, it constrains recovery. By identifying key climatic constraints on regeneration and their variability across disturbance and environmental gradients, our study provides a foundation for more targeted post-disturbance interventions.

ID: 3.12960

Biodiversity of Ecological Restoration in a Temperate Mountain System of the Central Himalayas, Uttarakhand, India

Subir Chowfin
Iranzo, Esperanza C.; Claramunt, Bernat Claramunt

Abstract/Description

Ecological restoration is important for conserving biodiversity,especially in highly diverse,vulnerable forests,such as the temperate forests of the Central Himalayas.This study investigates the responses of vegetation,avifaunal and medium to large-sized mammal communities to ecological restoration by passive forest restoration in the private forests of the Gadoli and Manda Khal Fee Simple Estates in Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand, India. Situated within the Western Himalayan Temperate Forest Ecoregion,these forests provide vital ecological services,including freshwater provisioning and habitat connectivity. The study area was originally tea estates, historically managed under working plans since 1953 and have faced extensive degradation due to illegal land use.Conservation interventions included action in legal forums followed by on-ground initiatives to secure these forests,their biodiversity and ecosystem services. Degraded areas were subject to passive forest regeneration, with protection from forest foot-patrols to reduce the intensity of illegal human entry and activity. To evaluate the effectiveness of these restoration efforts in maintaining and enhancing biodiversity, natural forests and restoration sites were mapped,and systematic vegetation,avifaunal,and mammal surveys were conducted. Plant species composition, abundance, and diversity were compared between natural and restored sites across 45 plots (Broadleaf Evergreen Forest:10–15, Needleleaf Forest:10–15,Restoration:10–15).Preliminary results suggest restoration areas form a distinct habitat type, with a mixed species pool. Comparing restoration to needleleaf forests,beta diversity was driven by turnover rather than nestedness,and when comparing to broadleaf evergreen forests,was driven by both. Stratifying habitats into regeneration (3m) layers,species filtering was observed both across and within habitats. Upperstories had lower species richness than regeneration and understory layers,while understories showed species accumulation. Our findings will contribute to understanding the role passive forest restoration plays in maintaining and in assisting the recovering of biodiversity within fragmented forest landscapes.This research highlights the importance and value of private forest protection and conservation in achieving long–term biodiversity conservation goals in the Central Himalayas by integrating ecological monitoring with conservation management.

ID: 3.13098

Identification of forest areas at risk of erosion in small watersheds in Slovenia

Urša Vilhar
Saražin, Jaša; Dovečar, Matjaž; Marinšek, Aleksander; Kozamernik, Erika; Simončič, Primož; Papež, Jože

Abstract/Description

The forestry sector in Slovenia faces the challenge of restoring degraded forests after large-scale disturbances. In addition, there is an urgent need to adapt forest management, traditionally based on the Slovenian Forestry School, to increase resilience and reduce the risk of torrential and erosion processes in forested areas. In this study, we present a methodology for identifying forest areas at risk of erosion in small watersheds in Slovenia. The methodology is based on the mapping of small watersheds, the assessment of risk categories for the occurrence of mass movement processes and the forest land use map provided by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food. The methodology was tested in five pilot areas: in the municipality of Železniki, Kranjska Gora, Koper, Žalec and Tržič. It is being further developed on a national level and its applicability is being tested by the Slovenia Forest Service. In addition, the “silent witnesses” of torrential processes in a small watershed Zala were analysed.

ID: 3.13504

Forest spatial structure dynamics after bark beetle outbreak

Tereza Gelnarová
Bače, Radek; Červenka, Jaroslav; Brůna, Josef; Svoboda, Miroslav

Abstract/Description

Natural disturbances are an important part of the dynamics of mountain spruce forests and have a major influence on forest structure, resource availability and biodiversity. However, as a result of recent climate change, the natural disturbance regime is shifting towards greater intensity and frequency. As extreme disturbances become more frequent, there is growing concern about the ability of forests to regenerate while maintaining their ecosystem functions. Understanding the effects of large-scale disturbances on forest structure and function, including the ability of forests to regenerate, is therefore crucial.
This study investigates the regeneration dynamics of primary mountain spruce forest in the Šumava National Park after a large-scale bark beetle (Ips typographus) outbreak. Our aim is to determine how the spatial structure of the forest evolves after a stand-replacing disturbance. Initial analyses revealed an aggregated spatial pattern – living trees clustered with each other and with standing dead trees. As a result of clustering, newly regenerating individuals reflect the former forest structure – areas with a high number of trees in the parent stand are likely to remain dense in the future, while regeneration-free gaps are expected to persist. This suggests that the spatial structure of the forest can be maintained to a large extent even after intensive disturbance.

ID: 3.15680

Try to work with disturbances : Bark beetle outbreak consequences on French Alps forest workers facing ecological transition and profitability injunctions.

Raphael Lachello
Chambru, Mikaël

Abstract/Description

Since 2022-2023, the French Alps coniferous forests suffer significant dieback caused by a bark beetle outbreak, favoured by droughts and heatwaves of unprecedented intensity, caused by climate change (Kotlarski et al., 2023). This crisis is hitting a forestry and wood industry that is already trying to operate a transition in response to global changes. In the specific socio-ecological context of mountain forests (Lachello et al., 2025), this transition manifests itself distinctively in a number of areas : low productivity, financing difficulties, environmental conservation policies, cohabitation with recreational practices. Cumulated with the institutionalisation of policies to fight climate change, biodiversity erosion (Parès, 2020) and the increase in socio-environmental criticism of French forest management (Deuffic and Banos, 2020), bark beetle outbreaks have a particularly pronounced impact on the day-to-day work of those managing public forests. This paper proposes to study how bark beetle outbreaks influence three categories of “nature workers” (Granjou et al., 2010) in the Alpine context: managers, forestry technicians and forestry workers at the Office National des Forêts (ONF), the French government agency responsible for managing public forests. This paper is based on a survey combining sociology, ethnology and history, conducted within two territorial units of the ONF Savoie Mont Blanc agency, between October 2023 and December 2025. It combines data consisting of participant observations (Peneff, 2009) carried out during working days with ONF agents, semi-structured interviews and the study of historical archives. This paper analyses how mountain ONF staffs are adapting or not, their professional practices according to bark beetle disturbances, in an already demanding transition context. In this specific mountain context, they face three « a priori » contradictory injunctions: injunction to manage the bark beetle outbreak consequences, injunction to profitability and injunction to ecologisation. We show that, for the most highly qualified functions, the actions relating to profitability vary according to the socio-ecological context of each territory. Meanwhile those relating to the greening of society are influenced by indirect impacts of climate change, like pests, and the employees personal commitments to preserve biodiversity. Conversely, the least qualified staff are subject to these injunctions in an indiscriminate manner.

ID: 3.16708

Aphid Infestations in High-Altitude Himalayan Flora: Wood Anatomical Signatures and Climate Change Impacts

Mohit Phulara
Gärtner, Holger; Bast, Alexander; Owczarek, Magdalena Opała; Owczarek, Piotr; Bhatt, Indra Dutt

Abstract/Description

Global warming is driving rapid ecological shifts, including the expansion of aphids into previously uninhabited regions. Even in the Himalayas, rapid climate changes have created favorable conditions for aphid proliferation, increasing infestations in alpine flora. To assess this aphid presence in high-altitude ecosystems, we examined sapwood anatomy of Rhododendron campanulatum D.Don (Ericaceae), a dominant Himalayan shrub, as a proxy for aphid activity. Stem cross-sections and trunk increment cores were collected from 47 individuals across 3,100–3,400 m a.s.l. in the Indian Himalayas. Aphid infestations were detected in all samples, but infestation severity showed no clear correlation with elevation or temperature gradients. Instead, shrub age emerged as the strongest predictor: younger shrubs exhibited significantly higher infestation levels, with a notable decline in aphid activity as shrubs matured. This age-dependent pattern suggests that developmental stage critically influences susceptibility, potentially due to structural or biochemical differences between juvenile and mature Rhododendron. These findings highlight a nuanced threat to Himalayan ecosystems. While climate warming facilitates aphid colonization at higher altitudes, host-specific traits—such as shrub age—mediate infestation outcomes more directly than environmental variables alone. Aphid pressure on juvenile Rhododendron populations could disrupt regeneration dynamics, compounding risks to biodiversity in these fragile ecosystems. Building on these insights, ongoing work investigates temperature and precipitation thresholds as secondary constraints on aphid colonization. Clarifying these interactions will strengthen predictive models and inform targeted conservation strategies for high-altitude ecosystems under climatic stress.

ID: 3.21206

From hype to field reality: soil amendments and seedling survival in mountain forests

Marie Lambropoulos
Schönauer, Marian; Raubitzek, Sebastian; Sandén, Hans; Rewald, Boris

Abstract/Description

The intensifying effects of climate change are increasing the pressure on forest ecosystems, particularly on seedling survival after reforestation. Drought resilience has become a key factor for success, especially in mountainous regions where environmental conditions are highly variable and often challenging. In response, our project investigated the effectiveness of soil amendments, specifically hydrogels and fertilizers, as preventive technical measures to reduce early seedling mortality.
We monitored the survival and growth of over 40,000 seedlings across 24 reforestation sites in Austria, ranging from dry continental lowlands to high-elevation mountain forests. The experiment included three widely planted tree species (oak, larch, spruce), two planting seasons (spring and autumn), various planting methods (manual and mechanized), and both bare-root and container-grown nursery stock. We applied two types of hydrogels and two types of fertilizer in different dosages during planting.
Our results from the first and second year after planting show that while seedling survival varied substantially by species, planting method, and nursery type, soil amendments had no consistent beneficial effect on reducing drought-induced mortality. In some cases, they were even detrimental. These findings indicate that under real-world operational field conditions, soil amendments are not a universally reliable strategy to enhance seedling survival. Instead, outcomes are strongly shaped by the interaction of multiple factors, including site conditions, application method, planting timing, and stock quality. It is suggested that adaptive, context-sensitive strategies that integrate these variables are more likely to have a positive effect than single technical fixes.

FS 3.190: Building resilience to climate change through mountain nature-based community enterprises in Africa

FS 3.192: Generating and integrating interdisciplinary data to understand mountain socio-ecological dynamics and support multi-scale policy formulation

#IMC: September 14 - 18 2025

FS 3.191

Management of post-disturbance mountain forest recovery

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