Dr. Janine Schweier

• Overall, the economic situation of forest enterprises has hardly changed over the past decade.
• There are enterprises in all forest zones that manage the forest at a profit. On average, however, the financial result is negative.
• Adapting forests to climate change and the increasing frequency of extreme climatic events pose a major challenge for forest enterprises. The key levers for sustainable operations are cost reduction and valorisation of ecosystem services.

• Dans l'ensemble, la situation économique des entreprises forestières a peu changé durant la dernière décennie.
• Il existe dans chaque zone forestière des entreprises qui dégagent un bénéfice de la gestion des forêts. En moyenne toutefois, le résultat financier est négatif.
• L'adaptation des forêts aux changements climatiques et la fréquence accrue d'événements extrêmes posent d'importants défis aux entreprises forestières. Les principaux leviers d'une exploitation durable sont la réduction des coûts et la valorisation économique des services écosystémiques.

• Nel complesso, la situazione economica delle imprese forestali non è cambiata di molto nell'ultimo decennio.
• In tutte le zone sono presenti aziende che gestiscono il bosco con profitto. In media, però, il risultato finanziario è negativo.
• L'adattamento al cambiamento climatico e gli eventi estremi sempre più frequenti mettono a dura prova le aziende forestali. Gli strumenti più importanti per una gestione sostenibile sono la riduzione dei costi e la valorizzazione dei servizi ecosistemici.

• Insgesamt hat sich die wirtschaftliche Lage der Forstbetriebe in der letzten Dekade kaum verändert.
• In allen Forstzonen gibt es Forstbetriebe, die den Wald gewinnbringend bewirtschaften. Im Durchschnitt ist das finanzielle Ergebnis jedoch negativ.
• Die Anpassung der Wälder an den Klimawandel und immer häufigere klimatische Extremereignisse sind für die Forstbetriebe eine grosse Herausforderung. Die wichtigsten Hebel für einen nachhaltigen Betrieb sind die Reduktion der Kosten und die Inwertsetzung von Ökosystemleistungen.

Woody biomass from sustainable sources, from suitable assortments, and used with state-of-the-art combustion technologies is a renewable and environmentally friendly energy source. In combination with other renewable energies, such as solar, wind or hydropower, wood is an important component of an energy system that is no longer or only minimally based on fossil fuels. Technologies for converting woody biomass into energy are well understood, with various pathways available. However, a key challenge lies in precisely assessing the sustainable forest biomass or fuelwood availability, which has been the focus of numerous studies at the global, national and regional levels. In this study, we aim to assess Switzerland's realistic, sustainable forest fuelwood potential, focusing on local precision and spatially explicit estimation. This novel method is based on three key pillars: [1] initial stock volume estimation, [2] harvest intensity estimation, and [3] energy content estimation. For model fitting we used data from Switzerland's National Forest Inventory, which tracks changes in stock and harvest over time through 5 repeated surveys of more than 6000 plots, combined with remote sensing data. To verify the approach, we calculated a conservative fuelwood use scenario in which twigs and bark remain in the forest and assortments are fed into cascading use: in total, a yearly sustainable potential of around 19 PJ of dry wood is available. In many Swiss cantons, the sustainable fuelwood potential has already been reached, reflecting current forest management practices.

Die prognostizierte Zunahme von extremen Störungsereignissen wie Borkenkäferbefall und Windwurf im Kontext des Klimawandels stellt die Schweizer Waldbewirtschaftung vor grosse Herausforderungen. Besonders betroffen sind fichtendominierte Gebirgswälder, die grossflächig verbreitet sind und häufig eine zentrale Schutzfunktion gegenüber Naturgefahren erfüllen. Die WSL erarbeitet zusammen mit der Praxis Grundlagen für die Priorisierung der Bewirtschaftung dieser Wälder unter dem Einfluss von extremen Störungen. Dazu werden räumliche Daten zu Waldstruktur, Standort, Störungsanfälligkeit und Naturgefahren auf Landschaftsebene mit waldbaulichen, planerischen und ökonomischen Aspekten verknüpft und in einem interaktiven Dashboard visualisiert. Dieser inter- und transdisziplinäre Ansatz wird hier anhand eines Fallbeispiels im Schilstal (Kanton St. Gallen) vorgestellt.

Management of spruce-dominated mountain forests in the context of extreme disturbances
The predicted increase in extreme disturbance events, such as windthrow and bark beetle infestations in the context of climate change poses major challenges for Swiss forest management. Mountain forests dominated by Norway spruce, which are both widespread and often fulfil an essential protective function against natural hazards, are particularly at risk. In response, the WSL is collaborating with practitioners to develop a framework for prioritising the management of these forests under the influence of extreme disturbances. This involves integrating spatial data on forest structure, site conditions, susceptibility to disturbance and natural hazards at the landscape level with silvicultural, planning and economic aspects. These insights are visualised through an interactive dashboard. This interand transdisciplinary approach is presented here with a case study from the Schilstal in the Canton of St. Gallen.

• Von 2012 bis 2021 war die Zahl der Berufsunfälle im Wald leicht rückläufig.
• Da das Unfallrisiko bei Waldarbeiten hoch ist, unterstützen verschiedene Massnahmen die Arbeitssicherheit und -gesundheit der Waldarbeitenden.
• Die präventiven Massnahmen im Bereich der Arbeitssicherheit und -gesundheit müssen auf hohem Niveau weitergeführt werden, wobei auch die Folgen des Klimawandels zu berücksichtigen sind. Neue Technologien könnten diese Bestrebungen unterstützen.

• The number of occupational accidents in forests fell slightly between 2012 and 2021.
• As the risk of accidents during forestry work is high, there are various measures to support the health and safety of forestry workers.
• Preventive measures in occupational health and safety must continue at a high level, also taking into account the effects of climate change. New technologies could support these endeavours.

• Dal 2012 al 2021, il numero di infortuni sul lavoro nel bosco è leggermente diminuito.
• Poiché i pericoli in questo settore sono elevati, esistono diverse misure per garantire la salute e la sicurezza sul lavoro.
• Quelle preventive devono essere portate avanti a un livello elevato, tenendo conto delle conseguenze del
cambiamento climatico. Le nuove tecnologie potrebbero dare un valido supporto a questi sforzi.

• Les accidents de travail en forêt ont légèrement diminué entre 2012 et 2021.
• Diverses mesures soutiennent la sécurité et la santé des ouvriers forestiers, car les travaux en forêt présentent un risque élevé d'accident.
• Les mesures de prévention en matière de sécurité et de santé au travail doivent être maintenues à un niveau élevé, en tenant compte des conséquences des changements climatiques. Les nouvelles technologies peuvent soutenir ces efforts.

In this study, a worldwide bibliometric analysis was used to examine the status and development trends of research related to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the field of sustainable forest operations (SFO). The aim was to quantify the extent to which SDG targets are considered, directly or indirectly, in the assessment of SFO in the literature from the period 2017–2022. Nine of 17 SDGs and 17 of 169 SDG targets were found to be highly relevant for quantifying SFO. Cluster analysis revealed interconnections among SDGs and SDG targets, resulting in three SDG clusters and four SDG target clusters based on environmental, social and economic criteria, or a combination thereof. The investigation of key parameters in the analyzed studies demonstrated trends in SDG targets per year, region and machine category. Additionally, the relevance of SDG targets for forest operations was assessed, SDG targets were classified based on their impacts, and future trends were estimated. Despite the negative impact of forest operations on several SDGs, a positive trend toward more sustainable forest management was observed across all SDGs. This study offers insights into key aspects that warrant attention in future endeavors to enhance the sustainability of forest operations in Europe.

• Die zunehmende Häufung von Trockenjahren mit begrenzter Bodenwasserverfügbarkeit ist eine Belastung für den Wald.
• Die Bodenversauerung aufgrund übermässiger Stickstoffeinträge ist weiter fortgeschritten. Dadurch sinkt die Verfügbarkeit wichtiger basischer Nährstoffe wie Kalzium, Magnesium und Kalium. Gleichzeitig wird toxisches Aluminium freigesetzt.
• Eine weitere Bedrohung sind physikalische Belastungen bei der Waldbewirtschaftung wie zum Beispiel die Bodenverdichtung durch schwere
Forstmaschinen. Sie könnten mit angepassten Bewirtschaftungsmethoden vermieden werden.

• The increasing frequency of drought years with limited soil water availability is a stress factor for forests.
• Soil acidification due to excessive nitrogen deposition has progressed further. This reduces the availability of important nutrients such as calcium, magnesium and potassium, while also releasing toxic aluminium.
• Another threat is physical stress during forest management, such as soil compaction caused by heavy forestry machinery. This could be avoided with adapted management methods.

• La fréquence accrue d'années sèches avec une disponibilité limitée en eau du sol affecte la forêt.
• L'acidification des sols consécutive à des dépôts excessifs d'azote s'est poursuivie. Elle entraîne une baisse de la disponibilité en nutriments basiques importants comme le calcium, le magnésium et le potassium, accompagnée d'une libération d'aluminium toxique.
• Une autre menace réside dans les atteintes physiques aux sols lors de la gestion des forêts, comme la compaction par des engins lourds. Des méthodes de gestion adéquates permettraient de les éviter.

• La maggiore frequenza di annate siccitose con limitata disponibilità idrica nel suolo ha un impatto negativo sul bosco.
• L'acidificazione causata da un eccessivo apportodi azoto è progredita ulteriormente, riducendo la disponibilità di importanti nutrienti alcalini come calcio, magnesio e potassio. Contemporaneamente viene rilasciato alluminio tossico.
• Un'altra minaccia è rappresentata dallo stress fisico causato dalla gestione forestale, come ad esempio il costipamento del suolo provocato dai pesanti macchinari forestali. Questi fenomeni potrebbero essere evitati con metodi di gestione adeguati.

Close-to-nature forestry (CNF) is considered an effective strategy to adapt forests to climate change while sustaining ecosystem services and biodiversity (BES). However, for forest management it remains unclear whether current CNF strategies sufficiently reduce forests' predisposition to climate-change-induced shifts in disturbance regimes. To address this increasing complexity, we introduce the integration of a climate-sensitive forest gap model with assessments of predisposition to fire, bark beetle, and windthrow disturbances, as well as BES provision. We conducted simulations for a forest enterprise in the Central Swiss Alps, covering a large elevation gradient, under three climate scenarios (historical, SSP2–4.5, and SSP5–8.5). The simulations additionally considered six management strategies, including CNF variants with different management intensities and climate-adapted approaches. Our results indicate that climate change will dynamically alter disturbance predisposition across elevation gradients. Site-related predisposition to fire and bark beetle infestation generally increased under climate change, while stand-related predisposition to all disturbances varied with climate scenario and elevation. Under moderate warming (SSP2–4.5), stand-related predisposition to fire and windthrow increased across all elevations. In contrast, under severe warming (SSP5–8.5), long-term reductions in stand-related predisposition to fire, bark beetle infestation, and windthrow occurred at lower elevations due to climate-change-induced shifts in forest dynamics, while predisposition increased at higher elevations with improved growing conditions. Our results further show that increasing management intensity generally reduces stand-related disturbance predisposition but focusing purely on disturbance mitigation can also lead to trade-offs, such as reduced BES provision. We conclude that climate-adapted forest management must account for both stand-related and site-related predisposition to prioritize disturbance-prone 'hotspots', especially in areas of high BES value. Proactively reducing disturbance predisposition may involve trade-offs regarding BES provision but may be crucial to avoid potential BES losses from severe disturbances. As climate change may alter trade-offs between BES and disturbance mitigation, we underscore the need for decision support systems in long-term forest planning to account for conflicting management objectives.

Ce manuel s’adresse aux utilisateurs du plugin QGIS Seilaplan. Il sert, avec les tutoriels sur le site web seilaplan.wsl.ch, d’introduction à l’utilisation de Seilaplan. Le premier chapitre est une brève introduction au plugin et à l’histoire de sa création. Les instructions d’installation du chapitre 2 et le guide de démarrage rapide du chapitre 3 vous aideront à faire vos premiers pas. Le chapitre 4 présente les principales bases concernant les géodonnées. Le chapitre 5 décrit les fonctionnalités du plug-in ainsi que son utilisation. Les bases théoriques et les résultats pratiques des tests peuvent être consultés au chapitre 6. Enfin, le chapitre 7 présente une sélection d’ouvrages pertinents.
Chapitre 1 – Introduction
Chapitre 2 – Guide d’installation
Chapitre 3 – Guide de démarrage rapide
Chapitre 4 – Géodonnées
Chapitre 5 – Description du plugin
Chapitre 6 – Bases théoriques
Chapitre 7 – Bibliographie
Les chapitres sont indépendants les uns des autres et sont régulièrement mis à jour sur le site web de Seilaplan. De plus, d’autres chapitres sont en cours de planification et seront publiés sur le site web de Seilaplan. Le manuel a été élaboré dans le cadre de la 1ère journée Seilaplan du 30 août 2023 au WSL à Birmensdorf.

• In der letzten Dekade hat der Holzendverbrauch inklusive Importe auf rund 11 Millionen Kubikmeter pro Jahr zugenommen.
• Die stoffliche Verwendung von Holz nimmt gegenüber der energetischen Verwendung tendenziell ab und belief sich 2021 noch auf einen Anteil von ca. 41%.
• Ein grosser Teil des Energieholzes stammt direkt aus dem Wald. Diese Menge ist in der letzten Dekade um 20 % gestiegen. Das in Zukunft zusätzlich nutzbare
Potenzial von Waldenergieholz beträgt rund 0,8 Millionen Kubikmeter oder 2,3 Terawattstunden Endenergie pro Jahr.

• Over the past decade, the end use of wood, including imports, has increased to around 11 million cubic metres per year.
• Use of wood as a material is tending to decline compared with its use as an energy source, but still accounted for around 41% in 2021.
• A large proportion of energy wood comes directly from forests. The quantity of such wood has increased by 20% in the past decade. The additional potential of forest energy wood that could be harnessed in the future is around 0.8 million cubic metres or 2.3 terawatt-hours of final energy per year.

• Nell'ultimo decennio, il consumo finale di legno, comprese le importazioni, è aumentato a circa 11 milioni di metri cubi all'anno.
• L'uso del legno come materiale rispetto al suo uso energetico tende a diminuire e nel 2021 ammontava ancora al 41 per cento circa.
• Molto del legno da energia proviene direttamente dal bosco: nell'ultimo decennio questo quantitativo è aumentato del 20 per cento. Il potenziale aggiuntivo di legno da energia proveniente dai boschi che può essere sfruttato in futuro è di circa 0,8 milioni di metri cubi o 2,3 terawattora di energia finale all'anno.