913328 Mountain forest silviculture

Type
Lecture
Semester hours
2
Lecturer (assistant)
Organisation
Offered in
Sommersemester 2023
Languages of instruction
Deutsch
Content

Forests are one the key vegetation forms in Mountainous areas and forest coverage is required to ensure the protection function within this multi-functional environment. Forests fulfill a protection- production- welfare and recreational function and thus help to guarantee the settlement areas in mountainous regions. For example, it is expected that within the State of Tirol only 15 % may be considered as potential settlement area and without forests this area would be much smaller.

We have 22% of Mountain forests which grow under extreme conditions (e.g. climate, soil, shortage of the vegetation period, etc.). Thus maintaining forests for ensuring its multifunctional role within Mountainous areas is a key element within silviculture This also underlines that regeneration is extremely important and that potential threats for forest regeneration such as browsing, grazing and entomological risks, etc., need to be avoided. These threats lead to a substantial decline in forest regeneration and thus in a long run to unstable and fragile forests. Forests in mountainous areas require special silvicultural techniques and have to ensure a continuous coverage of the forested area.

This requires an assessment of the risk potential followed by a short, medium and long term planning of silvicultural treatments.
Previous knowledge expected

Basic silvicultural know how as it is taught in the Bachelor class of Silviculture
Objective (expected results of study and acquired competences)

General understanding of forests in mountainous areas including their role for ensuing the multifunctional demands, required planning activities and silvicultural activities. Why are forests important and what would happen if we would have no forests.
You can find more details like the schedule or information about exams on the course-page in BOKUonline.