Adapted forest management in Austria

Pilot Study

T H E O R I E N T G A T E N E T W O R K

Under the OrientGateproject’s Thematic Centreon Forestry andAgriculture, two pilotstudies were carried out:Pilot Study 1 focused onclimate change adaptationin the forests of theAustrian Alps; and PilotStudy 2 investigatedagricultural adaptation in Romania.

Modelling studyPeak nitrate concentrations inthe leachate during clear-cutting and thinning increasedunder all scenarios. Duringunderstorey reinitiation in theclear-cutting and shelterwoodsystems, nitrate leaching wasalso greater compared to thecurrent climate. This is due toretarded understoreydevelopment as aconsequence of increasedwater stress in summer andnutrient deficiency. Nitrogen istaken up by trees lessefficiently, transpiration islower, and higher infiltrationenhances the transportation ofnitrates below the rooting zoneand subsequently into thegroundwater. At the altitude ofthe study area (950 metresabove sea level), a warmerclimate will be beneficial forthe growth of Norway spruce.This enhanced growth underthe climate scenarios mayeven outweigh the stem woodbiomass accumulation underthe current climate and, as aresult, nitrate loads in thegroundwater may be lower in mature forests.

Setting the sceneThe Northern Limestone Alps are characterised by shallow soils thatare vulnerable to nutrient loss and erosion once forest cover isdamaged. Many settlements in the region are supplied with high-quality drinking water from forested headwaters, thus forestfunctions such as water retention and the filtering of pollutantsmust be maintained. The Federal Environment Agency runs LTERZöbelboden, a long-term ecosystem research site in the KalkalpenNational Park. The site is representative of the major forest types ofthe Northern Limestone Alps, in particular mixed spruce-fir-beechforests. At the heart of pilot study 1 was the development of model-based scenarios of climate change impacts on the amount andquality of water runoff. Scenario results were discussed with localauthorities, forest managers and policy makers, and optimaladaptation strategies for forest management were defined.

Joining forcesThe Forest Service of Upper Austria is responsible for forestmanagement in the province, while local foresters implementmanagement plans at local level. Both parties were involved inmodel building, defining concrete forest management scenarios,and checking the plausibility of model results. Jointly preparedtraining courses in the pilot area offered forest practitioners anopportunity to discuss climate change adaptation options. As thefocus was on forest–water relations, experts and local authoritiesinvolved in the water sector also participated in the discussions.Further outreach took place through an international workshop.

Facts and findingsSince the 19th century, temperatures in the European Alps have risenby almost 2°C. In the study area, a further increase of between 2 and5°C is predicted by 2100, with the biggest rise in the summer. An

increase in winter precipitation of up to 20 percent is predicted, alongwith a similar decrease in summer precipitation (the latter subject togreater uncertainty).

Norway spruce is the most abundant tree species in Austria but is alsothe most vulnerable to rises in temperature. Many forest sites at lowerto middle altitudes will become unsuitable for Norway spruce in thefuture. Even today, the homogeneous spruce plantations created atnatural beech forest sites can be considered highly vulnerable andunstable. At higher altitudes, however, the growth of Norway sprucemay even be stimulated. All spruce forests are at risk from an increasein bark beetle infestations: probably driven by climate warming, suchinfestations cause damage to forest ecosystem functions over largeareas, and reduce the incomes of forest owners.

Managing impactsForest management has various impacts on water quality. Theprevalent approach to Norway spruce management has led toeven-aged, homogeneous forests that are less resilient than mixedconifer-deciduous forests and therefore subject to greater and morefrequent disturbance. Norway spruce forests are typically managedusing clear-cuts or shelterwood cutting, which potentially causes thecontamination of water sources. With respect to nitrates, andprobably also turbidity, the expected impacts of climate change willenhance the negative effects of management interventions onwater quality. An appropriate management option for optimisingwater protection, which is particularly important in protected areas,is therefore the creation of mixed forest stands that include a widerrange of naturally occurring tree species, along with theestablishment of a continuous cover forest management system.These two goals are part of the overall best practice catalogue forforest management in drinking water protected areas. Particularly inthe light of the expected impacts of climate change on forests, theintroduction of such a management system is recommended.

Putting results into practiceTo protect and guarantee the provision of freshwater supply for future

generations under climate change conditions, several improvements

in forest management and relevant policies and strategies are

necessary. These include:l The elaboration of suitable forest management plans for each

water protected area and conservation zone.

l The development and implementation of the new subsidyprogramme “Forests for Water”, within the framework of the EU’sRural Development Policy 2014-2020, by the Federal Ministry ofAgriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management toimprove the impacts of forests on the water regime and toclean up ditches and riverside forests taking into accountscientific findings and recommendations and various EUstrategies and legislation.

l The promotion of further research programmes to obtain greaterknowledge about the future impacts of climate change and thenecessary adaptation measures for the sustainable protection ofdrinking water resources.

l The inclusion of specific binding legislation exclusively on drinkingwater protected areas within the Austrian Federal Forest Act.

l The evaluation of existing water protection zones and theelaboration of an action plan for improvements.

l Greater consideration of important drinking water bodies withinspatial planning instruments.

l The continuous and punctual implementation of existing climatechange adaptation and mitigation policies and strategies.

l The raising of awareness among relevant actors of the impacts offorest management on water quality and quantity.

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www.orientgateproject.org

Pilot Study 1: Adapted forest management at LTER Zöbelboden

Pilot Study 2: Climatechange adaptation measures in Romanianagriculture

Pilot Study 3: Climatechange adaptation in the new water regime in Puglia region, Italy

Pilot Study 4: Effects of climate change on thewetland ecosystems of Attica region, Greece

Pilot Study 5: Water resources and the use of hydroelectricity, Italy

Pilot Study 6: Vulnerabilityassessment in Budapestand Veszprém

ContactsLead partner, project coordinatorMartino Bacile di CastiglioneEuro-Mediterranean Centre on Climate Change(CMCC) l Via Augusto Imperatore 16 l 73100 Lecce, Italy l Tel.: (39-340) 934 7624 l Email:martino.bacile@cmcc.it l www.cmcc.it

Giulia GalluccioEuro-Mediterranean Centre on Climate Change(CMCC) l Corso Magenta 63 l

20123 Milan l Italy l Tel.: (39-02) 520 36988 l

Email: giulia.galluccio@cmcc.it l

www.cmcc.it

Thematic centre leader and pilot study 1 coordinatorHubert SiegelForest Department, Federal Ministry of Agriculture,Forestry, Environment and Water Management lMarxergasse 2 l Vienna l

A1030 Austria l Tel.: (43-1) 71100/7301 l

Email: hubert.siegel@lebensministerium.at

Thomas DirnböckEnvironment Agency Austria l Ecosystem Research &Environmental Information Management l SpittelauerLände 5 l 1090 Wien l Austria l

Tel: +43-(0)1-313 04/3442 lthomas.dirnboeck@umweltbundesamt.at