Identifying drivers of forest regeneration by using empirical and process based models with European forest inventory data (TreeRegDrive)

TreeRegDrive aims to identify the key drivers of regeneration processes. Both empirical and process-based models are used to analyse forest regeneration processes, using data from forest inventories all over Europe to obtain a large environmental gradient that represents a large variety of forest types and many European tree species. Data not only from managed but also from undisturbed forest ecosystems are available. The project is structured in three parts.

1. First, a data-driven approach for the quantification of establishment and ingrowth rates is pursued, paired with empirical regression models including various stand structural and environmental factors. 
2. Second, observations from part one shall be expanded to a more general model, either by constructing an inversely calibrated process-based model or a multi-level empirical regression model that allows for the simultaneous analysis of heterogeneous data sets. As a result, the quantification of establishment and ingrowth rates on an extended environmental and stand structural gradient in one model is possible. 
3. The third part will focus on the forest regeneration module within the forest gap model ForClim. With the large database from several inventories of European forests that will be compiled in parts one and two, an unprecedented test ground for sensitivity analysis of ForClim’s regeneration module is available.

By the end of this project information on regeneration processes from many European forest ecosystems will be available and interactions between forest regeneration and environmental and stand structural variables will have been analysed. Hence, it is not only intended to improve mechanistic forest regeneration models for projections under different climate change scenarios, but also to contribute to our understanding of forest regeneration as a key process in silvicultural practices in the context of climate change.

Funding
ETH grant “ETH-35 18-1”

Status of the project
The project runs from March 2019 to summer 2022.

Contact
Please contact Yannek Käber for further information.
Harald Bugmann and Christof Bigler supervise the project.