Working Group BOLA

DIMF- Deadwood in Mountain Forests: ecosystem functions and services, their assessment, valuation and communication

DIMF is an inter- and transdisciplinary research project on deadwood in mountain forest ecosystems, uniting scientists from hydrology, soil science, forest ecology, institutional economics, and environmental governance.

Research area and background

The project will take place in the Wilder Kaiser region in Tyrol, Austria. In June 2024, a massive hailstorm with golf ball-sized hailstones damaged approx. 1,500 ha forest. The district forestry administration Kufstein anticipates a further increase in post-disturbance mortality, which will result in an accumulation of deadwood over the coming years. The impact of dead trees and salvage logging on the landscape will be significant, affecting both local residents and the tourism industry. Thus, like other regions in the Alps, the Wilder Kaiser region is facing the consequences of large-scale disturbances and related challenges.achieved knowledge into a citizen-science-cooperation between scientists and high school students in Austria.

Project aims

The situation in the Wilder Kaiser region offers the opportunity to gain knowledge on how society can effectively cope with future disturbances, and to investigate the multifunctionality of deadwood in forest ecosystems.

Montage of hailstones photos

Left: A beech tree damaged by hail (Photo: District forestry administration Kufstein). Right: Photos of the golf ball-sized hailstones (Photos: ZOOM.TIROL, uploaded by Sabine Knienieder).

Funding

Project start

  • 01. February 2026, with a duration of 3 years

Partners

 

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