Switzerland

Abstract

Within the frame of forest management and adaptation to global climate change, national forest policies should be based on knowledge about the future development of forest resources. To project future development of forests in Switzerland, the stochastic single tree forest simulator Massimo 3 (Kaufmann E, Prognosis and management scenarios. In: Brassel P, Lischke H (eds) Swiss National Forest Inventory: methods and models of the second assessment. Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Birmensdorf, pp 197–206, 2001a) was used. The model includes empirical modules for growth, management, mortality and regeneration and to large extends, it is based on data from the Swiss National Forest Inventory (NFI). It therefore runs on every NFI plot in Switzerland. The model was applied under multiple management scenarios defined by a group of experts from the Swiss forest sector. Using output obtained by running Massimo 3 under these scenarios, the woody biomass available in Switzerland under different harvesting regimes and costs were assessed. Modelled scenarios are used to estimate the Swiss potential wood supply, and the sustainable wood supply is estimated by reducing the maximal wood supply by ecological and socioeconomic factors. This document presents a brief description of the Swiss NFI, a summary of Swiss forests characteristics, followed by a description of the simulation model Massimo 3, its specifications, and the management scenarios used.