PINE: Predicting impacts on natural ecotones

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 02.0006-1

Key words (English)

Environmental Protection; Forecasting; Meteorology; Resources of the Sea; Fisheries

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number: EVK2-CT-2002-00136

Research programs (English)

EU-programme: 5. Frame Research Programme - 1.4a.2 Global change, climate and biodiversity

Short description (English)

See abstract

Further information (English)

Full name of research-institution/enterprise:
Eidg. Forschungsanstalt für Wald, Schnee und Landschaft WSL

Landschaftsinventuren

Abstract (English)

The timberline, a vulnerable ecotone, has a great visual impact and is of cultural and economic value. PINE will provide dynamic, geographically explicit models as a tool for land-use planning by decision-makers. The models predict the consequences of coupled climatic and land-use change in northern and Alpine timberline ecotones in terms of visual impact, natural hazards and biodiversity and show how this will affect the livelihood of the people living there. Models are developed in interaction with the decision-makers and stakeholders. Scientific data generated as model input will include the influence of climate and past land-use changes on timberline trees, monitored by using information stored in the trees and in nearby mires. Results are extrapolated from key study sites in Sweden, Finland, Austria, Italy and Slovenia to cover the northern European and Alpine timberline ecotones.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 02.0006-1