Timber harvest and nutrient sustainability in beech stands

The project aim is to protect the forest’s soil fertility and biodiversity by determining the nutrient balance of various Swiss sites by means of comprehensive soil analyses. Thereby, nutrient balances are developed aiming to maintain and promote soil fertility and biodiversity. This is intended to provide a better understanding of the interrelated processes and mechanisms in forest soils and to gain insights into the effects of different intensities of timber harvesting on the long-term nutrient balance of a site. To this end, an IT tool is being developed on the basis of data from two beech stands, with the help of which a balance of the nutrients of the forest stand can be drawn up and the effects of different management strategies can be compared with each other. The result is recommendations for action that take into account the nutrient sustainability of a site and thus, contribute to sustainable forest management.