Department of Geography Seminar: „The Kranzberg forest roof experiment (KROOF): 5 years of drought followed by recovery“, Dr. Karin Pritsch

Department of Geography Seminar

Thursday, June 1, 10:15 Vanemuise 46 – 327

„The Kranzberg forest roof experiment (KROOF): 5 years of drought followed by recovery“

Dr. Karin Pritsch, Helmholtz Centrum München

Mixed Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica [L.]) stands under drought: “Kranzberg ROOF experiment”

KROOF project phase 1 was initiated to explore the growth potential of European beech (Fagus sylvatica) and Norway spruce (Picea abies) in mixture relative to monocultures under exacerbating summer drought, as predicted for upcoming climate change in Central Europe. The KROOF approach based on experimental throughfall exclusion with novel, rain-controlled roof closure and on five study sites of a precipitation gradient across Bavaria, with triplets of beech-spruce mixtures and monocultures. One overarching hypothesis was: Drought stress limits the water consumption of Norway spruce more severely than that of European beech, so that the latter benefits from water re-partitioning in mixture.

All welcome!