Tree

Among the multitude of factors influencing dynamics of forest ecosystems, tree growth is a major driver – if not the biotic core factor. Therefore, understanding tree growth is quintessential for understanding how forests develop and function. To this purpose, site requirements and growth performance of tree species in the forest are topics in this research area. This includes analysis of the factors governing growth and competition response of tree species or mixtures to varying ambient condition, among them climate change or management interventions like thinning. 

The health of trees is also examined. Here for example, the annual report on forest condition provides information on the condition of the trees. With the help of dendrometric models, tree volume and growth performance are calculated. The calculation methods are used both for inventory evaluations and for the calculation of the timber assortments resulting from harvesting operations. Researchers in forest genetics analyse the genetic variations within species. Most importantly, this allows them to describe the adaptation potential of tree species to changing environmental conditions.