Speaker
Description
Climate change has altered weather patterns, resulting in longer dry periods followed by heavy rainfall, which is increasingly impairing the water and soil protection functions of our forests. The storage of precipitation water and the delay of runoff processes are fundamental forest functions that should be taken into account in forestry measures in silvicultural and technical forest operations. The opening-up of forests by access roads and the structuring of forest stands by skidding lines contribute to the deflection of precipitation water on the surface and reduce the amount of water that can potentially infiltrate the forest stand. Specifically targeted water retention measures, both silvicultural and, above all, technical, are supposed to catch flood peaks, reduce the risk of soil erosion and contribute to an overall improvement in the water balance of forest stands.
Based on a systematic literature review, natural factors affecting the hydrological water balance and technical factors relating to forest access were analysed in order to illustrate the relationship between water balance, surface runoff, water retention and forest road networks.
In a recent project study, GIS-supported local drainage lines were recorded, runoff volumes were modelled, sensitive areas were identified, and finally technical measures for water retention were planned and dimensioned. The results of this case study are reported here.
| Keywords | Water retention; forestroad network |
|---|
