Christoph Hester

Die natürliche Wiederbewaldung der Brandfläche Leuk (Wallis)

Hochschule Neubrandenburg, 2009

Abstract: In August 2003 a devastating fire destroyed 300 ha of mountain forest, situated above the town Leuk (Walais). The fire spread from 800 m.a.s.l up to the timberline at 2100m.a.s.l. This diploma thesis presents data on samplings collected from 154 small sample areas in summer 2008. The collected data allows for an assessment of the advance of natural refforestation.Natural local conditions such as altitude, gradient and exposition are playing key roles for the develpoment of the afforestation.Several fringe effects could be observed which were caused by edges of forest and roads. It wqas an unreckoned finding that pines (Pinus sylvestris) were realy to be found in the whole area five years after the fire. For certain species, it could be observed that they cropped up in groups (clustering).

diploma thesis   free access