Coordinator: Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg – Institut für Forstwissenschaften – Professur für Waldwachstum
Contact Person: Lars Sprengel
Address: Tennenbacherstraße 4, 79106 Freiburg
Phone: +49 761 203-8585
Email: lars.sprengel(at)iww.uni-freiburg.de
Project partner
Project partners in China
China has little experience in long-term forest planning. There is neither enough information about forest growth nor are there any suitable long-term planning tools. The Lin4Future project is developing growth models and planning tools for the sustainable multifunctional management of forests and applying them to a model forestry operation in China.
Such an information system for the local conditions in China is based on site-specific models for the growth behaviour of relevant tree species. In addition, the software must contain additional data in order to fulfil tasks relevant to forestry operations and to be able to generate the necessary reports for forest management.
In order to develop this type of planning software, Lin4Future will develop growth models of selected tree species as a data basis. The project will also test the use of the technology in a model operation.
Within the scope of the project, the height growth of individual trees of the economically most important tree species will be analysed at selected locations. Tree-specific growth models will be created based on this. This will be used to determine the growth potential of forest stands and classify it in a yield chart. This will then be saved in the forest planning software. Yield charts are not widely used as forestry planning tools in China and are only available for a few tree species. Among other things, this is due to the lack of permanent trial areas from which yield tables are classically derived.
The results of the investigations will provide the data basis for growth modelling of regional tree species. These models will then be used to predict tree growth in the forest planning software. This software can then calculate future tree stock trends to simulate various management options and their consequences. In addition, other planning-relevant variables for forestry operations will be determined.
Participants in the project are the Chair of Forest Growth (IWW) at the University of Freiburg, which is producing the tree-specific growth models, and GISCON Systems GmbH, a software development company active in the field of forest operational planning. The Chinese Academy of Forestry (CAF), which is involved in the scientific research, and the Zhongtiaoshan State Own Forest Bureau, the regional forestry administration with the Zhongcun Forest Farm model forestry operation which supports local work, are also involved internationally.
The implementation of the forest planning software in a model operation will serve as an example of sustainable forest management in China which can also be applied in other parts of the country. This type of sustainable forest management planning is to be spread to other provinces of China as well through workshops, seminars and conferences.
On a higher level, the project results should contribute to the promotion of sustainable forestry in China. The aim is to increase the productivity, stock and wood quality of forests without neglecting ecosystem services such as nutrient cycling, carbon storage, biodiversity and forest health.
