Wasserhaushalt auf Sturmwurfflächen in Rheinland-Pfalz : Workshop Sturmwurfforschung

Water balance of windfall areas in Rheinland-Pfalz

1999

8 Abb., 13 Lit. Ang.

Unselbständiges Werk

8316

200058891

This paper deals with the water balance of wind fall areas after reforestation and succession, respectively. One study site well-developed simili- gley to stagnogley, the other site is a brown earth with signs of simili-gley in deeper horizons. Before the storm event spruce stands dominated in both areas. Now it is aimed to form mixed stands with dominating oak. In order to reach this aim different path ways are investigated: Free succession and planting oaks with and without protection by pioneer crops, respectively. Besides silvicultural investigations, ecological investigations, especially of the water balance, have been started. Windfall areas get up to 40% more water from precipitation, because interception and transpiration losses in spruce crowns disappear. Therefore soil water reserves and outflow increase. Simili-gley- and stagnogley-sites become boggy after extensive storm damages. Even pioneer crops cannot effectively drain the sites in the first years. On the other hand na intensively grown dense grass cover consumes enormous water quanitties. So it is possible on sites with only little water reserves, that grass cover can be important handicaps for the reforestation of the areas. To avoid extreme water regime situations in the future it is recommended to transform pure spruce stands on hydromorphic soils by advanced planting into more stable mixed stands with a high percentage of deciduous trees.