Final Meeting

Development of Harmonised Indicators and Estimation Procedures for Forests with

Protective Functions against Natural Hazards in the

Alpine Space

Introduction and Overview

Final MeetingLong time ago … A group of young and fearless scientists tried to cross the Alpine Space. After a one week‘s walk without any stop, freezing and suffering from thirst and hunger … they decided to define common indicators to describe their hopeless situation in a harmonized way.

In case they have not died - they are still alive …and live in harmony

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The main idea: Merging expertise from

Forest Remote Sensing Experts

National Forest Inventory Experts

Natural Hazard Experts/Modellers

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The consortium:

NFI

NH

RS

BFW

WSL

BOKU

IFN

Cemagref

Gozdis LWF

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Main Objective:

to explore the possible contribution of the National Forest Inventories (NFIs) and other forest monitoring systems to assess the protective functions of forests in the alpine space

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Operational Objectives:

– to identify and derive the protective effect

– to detect protection forests– to select indicators or proxies– to define thresholds– to verify the possibilities of

combining field data with RS techniques

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P

DH

General approach: Three system components

Hazard Potential

Damage Potential

Protective effect

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vulnerability = potential damage

potential positive effectof protection forests

potential risk of natural hazards

starting zone /release area

transit zone

runout zonevulnerability = potential damage

potential positive effectof protection forests

potential risk of natural hazards

starting zone /release area

transit zone

runout zone

General approach:

H

P

D

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Which Hazard processes?

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Hazard process: Avalanche

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Hazard process: Avalanche

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Hazard process: Rockfall

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Hazard process: Rockfall

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Hazard process: Landslide

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Which scales:

- Coarse scale approach- Coarse scale mapping- Coarse scale statistical

- Fine scale approach

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Coarse scale mapping:

- Mapping of protective effect- Indirect use of NFI plot data- Landsat imagery- also cross-boarder

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Coarse scale statistical:

- Frequencies of protective effect- Direct use of NFI plot data- Large areas- Landsat imagery- only for avalanche hazard

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Fine scale:

- Single valleys- Indirect use of NFI information- high resolution RS techniques

- laser scanning- digital aerial photographs

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Harmonized Indicators and Thresholds

- Depend on- Hazard type (A, R, L) - System component (H, D, P)- Scale (coarse and fine)- Availability (NFI - Remote Sensing –

other sources)

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Working Steps:

Forest maskHazard potential

Forest with potentialprotective function

Forest withprotective function

Damage potential

Protective effect

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Outside the scope:

Results and maps concerning the three system parts hazard potential, damage potential and protective effect, which are developed within ProAlp cannot be interpreted as concrete natural hazard indication mapping or risk zone planning

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Inside the scope:

The intention of ProAlp is a science based development of indicators and procedures to evaluate the protective effect of forests. Delivered maps and figures are examples for the capability of the developed methods. of the developed methods.

Delivered maps andfigures are examples for the capability