iymfieldtrips

Pre-Symposium tours are offered on Sunday, Sept 15, 2002. Three routes give the participants an opportunity to overview on-going research projects, conducted in the province of Tyrol. Prices quoted include lunch. All tours will start at 9:00 on Rennweg 1 and will end at approximately 17:00. A hardcopy of the tour-manual will be distributed during the trip.

Route	Topic
1	Achenkirch - Biogeochemistry of nitrogen, water quality issues; measuring methods of air pollutants; solution of forest-damage problems inflicted by wild and domestic ungulates
2	Klimahaus Mt. Patscherkofel south of Innsbruck- timberline ecotone
3	Stubaital - Ecological effects of land use changes on terrestrial mountain ecosystems. Research on ecosystemic processes in the alpine area, socioeconomic reasons for land use changes

Itinery of field trips	Local overview Route 1	Local overview Route 2 & 3

(click images for enlargement)

Recommended equipment

Access to the research site Mühleggerköpfl (Route 1 ) requires a 10 minutes hike. We scale a steep hill. Sturdy boots are recommended. For FUST the same equipment is necessary. There will be no long walks. We will go by car through the hunting district Pitz-Dollmannsbach and stop at interesting points.

The visit to the Klimahaus Mt. Patscherkofel (Route 2) is physically un-demanding. We access the mountain by a cable car and will hike a loop. The length depends on weather conditions.

The research area in the Stubaital (Route 3) starts at the valley floor and reaches up to the tree line. All sites can be reached by car. The maximum distance from the forest road will be 200 meters. We recommend sturdy boots because the terrain is rather steep.

Although we expect a sunny late-summer day, we are aware that rains is possible. Therefore rain-gear may be appreciated.

Route 1: Achenkirch, Northern Tyrolian Limestone
Costs: € 45.-
Max Number of Participants: 50
Topics: Biogeochemistry of nitrogen, water quality issues; measuring methods of air pollutants, solution of forest- damages problems inflicted by wild and domestic ungulates
Tour Guides: Dr Friedl Herman , Prof Dr Friedrich Reimoser

10:30 Research Site Mühleggerköpfl.
We visit a montane Norway spruce forest, where the biogeochemical processes involving nitrogen are investigated and measurements of air pollutants with various methods were performed. The interdisciplinary project design includes detailled investigations and an integrated evaluation of water, energy and nutrient budgets, tree growth and population dynamics from the root zone to the canopy. It leads to conclusions reagarding CLE and CLO. The intensive monitoring plot is representative with respect to significant ecological factors of this growth region. – We will explain the experimental set-up and present the latest results of our project.

12:30-14:00 Lunch in the field, if weather conditions permit, or at Hagenwirt in Achenkirch

14:00 Research Experiment FUST
We see the results of a long-term solution strategy of forest problems caused by browsing and bark stripping of game ungulates and cattle. The experiment runs already for 25 years. During this time an integrated management of forests and ungulates changed the situation significantly. Old problems, particularly intensive browsing of forest regeneration were solved on large areas. New problems, particularly culling of red deer arose. The effects of the measures done by forestry and hunting will be explained and discussed.

Route 2: Klimahaus Mt. Patscherkofel south of Innsbruck- timberline ecotone .

Costs: € 40.-

Number of participants: open

Topics: Socioeconomic importance of the timberline ecotone, influence of natural and antropogenic stress factors on high altitude associated plant communities.

Tour Guides: Univ.-Doc. Dr. Gerhard Wieser (Ecophysiology), Dipl.Ing. Dr. Gerhard Markart (soil and natural hazards).

Forest ecosystems at high altitude fulfill important functions such as protection against erosion, land slides, and avalanchecs. Consequently the
health and vitality of these ecosystems is of particulary interst with respect to the economic input, the safety of settlements and inhabitants,
the loss of agronomic income, as well as drinking water reserves and quality.

On the field trip round the summut of Mt. Patscherkofel passing the subalpine forest, as well as other plant communities above the
timberline/treeline (dward shrubs and alpine meadows) the impact of natural and anthropogenic stress factors related to the stability of these systems
will be discused. There will also be the possibility to visit the Klimahaus Research station (carbon balance) as well as the Alpengarten of the
University as well as research facilities used in ongoing experiments.

Route 3: Stubaital
Costs: € 45.-
Max Number of Participants: 30
Topics: Ecological effects of land use changes on terrestrial mountain ecosystems. Research on ecosystemic processes in the alpine area, socioeconomic reasons for land use changes
Tour Guides: Prof. Alexander Cernusca , Dr. Dieter Stöhr

Land-use changes are considered to be the major driving forces of changes in ecosystem function and dynamics, and in landscape pattern, and may exert a major impact on global climate changes. In the ecologically sensitive mountain areas there is a particular need for integrated research on effects of land-use changes, which identifies major processes and indicators for sustainable rural development.
On our field trip we will visit different research sites where effects of land use changes are monitored since years. The research sites cover the whole range of mountain ecosystems: intensely managed meadows, pastures, abandoned grassland, reforested areas and forest ecosystems. Several sites are part of the ECOMONT Project .

9:00	Departure
10:00 – 12.30	Land use changes in grassland ecosystems
12.30 – 14.30	Lunch at the Kaserstattalm, a typical tyrolean alpine hut
14.30 – 16.00	Land use changes in forests – changes in structure, tree species, increment and the effects on snow gliding, water balance, run off and other important processes in protection forests.
17.00	Arrival in Innsbruck