Dr. Stephan Zimmermann

Function

Scientific staff member

Forest Soils and Biogeochemistry

Soil Functions and Soil Protection

Contact

stephan.zimmermann(at)wslto make life hard for spam bots.ch

+41 44 739 22 66+41 44 739 22 66

Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL
Zürcherstrasse 111
8903 Birmensdorf

Site

Birmensdorf Bi MG C 48

FURTHER INFORMATION

Projects

TradeES

To better inform forest practitioners, the TradeES project examines trade-offs among drought impact on forest growth, ecological functions and ecosystem services in thinned and unthinned Norway spruce-dominated stands in Switzerland.

Forest soil inventory

The repetition of the forest soil inventory provides the basis for representative forest soil monitoring throughout Switzerland. Through the connection to the sampling network of the National Forest Inventory, a variety of possibilities for the use and evaluation of the collected soil data are possible.

ICOS-2: Integrated Carbon Observation System in Switzerland, Phase 2017-2021

Die Forschungsstation Seehornwald Davos wurde in den 80er-Jahren von der WSL initiiert und ist damit eine der ältesten permanent betriebenen Wald-Vegetations-Forschungsstationen in der Schweiz.

Polytunnel Greenhouse Experiment

Das Projekt untersucht, wie gut zukunftsfähige Baumarten während der Verjüngungsphase in einem Klima mit wärmeren Wintern und heiss-trockenen Sommermonaten wachsen, wie sie sich gegenseitig beeinflussen und welche Auswirkungen ihre Präsenz auf den Boden und die darin lebenden Organismen hat.

Pre-study soil inventory

In the years 2021 - 2025, the forest soil survey of 1993 on the 8 x 8 km will be repeated. This grid does not cover all combinations of soil formation and environmental factors that potentially occur in Switzerland. This project evaluates the most efficient way to close these gaps.

Nutrient Sustainability in Swiss Wood Extraction

The project aims to determine the nutrient balance of various Swiss sites by means of comprehensive soil analyses and to develop nutrient balances aiming to maintain and promote soil fertility and biodiversity.

Swiss Biomass

The aim of the project is to determine the biomass of individual trees more precisely using non-destructive measurement methods. Such estimates are central for the greenhouse gas inventory, Kyoto reporting and for the estimation of wood resources and bioenergy potentials.

High-resolution soil maps for the Swiss forest

In this project we model high-resolution soil maps with different soil properties such as pH or texture for the entire Swiss forest.

Waldlabor Zürich

Das Waldlabor Zürich ist ein erlebnisorientierter Bildungs- und Forschungsort, es ist das erste Waldlabor der Schweiz. Im Zentrum steht der vom Menschen beeinflusste Wald, der "Kulturwald" mit verschiedenen Formen der Waldpflege und -bewirtschaftung, der Leistungen der Waldeigentümer und der Bedeutu

Restoration of species rich grasslands

Restoration of species rich grasslands from species poor agricultural sites was successful in several projects and studies. However, the existing vegetation including the roots and the nutrient enriched topsoil had to be removed in most of the successful examples. The impact of such radical disturbances on soil organisms and soil functions has not yet been assessed. Our study aims on shedding more light into these aspects.

Soil as a site factor

This project delivers soil and site related information for Swiss forests which are based mainly on measured values: (i) response of tree species relating to direct and indirect environmental variables, (ii) quantitative characterisation of species' ecological niche and (iii) soil ecological indicator values for forest plant species.

Soil compaction

Soil compaction caused by passage of logging machinery reduces the soil air capacity. Prolonged compaction of forest soils might enhance greenhouse gas-producing microbial activities and induce a change in the soil microbial community and favour organisms capable of tolerating anoxic conditions.

Impact of leaf litter collecting in forests

Only 150 years ago, Swiss forests were markedly affected by agro-forestal uses. In many places leaf litter was collected for different reasons. By experimental removing of the leaf litter, we examine the ecological consequences of this forest use and we evaluate it's potential as a new tool for nature conservation in forests.

Treeline in Ural

Historical photographs document that the upper treeline of the Ural mountains has moved up 60 to 80 m during the last century. We assess how the expansion of forests into tundra affects soil organic matter dynamics in the pristine Southern, Northern and Polar Ural.

Soil solution in LWF plots

The chemistry of soil solution and the soil water availability for plants have been monitored since 1997 in seven forest plots in Switzerland. This project, linked to the Swiss Long-term Forest Ecosystem Research project (LWF), aims to assess the soil response to atmospheric pollution (acidifying substances and nitrogen) and to climate change.

Soil matrix LTER

Since 1996, the long-term forest ecosystem monitoring program LTER observes the development of 16 selected forest ecosystems in Switzerland. Considering their pivotal role the investigations of soils is of central importance for the program.

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Publications WSL

Scientific publication article peer reviewed

Risch, A.C.; Zimmermann, S.; Schütz, M.; Borer, E.T.; Broadbent, A.A.D.; Caldeira, M.C.; Davies, K.F.; Eisenhauer, N.; Eskelinen, A.; Fay, P.A.; Hagedorn, F.; Knops, J.M.H.; Lembrechts, J.J.; MacDougall, A.S.; McCulley, R.L.; Melbourne, B.A.; Moore, J.L.; Power, S.A.; Seabloom, E.W.; ... Ochoa-Hueso, R., 2023: Drivers of the microbial metabolic quotient across global grasslands. Global Ecology and Biogeography, doi: 10.1111/geb.13664

Frey, B.; Moser, B.; Tytgat, B.; Zimmermann, S.; Alberti, J.; Biederman, L.A.; Borer, E.T.; Broadbent, A.A.D.; Caldeira, M.C.; Davies, K.F.; Eisenhauer, N.; Eskelinen, A.; Fay, P.A.; Hagedorn, F.; Hautier, Y.; MacDougall, A.S.; McCulley, R.L.; Moore, J.L.; Nepel, M.; ... Risch, A.C., 2023: Long-term N-addition alters the community structure of functionally important N-cycling soil microorganisms across global grasslands. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 176: 108887 (11 pp.). doi: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2022.108887

Mayer, M.; Rusch, S.; Didion, M.; Baltensweiler, A.; Walthert, L.; Ranft, F.; Rigling, A.; Zimmermann, S.; Hagedorn, F., 2023: Elevation dependent response of soil organic carbon stocks to forest windthrow. Science of the Total Environment, 857: 159694 (9 pp.). doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159694

Meusburger, K.; Trotsiuk, V.; Schmidt-Walter, P.; Baltensweiler, A.; Brun, P.; Bernhard, F.; Gharun, M.; Habel, R.; Hagedorn, F.; Köchli, R.; Psomas, A.; Puhlmann, H.; Thimonier, A.; Waldner, P.; Zimmermann, S.; Walthert, L., 2022: Soil–plant interactions modulated water availability of Swiss forests during the 2015 and 2018 droughts. Global Change Biology, 28, 20: 5928-5944. doi: 10.1111/gcb.16332

Gilgado, J.D.; Rusterholz, H.; Braschler, B.; Zimmermann, S.; Chittaro, Y.; Baur, B., 2022: Six groups of ground-dwelling arthropods show different diversity responses along elevational gradients in the Swiss Alps. PLoS One, 17: e0271831 (23 pp.). doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0271831

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Further scientific publications

Zimmermann, S., 2023: Bodenfliessen. Soil creep. In: Kunstmuseum Luzern (eds), 2023: Ask the stone. Luzern, Kunstmuseum Luzern. 139-146.

Baltensweiler, A.; Walthert, L.; Zimmermann, S.; Nussbaum, M., 2022: Hochauflösende Bodenkarten für den Schweizer Wald. Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Forstwesen, 173, 6: 288-291. doi: 10.3188/szf.2022.0288

Zimmermann, S.; Stadelmann, G.; Kurz, D.; Thrippleton, T.; Schweier, J., 2022: Nährstoffnachhaltigkeit bei Waldbewirtschaftung. In: Eidg. Forschungsanstalt für Wald, Schnee und Landschaft WSL (eds), 2022: Waldböden - intakt und funktional. Forum für Wissen 2022, Birmensdorf. 57-64. doi: 10.55419/wsl:32007

Mayer, M.; Rusch, S.; Didion, M.; Baltensweiler, A.; Walthert, L.; Ranft, F.; Rigling, A.; Zimmermann, S.; Hagedorn, F., 2022: Humusverlust nach Windwurf - Risiko im Bergwald?. In: Eidg. Forschungsanstalt für Wald, Schnee und Landschaft WSL (eds), 2022: Waldböden - intakt und funktional. Forum für Wissen 2022, Birmensdorf. 43-45. doi: 10.55419/wsl:32005

Hagedorn, F.; Mayer, M.; Meusburger, K.; Walthert, L.; Zimmermann, S., 2022: Organische Substanz in Schweizer Waldböden - eine wichtige, aber empfindliche Ressource. In: Eidg. Forschungsanstalt für Wald, Schnee und Landschaft WSL (eds), 2022: Waldböden - intakt und funktional. Forum für Wissen 2022, Birmensdorf. 13-18. doi: 10.55419/wsl:32001

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Magazine article and brochures

Griess, H.; Schweier, J.; Zimmermann, S., 2022: Bodenschutz ein zentraler Aspekt bei der Waldbewirtschaftung. Zürcher Wald, 54, 6: 4-8.

Zimmermann, S.; Frutig, F.; Schweier, J., 2022: Bodenschutz bei der Waldbewirtschaftung. Info BWSo, 10-11.

Comprendre la diversité et les fonctions des sols forestiers en Suisse

Les sols forestiers ont une structure pratiquement intacte et naturelle, car ils ne sont ni labourés ni fertilisés. Leurs caractéristiques permettent de reconstituer les processus passés de formation du sol et livrent d'importantes indications sur les propriétés et les fonctions de ces sols.

Notice pour le praticien 68

2021

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Den Waldboden verstehen - Vielfalt und Funktion der Waldböden in der Schweiz

Waldböden sind weitgehend ungestört und natürlich aufgebaut. Ihre charakteristischen Merkmale erlauben Rückschlüsse auf die abgelaufenen Prozesse der Bodenbildung und geben Hinweise auf Eigenschaften von Waldböden und ihre Funktionen.

Merkblatt für die Praxis 68

2021

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Frutig, F.; Zimmermann, S.; Thees, O., 2019: Bodenschutz bei der Holzernte. Bündnerwald, 72, 8: 20-26.

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