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Mechanical Resistance of Different Tree Species to Rockfall in the French Alps
- Source :
- Plant and Soil, Plant and Soil, Springer Verlag, 2005, 278 (1), pp.107-117. ⟨10.1007/s11104-005-3899-3⟩, Plant and Soil, Springer Verlag, 2005, 278 (1-2), pp.107-117
- Publication Year :
- 2005
- Publisher :
- Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2005.
-
Abstract
- International audience; In order to determine the mechanical resistance of several forest tree species to rockfall, an inventory of the type of damage sustained in an active rockfall corridor was carried out in the French Alps. The diameter, spatial position and type of damage incurred were measured in 423 trees. Only 5% of trees had sustained damage above a height of 1.3 m and in damaged trees, 66% of broken or uprooted trees were conifers. Larger trees were more likely to be wounded or dead than smaller trees, although the size of the wounds was relatively smaller in larger trees. The species with the least proportion of damage through stem breakage, uprooting or wounding was European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.). Winching tests were carried out on two conifer species, Norway spruce (Picea abies L.) and Silver .r (Abies alba Mill.), as well as European beech, in order to verify the hypothesis that beech was highly resistant to rockfall and that conifers were more susceptible to uprooting or stem breakage. Nineteen trees were winched downhill and the force necessary to cause failure was measured. The energy (Efail) required to break or uproot a tree was then calculated. Most .r trees failed in the stem and spruce usually failed through uprooting. Beech was either uprooted or broke in the stem and was twice as resistant to failure as .r, and three times more resistant than spruce. Efail was strongly related to stem diameter in European beech only, and was signi.cantly higher in this species compared to Norway spruce. Results suggest that beech would be a better species to plant with regards to protection against rockfall. Nevertheless, all types of di.erent abiotic stresses on any particular alpine site should be considered by the forest manager, as planting only broadleaf species may compromise the protecting capacity of the forest e.g. in the case of snow avalanches. In order to determine the mechanical resistance of several forest tree species to rockfall, an inventory of the type of damage sustained in an active rockfall corridor was carried out in the French Alps. The diameter, spatial position and type of damage incurred were measured in 423 trees. Only 5% of trees had sustained damage above a height of 1.3 m and in damaged trees, 66% of broken or uprooted trees were conifers. Larger trees were more likely to be wounded or dead than smaller trees, although the size of the wounds was relatively smaller in larger trees. The species with the least proportion of damage through stem breakage, uprooting or wounding was European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.). Winching tests were carried out on two conifer species, Norway spruce (Picea abies L.) and Silver .r (Abies alba Mill.), as well as European beech, in order to verify the hypothesis that beech was highly resistant to rockfall and that conifers were more susceptible to uprooting or stem breakage. Nineteen trees were winched downhill and the force necessary to cause failure was measured. The energy (Efail) required to break or uproot a tree was then calculated. Most .r trees failed in the stem and spruce usually failed through uprooting. Beech was either uprooted or broke in the stem and was twice as resistant to failure as .r, and three times more resistant than spruce. Efail was strongly related to stem diameter in European beech only, and was signi.cantly higher in this species compared to Norway spruce. Results suggest that beech would be a better species to plant with regards to protection against rockfall. Nevertheless, all types of di.erent abiotic stresses on any particular alpine site should be considered by the forest manager, as planting only broadleaf species may compromise the protecting capacity of the forest e.g. in the case of snow avalanches.
- Subjects :
- [SDE] Environmental Sciences
010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences
Fagus sylvatica
Plant Science
Risque
01 natural sciences
Pierre
Mouvement
Protection forest
ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS
Expérimentation
EPICEA COMMUN
geography.geographical_feature_category
biology
Ecology
Enracinement
04 agricultural and veterinary sciences
Fagaceae
Abies alba
Résistance mécanique
EPICEA
[SDE]Environmental Sciences
Pinales
HETRE
SAPIN ARGENTE
Soil Science
Stabilité
Rockfall
HETRE COMMUN
[SDV.BV]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Vegetal Biology
K70 - Dégâts causés aux forêts et leur protection
Arbre forestier
Beech
0105 earth and related environmental sciences
geography
Fraxinus excelsior
Picea abies
Forestry
Acer pseudoplatanus
15. Life on land
biology.organism_classification
040103 agronomy & agriculture
0401 agriculture, forestry, and fisheries
RESISTANCE
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 15735036 and 0032079X
- Volume :
- 278
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Plant and Soil
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....56b4e8fa9722b647751992fd819caf25