Sixty percent of Bavaria's alpine forests serve as protective forests that safeguard settlements and infrastructure from the impacts of extreme weather events. Climate change is putting these forests under increasing pressure. To advance research, the Eva Mayr-Stihl Foundation supports TUM's new Center for Alpine Forest Management, which examines these impacts and evaluates long-term options to sustain protective forests.
Rupert Seidl / TUM Retreating glaciers, rising snow lines, and increasing rockfall already show how climate change is reshaping mountain regions - and alpine forests are no exception. These forests are particularly vulnerable, as warming in the Alps is twice the global average, placing significant stress on forest ecosystems. This also affects protective forests, which reduce natural hazard risks for nearby communities and therefore require specialized management and upkeep.
It remains uncertain whether and to what extent alpine protective forests will continue to fulfill this role in the future. At the same time, the likelihood of avalanches, debris flows, and rockfall is increasing- the very hazards these forests help moderate. Over the next four and a half years, the Center for Alpine Forest Management, supported by the Eva Mayr-Stihl Foundation, will study how these developments are shaping alpine forests and how this transformation can be actively managed.
Robert Mayr, founder and chairman of the Eva Mayr-Stihl Foundation, explains the motivation behind the initiative: "I spent most of my childhood in Upper Bavaria outdoors in nature. Even later, my vacations revolved around hiking and skiing. I view the changes driven by climate change, particularly in mountain forests, with deep concern."
Integrating scientific and social dimensions
Five TUM professors in climate and forest sciences are combining their expertise at the center to build a comprehensive picture of current and future conditions. Annette Menzel , Professor of Ecoclimatology at TUM and head of the center, explains: "We are working intensively to deepen our ecological and social understanding of alpine forest systems." Annette Menzel and co-head Thomas Knoke (Forest Management) will lead the Center for Alpine Forest Management. They will be joined by Rupert Seidl (Ecosystem Dynamics and Forest Management), Richard L. Peters (Tree Growth and Wood Physiology), and Cornelius Senf (Earth Observation for Ecosystem Management), each contributing expertise in their respective areas.
"An important part of our work is addressing the many expectations society places on forests. Forests provide recreation, supply an essential renewable resource, and serve as critical wildlife habitat," says Thomas Knoke. The research team will work across five subprojects to close key gaps in tree growth, forest and ecosystem management, and social acceptance.
"The Center for Alpine Forest Management strengthens a research field that is crucial in shaping the future of the alpine region. Our protective forests are essential to both people and nature - which is why adapting how we manage them in the face of climate change has become urgent. I am therefore very pleased that outstanding researchers at TUM are joining forces to address existing knowledge gaps," says Prof. Martin Klingenspor, Dean of the TUM School of Life Sciences.
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Andreas Heddergott / TUM - The five subprojects:
Ecoclimatology (Prof. Annette Menzel)
Tree growth and wood physiology (Prof. Richard L. Peters)
Protective functions under different management approaches (Prof. Rupert Seidl)
Earth observation for ecosystem management (Prof. Cornelius Senf)
Demand for mountain forest insurance services and conflicts with other ecosystem services (Prof. Thomas Knoke)
- The Center for Alpine Forest Management is run by researchers of the TUM School of Life Sciences .
- TUM conducts extensive research on the effects of climate change in the Alps. It is a consortium partner of the Environmental Research Station Schneefernerhaus and home to TUM Alpha , the Center for Alpine Hazards & Risk. Since 2019, TUM has also collaborated with Berchtesgaden National Park under the research leadership of Rupert Seidl.
