The Swiss Federal Institute for Forest Snow and Landscape Research WSL

C2 Ebrach

Learning from nature: Integrative forest management

 General information on the forests of the State Forest Enterprise Ebrach

Total forest area 16 500 ha (1200 ha set-aside area; timber production on 15 300 ha)
Main management types Irregular group shelterwood, group and single-tree selection systems
Total volume 388 m³/ha (6 400 000 m³ in total)
Annual growth 10.6 m³/ha/a (168 000 m³ in total)
Annual cutting rate 7.7 m³/ha
Deadwood 23 m³/ha
Ownership State forest
Climate 7.5 °C mean annual temperature, 850 mm mean annual precipitation
Geology Mostly Keuper – gypsum and dolomite marls, clay and sandstones that were deposited during the Middle and Late Triassic epochs (about 220 million years ago)
Soils Small scale mosaic of sandy, marly or clayey soils, mostly nutrient rich;
50 % of soils are largely impenetrable for fine roots, 75 % are sensitive to soil damage by forestry machines
Protected area 1200 ha set-aside area
Natura2000 area SAC 11 465.5 ha
SPA 11 528.2 ha