Climate change impacts on key forest functions of the Vienna Woods

Abstract

A temperature increase higher than the global mean is likely for Central Europe until the end of the century. Historic climate records reveal that the temperature in eastern Austria has already increased by about 2 °C over the last 50 years. We investigated the responses of ecophysiological and productivity indicators to climate change of the Vienna Woods, the neighbouring forests of the Austrian capital, to assess potential impacts on forest functioning. In this impact analysis, we used the biogeochemical mechanistic model Biome-BGC and ran it with 50 years of historic climate data and regional climate change projections based on IPCC emission scenarios A1B and B1 until 2100. We projected sustained productivity until the end of the twenty-first century. Lowered soil water potentials, however, seem to limit a productivity increase, especially in the low elevation areas, while the canopy leaf area, annual soil water outflow and annual mean water use efficiency are projected to remain constant or increase. We conclude that the forests in the greenbelt of Vienna are not severely prone to negative functional climate change effects, and therefore, key forest functions concerning welfare and recreation can be maintained in the Vienna Woods.