Long-Term Impact of Cattle Grazing on Subalpine Forest Development and Efficiency of Snow Avalanche Protection

Abstract

The study presented herein investigated the differences in stand structure of grazed and ungrazed subalpine forests and whether subalpine forests used for grazing satisfactorily protect against avalanches. In subalpine forests of Picea abies L. Karst and Larix decidua Miller, grazed and ungrazed plots of 225 m2 were analyzed through the use of dendroecological methods. The grazed forests were found to be less dense than the ungrazed forests and to have a higher percentage of European larch. However, the density of the forests investigated was high enough to impede the release of avalanches. The young trees grew faster in the grazed forests. There were less dominant trees in grazed forests, and these trees were much older than in ungrazed forests. The main structure types in the grazed and ungrazed forests were multilayered open and uniform dense, respectively. The management of mountain forests as wood pastures seems to enhance the readiness of the forest owners to conduct selective logging operations. Thus, forest grazing can encourage the development of heterogeneously structured forest stands, which can regenerate more easily while fulfilling a function of avalanche protection.