Adhikari Yojana, Bachstein Nadine, Gohr Charlotte, Blumröder Jeanette S, Meier Caroline, Ibisch Pierre L
Centre for Econics and Ecosystem Management, Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development, Alfred-Möller-Str. 1, 16225, Eberswalde, Germany.
Center of Methods, Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University, 21335, Lüneburg, Germany.
Sci Rep. 2024 Dec 5;14(1):30311. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-81209-0.
The climate crisis seriously threatens Central European forests and their ecosystem functions. There are indications that old-growth forests are relatively resilient and efficient in micro-climatic regulation during extreme climatic conditions. This study evaluates five well-protected old beech forests in Germany, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We examined temperature dynamics and vitality in core, buffer, and border zones during hot days from 2017 to 2023, using Landsat 8 and 9 imageries to assess Land Surface Temperature (LST) and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), alongside on-site Air Temperature (AT) measurements. Our findings reveal that all five forests were impacted by recent extreme heat events, with core zones remaining cooler and more vital, followed by buffer zones. Temperature-regulating patterns varied with landscape characteristics and the surrounding matrixes. We observed a site-dependent cooling effect of the forest interior that increased with higher LST. Our study highlights the value of old-growth forests and recommends increasing effective protection around mature forests, establishing corridors between isolated patches, and creating mosaics in managed landscapes that include unmanaged areas capable of developing into old-growth ecosystems.
气候危机严重威胁着中欧森林及其生态系统功能。有迹象表明，原始森林在极端气候条件下对微气候的调节具有相对较强的恢复力和效率。本研究评估了德国五片受到良好保护的古老山毛榉林，它们是联合国教科文组织世界遗产的一部分。我们利用陆地卫星8号和9号图像评估地表温度（LST）和归一化植被指数（NDVI），并结合现场气温（AT）测量，研究了2017年至2023年炎热天气期间核心区、缓冲区和边缘区的温度动态和活力。我们的研究结果表明，所有五片森林都受到了近期极端高温事件的影响，核心区温度较低且更具活力，其次是缓冲区。温度调节模式因景观特征和周边基质而异。我们观察到森林内部存在与地点相关的降温效应，且随着LST升高而增强。我们的研究突出了原始森林的价值，并建议加强对成熟森林的有效保护，在孤立斑块之间建立廊道，以及在包括能够发展为原始生态系统的未管理区域的人工景观中创建镶嵌体。
