Making the mountain forest climate-ready: INTERREG project WINALP 21 shows the way!

The Bavarian-Austrian project has been funded by the European Union and the forestry administrations of Vorarlberg, Tyrol, Bavaria and Upper Austria from January 2023 to the end of 2025 with a total of 1.6 million euros. On 11 November 2025, the results were presented and lively discussed at the Centre for Environment and Culture in Benediktbeuern.

Functions of the mountain forest

The mountain forest in the Northern Alps protects the densely populated and heavily travelled Alpine valleys from natural hazards and forms the basis for the regional timber industry. These services are provided by mixed mountain forests of the native tree species spruce, fir and beech, and in the interior of the Alps by mixed coniferous forests of spruce, larch and pine, which have so far been able to adapt to the rising temperatures thanks to high precipitation in Bavaria, Vorarlberg and North Tyrol.

Effects of progressive climate change

But how will the further rise in temperature of up to 4 °Celsius by the end of the century affect forest communities? To answer this question, a German-Austrian research team has developed innovative site maps that take into account the expected water and heat balance by the end of the century in addition to the current condition of the soil when maintaining and planting mountain forests.

Voices from politics and forestry administration on the project

„Bavaria and Austria are conducting joint research for healthy forests of the future. The tree species recommendations are an important basis for forestry advice,“ said Bavarian State Minister Michaela Kaniber in her video message. Stephan Philipp from the Office of the Vorarlberg State Government emphasised: „We use the modern forest information system to implement our forest strategy“. And Kurt Ziegner, Head of the Forest Planning Department, confirmed: „The dynamic forest type map forms an essential basis for the adaptation of Tyrolean mountain forests to climate change“.

Practical research results to try out

At four market stalls, participants were able to gain their own impression of the findings and talk to the scientists. „The interactive maps and demonstration areas developed in WINALP 21 help forestry companies to take climate change into account in their decisions so that the maintenance, preventive conversion and restoration of resilient forests can succeed,“ summarised Prof. Dr Jörg Ewald, head of the joint project and holder of the research professorship „Diversity and Functions of Mountain Ecosystems“ at Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences (HSWT). He also thanked the entire transnational project team for their successful collaboration.

We will report on an app and an excursion guide resulting from the project at a later date. These will also be made available on the WINALP 21 project page.

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