negative effects on flowering trends of forest trees in Austria Climatic Change: negative effects on flowering trends of forest trees in Austria Rudolf Litschauer¹, Karin Robitschek¹ , Bortenschlager Sigmar², Schantl Hanna³ ¹ Federal Research and Training Centre for Forests, Natural Hazards and Landscape (BFW), Department of Genetics, Vienna, Austria ² University of Innsbruck, Botany, Austria ³ University of Salzburg, Botany, Austria

1. Introduction 2. Material & Methods 4. Results 5. Conclusion The Earth’s climate has already warmed by 0.6°C over the past century. In Austria during the same time period the temperature increased by approximately 1.8 °C . This temperature increase was found in all altitudes (Böhm et al. 1998). In general, climatic changes in the alpine region are more strongly pronounced. Therefore, the alpine area ranks among the most sensitive areas which the climatic changes concerns (Kromp-Kolb 2001).

In the forest ecosystem climate change plays a decisive role 1. Introduction 2. Material & Methods 4. Results 5. Conclusion In the forest ecosystem climate change plays a decisive role Trees have to produce pollen and seeds to disseminate genes to the next generation and to maintain regeneration and reproduction. Hence, pollen and seed dispersion are important for natural reproduction. The growing season is influenced with an earlier start of spring and a later start of fall.

(European Aeroallergen Network) 1. Introduction 2. Material & Methods 4. Results 5. Conclusion Pollendata are provided by EAN (European Aeroallergen Network) some for the Austrian forest important traps were selected annual pollen totals were used to present changes because of climate change Climatedata are provided by ZAMG (Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics, Vienna, Austria) Average annual temperatre????

1. Introduction 2. Material & Methods 4. Results 5. Conclusion

1. Introduction 2. Material & Methods 4. Results 5. Conclusion Regressions of spruce (Picea abies)

Major storm disasters in Austria 1. Introduction 2. Material & Methods 4. Results 5. Conclusions Major storm disasters in Austria February / March 1990 Vivian and Wiebke 147km/h ("Hörsching")   5th April 1997 coupled with heavy snowfalls in the next few days 5th February 1999 Lara 130 km/h (Vienna Airport) 26th December 1999 Lothar one dead person and two seriously injured persons in Lower Austria 19th March 2001 Emma hurricane; 216 km/h ("Gaisberg") 15th December 2005 Dorian 18th January 2007 Kyrill 100 million Euro adversity 26 - 27 January 2008 Paula 230 km/h ("Schneeberg"), heavy losses in Styria 1 -2 March 2008 222 km/h ("Wendelstein")

1. Introduction 2. Material & Methods 4. Results 5. Conclusion

1. Introduction 2. Material & Methods 4. Results 5. Conclusion

1. Introduction 2. Material & Methods 4. Results 5. Conclusion Flowering of „green alder“ (Alnus viridis) in Lienz (Eastern Tyrol)

1. Introduction 2. Material & Methods 4. Results 5. Conclusion

1. Introduction 2. Material & Methods 4. Results 5. Conclusion

1. Introduction 2. Material & Methods 4. Results 5. Conclusion

1. Introduction 2. Material & Methods 4. Results 5. Conclusion The increase of catastrophic storm and hail events northern of the alpine ridge will damage forest tree species more than in the past. The increase of temperature and additionally a decrease of precipitation in the alpine valleys and especially southern of the alpine rim will injure and reject tree species pretentious to soil moisture. In the eastern part of Austria the differences between increasing temperature and decreasing precepitation are “viel geringer”.

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