Living Lab Central is a cross-border pilot region located in the southwest of Germany (Landkreise Lörrach and Waldshut) and the adjacent northern part of Switzerland (cantons Basel-Landschaft and Basel-Stadt). The area is jointly managed by two regional forest owner associations: WaldBeiderBasel (WBB) and Forstkammer Baden-Württemberg (Forstkammer). This cross-border region is characterised by small-scale forest ownership structures and similar environmental and silvicultural conditions.
In recent years, these regions have faced increasing climate-related challenges, particularly droughts and widespread insect infestations, which have severely impacted forest health. It is believed that individual small-scale forest owners are overwhelmed by these challenges. Many are unfamiliar with existing sector networks, such as forest management cooperatives, which facilitate cooperation and provide access to forest extension services. Moreover, non-traditional forest owners often feel disconnected from these cooperatives and lack motivation to actively manage their forests.
The objective of the Living Lab is to enhance the multifunctional management of disturbance-affected forests through improved organisational models, supported by Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) schemes focusing on carbon storage and biodiversity. This approach will enable the study of future impacts on various forest ecosystem services and biodiversity.
Ultimately, the project aims to equip forest owners with a holistic understanding of the potential silvicultural management impacts on the multifunctional benefits of their forests, thereby supporting informed and sustainable management decisions.
Properties
The forest characteristics outlined above were taken into consideration when selecting suitable properties. In total, six properties were selected, three in each country.
PROPERTY 1: Spruce polewood, a forest area at risk from climate change (Rothenfluh, CH)
This property consists predominantly of coniferous polewood, with a diameter at breast height (DBH) ranging from 12 to 30 centimetres. The stand was planted step by step within 10 – 15 years. The main tree species include Norway spruce (Picea abies), with a mix of silver fir (Abies alba) and Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii). Deciduous species were occasionally promoted. The total area covers 4.2 hectares, divided into three different parcels. The site features fresh, alkaline-rich soil, typical of beech forests in the lower montane zone. The terrain is flat, and the stand is well maintained with planting, thinning, and established skid trails.
PROPERTY 2: Beech timber wood, potential multifunctional forest (Rothenfluh, CH)
This property is dominated by large-diameter timber wood with a DBH greater than 50 centimetres. The forest stand is partly patchy, with gaps created by windthrow and selective felling now filled with dense natural regeneration, mainly composed of beech (Fagus sylvatica). The tree species are mainly beech, mixed with lime (Tilia cordata), silver fir (Abies alba), ash (Fraxinus excelsior), and maple (Acer sp.). The total area of 10.7 hectares is divided into 20 parcels, owned by up to 20 private individuals. The site is characterised by fresh to moist soils, representative of submontane beech forests. The slope is moderately steep with eastern exposure. Few forestry interventions have taken place in the last years, and there is no systematic management.
PROPERTY 3: Hardwood mixed forest, community forest (Aesch, CH)
This property is owned by the Citizens’ Community, a common form of ownership in Switzerland that lies between private and public forest ownership. It comprises a mix of polewood and timber wood stands. The forest is a hardwood mix, including beech (Fagus sylvatica), silver fir (Abies alba), oak (Quercus robur), ash (Fraxinus excelsior), and maple (Acer pseudoplatanus). While the entire forest spans 67.5 hectares as a single parcel, the selected area for the project covers between 4 and 8 hectares. The site has fresh to moist soils, again typical of submontane beech forests. The terrain is moderately hilly, with a predominantly northern exposure.
PROPERTY 4: Replanted disturbed forest area (Wehr, GER)
This property includes young plantations established between 2010 and 2020 on cleared beetle areas, covering approximately 3 hectares. The plantation scheme followed a mixed-species approach, focusing on Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) in mixed cultivation with predominantly deciduous trees, including wild service tree, tulip tree, oak, sweet chestnut, and black walnut. The forest management strategy includes partial entrainment of natural regeneration, incorporating species such as wild cherry, alder, maple (Acer spp.), and larch. The site lies on a south-western slope, is relatively damp, and has loamy soil, with a stream running through it. Planting was supported by EU funding.
PROPERTY 5: Beetle-affected areas and old stands (Malsburg-Marzell, GER)
This area has been significantly affected by bark beetles. While the damaged sections have been cleared, they have not yet been replanted. The lower section of the site still contains standing deadwood (Norway spruce), as well as old silver fir stands (Abies alba). The entire property covers 24 hectares, of which 2 to 4 hectares are included in the project. Natural regeneration is likely to occur, mainly with Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and beech (Fagus sylvatica), though other tree species should also be documented. The site features a high south-west-facing slope with rocky soil, and future drought conditions are expected to become more severe. For future forest stock, the forest owner has expressed a preference for species such as Douglas fir, silver fir, and beech.
PROPERTY 6: Near-Natural old growth (Gerspach, GER)
The forest characteristics show a near-natural forest managed for own use, composed mainly of silver fir (Abies alba), maple (Acer pseudoplatanus), and beech (Fagus sylvatica). It presents a diverse structure with lying deadwood and includes some old silver fir specimens. The stand features coppice with natural regeneration of silver fir, maple, beech, and some spruce, and appears relatively well thinned. The management approach involves no planting but focuses on selecting mainly silver fir as valuable wood (with local buyers available), while designating beech and maple as firewood trees. The forest is located on the flat western slope of the summit, with moist, stony grounds.
Forest owners characteristics
There are a total of 6,000 forest owners across the 6 properties of LL Central. Approximately 21% of the forest area is privately owned, while a significant 43% is managed by Citizens’ Councils, communal ownership bodies that have been an important part of Swiss forest governance for many years. Despite a total privately managed forest area of 4,281 hectares, individual holdings are generally small, averaging just 0.7 hectares. Ownership includes a diverse range of stakeholders from individual farmers, forestry contractors, and employees to community-based organisations that represent hundreds or even thousands of residents. Many of these owners are members of regional associations such as WaldBeider Basel and various Citizens’ Councils, which foster cooperation and sustainable forest management practices.
The Living Lab Central includes diverse forest owners with varying motivations and management styles.
- Property 1 (Rothenfluh, CH): The forest owner is a 40-year-old male farmer/forestry contractor.
- Property 2 (Rothenfluh, CH): The area has various local owners, some of whom live there, with a few using the wood for their personal needs.
- Property 3 (Aesch, CH): The stands are owned and managed by the local Citizens’ Community, which represents approximately 1,200 people of the “Bürgergemeinde Therwil.
- Property 4 (Wehr, GER): The forest owner is a male employee, around 40, who purchased multiple small parcels after bark beetle damage. He sees the forest as both a passion and a legacy, as well as an income source. He selects tree species mainly based on market potential, but also considers aesthetics.
- Property 5 (Malsburg-Marzell, GER): The forest owner is a 70-year-old male farmer and forester, deeply involved in regional politics and forestry. His forest has been passed down through generations, and he uses the wood for building materials and firewood, while also selling firewood and wood chips.
- Property 6 (Gerspach, GER): The forest owner is a 50-year-old employee who manages near-natural woodlands inherited from his family. He uses the forest for firewood and occasionally sells fir timber
