3. The Bavarian Alps
3.1 Morphology and Location
The area of the Bavarian Alps has an extent of about 5 300 sqkm, which
is ca. 3% of the entire region of the Alps and 7,5% of the area of the
Bavarian State. Its part of the Eastern Alps and reaches from the
moraine landscape in the north to the Austrian borders in the south and
east and to the Lake Constance in the very west.
The Bavarian high mountain region includes divers landscape units according
to altitude and morphology. The mountain region of the administrative district
of the city of Miesbach well represents the morphological and forestal
situation on compareable altitudes of the Alps. Therefore we decided to
select the diverse area to the south of Miesbach as a representative, alpine
study area.The selected region is located about 50 km to the south of Munich,
between the rivers Isar and Inn.
The total area is about 1/9th of the entire region of the Alps. Two
lakes are included, which are known as popular holiday resorts during the
summer and in winter time; the Tegernsee and the Schliersee.
The northern low mountain range relief is characterized by altitudes
between 725 meters on the Tegernsee and 1370 meter on the Luckenkopf. The
southern high mountain region is composed of precipitous and steep rocks
and partly smoother landscape forms with altidude differences of 1150 meters.
The highest point is 1885 metres high, the peak of the Rotwand.
3.2 Climate
Unlike the climatical situation of the Central Alps, humid atlantic climate
is predominant.
Meteorological processes in the study area are influenced by the barrier
effect of the Alps, which work like a dam wall for oncoming clouds. Therefore
a high amount of precepetation and cool temperatures are typical. According
to altitude the mean yearly amount of precipitation varies between 1300
mm and 2500 mm and the mean yearly temperature between 6,3 degree Celsius
at the lake Tegernsee and 2,6 degree Celsius on the peak of the Wendelstein.
The "Foehn" - a warm wind which blows down the slopes on the leeward
side of a ridge of mountains - is very prevalent in the Alps, especially
on the northern slopes. Owing to its warmth and dryness it melts the snow
very quickly and causes considerable rises in the temperature.
3.3 Geology
The diverse geological situation can easily be classified into 6 geological
zones, which extend from east to west. The zones are as following from
north to south:
-
1. The Molassevorland, the low mountain region on the northern border of
the Alps, which was createt by glacial deposits.
-
2. A narrow zone of the northernmost mountains between Schliersee and Tegernsee
is generated by limestones of the Helvetikum formation and partly by Flysch
layers.
-
3. The Flyschzone is composed by rather stable layers like quarzite lime-
and sandstones and unstable muddy clay layers which strongly tend
to mudflow.
-
4.The kalkalpine Randzone (calcareous alpine edge) consists of limestones,
sandstones, dolomits and marl layers.
-
5. The Karbonatgesteinszone (carbonate stone zone) with Plattenkalk and
-
Hauptdolomit.
-
6. The Muldenzone (hollow zone) is part of the Karbonatsgesteinszone with
a combination of harder and softer geological formations.
3.4 Landuse and Forestry
The composition of native forest types in the Alps primarily depends on
altitude, which determines growing factors like temperature and rainfall.
Moreover exposition and soil conditions are an important factor.
Densily forested are the low mountain ranges of the Molassevorland
and the Flyschzone.
The native forests in the montaneous zone (up to 1400 m) are mixed
mountain forests with an admixture of various percentages of beech, fir,
spruce and maple, depending on site and altitude.
Partly other broadleaves like ash, elm, linden, cherry and conifers
such as pine or larch can sometimes be found. Typically for mountain forests
is the variety and change of tree mixture, structure and age on small sites.
On the slope bottom and in valleys of the submontaneous zone (from
500 to 800 meters) broadleves are dominant in mixed stands. On altitudes
between 800 and 1100 meters there is almost a balance between the percentages
of spruce, fir and beech. In the high montaneous zone (from 1100 to 1400
m) first beeches and secondary firs are decreasing with growing altitude.
The subalpine forest (1400 to 1800 meters) consists of spruce, sorbus aucuparia
and acer pseudoplatanus and seldom on sites being not higher than 1500
meters of beeche and fir.
61 % of the total area are covered with forests (33800 ha). Consequently
the forest percentage is higher than the average forest percentage of the
total area of the Bavarian Alps (54 %).
2/3 of the forests are State Forests; 1 % are Corporate Forests and
the rest is private owned, primarily by local farmers. 80 % of the private
owned forests are smaller than 10 ha and the mean size of all private forests
is not more than 7,3 ha.
The planning of the forest functions in the administrative district
of Miesbach was finished in 1974. At that time 17700 ha - that is 52 %
of the forested area - were designated as protection forests aginst soil
erosion, debris flow and avalanches.
Additionally the landscape and the forests south of Miesbach are a
most important factor for recreation, because the regions around the towns
of Tegernsee and Schliersee are most famous and popular holiday resorts
for more than 500 000 people from all over the world and for about 2 million
local people - primarily from Munich and other big cities nearby - who
visit the region just for a day or a weekend (numbers from 1974!).
3.5 Test Sites
We are going to choose one test site close to
the lake Spitzingsee and Schliersee, the Hagenberg (mountain) which
has already been study area for several research projects concerning the
regeneration of protection forests. We think, that this specific issue
is another interesting aspect for the FORAM research project. A second
test site will probably be selected in spring time after all the snow will
be gone, and detailed field studies will be possible then.
Back to the FORAM Home Page