Analyzing rockfall activity (1600-2002) in a protection forest-a case study using dendrogeomorphology

Reconstructed data further show that the forest recolonizing the southern sector after the 1720 event gradually improved its protective function, reducing “rates” by a factor of 13 between the 1740s and the 1990s. In the recent past, “rates” oscillated around 0.7 GD 1 meter width−1 (10 years)−1. In the well-established forest of the northern sector, the efficacy of the protective forest was temporarily reduced by the rockfalls in 1720, resulting in increased rockfall “rates”. Since then, the protective function of the forest stand has increased again, resulting in a rate of 0.4 GD 1 m width−1 (10 years)−1 during the late 20th century.