Shape still matters: rockfall interactions with trees and deadwood in a mountain forest uncover a new facet of rock shape dependency

Mountain forests have a substantial protective function in preventing natural hazards, in part due to the presence of dead wood on the forest floor. Rates of deadwood accumulation have increased within the Alps and are predicted to rise further, due to natural disturbances. In particular, higher windthrow event frequencies are expected, primarily due to large-scale even-aged forest stands in many alpine regions combined with climate change. We quantified the rockfall protection effect of mountain forests with and without deadwood, in unprecedented detail, in experiments using two rock shapes with important hazard potential and masses of 200-3200 kg. Based on a multi-camera setup, pre- and post-experimentally retrieved high-resolution lidar data, and rock data measured in situ, we precisely reconstructed 63 trajectories. The principal parameters of interest describing the rockfall kinematics were retrieved for each trajectory. A total of 164 tree impacts and 55 deadwood impacts were observed, and the currently applied energy absorption curves - partially only derived theoretically - could consequently be corroborated or even expanded to a greater absorption performance of certain species than hitherto assumed. Standing trees, in general, and deadwood, in particular, were found to strongly impede the notorious lateral spreading of platy rocks. Platy rocks featured a shorter mean runout distance than their compact counterparts of similar weight, even in the absence of deadwood. These results indicate that the higher hazard potential of platy rocks compared with more compact rocks, previously postulated for open-field terrain, applies less to forested areas. Last, reproducing the experimental setting showcases how complex forest states can be treated within rockfall simulations. Overall, the results of this study highlight the importance of incorporating horizontal forest structures accurately in simulations in order to obtain realistic deposition patterns.

Automated summary

Mountain forests play a significant role in protecting against natural hazards by the presence of dead wood on the forest floor. The accumulation of deadwood in the Alps has increased and is predicted to rise further due to natural disturbances. Experimental studies have shown that mountain forests, with and without deadwood, have a protective effect against rockfall hazards.