The “Bocage Forestier” living lab aims to assess the functional benefits of deciduous hedgerows for pine plantation landscapes in the Landes de Gascogne forest. In addition to the proven benefits for biodiversity and pest control, theoretical studies suggest that broadleaved hedgerows could reduce the vulnerability of adjacent pine plantations to storms by forming a stratified border that mitigates wind force and turbulence. The project also examines the effect of adjacent clear-cuts on the vulnerability of neighbouring stands, as clear cuts could, on the contrary, increase wind speed. We propose to test these hypotheses based on the case of Storm Klaus (2009) and using data from IFN plots where damage levels were measured. Access to exact GPS coordinates is essential in order to accurately characterise the surrounding forest landscape (hedgerows, clear-cuts, shape and size of stands) and quantify the respective contributions of stand and landscape effects on windstorm damage.
