OCR Text |
Show 3 jnly to the unusual snow conditions, but also to the long- continued recession of timberline. Avalanches of unusual size opened new paths through the timber which created potential for erosion, future avalanches and further destruction of the forests. These disasters spurred further preventive measures. The Torrent Control Section in Bregenz prepared an avalanche map of Vorarl-berg similar to that of Tirol. A precise vegetation map of Tirol was drawn which illustrated the recession of the forests, current land utilization and areas requiring reforestation. Projects totaling over $ 3,000,000 were set in motion in four different localities. The objective of these was to double the area covered by forest, triple the timber production, raise agriculture production by 50%, and reduce areas of erosion and avalanche paths to a third of their present size. It soon became apparent that comprehensive studies necessarily had to precede and accompany successful reforestation of the timberline zone. In 1955 a 16- man research group from the Federal Forest Research Center at Mariabrunn was attached to the Torrent Control Section at Innsbruck and assigned to work on the basic problems of reforestation and avalanche control. |