Institute of Geography

Ongoing Projects

BernClim

Regional climate impact observation network

In 1970, the Geographical Institute of the University of Berne (GIUB) started the mesoclimatological observation network BernClim. The aim is to collect seasonality information of plants, fog and snow in the Canton of Berne (5’000 km2) for applications in urban and regional planning and mesoclimatology. Volunteer observers are recording development stages of selected plant species and the presence and duration of fog and snow. Species for plant phenological observations include the date of the flowering of hazel (Coryllus avellana), dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) and apple trees (Pyrus malus) as well as wheat harvest (Triticum vulgare) and colouring of the leaves of beeches (Fagus sylvatica). The maximum number of 300 stations was reached at the beginning of the project.

four pictures showing the four seasons: spring (yellow flowers on grass), summer (forest on a hill), fall (foggy valley) and winter (snow on a hilly landscape with a tree on the foreground)

Today, BernClim data are used in climate impact research, forestry and bioclimatology. Studies indicate a constant decrease in snow cover duration at low altitude stations and a trend towards an extended growing season. In 2015, GIUB launched OpenNature for seasonality and extreme weather observations (www.OpenNature.ch) for submitting data to BernClim.

Project team:

Dr. This Rutishauser, Lukas Meyer, Prof. Dr. Stefan Brönnimann

Funding:

self-funded

Contact:

Send an email to BernClim

Reading material:

François Jeanneret, This Rutishauser, 2012: BernClim. Saisonalitäts-Monitoring – Jura, Mittelland, Alpen / Surviellance de la saisonalité – Jura, Moyen-Pays, Alpes. G 87. 112 S., 58 Abb., 16. Tab. ISBN 978-3-9905835-30-4. CHF 25.00 (Order a copy)

Jeanneret, François; Rutishauser, This; Brügger, Robert, 2011: Phänologie und Saisonalität. Geschichte, Monitoring, Raumansprache. U 26. 178 S., 86 Abb., 33 Tab. ISBN 978-3-905835-28-1. CHF 27.00 (Order a copy )

I want to become a BernClim observer