A method for integrating the effects of forests on rockfalls into quantitative risk analysis – a case study in Switzerland

Although the protective effect of forests against rockfall is widely recognised, a holistic approach to include forests in quantitative risk analyses is missing. In this study, we present a general framework to integrate forests into quantitative rockfall risk analysis and apply it in a case study. The results demonstrate that risk is critically reduced on the forested compared to the non-forested situation. The presented methodology allows for quantification of the forest effects in monetary terms.