Biodiversity and conservation

“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” This quote from Aristotle is especially applicable to the natural environment. For example, the feeling that comes over us when we are in a forest is not solely provoked by up to 14,000 animal, 6,000 plant and 5,000 Macromycete species, rather it is the interplay of flora and fauna with all other parts – be it the soil, water or climate. Nature’s complexities, as well as human impacts, as being parts of the greater whole, must be understood in order to use and preserve our environment sustainably.

In the department of Biodiversity and Conservation, we aim to contribute to the improvement of sustainable and integrative forest management on the basis of ecological principles by means of research and long-term monitoring, as well as practical guidance and knowledge sharing.

Forest and wildlife research reveals complex ecological relationships and provides knowledge on feedback loops between forest components and external impacts. It can thereby suggest potential limits and guidance for forestry and wildlife management. Spatial information, such as the mapping of Natura 2000 ecological assets and other monitoring outputs, provide an important baseline for planning and decision making, which will ultimately contribute to