Summer School on Assisted Migration 2025

Together with EVOLTREE and the Czech University of Life Sciences (CZU), BFW is organizing a five-day summer school at the Forestry Training Centre in Traunkirchen from 28 July to 1 August 2025.

The training aims to provide an in-depth insight into assisted migration of forests under climate change, with a focus on decision support models.

Forest trees have evolved at the species and population level to adapt to their local environment. Such local adaptations lead to genetically differentiated populations with characteristics that are adapted to the respective biotic and abiotic stress factors. However, natural migration and adaptation are very slow processes that cannot keep pace with rapid climate change. This leads to poorly adapted populations that are less able to provide various ecosystem services.

Given the limitations of tree migration and rapid adaptation, there is a growing awareness of the need for human-assisted reorientation. Such support is commonly referred to as assisted migration.

Participants will gain practical experience in the development of models for the identification and spatial mapping of adapted and non-adapted populations of forest tree species under climate change.

How to apply

The registration fee for the Summer School is 1300 euros. This covers accommodation and meals during the lectures and the excursion. Participants are expected to cover their own travel costs to the venue in Traunkirchen. EVOLTREE will provide financial support for a limited number of candidates. Details can be found on the EVOLTREE website.

You can also find a detailed overview of the Summer School 2025 here.