Projects and research

Protection Forests in the Alpine Region – Adaptation Strategies to Climate Change - Project MOSAIC

Climate change is undeniably contributing to the increase in weather- and climate-related natural disasters, affecting Alpine communities. Natural disasters are often the result of compound events, which are combinations of multiple climate- and/or weather-related hazards that contribute to societal or environmental risks.

Unit for Snow & Avalanches

A Novel EU Project Provides Forest Information for Europe’s Roadmap Towards Climate Neutrality - Project

A better monitoring of Europe’s forest will help countries mitigate and adapt to climate change.

Department for Forest Inventory

NatWALD – Identification, selection, establishment & monitoring of new natural forest reserves - Project NatWALD

Natural forest reserves (NFR) have gained political and social importance due to current challenges related to climate change and the biodiversity crisis. The aim of the NatWALD project is to expand the existing network by setting up 15 new NFRs (approx. 500 ha) with a contract period of 20 years.

Unit for Natural Forest Reserves

Research group investigates the behaviour of forest fires - Project EMERGE

Forest fires have so far been a marginal topic in Austria, but in the future an increase in such events is expected. A group of researchers is currently investigating how the behaviour of fires in forests can be better assessed.

Unit for Remote Sensing

Man sieht durch den Sucher einer Kamera Waldarbeiter im Wald

Forestry training goes digital - Project 2ForT

Forestry is very much practice-oriented, so the digital paths in education are not yet very developed. The project 2ForT wants to change this circumstance.

A red-hot future for Austria’s forests - Project Austria Fire Futures

In the future, the risk of forest fire will be a permanent threat of summer in Austria as well. How we can better deal with it is being researched in the Austria Fire Futures project.

Unit for Remote Sensing

The forests at the Danube are the biggest semi-natural floodplain forest in Central Europe (picture: pixabay).

Detecting greenhouse gas emissions in floodplain forests - Climate change

Ecological processes in floodplains and their impact on greenhouse gas fluxes are still to be discovered. BFW therefore investigates the dynamic ecosystems in the Austrian Danube National Park.

Unit for Climate Impact Research Coordination

Fortification complex Altfinstermünz near Nauders (Picture: Franz Geiger, Wikimedia, CC)

Cultural Heritage. Risks and Securing activities - Risk assessment

CHEERS is a European project concerning the protection of cultural heritage exposed to environmental risks (natural disasters, climate change, etc.).

Unit for Climate Impact Research Coordination

Flowers of Parkia biglobosa Foto: Marco Schmidt, CC BY-SA 3.0

Making Chromosomes Visible - Forest genetics

Parkia biglobosa (African locust bean) or Néré is a versatile tree species in Africa. Among other things, it has been and is the subject of a series of genetic examinations and provenance trials with the aim of selecting more drought-resistant forms. Despite all types of interest in this tree species, we have only poor knowledge […]

Unit for Provenance Research & Breeding

Experimental Garden Tulln - Project

In the BFW Experimental Garden Tulln, meticulous techniques are used to produce plants for the conservation and breeding of climate tolerant, rare and site specific tree species.

Department for Forest Biodiversity & Nature Conservation

Two decades of natural forest reserves - Nature protection

20 years of natural forest reserves, 195 natural forest reserves over a total area of 8403 ha – almost the size of a national park. Research in natural forest reserves is long-term research. This costs time and resources. And the long-standing observation plots are already bearing fruit. The Austrian Natural Forest Reserves Programme was initiated […]