Projects and research

Policy Brief 1: Potential and limits of European forests in climate change mitigation -

In this policy brief we propose measures to maintain the forest carbon sink strength and provide information for the time horizons for achieving the targets

Unit for Climate Impact Research Coordination

Innovation in avalanche protection: umbrella nets for snowpack stabilization - Project

Several installed umbrella nets have shown damage due to overloading. This raises the question of which typical damage patterns occur in the structure and what types and magnitudes of loads cause them. How can such damage be prevented? Additionally, it is essential to determine the required maintenance and repair measures, as well as the expected lifespan of the system.

Unit for Snow & Avalanches

HybOakAdapt – Genomics of hybridization in white oaks for climate-adapted Austrian forests - Project

The project, funded by the Climate Energy Fund, investigates white oak species complexes as a model system and the role of hybridization in climate adaptation. A particular focus is on Austria and south-eastern Europe.

Unit for Ecological Genetics

RE-ENFORCE – Transnational Cooperation on nature-based solutions for restoring degraded forests of Central Europe - Project RE-ENFORCE

The forests of Central Europe provide a diverse range of ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration, protective functions, biodiversity support, and job creation, while also serving as cost-effective measures for climate protection. However, the effects of climate change are increasingly threatening forest ecosystems and presenting them with major challenges in terms of adapting to changing climatic conditions and protecting biodiversity.

Unit for Forest Growth

Forest Groove – forest biodiversity in harmony - Project "Forest Groove"

When pupils investigate the biodiversity of the forest not with a microscope but with a microphone and create their own sound mixes, then they are part of the innovative Sparkling Science project "Forest Groove" of the Austrian Research Centre for Forests (BFW). The project creatively combines science, environmental education and music.

Scent detection dogs for the Asian longhorn beetle - Training course

Global trade and worldwide shipping of wood and wood packaging material lead to an increase in Asian longhorn beetle outbreaks in Europe. Dogs are trained at the BFW in Vienna to detect Anoplophora.

Department for Forest Protection

Video: Impact of Climate Change in Africa - Multimedia

Burkina Faso, situated in the west of Africa, experiences a tropical climate depending on its geographical location. The rainy season lasts for almost two to five months and is a major driver of its floristic and vegetational characteristics of the region. The typical park landscapes i.e. cultivated landscapes created for agroforestry practices are exposed to […]

Department for Forest Biodiversity & Nature Conservation

Twinning Serbia - Improvement of forest management in Serbia as a contribution to climate change adaptation and mitigation

In 2013 the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) between the EU and the Republic of Serbia entered into force. Article 1 Section 2 (d) of the SAA states that the aim of the Association established is "to support the efforts of Serbia to develop its economic and international cooperation, including through the approximation of its legislation to that of the Community".

Unit for Forest Society & International Relations

Resilient Riparian Forests in the Mura-Drava-Danube Biosphere Reserve - Biosphere reserve

Within the REFOCuS project a holistic strategy for both managed and protected forests will be developed, comprising appropriate silvicultural methods and conservation strategies.

Unit for Silviculture

Measuring Greenhouse Gases in Singapur - Inventory

With the SINSOIL project, the first baseline data on soil GHG emissions (CO2, N2O and CH4) from a natural forest land and an urban parkland in Singapur under commonly used management practices (grass vegetation, N fixing plants and compost application) over a 1 year period will be collected. Studies on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in […]

Department for Forest Ecology & Soil

„Avalanche training courses are the new highrisk sports“ - Conference

A presenter on day 5 of ISSW2018 put forward this bold statement. Day 5 was dedicated to avalanche training and rescue. Many presentations highlighted that self-reflection is required in each and every sphere of snow-related activity, in particular in risky situations. The stability of the snow pack, avalanche forecasting and the role of new media […]