Projects and research

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.

Unit for Communications & Knowledge Transfer

City – Tree – Soil - Project

The ‘City - Tree - Soil’ project is investigating how the urban environment affects the soil and tree growth.

Unit for Site & Vegetation

The European network Integrate - Network

As early as the COST Action E27 on the harmonization of protected forest areas (2002-2006), it became clear that protected forest areas in the strict categories account for only around 3% of Europe's forest area. The question therefore remains: what is happening in terms of biodiversity conservation in the remaining 97% of the forest?

Department for Forest Biodiversity & Nature Conservation

„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 […]

Unit for Snow & Avalanches

Development of a concept for the provision of forest reproductive material in Ethiopia - Juniperus procera

Ethiopia has embarked on one of the globally most ambitious programs of forest landscape restoration (FLR) with a commitment to restore more than 20 million hectare of degraded forest landscapes within the next 20 years

Unit for Ecological Genetics

Mit der Messkluppe wird der Durchmesser gemessen

European National Forest Inventories harmonise their data - Horizon 2020

Until now the data of growing stock were hardly comparable across country borders. The European National Forest Inventories have now succeeded to harmonise the computation of growing stocks within the scope of the Horizon 2020 project “DIABOLO”. A major support for the information needs at the European level. National Forest Inventories are the major source […]

Unit for Inventory Design & Analysis

Conference “Preparing Europe for invasion by the beetles emerald ash borer and bronze birch borer” - Results of conference

The Conference Preparing Europe for invasion by the beetles emerald ash borer and bronze birch borer, two major tree-killing pests, held in Vienna, Austria, on 1-4 October 2018. The conference focus on the threats to European forests from two tree-killing pests, the emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis, a buprestid native to SE Asia and […]

Unit for Plant Health Control

High Five - Project

Measures for the conservation of native tree species of the Ethiopian Highlands: Linking genetic conservation to re-establishment of species diverse forests.