Latest Projects

Research project (§ 26 & § 27)
Duration : 2023-08-01 - 2026-07-31

Raising awareness and modelling the forest fire danger are essential aspects of preventive measures for an integrated forest fire management. In Austria, there are currently only a few initiatives for rising awareness about the current fire danger and platforms that support the modelling. The Institute of Silviculture is currently running the prototype of an integrated system for forest fire risk assessment (waldbrand.at) and the only forest fire blog (fireblog.boku.ac.at). These two established platforms require constant support and further development. Within the scope of this project, measures are therefore to be taken to ensure the functionality and performance, conduct necessary updates and bug fixes as well as ensure the security of both platforms. Additionally new functionalities should be implemented and a higher media outreach should be achieved through cooperations with different target groups and communication channels. The platforms should be used as an expert tool for forest fire danger assessment, bundle existing knowledge on forest fires and serve as an effective communication channel in close cooperation with ongoing forest fire projects.
Research project (§ 26 & § 27)
Duration : 2024-01-01 - 2027-12-31

The overall objective of the TRANSFORMIT project is to demonstrate and improve the effectiveness of integrated forest management (IFM) approaches in combining productive forestry and biodiversity conservation by integrating existing practical and scientific knowledge, and to stipulate collaboration and mutual learning amongst science, policy and practice in Europe and internationally. Specifically, TRANSFORMIT will lay the basis for larger scale implementation of IFM through proactive engagement with well-established networks. TRANSFORMIT will create a Stakeholder Engagement Platform for intensive collaboration, mutual learning and sharing of knowledge among conservation and forestry bodies, forest managers, forest owners, research institutions, certification bodies and other interested stakeholders to exploit synergies and minimise trade-offs in forest management and increase mutual understanding and exchange between relevant policy and practice sectors. TRANSFORMIT will promote IFM though the establishment of seven Living Labs that serve as role models to spread IFM across European regions. A set of practical IFM recommendations and evidence-based guidelines will be designed for upscaling and addressing multiple, possibly conflicting objectives of forest management to promote biodiversity conservation, increase forest resilience and mitigate the impacts of forest disturbances, while supporting socio-economic goals of forest management based on an effective usage and benefits of forest resources and ecosystem services. TRANSFORMIT will demonstrate the active use of Decision Support Tools (DSTs) and forest modelling as well as innovative technologies such as game engine-driven interactive digital twins of forest that can be applied in forest management and decision-making to address effects of different forest management approaches on the provision of ecosystem services and effects of climate change on forests.
Research project (§ 26 & § 27)
Duration : 2023-07-01 - 2025-06-30

The Paris agreement in 20215 aims for a limited temperature increase of 1.5 to 2 degrees versus the preindustrial time (1850). In achieving this goal by 2050, the emissions from agriculture, industry, traffic and other sources have to be reduced by enhancing the energy efficiency, and the replacement of fossil energy with green energy sources such as wind, solar etc. This change is difficult and requires time. A method which may be put in place immediately is the carbon capture and storage through forest growth. Thus, forests are seen as a “technology” which is in place and until the new “green” technologies are available they can buffer large amounts of carbon. Forests carbon storage can be increased by (i) afforestation and (ii) no harvesting operations for a limited time. Based on this the following challenges for forest management are important: 1. What consequences in the development of the carbon pools result from a limited period of not utilizing forest products from managed forests 2. What impacts for deadwood development including a carbon release from deadwood have to be considered for a limited or unlimited protection of managed forests.

Supervised Theses and Dissertations