Working at the interface to other scientific disciplines, the forest sector and the general public, we need robust tools to assess the future development of our forests according to different management options and quantify provisioning of ecosystem services such as timber production, nature conservation as well as associated risks and uncertainties. We have developed different forest ecosystem modeling concepts, which are used as diagnostic tools to investigate and ensure sustainable forest management. We maintain “MOSES” - a classical distance-dependent tree growth model (MOSES), "PICUS" - a succession model based on gap dynamics (PICUS) , “iLand" - a landscape model accounting for landscape-scale processes (iland.boku.ac.at), and a species specific version of Biome-BGC for assessing the dynamics of carbon, nutrient, water and energy fluxes within forest ecosystems (Biome-BGC) .
We have developed spatial and temporal explicit algorithms for interpolating daily climate and soil data based on observations (DAYMET) Hier könnte man statt einem link als Kontakt Elisabeth angeben. We also developed a downscaling algorithm to provide daily temperature and precipitation information on 1-km resolution for entire Europe since 1950.
Decision Support Systems (DSS) http://www.wabo.boku.ac.at/waldbau/forschung/fachgebiete/entscheidungsunterstuetzung/decision-support/ and Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) techniques http://www.wabo.boku.ac.at/waldbau/forschung/fachgebiete/entscheidungsunterstuetzung/mcdm-techniken/ support stakeholders in their management decisions. We are active in formulating criteria and indicators to evaluate sustainable forest management http://www.wabo.boku.ac.at/waldbau/forschung/fachgebiete/bewirtschaftungskonzepte/ci-fuer-nachhaltige-waldwirtschaft/ and apply our expertise in other regions worldwide including Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe. With the Community of Practice on Forest Management Decision Support Systems we maintain a worldwide repository of knowledge on DSS http://www.forestdss.org/CoP/. Several DSS developed at our institute support forest managers in forest planning (DSD) http://www.wabo.boku.ac.at/waldbau/forschung/fachgebiete/entscheidungsunterstuetzung/decision-support/dsd-decision-support-dobrova/ , conduct skyline-based harvesting operations in steep terrain (CONES) http://www.wabo.boku.ac.at/waldbau/forschung/fachgebiete/entscheidungsunterstuetzung/decision-support/cones/ , or provide support in adapting forest management to climate change http://www.wabo.boku.ac.at/waldbau/forschung/fachgebiete/bewirtschaftungskonzepte/waldbewirtschaftung-und-klimaaenderung/adaptives-management/.
The AFMToolBox is maintained as a repository of decision support tools for interested users:
www.afm-toolbox.net/.
We run a forest genetics laboratory with state-of-the-art diagnostic instruments to study molecular markers and genome sequencing. The experimental garden "Knödelhütte" provides long-term experimental plots, a tree nursery and a greenhouse for studying tree seedlings http://www.wabo.boku.ac.at/waldbau/forstlicher-versuchsgarten/ .