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Department of Biology

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Ecology and Biological Resources

In the research concentration Ecology and Biological Resources, the Department of Biology works on current fundamental questions in the future sustainability of our society: What effects do climate change and resource use by humans have on biodiversity? How do organism respond to changes in their environment? What role do plants, animals and microorganisms play in the Earth’s climate system? How can the societal use of biological resources be improved?

To answer these questions, colleagues within the department in the areas of animal and plant Ecology gather information on biodiversity patterns and how these change over time from all around the globe: In the forests of Madagascar, in the deserts of Africa, in the coastal ecosystems of Europe and in the North and Baltic Seas. Ecophysiological techniques are used to study the response of plants and animals to environmental changes and stress and hydrobiological analyses help to investigate the functionality of marine ecosystems.

In parallel, colleagues in the fishery and forestry sciences work to develop sustainable practices for the use of marine and terrestrial resources. In the Institute of Wood Sciences, raw wood materials and other lignocelluloses stand at the forefront of research. Here, the biological and chemical structures of these substances as well as their physical characteristics are closely investigated. In addition, processes are being developed to make use of renewable raw material as base chemicals and in composite materials.

The following working groups contribute to the research concentration Ecology and Biological Resources:

Junior Research Groups

Further Research Groups