Symposium: Conservation of Forest Biodiversity

The DFG-funded Research Training Group ConFoBi Conservation of Forest Biodiversity in Multiple-use Landscapes of Central Europe is a major research and qualification programme of Freiburg University. ConFoBi combines multi-scale ecological studies on forest biodiversity with social and economic studies of biodiversity conservation. Twelve PhD students supervised by researchers of the Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources and the Faculty of Biology of Freiburg University, as well as the Forest Research Institute Freiburg (FVA), focus on the effectiveness of structural retention measures, namely habitat trees and dead wood, for the conservation of biodiversity in managed forests. In addition to this interdisciplinary approach, ConFoBi is maintaining a lively exchange of expertise between scientific research and the demands of forestry and conservation practice throughout all stages of the project.
ConFoBi started in July 2016. By now, the PhD students have specified their research proposals and plan for their first field season. At this stage, the objectives of this 1st ConFoBi Symposium are to present and discuss the respective research projects, to identify interdisciplinary linkages and opportunities, and to receive valuable input from distinguished forest scientists as well as policy makers and forest managers.