Our research orientation until up 2020 focuses on the adaptive management of forest ecosystems aimed at the creation of adaptive forest ecosystems and landscapes. This was made possible by establishing several dedicated centres of excellence for Adaptive forest ecosystems and for the support of decision-making in forest and landscape. Based on them, our Faculty was a reliable partner withn the 7th EU FP, e.g. helping to successfully implement the “Future-oriented Integrated Management of European Forest Landscapes“ (INTEGRAL).

Beside our previous participation in numerous projects funded by EU Framework programs, our confidence and deep insights also stem from past, ongoing and future expeditionary field research and sampling in the

• natural beech forests of the Carpathians, Dinarides/Albanides, Apennines, Elborz Mts. (Iran), and the Pontic Mts. (Turkey)
• natural spruce forests (northern forest line) of the Scandinavian Mts., British/Richardson Mts. (Yukon, NWT Terristorries - Canada), and the North Siberian Plateau (Russian Federation)

As an exaple, our teams aim at establishing both natural variability and possible differences in soil carbon accumulation due to natural and anthropogenic factors. Relying on such information and recognizing soil organic carbon multiple roles, our team attempts to derive implications for an adaptive management of forest ecosystems, forest landscapes, and forest ecosystem services under global change.