Symposium
Symposium | Freitag 11. Juli 2025 | 9 - 12 Uhr | Hörsaal Biologie I (Zoologie)
Speakers & Abstracts
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Dr. Michael Nobis
Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL Birmensdorf
From post-glacial migration to current biological invasions: novel avenues to study the distribution dynamics of plants
Vegetation and plant distributions are subject to permanent changes on different time scales. Quaternary climatic oscillation has led to profound range shifts, while invasive non-native plants are currently spreading as a result of global change. The talk will present three selected approaches that facilitate the detection and a deeper understanding of such dynamics of plant distributions in recent years. (1) Dynamic species distribution modeling improves the reconstruction of post-glacial range dynamics. (2) Citizen science provides comprehensive data to detect changes in the flora of the Canton Zurich since the early 19th century. And finally, (3) artificial intelligence enables the rapid mapping of invasive non-native plants on the Swiss national road network. The successful use of such developments requires a sound knowlege of plants and vegetation. This crucial understanding has been taught at the Chair of Geobotany at the University of Freiburg for 50 years.
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Prof. Dr. Johannes Kollmann
Technical University of Munich
Fifty years of grassland research: vegetation description – functional ecology – green infrastructure
Grassland research has a long history in Central Europe, and it has been a focus of the Chair of Geobotany at the University of Freiburg for many decades. A critical description of the various types of grassland, for example in the Black Forest and the Kaiserstuhl, was done in the 1970-80ies. This phase was followed by population-based approaches in the 1990ies with a focus on functional characteristics of plant species and associated animal groups. Since then, ‘novel grasslands’ at roadsides and dikes have become a promising focus. These systems can be engineered based on functional traits or phylogenetic diversity to increase resistance to plant invasions and resilience to climatic extremes. Studies are done under highly controlled conditions, complemented by field experiments in the urban landscape. The ultimate goal is to create a multifunctional green infrastructure that benefits biodiversity, improves the local climate and serves as sustainable drainage system. All three phases of grassland research depend on an intimate knowledge of site factors, species and their interactions. The outcome of the research is an advanced knowledge of the grasslands and specific suggestions to improve their conservation and restoration.
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Prof. Dr. Jasmin Joshi
Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences Rapperswil
Urban greening and the underused potential of biodiversity effects
Over the past decades, the influence of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning—and, by extension, on Nature’s contributions to people (NCP’s) —has been intensively investigated and demonstrated. Especially, biodiversity experiments as realized within the TreeDivNet offer insights how to use biodiversity effects and NCP’s in urban green infrastructures. Particularly trees and woody plants provide a wide range of ecosystem services in urban areas—for example, cooling effects, promotion of biodiversity, opportunities for recreation and physical activity, visual orientation structures, water infiltration, medium-term carbon storage, and the enhancement of permanent humus formation. Urban areas with their high diversity of habitat types offer a much needed opportunity to promote wild plant species and benefit from nature based solutions and NCP’s. Nevertheless, the prospective benefits from biodiversity effects of both native and non-native species for urban greening remain largely underexplored and underutilized. Even though an urban green infrastructure with a high level of biodiversity also enhances resilience to the challenges of climate change and offers health and economic benefits. The insights offered by fundamental ecological research as provided by the Chair of Geobotany at the University of Freiburg for many decades offers an opportunity to translate scientific results into functionally naturalistic designs, that support biodiversity, NCP’s, and meet the public’s desire for a connection with nature in urban spaces.
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Prof. Dr. Michael Rudner
University of Applied Sciences Weihenstephan-Triesdorf
Vegetation patterns in cultural landscapes: From uncovering relationships to action planning
Reflecting on 11 years at the Chair of Geobotany at the University of Freiburg (UFR) and on 11 years as geobotany professor at the Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences (HSWT) I compare the perspectives at either institute, focusing particularly on vegetation patterns in cultural landscapes. While research at UFR revolved around the understanding of vegetation in the landscape – “What are the drivers of the observed pattern?” – at HSWT, we focus on the application – “What is the target state and how far does the observed pattern deviate?” At both institutions, the integration of vegetation in the landscape and its dynamics, especially its dependency on land-use change, is of central interest. In addition to analyses at stand to landscape scale, at UFR, we also conducted studies at finer scales. While we considered land-use as a key factor for vegetation composition at UFR, we directly integrate agriculture as an actor into our studies at HSWT in research as well as in teaching. Several research projects focus substantially on agricultural landscapes.