Welcome to the Chair of Forest Entomology and Forest Protection!
Our professorship is located in Stegen-Wittental, on the edge of the Dreisamtal valley, about 10 km east of Freiburg. Here we have several buildings, including greenhouses and laboratories, as well as a large open space - ideal conditions for learning, teaching and research.
Research |
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Teaching |
| We are working on a better understanding of the ecology and evolution of forest insects in order to maintain the ecological and forest ecosystem services of our forests in the long term. In particular, we want to gain a holistic insight into how other micro- and macroorganisms, such as microbial symbionts or natural antagonists, influence the interactions between herbivores and their host trees. To this end, we apply methods from evolutionary biology, ecology, entomology, microbiology and a wide range of state-of-the-art techniques from histology, molecular and chemical ecology. We are internationally renowned for our experience in breeding bark and ambrosia beetles in artificial media in the laboratory. By also using our on-site experimental forest, greenhouses and flight cages, we can study these insects at different levels: from the gene to the ecological context. |
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In our teaching and supervision of students, we want to pass on our fascination for research on organisms and their interactions, with a focus on animals in the forest. From our own experience, we know that the best courses are those in which the participants can develop, conduct and analyze experiments themselves. As lecturers, we therefore present theories in conjunction with nice experimental data and current research whenever possible. Accordingly, our teaching is strongly research-based, with practical application, e.g. in forest conservation, in mind. |
