Profil of the chair

Trees play a key role in the global carbon and water cycles. Dynamics of physiological processes of woody species, water regime, including cambial activity and xylogenesis therefore build the basis of our botanical research.

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Issues

Adaptation and Optimization

Plants are exposed to a wide variety of biotic and abiotic influences, particular strains and stressors. They have developed divers adaptation mechanisms and strategies, that allow the plants to cope with challenging conditions. Knowledge about the adaptability of particularly woody plants forms the basis for choosing optimally adjusted plants. Growth, drought tolerance, improvement of yield, use as indicator plants, and survival and living under changing climatic, edaphic, or artificial conditions are the main topics of the research.

Molecular Physiology of Woody Plants

The group „Molecular Physiology of Woody Plants“ was established 2002 at the institute of Forest botany and –zoology. The aim of our group is to link up genetic information of the tree, population genetics and forest botany. The discipline molecular physiology tries to connect (molecular) genetic methods with classical wood anatomical and plant physiological methods in order to gain information about possible causes of differences in adaptation and adaptability of tree species, tree populations or genotypes.

Urban Trees

Changing climatic conditions with increasing temperatures, more frequent drought periods, and heat waves during spring and summer will increase the risk of stress of trees and shrubs. Fast and successful establishment of trees well adapted under prevailing site conditions becomes more and more challenging, since only healthy and long-living trees are able to fulfil the requested ecologic and economic benefits as microclimatic cooling and shading.

BIOINDICATION TO CONTROL THE ENVIRONMENT

Tree crowns, forest ground vegetation and moss/lichens can be used for bioindication of the environment with special knowledge and experiences. In tree crowns the branching pattern is interpreted, in ground vegetation and moss/lichens on tree bark the species composition and their indicator value. By this methods it is possible to detect environmental stress/pollution and long-term trends.

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Knowledge and research of life processes of trees and shrubs convey insights in inner and outer structures, mechanisms of adaptation and optimization as well as in complex functions of plants. Chair of forest botany transmits botanical basics and profound knowledge in dendrology. Research questions – if fundamental or application-oriented – are answered by diverse methodological approaches. Besides the focus of woody plants, a further priority of the chair lies on bio-indication by mosses and lichens in environmental control.
Moreover the connected function of managing Tharandt Botanic Garden results in a close connection to these institutions. Guided tours and special theme-based presentations present results of forest botanical research to an interested public (e.g. a path of sustainable development). In Sylvaticon, the “WaldErlebnisWerkstatt”, children and teenagers can experience our finds in a very hands-on way. Forest botany intends an intensifying of education and research for botanical hierarchies and interactions starting from cell to ecosystem level and sustainable development.