News

Method Seminar Series: Summer Semester 2026

The Department of Forest Economics and Sustainable Land-Use Planning is pleased to announce its Method Seminar Series for the summer semester 2026.

The seminar provides a platform for researchers to present and discuss methodological approaches relevant to forest economics, environmental policy, and sustainable land-use research. It is open to all interested colleagues, researchers, and students.

Schedule and Format

The seminar will take place every other Tuesday, starting on 12 May 2026, in Seminar Room 0.132, Büsgenweg 3 (Ground Floor). Participation is also possible online via Zoom.

This seminar focuses on the presentation and discussion of current methodological developments in forest economics research. Participants are expected to engage with and present contemporary theories, methods, and techniques, both from their own research area and from related fields. Building on these methodological foundations, the seminar encourages critical discussion and the development of research hypotheses.

Please find below the full schedule of the method seminar in summer semester 2026:

Date	Topic	Speaker
12 May 2026	Incentivising Small-Scale Forest Owners for Ecosystem Services: Insights from a Europe-Wide Survey	Sekar Yunita
26 May 2026	From Biodiversity to Productivity: Insights from Tree Diversity Experiments and Trait-Based Analysis reading material	Dr. Nathaly R. Guerrero Ramírez
09 June 2026	Introduction to the 'Sustainable Rurbanity’ Project'	Lina Ibarra Medina
23 June 2026	[Available slot]	[Available slot]
7 July 2026	Sharing Session from Short-Term Scientific Mission in Finland	Leona Ottens
21 July 2026	Methods of Behavioural Economics for Forestry Research	Rafael Duarte Lisboa Paschoaleto

Open Slot – Call for Contributions

Please note that the session on 23 June 2026 is currently open due to a cancellation. We warmly invite suggestions for speakers, as well as contributions from anyone whose research engages with or contributes to the field of forest economics. PhD students who present in the seminar may receive 3 ECTS credits.

Participation and Contact

If you are interested in presenting your work or would like to participate online via Zoom, please contact Sekar Yunita

Agroforestry in Germany is gaining momentum – thanks to pioneers who are moving forward despite currently unattractive framework conditions.
Our study shows: German agroforestry farmers are driven by a strong sense of public good and environmental awareness ("self-transcendence") as well as their pioneering spirit ("openness to new experiences"). These aspects are still insufficiently considered in many funding strategies.
What is needed now? Securing the livelihoods of trailblazers so they can pass on their enthusiasm and expertise for agroforestry, better economic incentives for broader practice, and less rigid regulations in EU agricultural policy to give farms the freedom to design agroforestry systems suited to their farm and region.
The good news: The younger generation of German farmers is motivated to implement more sustainable land-use systems. If policy and funding follow suit, the goal of 200,000 hectares of agroforestry land in Germany by 2027 comes within reach. Our findings provide well-founded impulses for agroforestry promotion – and thus for more agroforestry on German fields.

Growing trees for the greater good – German agroforestry farmers are driven by self-transcendence values

Researcher: Volckens, V., Husmann, K. und Paul, C.

🌙 Hands-on Science at the Night of Knowledge at the University of Göttingen! 🌲✨

Our research project ReHa – Regional Study Harz was represented with an interactive stand and attracted many interested visitors. The focus: How can the future of the forest in the Harz look like in times of climate change?

For children, there was a Harz quiz and a drawing station – creativity and curiosity were in demand!

At the tree species quiz, visitors could participate and try to identify various tree species that are assigned to a drought stress risk – a challenging and exciting task!

Our Post-it action "3 Words for the Harz" invited people to think: What connects people with the Harz? The answers were as diverse as the region itself.

Another highlight: AI-generated forest images were evaluated in terms of their recreational value – a fascinating insight into digital perception research.

Additionally, we presented posters on the individual sub-projects of the ReHa team – accompanied by many interested discussions, critical questions, and different perspectives.

We would like to thank all visitors for their great interest and the valuable exchange – this is what science communication looks like in practice!
The project ReHa is funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space within the framework of the REGULUS funding measure.