Research projects

This project focuses on identifying management strategies that ensure the provision of ecosystem services under increasing climate-driven risks and extreme weather events. We first analyze the economic impacts of such events. We then identify adaptation strategies for forest enterprises in the context of future tree species selection. For more information click here.

Persons in charge: Fuchs, J. M. and Paul, C.

The aim of the project is to develop a modelling approach to identify suitable smallholder land use systems that satisfy farmers' needs while providing as many ecological functions as possible. For more information click here.

Persons in charge: v. Groß, V. and Paul, C.

This project is concerned with systematically describing the institutional/legal framework conditions for typical forms of management and organization in small private forests, analyzing the influencing factors empirically and in terms of institutional economics, and investigating the effects on forestry decisions. For more information click here.

Persons in charge: Hoffmann, C., Paul, C., Heinemann, J., Von Arnim, G.

The aim of this project is to analyze the growth patterns in the temperate forests of the Sierra Madre Occidental in order to define a sustainable timber harvest based on the productivity of the site. For more information click here.

Persons in charge: Padilla M., J. R., Paul, C. and Corral R., J. J.

This subproject aims to assess the economic returns and associated risks of mixed forests of European beech with Douglas-fir and spruce compared to pure stands of these tree species. The main hypothesis is that mixed forests have higher and more stable economic returns, and the associated risks are lower. For more information click here.

Persons in charge: Topanotti, L. and Paul, C.

This sub-project (WP3) focuses on the effect of tree species and structural diversity on the economic robustness and resilience of forest enterprises. By using bioeconomic simulation models and forestry portfolio optimization models, relationships between stand diversity, market volatilities and the provision of income, wood products and climate services will be better understood. For more information click here.

Persons in charge: Fuchs, J. M. and Paul, C.

The forest-based sector can make a major contribution to climate change mitigation through various ecosystem services, especially carbon storage, but all ecosystems have recently been affected by rapidly changing climatic conditions. In order to take this into account in future silvicultural management concepts, forest operations and wood supply, all actors along the forest wood value chain need to develop a common vision of future forest management. ONEforest will address this challenge by developing a multi-criteria decision support system that enables the different stakeholders in forestry to make long-term strategic decisions according to individual objectives, e.g. ecological, social or economic aspects. For more information click here.

Persons in charge: Ottens, L., v. Groß, V., Husmann, K. and Paul, C.

In the third funding period, the subproject socio-economic valuation will integrate the knowledge gained so far in the SIGNAL collaborative project on ecological relationships and effects of alley cropping agroforestry systems at various locations in Germany into a bio-economic farm model. It is to be discussed under which economic and site-specific but also societal conditions the implementation of agroforestry systems can be beneficial. For more information click here.

Persons in charge: Hollmann, M. and Paul, C.

Within the framework of the ELAN project, cooperation is taking place with six farms in Lower Saxony that are newly establishing an agroforestry system. Through intensive information and data exchange, economic, social and agronomic obstacles to agroforestry are to be identified. On the basis of the economic data, farm model calculations will be carried out to enable farm-specific scenario analyses on potential advantages and obstacles of different farm types. The entire farm structure as well as farm risks and findings on soil-relevant ecosystem services are to be explicitly included in the modelling. For more information click here.

Bearbeiter/innen: Volckens, V. und Paul, C.

This research project aims to identify the framework conditions under which agroforestry could contribute to reducing land use conflicts. The aim is to investigate the ideal degree of diversification at the field, farm and landscape levels in order to reconcile operational and social objectives. For more information click here.

Person in charge: Gosling, E., Reith, E. and Paul, C.

The aim of this project is to identify and evaluate the potential of Industry 4.0 in the forestry-wood supply chain. For this purpose, methods of classical investment appraisal, finance, utility analysis and risk management as well as institutional economic approaches such as the principal-agent theory are used. For more information click here.

Persons in charge: Hoffmann, C. and Paul, C.