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The Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology offers an up-to-date and varied course of study that illuminates forests with their properties and their importance for biodiversity and climate protection, but also explicitly deals with the possibilities of human use, thereby addressing economic questions as well as social ones, and the dimension of forests and its use. The course also provides knowledge about the properties and possible uses of wood and wood products. Our faculty maintains numerous cooperations with other universities, research institutions and interdisciplinary centers all over the world and is active in many interdisciplinary research associations.
Latest news We are delighted that Prof. Dr. Lukas Giessen, together with his team, has been strengthening our faculty since April 1, 2026.
After completing his studies as a Diplom-Ingenieur (FH) in Forestry at HAWK Göttingen and earning a Master’s degree in “Sustainable Forestry and Land Use Management” at the University of Freiburg, he obtained his doctorate in Forest Policy from the University of Göttingen in 2009. Following a postdoctoral phase in Göttingen and at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, he moved in 2017 to the non-university European Forest Institute (EFI) in Bonn. In 2018, he completed his habilitation in Forest Policy and International Land Use Governance in Göttingen. In October 2020, Giessen was appointed Professor of Tropical and International Forestry at TU Dresden, where he led the “M.Sc. Tropical Forestry” program until recently.
The faculty warmly welcomes Prof. Dr. Lukas Giessen and is very pleased about his return to the University of Göttingen.
Wood scientist Prof. Dr. Holger Militz has been awarded the 2026 Marcus Wallenberg Prize. The Swedish Marcus Wallenberg Foundation is honoring him for his contributions to the research and industrial application of wood modification technologies. The award is considered the world’s most prestigious research prize in the field of forestry and wood science and was announced last week during a ceremony at the Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology. The award ceremony will take place in October in Stockholm. There, following the procedure of the Nobel Prize ceremony, the King of Sweden will present the prize to Militz. The faculty shares in Prof. Militz’s joy and congratulates him on this outstanding award and honor! Ecologist and biodiversity researcher Dr Gustavo B. Paterno from the University of Göttingen is entering the global final of the Frontiers Planet Prize 2026 as Germany’s ‘National Champion’. His nomination by an international jury of over a hundred members also recognises him as an outstanding expert in his field of research. Paterno has been nominated for an study on oil palm landscapes published in the journal Science in November 2024.
News from the faculty Sexual violence is a social problem that also exists at the University. To address and prevent this, the University of Göttingen has developed an online tool to raise awareness of sexual violence. The tool focuses on videos and questions that show scenes from everyday university life and are designed to encourage reflection. Our confidante, Katrin Meyer, would like to introduce herself to you. She will be happy to serve as your first point of contact for problems or conflicts of any kind, offering advice and, if necessary, referring you to the responsible offices and committees, such as the ombuds office.
Press releases Forests are under enormous pressure: droughts, storms, and pests are taking an increasing toll on them. To understand how well a forest can respond to such stresses, precise data is needed. In a new research project at the University of Göttingen, scientists are developing methods to measure the adaptability of forests using state-of-the-art digital technology. The Eva Mayr-Stihl Foundation is funding the project “Digital Recording of Ecosystem-Related Forest Management Data” for three years with approximately 1.2 million euros. Water and nitrogen are vital for trees. However, climate change is altering the availability of water and thus the uptake of nutrients dissolved in it – especially from the upper soil layers, which dry out quickly. How do trees access water and nitrogen from deeper soil layers under these conditions? Researchers at the University of Göttingen have tracked for the first time how mature trees absorb both substances and transport them from the roots to the treetops. Here you can find more press releases about the faculty and an archive.
Welcome to the
Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology
Professorship in Forest Policy and Land Use Governance Filled: A Warm Welcome to Professor Lukas Giessen!
Prof. Dr. Holger Militz receives Marcus-Wallenberg-Prize
Frontiers Planet Prize: Göttingen biodiversity researcher named „National Champion“
KNOW HOW - together against sexual violence at the University
Confidante
How resilient are our forests? - New research project at the University of Göttingen provides foundational data for forest management in the face of climate change
How trees use water and nitrogen from deep underground
More press releases
Faculty of Forest Sciences
and Forest Ecology
Büsgenweg 5
37077 Göttingen