Climate change, sustainability, resource conservation and biodiversity - topics of the SusLand doctoral centre
The Sustainable Land Use Systems (SusLand) doctoral centre addresses the major issues and global challenges of our time:
How do we deal with natural resources? How do we secure ecosystem services and value chains? Can we manage the transformation into the post-fossil age?
In line with the research profile of the HSWT, research at the doctoral centre contributes to the development of innovative solutions for resilient and sustainable land use systems while respecting planetary boundaries and sustainability goals.
Research areas of the SusLand doctoral centre
Biodiversity
Climate change
Bioeconomy
Applied life sciences with a focus on sustainable land use systems and a focus on biodiversity, climate change and bioeconomy are bundled in a systems science approach at the SusLand doctoral centre. Research focuses in particular on the pressing issues of biodiversity, climate adaptation, digitalisation, acceptance and participation.
Research topics
The promotion centre addresses the following aspects of sustainable land use, among others:
- Sustainable Agriculture
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In SusLand, innovative practices for plant cultivation and animal husbandry are being developed in order to achieve food security while minimising the environmental impact in the face of a growing world population.
- Climate neutrality
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Innovative approaches to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from land use and increasing the sink capacity in the land use, land use change and forestry sector are being researched in SusLand.
- Effects of climate change
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Researchers in SusLand are developing, testing and evaluating measures to adapt Agriculture, forest management and bioeconomy to extended growing seasons, droughts and heavy rainfall.
- Biodiversity
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SusLand is investigating how the decline in biodiversity in the area of conflict between agriculture/forestry, urbanisation and nature conservation can be counteracted through innovative and integrative land use.
- Conservation of natural resources
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The potential, value and vulnerability of natural resources and the associated ecosystem services, including trade-offs, are being researched and assessed in SusLand.
- Digital technologies
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In SusLand, digital technologies are used to analyse and model ecosystems, landscapes and value chains to enable innovative solutions to complex challenges.
- Acceptance
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SusLand researches participatory approaches that increase the acceptance of land use changes and green transformation among various target groups.
Members
Currently, 16 professors with a strong research background at the HSWT are members of the SusLand doctoral centre. The expertise of the participating professors lies primarily in the fields of biosciences, agricultural sciences and forestry, and covers a broad spectrum of methods and topics along the ecosystem - land use - food - bioeconomy value chain. The systems science paradigm it represents promotes the formation of supervision tandems and research alliances.
The professorial members of the doctoral centre can supervise and assess doctoral projects.
Doing a doctorate at the SusLand doctoral centre
The doctoral centre "Sustainable Land Use Systems" enables talented young researchers to gain qualifications through practical research and teaching in the transdisciplinary environment of the University of Applied Sciences Weihenstephan-Triesdorf.
It awards the doctoral degrees "Dr.rer.nat" and "Dr.agr."
Information on requirements and the application process will follow shortly.
