Jack Westoby Lecture: Future Forests and Future Foresters

Forests around the world are facing major changes due to more frequent extreme weather events, as well as the spread of new pests and diseases. These challenges are prompting important discussions about how to make forests more resilient and better able to adapt to future conditions.

To support this transition, forest management practices must also become more flexible and adaptive. At the same time, society's expectations of forests are changing, with growing interest in the environmental, social, and economic benefits they provide.

Making decisions about the future of forests is becoming increasingly difficult because environmental conditions are changing rapidly and past experience is no longer always a reliable guide. New approaches are needed to help researchers, managers, and communities make sound decisions in the face of uncertainty.

Addressing this challenge is a central goal of the Future Forests Cluster of Excellence. The initiative is developing new ways to understand and manage forests while also preparing the next generation of forestry professionals. This requires forestry education to evolve by teaching new skills and systems thinking, while continuing to provide the essential knowledge and practical expertise that remain the foundation of the profession.

About the speaker

Jürgen Bauhus has been Professor of Silviculture at the Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources at Freiburg University, Germany, since 2003. From 1996 to 2003 he worked at the Australian National University. His research focusses on dynamics and management of forest structure and composition, the ecological function of biodiversity as well as the adaptation of forests to global change. He published several books and more than 300 peer-reviewed befreien und die Regie papers and book chapters and is a highly cited researcher. For many years he has also been involved in policy advice, until recently as the chairperson of the Scientific Advisory Board on Forest Policy at the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture. For his scientific accomplishments he received the scientific achievement award of the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) in 2014. He is the scientific director of the Future Forests Cluster of Excellence at Freiburg University.