University of Göttingen receives two new endowed professorships

The University of Göttingen has been awarded two new endowed professorships in the Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology. "Forest Phytopathobiomes" and "Hydrology of Multi-Functional Landscapes" will be funded by the Eva Mayr-Stihl Foundation with a total of 1.35 million euros. The contract was signed in Waiblingen near Stuttgart at the end of January.

"We are very grateful that the Eva Mayr-Stihl Foundation is so generously supporting us in strengthening one of our particularly strong research faculties with a view to new fields of research," said Göttingen University President Prof. Dr. Metin Tolan at the signing of the contract. The founder and Chairman of the Board of the Eva Mayr-Stihl Foundation, Robert Mayr, added: "We have a long history of funding projects with the University of Göttingen. We would now like to expand this cooperation, as forest sciences play a very important role for all of us, especially in the context of climate change."

The representative of the Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology, Prof. Christian Ammer, was delighted with the expansion of the cooperation with the Eva Mayr-Stihl Foundation: "The two professorships are a perfect addition to our faculty's portfolio with regard to the future of the forest."

The Professorship of Forest Phytopathobiome will research damage to forests caused by microorganisms. The spread of woody diseases, for example, can be caused by introduced fungi or microbes. However, microbial communities can also prevent diseases. The professorship will therefore examine the ecological and epidemiological relationships between trees and phytopathobiomes.

The Chair of Hydrology of Multifunctional Landscapes will research the water balance of terrestrial ecosystems such as forests or agricultural systems with regard to climate change. A better understanding of the fundamental processes should open up the possibility of countering the hydrological risks driven by climate change through adapted land use. The professorship will focus on related issues, particularly in landscapes with forests.

Press contact:

Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
Prof. Dr. Christian Ammer
Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology
Department Silviculture and Forest Ecology of the Temperate Zones
Büsgenweg 1, 37077 Göttingen, Tel. +49 551 3923671
christian.ammer@forst.uni-goettingen.de, Internet: www.uni-goettingen.de/de/76148.html